Before smartphones, whenever we travelled abroad to a new city, we had to deal with cumbersome paper maps or else ask for directions – in a foreign language no less – in order to reach our destination. It is an entirely different prospect nowadays, as GPS apps show us where we are, how to reach our destination, and what sights we can see along the way. We have all the information we need to reach our destination just sitting in our pocket. Do your customers have everything they need on their customer journey to find their way to you and your products?
On the customer journey
The right content can act as a signpost on the customer journey. It points potential buyers in the right direction, turning them into customers. But first, you need to know what they want. Have you completed a comprehensive target group analysis and created appropriate personas? Can you answer the most important questions: What are customers looking for? Why do they visit your company’s website? What goals do they have in mind? The purpose of your content is to help customers achieve their goals. Potential customers might not even be aware that they have a problem your company can solve. It is then a question of piquing their interest and triggering their customer journey. This can be achieved through a social media post, for example, or a wellplaced endorsement in a video by a prominent YouTuber. If you want to find out precisely when a customer might need a signpost on their journey, go through the entire customer journey yourself. At each touchpoint, think about the questions that the customer might have and make a note of them. This will help you to identify which type of content is needed for each step of the journey, and whether you already have such content available or still need to create it.
Content should provide answers
Once you have compiled all the questions, it’s time to think about what type of content could answer them. It may be useful to provide whitepapers or, depending on the target group, upload video tutorials to YouTube, especially when it comes to highly complex services or products that require some degree of explanation. Don’t forget to provide answers to more straightforward questions such as where the shopping basket is located or which payment methods are accepted. Use your content to answer the most frequently asked questions, helping to relieve pressure on your customer service team, prevent confusion, and turn more potential buyers into customers. Provide them with the signposts they need to find their way through the customer journey.
