We get it, content is king. That said, why are so many businesses getting content wrong? It’s time we acknowledged the not-so-little elephant in the room. 57 percent of marketing executives admit they don’t know how to leverage their data to understand customers or anticipate their needs.

We know there’s a significant upside to delivering quality content experiences. Businesses that create and share high-quality content can attract new customers, build relationships with existing customers, and boost their bottom line. However, even the best content strategy can fail if it’s not aligned with the customer journey. Here, we’ll discuss the customer journey, how to create a customer journey map, and how analytics can position your content strategy for success.

What is the customer journey map?

A customer journey map is a visual representation of the customer journey. It guides and influences the steps that a customer takes from the moment they first become aware of your business to the moment they make a purchase.

Why is it so important?

A customer journey map can help you identify the content that your customers need at each stage of the buying process. Think of it as a knowledgeable sherpa that quietly guides a customer toward a buying decision. When done well, you gain satisfied and loyal customers. Fortunately designing a customer journey map does not have to be left up to chance. To increase your chances for success, leverage analytics within your customer journey map to bolster your content strategy.

How Analytics Improves the Customer Journey

Analytics can improve the customer journey in several ways. For example, analytics can be used to:

• Identify the most important touchpoints in the customer journey.
• Measure customer satisfaction at each touchpoint.
• Identify areas where customers are having trouble.
• Develop strategies to improve the customer experience at each touchpoint.

By using analytics to improve the customer journey, you can:

• Increase customer satisfaction.
• Reduce customer churn.
• Increase sales.

To create a customer journey map, you’ll need to:

Identify your target audience:

Who are you trying to reach with your content? What are their needs and interests?

Map out the customer journey:

What are the different stages that your customers go through from the moment they first become aware of your business to the moment they make a purchase?

Identify the content that your customers need at each stage:

What kind of content will help them learn more about your business, solve their problems, and make a purchase?

By understanding the customer journey, you can identify the touchpoints that are most important to your customers and make sure that you are providing them with a positive experience at every stage. This will help you to increase customer satisfaction, loyalty, and revenue.

Not sure where to start? Here are some tips for creating a positive customer journey:

• Make it easy for customers to find information about your products or services.
• Provide clear and concise pricing information.
• Make it easy for customers to contact you with questions or concerns.
• Deliver on your promises.
• Go above and beyond to exceed customer expectations.

Once you have created your customer journey map, use it to improve the customer experience at every stage. In doing so, you increase customer satisfaction, loyalty, and revenue.

Bottom Line

Standing out amongst competitors is an ever-growing challenge. The customer journey is an important concept that businesses must conceptualize. By understanding the different stages of the customer journey and the emotions that customers experience at each stage, businesses can improve the customer experience and increase customer satisfaction, loyalty, and revenue. Don’t go it alone, analytics can significantly raise your level of success. Not sure you can tackle this on your own. Find out how Position2 can help you uplevel your customer journey, taking prospective customers into loyal buyers.