The customer value journey is a vital tool for guiding leads through the path to becoming satisfied customers and even brand ambassadors. Aligning marketing with the customer value journey is, in fact, one of the most important steps you will take to grow your business!
Understanding the Customer Value Journey
The customer value journey is the blueprint for creating a steady flow of customers for your business. It breaks down the process of turning total strangers into high-value customers and brand promoters, an essential part of your business's growth.
Think of the customer value journey like human relationships. When you go on a first date with someone, you're just starting to feel them out. You might not be sure where that relationship will go. You're certainly not going to propose marriage on a first date! Instead, that first date is a chance to get to know that person and see where you want it to go. However, if you spend that date simply talking about all the reasons they should fall in love with you and never leave you, chances are, you aren't going to get a second date. We shouldn’t do this in advertising either!
The customer value journey is a similar process. Eventually, of course, you hope potential customers will come to appreciate everything your brand offers and even feel that their lives would be incomplete without you in it. In the meantime, however, you have to woo those customers by steadily providing them with more insight into what your brand offers and why they should trust you.
You must create a mutually beneficial business relationship with those customers to encourage them to connect with you. Marketing must be purposeful in meeting your potential prospects where they are and identifying what they need so that you can show them how your brand can provide it.
The 8 Stages of the Customer Value Journey
1. Awareness
In the awareness stage, prospects hear about your brand for the first time. Often, that means the first ad they connect with: audio/radio ads, paid search ads, display ads, and so on. Creating a good first impression can be essential to customers' eventual connection with your brand.
2. Engage
Customers begin to get to know your brand and take steps to engage in learning more. Here, you’ll want to build trust with prospects as you give them more information about what your brand can do and what you stand for.
3. Subscribe
At the subscription stage, prospects provide you with contact information, usually in exchange for something they want. To convince prospects to subscribe, you will generally need to give them something they consider valuable, including a white paper, a webinar, or gated content.
4. Convert
The prospect has made the first decision to purchase your product! With the initial purchase, buyers will frequently spend less than repeat customers. Remember, building customer relationships is a long game, and additional investments will come if they are satisfied.
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5. Excite
Customers build a deeper relationship with your brand and become increasingly more excited about what you have to offer.
6. Ascend
Customers know that your product offers significant value to them, so they are ready to learn more about the products and services you have to offer. They may be prepared to make additional purchases. During this phase, provide customers with more information about different products, add-ons, and their benefits.
7. Advocate
As customers get a better feel for what your brand has to offer, they may become brand advocates. They will share information about your brand with others looking for your products or services. Brand advocates are a great way to build brand recognition and encourage customers to trust you.
8. Promote
Customers who are now raving fans will want to actively promote your brand. They aren't just talking about your brand when people ask. Often, they are deliberately reaching out to share information about your brand. They may promote you on their social media channels or share more information with people who might benefit from your purchases.
Build Marketing Content Focused on the Customer Value Journey
At Mid-West Family Southwest Michigan, we help our clients build effective marketing content focused on each stage of the customer value journey. When you need marketing services to grow your brand using the customer value journey, consider a multi-channel media partnership that will be with you every step of the way.
