What’s a customer journey (and why do I need one)?
So. There’s this thing in business that we call a customer journey. And today, I’m going to tell you what it’s all about and why you definitely need one in business.
What is a customer journey?
I want you to think of a customer journey as the relationship you’re building with someone who is getting to know you and what your brand is all about.
It’s called a customer journey for a reason. Think about what you do when you’re making an investment. We’re not talking about one-and-done shopping here where you know exactly what you need and you to go to the designated Target aisle to get it. We’re talking about a major purchase here.
You’d want to spend some time doing your research on what you want first. What are the top brands out there that will give you what you’re looking for? Maybe you’ll want to read some reviews to get a better feel for the brand and what people are saying about it.
The point is, you don’t just go in blind to make a big purchase.
This is the same thought process your potential customers go through when they’re considering investing, which means you have some work to do.
Why do I need a customer journey?
So you may know exactly what a potential customer needs, but unless they know, like, and trust you/your brand/all of it - they’re not going to be investing.
And that’s why we need a customer journey. It’s to build that know, like, and trust factor with a potential client so that they will choose your brand and products and services over and over again.
Having a great customer journey helps you create everything from brand awareness to brand advocates. That means having raving fans who essentially do the selling for you. Who doesn’t want that?
I’m convinced. How do I build a customer journey?
When it comes to building a customer journey you need to give potential customers 2 things:
1) Content that gives them the information they’re looking for.
2) Copy that persuades them to take an action or click “next.”
Let’s start with content. As business owners, we’re constantly creating content. Think photos, graphics, posts, videos, blogs (like this), you name it. Content is the information you want people to know, and the information that they’re looking for, dispersed and broken into different mediums and forms.
And you want your content to do 3 main things:
1) Provide value so people can get to know you
2) Educate people on your expertise so they can like/believe in you
3) Tell people what you do so they can trust/invest in you
Again, it’s not about shouting from the rooftops that you have the solution they’ve been looking for. It’s about meeting your potential clients where they are and building a relationship with them. It’s about giving them value way before you tell them how they can work with you. Get to know them first.
Now, let’s look at copy. Having the right words on your website or in a social media post is all about knowing who you’re talking to, so you know what they want to hear (and that’s what you write). Again, we may know exactly what they need, but we have to tell them that in a way that’s appealing.
If someone you know is feeling crappy and wants to get back to the gym, you wouldn’t tell them, “I know the perfect gym for you, the perfect plan, and the perfect trainer. You’ll have to commit to going at least 5x/week and the investment’s pretty hefty but it’s totally worth it. Just look at me!”
That’s essentially telling them what you want them to do (or talking at them) without considering how they’re feeling first or what they’re even looking for. You wouldn’t do that to a friend, so don’t do it to a stranger either. That stranger has the potential to be a customer or client of yours. So remember to treat others as you want to be treated, always.
And when you’re writing copy, talk like you’re talking to another human being.
TL;DR To sum it all up, a customer journey is how you build a relationship with a potential customer. You need one because you shouldn’t expect someone who doesn’t know about you to invest in you (unless they’re coming from a trusted referral source). You build one by creating content that gives people the information they need while helping them know, like, and trust you. And you write copy that sounds like a human being wrote it.
A good customer journey is about building new connections and having conversations on the internet that can ultimately lead to business relationships.
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