This blog post is the first in an 4-part series about client journey.
When you go into business, no one knows who you are. It’s up to you to find your tribe, those people who want and need what you have to offer, and then encourage them to follow you.
How you do this and your success is part of the journey your audience goes on before they buy from you. And you encourage the follows and progression of that journey through the information you put out there for the masses—your content.
But it’s not enough to slap some content on your website or post a bunch of links on Facebook. You need to be able to take your audience through specific checkpoints, both with your brand and with the information you share.
[bctt tweet=”Every audience member goes through the same journey. Some just take longer than others.” username=””]
The Start of the Journey.
While you’re looking to get found, your audience is looking to find you. They need what you have to offer, which is why they’re drawn to you in the first place. They consume the content you put out there (I like to call this mild internet stalking), gathering information about you and your brand. Eventually, they may interact with you until finally—sometimes days, weeks or even months (and months!) down the road—they buy.
Every person who buys from you goes through the same journey. Some just make it through faster than others. And every person uses the content you create (as well as outside sources) to make a decision about whether to buy and when.
This journey matters. And it’s important that you pay attention to the journey as you create content. Because while one piece of content may work at one stage of the journey, you need an entirely different piece of content to move an audience member to the next stage.
Not sure which content works at which stage of the journey? Grab my Client Journey Map here.
Trust Matters.
You wouldn’t buy a big-ticket item from someone you didn’t trust, and you can’t expect someone to buy from you without going through the first few stages of the client journey.
Someone first learns about you through your videos and blog posts–even those they find on someone else’s site in the form of guest blogs. They grow to trust you when you nurture them with valuable emails and trainings as you educate them and give them the information they want.
All of this needs to happen before someone will buy because you’re building trust and showing that you have value to give to them. You reinforce and maintain this trust as you continue to share information in later stages of the journey, but the first few steps are vital.
While most content is designed for a specific audience at a specific stage in their journey with you, some content spans multiple stages. Find out why in this video.
Your Audience Grows.
When you create content that focuses on the journey, your audience will grow in size. But more importantly, they will grow in knowledge.
You’ve nurtured and educated those in the first stages of the journey, and they become your clients because they need and want more from you. As you work with them, there are opportunities to continue that relationship with more value and bigger offerings–but only when presented in the right way with exclusive content.
You see, your audience in later stages of their journey with your brand has more knowledge and expects more content–different content than what you provide to others. They already know, like and trust you, but they’re looking for more.
[bctt tweet=”Your long-term audience needs nurturing, just like those new to you.” username=””]
It’s likely they’ve already bought from you, but are ready to take the next step–a higher-priced offering or another service you provide. You must continue to nurture this audience with additional content directed specifically to them.
The Content Journey.
So what content do you need to provide to your audience at which stage of their journey with your brand? Stay tuned. This blog is part of an 4-blog series to help you master all parts of the client journey. Read part 2 here.
If you want to skip ahead, grab my ebook on the client journey.
