In the fast-paced world of today’s digital market, customer journeys have shifted drastically. It’s no longer about following a straight and narrow path. Thanks to the incredible power of digital technology and digital marketing, customers now have a ton of choices and control over their purchasing journey. In fact, according to a study by Gartner Group, B2B buyers are usually 57-70% through the buying process before they even reach out for help. This shift in power dynamics means a new marketing approach will be needed – one that goes beyond the traditional funnel model we’re used to.
The digital customer journey refers to the series of interactions a customer has with your brand online before making a purchase. It includes every touchpoint from initial discovery to final purchase and even post-purchase interactions.
To effectively lead your customers’ digital journey, you must understand their unique needs, preferences, and behaviors. This understanding is the foundation of content journey mapping – a process that involves tailoring your content to guide your customers toward a desired end goal.
Mapping your customers’ content journey offers several benefits:
The first step in content journey mapping is determining your buyer persona(s) – representations of your ideal customers. You need to understand their likes, dislikes, preferences, how they interact with your content, and where they do so.
Consider metrics such as:
These metrics can offer insights into critical touchpoints and the content most relevant to your customers.
Also, consider the buying cycle specific to each persona. According to a Google study, about 89% of B2B researchers initiate their buying process online.
The next step is developing content tailored to each stage of your buyers’ journey. The content should answer common customer questions and inspire them to progress toward purchase.
To assist with this, you can create a custom content calendar based on your customer journey map. This will help ensure your content ideas align with the buyer persona and buying stage.
A well-planned content calendar should:
HubSpot reported that leads nurtured with targeted content result in over 20% increase in sales opportunities.
There are various tools available to help you find search queries relevant to your customers. These include:
According to McKinsey & Company, companies outperforming their competitors leverage customer segments, microsegments, and behavioral, transactional, and engagement trends.
Technologies like HubSpot’s smart content allow businesses to personalize their website, emails, calls to action (CTAs), and more based on user behavior and channel engagement.
As digital marketing continues to evolve, it’s essential to keep pace with changing trends and technologies. A report by MarketsandMarkets predicts that the global marketing automation market will reach $9.5 billion by 2027. Is your marketing plan ready?
At ZGM, we can help you navigate the complexities of the digital customer journey. Our team of content marketing experts can guide you through the process of mapping your content journey, ensuring that you deliver the right content at the right time to the right people.
Contact us today to get started on your customer content journey strategy.