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Customer journey and content marketing: why both need to be aligned with one another

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​​​Due to a continuously increasing flood of information online, many companies are posing challenges. They are in a constant battle for the interest of potential clients, while the attention span of people is decreasing. In the long run, only those who stand out among the crowd with their content will be able to succeed.

Efficient content marketing is a top priority. Those who have already done some research on the topic have surely come across the term "customer journey". This is something to consider as you create and optimise your content strategy. The following article shows why this is the case and how to do it.

Customer journey and touchpoints

​​​Customer journey refers to the conversion of people from the target group into (at best, returning) customers. Prospective customers go through several stages on their "journey" from initial interest to the final purchase, during which they repeatedly encounter content from your brand or your company. These points of contact are called touchpoints.

Some possible touchpoints are:

  • Company website
  • Advertisements
  • Marketing emails
  • Digital magazines
  • Coverage of the company
  • Product reviews
  • Links

​Every interaction with your content should lead to a positive experience – the goal is to leave a positive impression with every touchpoint to strengthen the purchase intention. When potential customers get in touch with the right content at just the right time, they are more likely to keep going on their journey. This is why it is so important to align the content strategy with the customer journey and the stages in the process of decision-making.

There are several approved methods that illustrate the customer journey. In the following, we would like to introduce two of them to you.

AIDA & ATTACK: Two models compared

​The AIDA formula is probably the most well-known model when it comes to describing the advertising impact on consumers. As it consists of only four phases, it is well suited to introduce businesses to the subject.

Attention
Customer is made aware of a company, an existing problem and/or an existing solution through advertising and other marketing measures.
InterestCustomer shows interest and does some research to be able to make an informed decision.
DesireCustomer is impressed by the offer and develops the wish to own the product.
ActionCustomer orders the product.


​Other models that describe the customer journey feature more than four phases. In the B2B area, in particular, more complex models are often used, for example the ATTACK model.

Attract
Customer realises a need or a problem, but does not deal with concrete solutions yet. This step is about drawing attention.
Think
Customer does their research and evaluates several options against each other. Now it is a matter of providing convincing arguments and emphasising your products to solve the problem.
Trust
Customer builds trust towards the company. In this step, it is about demonstrating expert knowledge to affect the decision.
Act
Customer is won over and ready to buy. Using a special offer and other confirming measures, the business is providing the "final push".
Close
Client completes the transaction.
Keep
Customer becomes an ongoing client by going through the buying process again. From now on, it's all about maintaining the customer relationship.


In contrary to the AIDA model, the ATTACK model acknowledges the fact that the customer journey is not complete once a purchase has been closed, but in the best possible case starts all over again. For businesses, loyal customers are extremely valuable, as they would otherwise have to invest a lot of time, money and effort in the ongoing attraction of new customers.

The Customer Journey Map

The Customer Journey Map is a graphic visualisation of the journey that allows you to provide the right content in the right place at the right time.

Content – whether it is informative, helpful or entertaining – should meet customers' expectations to increase the chances of them moving on to the next phase. The risk that the journey will be suddenly interrupted rises with the appearance of minor barriers such as long loading times, content without added value or limited payment options. Keep in mind: Given so much competition, the switch to another supplier takes no time at all. In order not to test the patience of your potential buyers and customers, you need to ensure that they reach their destination quickly.

Let's take a look at an example customer journey.

Attract
Claudia has been tasked to find new client management software
Claudia watches a video which highlights the benefits of CRM softwares
Think
Claudia browses the internet for possible providers
Claudia locates your company in the searching results
Trust
Claudia gets information about the software's features and prices
Claudia visits your website
Act
Claudia wishes to order the software
Claudia is reading positive reviews about your product
Close
Claudia orders the software
Claudia is going through the online ordering process
Keep
Claudia is happy with her choice and would like to use the software extensions
Claudia will receive attractive offers by e-mail


The customer journey map identifies all touchpoints as well as the actions, experiences and emotions of the "travellers" in phases. Thus, weaknesses can be identified in order to continuously optimise the process.

​Whoever sets up a content strategy and connects it to the customer journey map MUST know and understand the target group. Therefore, you should answer the following questions in advance:


  • ​Who is my target group

  • ​What is my target group interested in? (Which topics?)

  • ​When is my target group interested in what? (At what time?)

  • ​How do I approach my potential customers? (Which types of content?)

  • ​Where do I spread the content? (Which touchpoints?)

Which content is particularly suitable at what time?

According to the stage in the customer journey, some content is more beneficial than others, as shown in the table below.

Create attention
general, informative content with the highest possible reach
social media posts, pay-per-click ads, answers to frequent requests, video or audio content, events, SEO posts.
Awaken interest
detailed, comprehensive information on the company and/or product
brochures, FAQs, product descriptions, white papers, blog articles
Convince
additional information which creates trust and reflects your expert status / content for lead generation
personalised emails, personalised landing pages, customer consultations, testimonials, studies
Initiate purchasing process
specific content to prepare customers for the purchase
extensive guides, webinars, special offers
Binding
after-sales management
loyalty programmes, newsletter


Become a tour guide on the customer journey!

Digital content needs to be aligned with the level of information, the current needs and expectations of prospective customers. It therefore makes a lot of sense to differentiate between the phases of the customer journey when it comes to identifying topics, content types and distribution channels.

People who are engaging with your business for the very first time engage with very different content than those who are already preparing to buy. When content is well planned, you can manage the decision-making process easily and lead people through your sales funnel without suffering major losses. By aligning the customer journey and your content strategy, you will increase the likelihood of more people from the target audience making it to the end of the sales funnel.

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With the cloud-based Webmag editor, all online media for internal and external corporate communication can be mapped and centrally controlled. From the creation of digital formats to the design of landing pages and the management of users, roles and accounts – everything in one place.

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