All content is not created equal. While valuable content is the linchpin of an organization's marketing strategy, different types of content map to different part of the buyer's journey. McKinsey published a report earlier this year that confirmed what many of us with the ear to the digital space have known for a while - people don't like to be funneled into a neat graphic.
We're way past calling buyers consumers. Even as the term may be technically correct, it has an image problem. I prefer to talk about customers and since last week was customer service week and I was traveling, I thought we could have more than one customer conversation this week.
In the digital space, your content is likely to be activated by participation. McKinsey created a purchase loop graphic that looks like this:
In my experience, the way to map to the iterative phases of your customers' journey is the following:
1. Consideration
Here's where banner ads, search marketing and search engine optimization through Web sites and blogs come into play. In PR, you could think about articles, industry events commentary, and thought leadership pieces overall.
Think about:
- curating the experience with your content
- building consistent touch points in relevant digital spaces
- integrating tools to extend reach
Who does it well?
In the B2B space, Intuit does a very good job.
2. Research/evaluation
This part is where your social media participation and activation can have the greatest impact. Case studies, customer reviews, comments, share buttons, community features are all important for this phase. The more interaction you build into your content, the more your stimulate offline word of mouth. Decisions are made offline, often in consultation with a team.
Think about:
- facilitating subscriptions and shares
- curating the actual conversations
- engaging sneezers, the people who become influential to spreading your content
Who does it well?
In the B2B space, IBM is worth exploring.
3. Purchase
Opt-in emails are hard to beat when it comes to the final stages of the journey, the moment customers sign on the dotted line. Very few people convert to a complex purchase online. The call to action is literally a way to have a phone or face to face conversation and conversion. Higher engagement and interaction are embedded in this phase, which extend over the next one as well.
Think about:
- allowing community transparency for purchase validation
- offering value to the customer's team and peers
- facilitating interaction with you and your company
Who does it well?
In the B2B space, EMC works it.
4. Service or product experience
If we live in a world that is always in beta, contractual relationships tend to follow suit. Customers tend to want shorter term deals so they can continue to evaluate your service as they experience it - and they will tell all their peers, too. Remember that your contract is also marketing. Is it easy to navigate?
Think about:
- staying engaged with the customer at every touch point
- listening actively to and participating in customer feedback
- continually providing valuable content throughout the experience maturity
Who does it well?
For B2B, SAP. It looks like there is plenty of opportunity, still.
We did know that we don't move in linear fashion through anything in life, including neat diagrams that purport to map our own journey. Have you given some of these steps a thought? Are your customers involved in a couple of these steps simultaneously? Weigh in.
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