In past blogs, we’ve discussed how and why you should learn all you can about your ideal customer. And, in last week’s blog, we went over in detail the entire customer journey and what you should focus on in each stage to increase your customer lifetime value. It is recommended you read that article as well because it goes hand-in-hand with this blog. Additionally, this topic is so important to your business that we have divided it into a 2-parter so we can go into detail about each stage to give you a better understanding of how to become invaluable to your customers.
In this blog we discuss the first half of the Customer Value Journey: Awareness, Engagement and Consideration. It provides valuable information on how to provide value to your ideal customer in each stage of their journey from prospect to marketing partner. Next week, we will discuss the second half of the journey: Conversion, Retention and Advocacy..
First up is the awareness stage.
Customer Awareness Value
When it comes to discovering a brand, prospects have a variety of options available to them. For example, they might discover a brand through word-of-mouth recommendations from friends or colleagues, or they may come across the brand while researching online. Social media can also be a powerful tool for reaching potential customers, as can targeted advertising campaigns. Unless your company is based entirely off of referrals, you will need to decide which channels to use to reach your ideal customers. Today, about 80% of all digital advertising spend is through only 4 channels: Facebook, Instagram, Google and YouTube. Because of this, we recommend you to focus your attention and money on these.
Now that the prospect has heard of you, read on to learn how to get them to engage with your brand.
Customer Engagement Value
In order to target content to engage both new and existing prospects, it’s essential to have a solid understanding of your ideal customer and their needs. The first step is to create high-quality, valuable content that speaks to your audience’s pain points and interests. This content can take many forms, such as blog posts, social media updates, email newsletters, videos, or webinars.
Once you have created your content, you can use it to engage new prospects through various channels, such as search engine optimization and social media advertising. Once new prospects engage with your content, it’s important to follow up with them through targeted email campaigns, offering them additional content, information, or offers that will help move them down the pipeline.
For existing prospects, it’s important to continue to engage with them through ongoing content and personalized follow-up marketing. This could include sending personalized emails based on their behavior on your website or tailored recommendations for products or services that are relevant to their needs. By staying engaged with existing prospects and continuing to provide them with valuable content and offers, you can build a deeper relationship with them and increase the likelihood that they will become loyal customers and brand advocates.
Once the prospect has taken a tiny step to learn about your brand, now it’s time to teach them all about your core offer through regular communications. During this time, the prospect is delving deeper into how your offer will best meet their needs.
Customer Consideration Value
Offering valuable content in exchange for contact information and permission to follow up is an effective way to generate leads and build your email list. These are known as Lead Magnets. Here are some types of content that are often used for this purpose:
E-books & Whitepapers
Create long-form content that addresses a particular topic in depth, provides valuable insights, and offers actionable advice. E-books and whitepapers can be in-depth and authoritative resources that are highly valued by potential customers.
Case Studies
Use case studies to showcase how your products or services have helped other customers achieve their goals. Case studies provide a concrete example of how your offerings can solve real-world problems and are highly effective at building credibility and trust.
Webinars & Online Events
Offer free webinars and online events that provide insights and actionable tips on specific topics related to your industry. Webinars can also be an effective way to engage with your audience and answer their questions in real-time.
Newsletters & Blogs
Offer free webinars and online events that provide insights and actionable tips on specific topics related to your industry. Webinars can also be an effective way to engage with your audience and answer their questions in real-time.
Remember, the key to offering valuable content in exchange for contact information is to ensure that the content is highly relevant and provides tangible benefits to your audience. Make sure your content addresses your target audience’s pain points and interests, and offer real value that will make it worth their while to share their contact information with you.
That concludes the first half of how to become invaluable to your customers. Let us know if you have any questions and be on the lookout for the second half next week.
Schedule a free call here to learn how we can help you increase your customers’ lifetime value.
