In a world where the digital realm reigns supreme, the journey from a potential customer to a brand advocate has become more intricate than ever.
As digital consumer behaviour evolves, the quality, efficacy and speed of this journey becomes one of the most crucial contributors to brand success, subsequently impacting sales, retention and growth.
The buyer journey continues to hinge on the stages of awareness, consideration and decision as it did ages ago, yet there are now new formats, directions and modes of reaching these stages.
As formats of the enabling elements for these stages are changing, so are the ways are packaged, distributed and engaged with, and how these elements themselves interact and overlap across stages.
Think of these stages as different cities. While the cities themselves remain where they are, the means of reaching them and internal connections keep changing with time. Some roads are developed, some close, and new modes of transport become available - enabling newer and more ways of reaching these stages and generally providing better experiences across the journey.
This becomes even more significant as professionals and businesses come to accept a key theme of the digital landscape of the decade - decentralisation and how that ties to the dark forest theory of the Internet (more on this here).
In practice, what this essentially means is that digital channels of discovery and engagement are witnessing a paradigm shift - moving from giant social networks where entities compete for the attention of a rented audience to niche and branded platforms where they own the audience.
There are examples all over the place and across industries. Sports teams have their own fan engagement apps, media site and brands are beginning to add community features to their platforms and political leaders are launching apps for their citizens - in fact Donald Trump went ahead and started his own social network in the US, a version of a vertical network of his own.
The message is loud and clear: own your network and maximise it via meaningful interactions for the audience by seamlessly integrating content, community and commerce.
To a certain level, consumers have always craved authenticity and connection in the real world. The digital realm in that respect is catching up after years of building of the important yet rather flat layer of digital content and e-commerce, when examined with the benefit of retrospection.
Digital consumers want authenticity, connection, and stories that resonate with their experiences. Thus, building a brand in the digital era demands a strategic approach, and understanding the three key parts of a buyer journey is like having the secret sauce to success.
The concept of the three pillars of the buyer journey is not entirely new. However, what is new is how it ties to the digital behaviour of the consumer today.
Awareness: Crafting a narrative beyond the product
In the vast digital landscape, capturing attention requires more than just showcasing your product. The first step, awareness, involves establishing brand authority by connecting with your audience on a personal level and helping the audience be more aware about their pains, problems, needs or (latent) desires. The focus here is not the product itself but the story you tell – a story about them.
Take, for instance, Airbnb. In their "Belong Anywhere" campaign, Airbnb didn't just showcase beautiful accommodations. Instead, they told stories of travellers finding a home away from home, fostering a sense of belonging. By addressing the audience's need for connection and exploration, Airbnb built a community around shared experiences.
One must not just be crafting the right narrative, but this also requires the right tools to do that with. An oil painting can only be created if oil paints are available.
For digital professionals, enterprises and organizations, this is where it becomes important to be using a content management system that comes with the abilities to match these new-age requirements of easy content publishing and sharing, authoring tools, seamless commenting, search and hashtagging among others.
Lesson: Craft content and narratives that resonates with your audience's aspirations and challenges. They are the hero of the story, not the product.
Consideration: Guiding prospects with interactive insights
Moving from awareness to consideration is akin to taking your audience on an educational journey. Here, it's crucial to position your offering or solution as the right choice by providing valuable insights and interactive case studies.
HubSpot's Academy is a stellar example. By offering free courses and educational content on inbound marketing, they position themselves as thought leaders. Prospects not only learn about effective marketing strategies but also see HubSpot's solutions seamlessly integrated into the educational journey.
This is where digital content is one the most potent tools - where a polished content hub, engaging case studies and white-papers provide immense value. And once again, an empowering content management system is very helpful.
Detailing features and offerings allows prospects to check all the boxes of the consideration stage.
Lesson: Creating content hubs pays great long-term dividends. Educate your prospects through valuable content. Use case studies that mirror their challenges and showcase your product as the natural solution.
Decision: Winning hearts & sealing deals
The decision-making stage is where emotional connections usually play a pivotal role. Prospects want to know that your offering delivers real value.
To achieve this, enable them to experience the 'after state' emotionally. A value-based product tour can be a game-changer, or building interactive stories that help prospects see the benefits of product in action, and what they can help achieve.
Apple's product launches are masterclasses in this regard. The unveiling events are not just about specs, they're experiences. From the sleek presentation to the emotional storytelling, Apple allows customers to envision the transformative power of their products.
Providing interactive experiences and building a space where prospects can engage with experts, read reviews and ask questions is helpful. The emotional appeal is attractive, the transparency carried forward from earlier builds credibility and the continuing access adds trust.
At this stage, along with a good content management system, it's advantageous to have memberships, subscriptions and the capability to send newsletters or digest emails to continue stay top of mind of the prospects.
Lesson: Create immersive experiences that showcase the transformation the product brings and keep communication channels alive. Connect emotionally, and let your product speak for itself.
Post-Purchase: From customer to ambassador
The journey doesn't end with a purchase, it continues. This is a big step up from how buyer journeys were treated earlier.
As brand building and digital engagement continues to evolve, today buyer journeys don't end, they transform into communities.
Integrating customers into the brand or community is now essential. Establishing a hub where they can engage, share their experiences, and become part of a larger narrative is the key to fostering loyalty in the digital landscape of today.
Look at how Sephora leverages its Beauty Insider Community. Customers share beauty tips, product reviews, and connect over shared interests. This not only creates a sense of belonging but turns customers into passionate advocates.
Lesson: Build a community hub where customers become part of something bigger. Encourage engagement, and watch your customers transform into brand ambassadors.
In conclusion, the prospect to ambassador journey is a dynamic expedition that requires a nuanced approach in the new digital age.
By continuing to use the framework of awareness, consideration, and decision, and extending the journey post-purchase by taking an integrated content-community-commerce approach, brands can create lasting connections with their audience.
The key is to tell stories that resonate, educate through interactive content, and immerse customers in the transformative experiences the product offers in an engaging and empowering manner. In the world of digital sales, unlocking the real potential lies in building a branded digital content and community hub and creating a space where the brand story becomes a shared journey.
