Marketing leaders know that executing a successful strategy isn’t just about having a great idea; it’s about ensuring every stage of the buyer journey is well-supported with the right assets. Below, we break down the key stages—Awareness, Consideration, Conversion, Onboarding, Expansion, and Retention & Advocacy—and highlight what content you need for each. We’ve also included a list of internal assets that indirectly support the customer journey by ensuring internal alignment and executive support.
Awareness: Build Recognition and Capture Attention
In the awareness stage, your goal is to build initial recognition and interest. Here are the assets you need to kickstart a relationship with potential customers:
- Educational Blog Posts (Content Creation): Thought leadership pieces that address customer pain points.
- Targeted Ads (Design, Content Creation): Display or social ads designed to reach the right audience and prompt an initial interaction.
- Infographics (Design): Visually engaging content to simplify complex topics and attract attention.
- Social Media Content (Design, Content Creation): Posts that boost visibility and encourage sharing, particularly around educational topics.
- Press Releases (Content Creation): Announcements to media outlets that help spread brand awareness.
- Industry Reports (Content Creation): Data-driven content that positions your brand as a market expert.
- Guest Articles (Content Creation): Content published on industry websites to expand your reach.
Consideration: Build Deeper Engagement
Once potential customers know about you, it’s time to nurture them with deeper content:
- Webinars (Content Creation, Design): Live or recorded sessions to provide in-depth explanations, often with Q&A to engage the audience.
- Whitepapers (Content Creation): Long-form content that shows expertise, helping build trust.
- Explainer Videos (Design, Content Creation): Short, engaging clips that describe how your solution solves key challenges.
- Case Studies (Content Creation): Examples of your product in action, tailored to different industries or segments.
- E-books (Content Creation): Comprehensive guides that delve into relevant topics and provide value.
- Comparison Charts (Design, Content Creation): Visual comparisons that help prospects understand your unique value proposition.
Conversion: Guide the Final Decision
To turn consideration into action, focus on giving prospects the assets they need to feel confident in choosing you:
- Product Demos (Design, Development): Tangible demonstrations showing exactly how the product works.
- Comparison Guides (Content Creation, Design): Information that directly compares your solution to alternatives, highlighting key differentiators.
- Customer Testimonials (Content Creation): Peer stories that showcase positive outcomes from current customers.
- ROI Calculators (Development, Content Creation): Tools that let potential customers project the return on their investment.
- Free Trials (Development): Allow potential customers to experience the product firsthand.
- FAQs (Content Creation): Addressing common questions to remove any last-minute doubts.
- Promotional Offers (Content Creation, Design): Incentives to encourage immediate action.
Onboarding: Ensure a Seamless Start
Conversion is just the beginning. Effective onboarding sets the tone for customer success:
- Onboarding Sequences: Email sequences that guide users through setting up their account and getting started.
- Product Tutorials: Step-by-step guides or video walkthroughs to help customers understand how to get the most from your product.
- Checklists: Downloadable PDFs that show new users exactly what to do in their first week.
- Quick Start Guides: Simplified materials that give new customers a fast way to see value.
- Welcome Webinars: Live sessions to introduce new customers to the product and answer initial questions.
- In-App Guidance: Tooltips and walkthroughs within the product to support learning by doing.
Expansion: Drive Feature Adoption and Growth
Keep the momentum going by encouraging existing customers to explore additional features or upgrades:
- Feature Announcements: Emails or product guides that showcase new capabilities.
- Upsell Campaigns: Targeted outreach based on customer usage to promote feature upgrades.
- Product Guides: In-depth content that helps existing users adopt more advanced features.
- Webinars: Showcasing use cases and advanced functionality.
- Account Reviews: Personalized meetings or content to discuss how customers can get more value from the product.
- User Communities: Forums or groups where customers can share best practices and learn from each other.
Retention & Advocacy: Foster Loyalty and Community
Loyal customers are your best advocates. Make sure they’re engaged and ready to spread the word:
- Newsletters: Regular updates highlighting customer stories, product news, and new content.
- Interactive Content: Quizzes, assessments, or interactive tools to keep customers engaged.
- Customer Success Stories: Showcasing customer wins keeps users engaged and proud to be part of your community.
- Referral Programs: Incentivizing customers to introduce others to your product.
- Testimonial Campaigns: Encouraging happy customers to share their experiences.
- Loyalty Programs: Rewarding long-term customers to increase retention.
- Surveys & Feedback Forms: Gathering input to show customers their voice matters and to continuously improve.
Executive Support: Engage and Align Leadership
These efforts are critical for gaining buy-in and support, helping your initiatives succeed across the organization.
Marketing leaders at enterprise-level organizations need specific assets to keep leadership engaged and demonstrate the impact of marketing efforts:
- Quarterly Business Reviews (QBRs): Regular updates for executives showcasing marketing outcomes and aligning with business objectives.
- Executive Dashboards: Visual tools to help leadership understand key metrics at a glance.
- Board Presentations: Slide decks designed to articulate marketing’s impact in board meetings.
- ROI Reports: Comprehensive documentation showing financial returns from marketing initiatives.
Internal Alignment: Unite Teams for Success
These initiatives ensure cross-functional collaboration, which is vital for executing a cohesive and effective strategy.
Effective marketing campaigns require internal alignment across different teams, ensuring everyone is on the same page:
- Internal Newsletters: Updates to keep internal stakeholders informed about ongoing and upcoming campaigns.
- Training Sessions: Workshops or guides to educate internal teams on new campaigns and how they can contribute.
- Role-Based Playbooks: Customized materials for different teams, detailing how their roles support marketing goals.
- Campaign Kickoff Meetings: Meetings to ensure all departments understand campaign objectives and timelines.
Checklist for Marketing Leaders
Note: In each stage, there is an element of production—whether it’s design, development, or content creation. Each of these elements requires dedicated resources, time, and effort. While managing this comprehensive list is achievable, it requires careful planning, coordination, and commitment. Staying on top of these tasks can be demanding, but having a clear process and support structure can make it manageable and effective.
- Awareness: Blog posts, targeted ads, infographics, social media posts, press releases, industry reports, guest articles.
- Consideration: Webinars, whitepapers, explainer videos, case studies, e-books, comparison charts.
- Conversion: Product demos, comparison guides, testimonials, ROI calculators, free trials, FAQs, promotional offers.
- Onboarding: Onboarding sequences, product tutorials, checklists, quick start guides, welcome webinars, in-app guidance.
- Expansion: Feature announcements, upsell campaigns, product guides, webinars, account reviews, user communities.
- Retention & Advocacy: Newsletters, interactive content, customer success stories, referral programs, testimonial campaigns, loyalty programs, surveys & feedback forms.
- Executive Support: Quarterly business reviews, executive dashboards, board presentations, ROI reports.
- Internal Alignment: Internal newsletters, training sessions, role-based playbooks, campaign kickoff meetings.
Ensure you’re covering all these bases to create a smooth journey for your customers from awareness all the way to advocacy. Missing a step? Now is the time to get proactive.
