Categories
ContentMarketing, CustomerService, DigitalMarketing

Have you ever thought you could improve your customers’ experience by creating valuable content? Yes! You got it: a blog can give you bonus points. Here, we tell you what and how to do.

customer_experience

The primary objective of every respectful marketing strategy is to supply one’s clients with an excellent customer experience. A positive interaction with your company, at every stage of the customer journey, helps to gain your clients’ loyalty and transform them into promoters of your brand.
Content marketing has a fundamental role in this process and can contribute to a decisive improvement in customer experience. In the following article, we’ll analyze the customer journey and see which strategy of content marketing is the most effective at every stage of the funnel: awareness, consideration, decision, advocacy.

Analyzing the customer journey

“Experiences are more important than products now. In fact, experiences are products.”

“People increasingly share their experiences with companies and products in our connected economy, and we can either be active participants in creating and nurturing desired experiences or spend more and more time trying to react or make up for bad experiences.” (X: The Experience When Business Meets Design, Brian Solis).

When we talk about customer experience, we’re referring to how a client felt in the moment he/she interacts with a brand, their experience, if it helped solve the problems they were facing, their anxieties, their worries.

customer_journey_1

In recent years, there’s been a change of direction in the marketing scene, due to the ever growing attention placed on investments that aim to improve relations with existing clients.

So, it has become particularly important for companies to analyze the customer journey and achieve a content marketing strategy aimed at improving the customer experience.

Let’s see how, in detail.

Prospective Buyer: know your client

Analyzing your prospective buyer improves the customer experience and is the starting point for your strategy of content marketing.

At this stage, it’s fundamental to understand:

  • what pushed your clients to search for a product of yours;
  • in which way they carried out their search;
  • what type of content helped them to purchase;
  • which competitors they visited during the stage of assessment and comparing products;
  • why they picked your website;
  • the experience you offered them;
  • what factors could be improved.

Once you have collected this data, it’s now possible to create a content marketing strategy that aims to develop contents that represent a valid answer to your clients’ questions and research, keeping in mind the funnel in which they are, (Awareness, Condiseration, Conversion, Advocacy).

“Remember: “Experiences are more important than products now. In fact, experiences are products.” ”    twitter_greenTweet

Awareness: beginning of the customer journey

The customer journey begins with a need: “I want to look for a hotel for my summer holidays”, “I need a new purse for a ceremony”, “I want to sign up to a Pilates course”, etc…

You can easily imagine your potential client while he/she inserts critical key words in the search engine in accordance with their needs. What does the person need at this stage?

Your clients are searching for content that informs and educates them on choosing a particular product or service. They don’t need content that pushes them to buy. Your first moment of contact is the instance in which they want to gain awareness regarding your company.

What is the right content marketing strategy to put in place at this stage?

The objectives of the awareness stage are:

  • to encourage research;
  • create engagement;
  • increase awareness of your company;
  • educate and inform;

The content marketing strategy therefore focuses on the following types of content:

  • keywords that correspond to the user’s search;
  • free contents like e-book and free guides, to video, info webinar;
  • social media campaigns and frequent updating of channels with informative, quality contents.

CONSIDERATION

Consideration: from user to visitor

Lets return to your potential client. From the awareness stage, we now pass to the assessment of your company. This person has turned from stranger to visitor. The contents you previously provided convinced he/she to continue interacting with your company. At this stage of assessment, the visitor wants to understand how effectively your products correspond with his/her needs.

Therefore, offering insights, regarding themes of interest to the visitor, is necessary: it’s through this process that your user will figure out if your products or services are truly the solution to his/her problem and the correct answer to his/her questions.

The principle objectives at the consideration stage are:

  • to support your client;
  • provide detailed descriptions regarding your products and services;
  • supply insights about your sector;
  • create a bond of trust;

The content marketing strategy therefore focuses on the following types of content: 

  • product catalogues;
  • FAQ;
  • blog (post with insights);
  • free webinar on products;
  • case studies;
  • video-demo.

Your objective for content marketing is to nourish your contact with more detailed forms of content. In this way, thanks to valuable contents, along with the insights and free resources, your contact will recognize your company’s prestige within his/her sector and will begin to trust your brand.

Conversion: from visitor to lead or client

LOYALITY

We’ve now arrived at the crucial stage, where your visitor becomes a lead or client. It’s not necessarily the case that a purchase is made straight after conversion, as the lead can feel ready to buy even after some time has passed.

In this case, lead nurturing plays a fundamental role: nourishing the lead, across channels of contact using targeted contents, strengthens the relationship with your company, including the sense of trust, and eliminates every shadow of doubt in regards to your product or service.  

At this stage, the objectives of the content marketing strategy are:

  • to strengthen the relationship of trust;
  • create a sense of urgency;
  • aim for promotions and valuable offers.

The content marketing strategy focuses on the following types of content:

  • coupon;
  • trial offer;
  • live demo;
  • free expert advice.

Advocacy: from client to promoterH

The purchase doesn’t coincide with the end of the customer journey and, for this reason, the following stage represents an important phase to work on. In fact, this aims to maintain existing clients by gaining their loyalty and transforming them into promoters of your brand. The customer experience is even more critical at this stage.

At the advocacy stage, the principal objectives are:

  • to maintain the client’s interest;
  • offer support;
  • encourage feedback;
  • encourage sharing.

ADVOCACY

The content marketing strategy focuses on the following types of content:

  • email marketing (discounts, birthday presents);
  • newsletter (description of new products);
  • blog (delving into themes of interest);
  • sharing via social media.

These contents are all important for making the client feel that your company shows interest. In this way, the client is willing to keep buying your product/service and share the positive experience via social media channels and reviews.

Conclusion

When we speak of customer experience, we’re talking about people, their problems, anxieties, needs and worries. So, their need to feel understood and supported in their daily battles is put first. This is why dialoguing with them and comprehending what they truly need is fundamental. They are the heroes of your company, not your products. Never forget it!

Doing this means stepping on the pitch with a different marketing strategy compared to the one imposed by the dictates of the “old style”. It means having enough courage to put aside your “me” company-attitude and leave some space for your clients.

“Make the customer the hero of your story.” (Anna Handley) Your clients expect nothing more!

 

Would you like to use Inbound Marketing but don’t know where to start?
Begin by reading our guide!

IPad_mockup_template_buyer_persona_EN

Archives

Categories

social media