In almost all steps of the customer journey, customers and potential customers encounter specific content. As an important component of online marketing, content marketing therefore offers valuable starting points for effectively designing content. A well-thought-out content marketing strategy starts at certain touchpoints in the customer journey. This raises the question of how users can be picked up with suitable content where they are at that moment.
Importance of the customer journey in content marketing
The variety of possible content requires a precisely defined strategy in order to play out the content as effectively as possible. 
You should consider the customer journey of your customers as the linchpin of content marketing measures.
The customer journey can ideally be viewed in different phases. There are several approaches with a different number of phases. What they have in common, however, is that there are certain touchpoints in each phase. These are touchpoints with specific content that can be controlled and defined as part of a content marketing strategy.
The term customer journey map has become established for the planning of content in the various steps. Such a map can be understood as a roadmap for the points at which customers interact with your content.
Customer journey map: Planning content in the phases
When planning a customer journey map, analyze the touchpoints at which your customers come into contact with your content.
Customers expect content that offers them added value.
The content orientation depends on the product and target group, among other things. For example, the content can inform or entertain. Only if customers find the desired content are they likely to move on to the next phase of the customer journey.
When planning content for the customer journey, exact knowledge of the target group is required. Requirements and expectations of the content can vary depending on the interests and age of the target group, for example. An exact target group analysis is therefore one of the prerequisites for determining the content.
Analysis of touchpoints
Ideally, every touchpoint in the customer journey is linked to a positive experience. The customer experience benefits when your customers reach their desired destination without friction at the various stages. The typical customer is not very patient, especially in view of today's wide range of offers.
If it does not reach the desired destination, frustration can arise, which can mean the end of the customer journey.
Already hurdles like:
- long loading times of the content
- links to less informative content or
- missing payment methods at check-out
can lead to the customer switching to the competition.
Customer journey mapping
When designing the customer journey map, it is advisable to go through it yourself. This helps you to understand the customer's journey through the entire content. This will tell you whether the information is easy to find, helpful and easy to consume. This makes it easier to assess the navigation menu or the ordering process, for example.
All touchpoints can be identified here. In doing so, you check whether the respective touchpoint can meet your customers' expectations. This provides an overview and reveals any potential for optimization. This approach is particularly relevant when it comes to extensive online stores with numerous touchpoints.
The touchpoints can be visualized graphically as a customer journey map. Such a map is also a helpful tool in the later course of content optimization. Experience and customer feedback help to add suitable content to the existing concept.
Content types and their relevance in the customer journey
While some users prefer content that is easy to consume, others value information that is as detailed as possible. Still others want technically appealing content or content that invites interaction. The classification of the content can be based on the expectations of the target group. For example, the content can be
- provide information,
- convey knowledge,
- be entertaining,
- help .
Informative content
The provision of information is particularly important for sophisticated products. For example, when it comes to technical devices that stand out positively from others due to their special features, customers want to know these details in detail.
Knowledge-sharing content
The knowledge transfer through content goes beyond pure information and refers, for example, to detailed reviews or scientific studies. Knowledge-sharing content contributes to presenting yourself as an expert and therefore as trustworthy in a certain area.
Entertaining content
Entertaining content can be designed in the form of interactive elements such as videos or images for sharing. Witty advertising or competitions can also be entertaining.
Helpful content
Content is helpful if it provides customers with specific problem solutions. This includes guide texts, tutorials or video and online seminars.
Touchpoints: Content for the phases of the customer journey
One approach to the phases and steps of the customer journey is the well-known principle of advertising effectiveness: AIDA. As an abbreviation, the principle describes the phases:
- Attention (attention)
- Interest (interest in the product)
- Desire (wish or desire)
- Action (action, for example purchase)
Specific content is therefore suitable for the different phases of the customer journey.
Attention phase
In the attention phase, users become aware of an offer or product. A user can also first become aware of a need, for which they then search for a solution. In online marketing, this phase results in search queries on search engines or visits to websites and online stores.
This is still a comparatively unspecific phase in the purchasing decision process. General and informative content is therefore recommended at this point. The content should have the widest possible reach and increase traffic to your website. Suitable content for this phase is, for example:
- Answers to frequent search queries
- Posts on social media
- Video content
- Audio content and podcasts
Interest phase
If a potential customer is interested in your company or your offer, their need for information increases as a result. In this phase, customers search intensively for content that is relevant to them.
In this phase, the need for high-quality content is perhaps the greatest. You should therefore provide comprehensive and detailed information material. You can provide this in the form of:
- Product information online and offline (brochures)
- FAQs
- E-books and webinars
- Information postings in the social media
- Product-related content on the website
- Whitepapers or studies (especially for B2B customers)
Desire and decision phase
The research phase ideally leads to the decision phase: Visitors then research more specifically and search for individual providers. At this point, a targeted supply of further information must be provided. Potential customers are often willing to pass on personal data in this phase. This is a contribution to lead generation.
The most important content in this phase includes personal emails and personalized landing pages. Multimedia content such as introductory videos focusing on the benefits of the product are also valuable at this point. Personal customer consultation meetings (online via video chat or offline) can also be decisive in the decision-making phase.
No matter what type of content you use in this phase, the content should create trust with your prospective customer and convey expert status.
Action phase (conversions)
The final goal of the marketing measures is conversion: the visitor becomes a customer. In this phase, users perceive your call-to-action and conclude purchase contracts. Content such as detailed guides, customer references and special offers are now useful to prepare for the purchase.
As a general rule, a new customer journey begins at the end of the customer journey. This is where after-sales management and ultimately customer loyalty come into play. This is why you should focus on content such as:
-
Details on after-sales services
-
Reinforcing offers and discounts
-
Customer testimonials on the website or social media
As acquiring new customers is generally more time-consuming and cost-intensive than retaining existing customers, appropriate content also plays a key role after the purchase.
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