Use Journey Maps to Drive Marketing
When done well, journey mapping is a powerful navigator for content creation, providing a detailed roadmap for CX initiatives. This method enables marketers to identify not only the stages where particular types of content are needed but also the most opportune moments to deploy them. It's about delivering the right message, at the right time, in the right form— all with the goal of fostering a deeper connection with the client. This strategic approach allows for the creation of content that is not only informative and engaging but also builds trust, eases anxieties, and reinforces the client's commitment at every phase. Let’s dive into how journey mapping directs marketing teams to create impactful, targeted content that resonates with clients at each step, from first awareness to long-term loyalty.
It is at the first stages of your prospect’s journey with your brand, that your content does its job.
These two statistics say it all,
- Up to 85% of a prospect's research is done before they ever reach out to someone in your company.
- Approximately 80% of a prospect’s decisions to include your brand in their short list of potential firms to work with is predicated on the content they can gather from publicly-available sources like your website. If you want to appear on more short lists, your content needs to be powerful, insightful, and magnetic. Don’t know exactly what to say? Journey mapping done correctly will guide you. It all begins with Awareness.
The Awareness phase is foundational in the client's journey, serving as the initial stage where a potential client recognizes a need or problem. In this phase, clients are often seeking basic information and are just starting to engage with content that may guide them toward a solution. It's crucial for marketing teams to provide content that is informative, easily discoverable, and positions the firm as a knowledgeable authority. Clients may be searching online or asking contacts for recommendations, signaling that they are looking for trustworthy and relevant information to address their needs.
How do we know? By asking nearly 70,000 people over the past 10 years about what content they found valuable (or not so valuable) in their earlier decision-making and short-listing processes.
One effective content recommendation for this stage is to create powerful, proof-based content like case studies from past clients. Case studies are powerful because they showcase real-life examples of how the service has successfully been implemented, which directly addresses the client’s uncertainty about the value and effectiveness of the service. These case studies should be crafted to highlight the problem-solution-benefit narrative, providing clients with a clear picture of the process and the outcomes. This content not only educates potential clients about the service but also demonstrates its worth in a tangible, relatable way that can resonate with a client’s own situation. It’s about showing, not just telling, and in doing so, removing doubts and showcasing the potential return on investment and long-term value of the service, encouraging clients to move confidently to the next stage of Consideration.
In the Consideration phase, clients are diving deeper into their options, often feeling the weight of their decision with a mix of anticipation and anxiety. They're more actively engaged in comparing and contrasting services, not just on price but also onin the qualitative aspects like experience and trustworthiness. They're evaluating their choices, the complexities of their needs, and whether they will have the necessary support throughout the process.
For this phase, the corresponding content could be a primer that highlights your thought leadership. primer. This downloadable content would offer an authoritative guide on the company's service lines, highlighting the team’s strengths, capabilities, and experience. It would give clients a clear view of what to expect, particularly during the initial period. By offering a preview of the first 100 days, the primer will foster confidence in the service and set realistic expectations. The content should enable them to visualize their journey with the company and what their future success could be like. This anticipates and answers the questions clients are having during consideration they may not be vocalizing to the firm. The consideration stage is a perfect time to differentiate your firm from the others by sharing content that answers the simple (and nearly always overlooked) question, “What will it be like to work with this person/team/firm?”
In the Commit phase, the client has arrived at a moment of decision and action, often formalized through the signing of agreements and initiating payment processes. The client is hoping their choice leads to the anticipated outcomes while also dealing with the logistical aspects of transitioning to the service. The recommended corresponding content is a physical “Welcome Packet.” The packet serves as both a tangible expression of the company's gratitude and a reinforcement of the client's decision. By including thoughtfully selected physical gifts like branded water bottles and jackets, the company goes beyond the digital realm to create a more personal and memorable experience. Such artifacts help to solidify the new relationship, making the company a part of the client's everyday life, and can serve as conversation starters, potentially leading to referrals. This Welcome Packet should embody the service experience with your firm and serve as a physical reminder that they are entering a supportive and attentive partnership.
Onboarding is the transition from decision to initial action, where clients begin to see the tangible unfolding of their commitments. This is where a client’s experience transitions from digital to human in most cases so first impressions are being set at this phase. During this phase, clients interact closely with their service providers, experiencing first-hand the resources and expertise promised to them. As they navigate new systems and establish a rapport with the team, the focus shifts to setting the groundwork for the project. Supporting this phase through content could involve showcasing bios and stories of the team they'll be working with. By doing so, clients can connect faces to names, fostering trust and laying the foundation for a collaborative relationship. Detailed bios can showcase each team member's specific expertise and past successes and illustrate how the team's capabilities align with the client's objectives, reassuring clients that the service team is not only capable but has been chosen with their project's success in mind.
In the Project phase, clients are actively partnering to execute the plan alongside the service team. This is a hands-on stage where meetings are frequent, communications are critical, and decision-making is continuous. The client is busy handing over important papers and talking to other project stakeholders. Clients may feel overwhelmed by how much they need to participate in this phase all while managing their regular responsibilities but may also feel encouraged by their impact on the project’s progress. Their responsiveness and follow-through significantly impact the project progression.
A content tool to support the pace of this phase is process infographics or roadmaps. These would help to maintain the client’s engagement by illustrating each step of the process, fostering a sense of urgency by marking milestones and deadlines. They also provide an overview of the project's progress, helping clients understand the sequence and timing of the actions required of them. By outlining the process, infographics can preemptively answer common questions and reduce the amount of time service providers spend explaining procedures. They motivate the client to stay the course and ensure clients feel guided, informed, and prepared for what comes next.
In the Evolve phase, as a project concludes and (hopefully) transitions into an ongoing relationship, clients reflect on the results and consider their next steps. This stage is crucial for solidifying the client’s trust, resolving any unmet expectations, and setting the stage for future engagement with the firm. The content strategy here should be proactive, envisioning the client’s future needs and opportunities for growth. Creating content that answers "What's next?" can be especially powerful. This should be tailored information that points to specific opportunities for the client, demonstrating the firm's commitment to their long-term success. This content is a way to show clients that the firm isn’t just a service provider, but a partner there for the long haul. By highlighting additional services and support that align with their evolving needs, the firm can naturally introduce additional ways it can serve the client, potentially leading to more work and deepening the relationship.
Each phase of a client’s journey offers opportunities to not only meet but anticipate client needs, crafting a content narrative that's both responsive and predictive. By aligning content with the ebbs and flows of the client’s experience, firms position themselves as indispensable partners that will do the job they need and make them successful.
The best part? All this content has an exponential impact. The content used for one client builds a success story that is shared with the next, attracting more ideal clients and creating a continuous cycle of the firm’s growth.
Taking a client journey phase path through your content is a game-changer. When you begin to align strong, informative, and valuable content along the journey phases people actually follow, you will quickly see the power of a more personalized approach to content. Good luck out there. You got this.