How to Design an Intentional Customer Journey in 6 Steps (With Free Workbook!)

intentional marketing funnel maggie gentry

The intention behind this Reclaiming Marketing series is to offer a glimpse into how we believe marketing can be.

Somewhere along the way marketing was usurped by coercive and manipulative tactics where the focus was sales at all cost. It was a relentless barrage of one-way conversations, making us as the consumers feel a sense of lack, unworthiness, and the need to be fixed.

For years, there wasn’t much we, as consumers, could do about it. And now, with the Internet at our fingertips, we have access to more information to purchase from companies that align with our values. And if we see shady practices that we don’t agree with, instead of a letter of complaint going to an office that we may never hear from again, we can utilize social media to voice our concerns. We finally have that two-way dialogue.

And yet — many of our marketing practices and how we speak about connecting with our audience is still quite reductive, turning our customers into stats.

Through this series, our hope is to explore various marketing strategies from a lens that puts the human first. Because we are humans and consumers, too, we no longer want to buy into the capitalist ideals that make us feel less than.

We believe that the essence of marketing is about intentionally sharing your story and finding ways to genuinely connect with your audience.

Where better to start than with the foundational exploration of your “marketing funnel?”

We like to think of your marketing funnel as the path your customer walks as they get to know you better. There are distinct stages that correspond to a separate set of criteria to consider in order to craft an intentional experience. If you are able to explore and unpack the various stages of your marketing funnel, then you have, in essence, your entire marketing strategy presented to you. It’s a foundational part of the process, so that’s why we’re starting here.

In your business, you are the guide. So as you think about creating this purposeful customer journey, there is ample potential to intentionally design unique experiences along the way with each of the various touchpoints. As you journey through, we encourage you to think about the humans who are interacting with you in each stage, at each touchpoint, and consider if there are ways to make it even more intentional, to make it feel unmistakably you.

There are different schools of thought on what the exact stages are. We believe in the six stages below.

A Quick Overview

Generally, folks “enter” your funnel at the top in the Awareness stage and move their way down. As with all things in life, there are exceptions and nuance to that — download the (FREE!) workbook + video below to hear more on that. You’ll notice that this also isn’t quite a funnel but more of an hourglass shape. That’s because many folks don’t consider how valuable it can be to nurture existing relationships. One of the other misconceptions that marketing at large would have us believe is that in order to “be successful” we have to have more, more, more. We disagree. We’ve seen it time and time again with our clients that when we can offer gratitude to those who have previously worked with us, the impact can be magnified exponentially.

You may have heard about the Know-Like-Trust factor and how this is essentially the journey our customers take with us. Just like a friendship, we’d like our audience to know us, like us, and eventually trust us. It’s just like any other relationship!

Let’s break it down a little further stage by stage.

AWARENESS

Think of this like your first impression. This is when folks are first discovering you. Many people consider this to be your social media presence, and it certainly is! But it is also your website, your podcast, your blog, your speaking opportunities, your in-person (pre- and post-COVID when we are safely able to do so again) interactions. It’s thinking through any way someone might discover you. And in that discovery, what do you want them to know? How do you want them to feel? This is why it’s critical to have an intentional story — I like to think of it as Your Why — and it’s the central tenet from which all of your content and interactions stem from. When you have a clear story and consistently share it through thoughtful planning, you’ll begin to build brand consistency so that regardless how someone first finds you, the feeling you evoke is the same.

FAMILIARITY

A customer moves into Familiarity once they’ve reached the place where they can easily recall who you are. In order to encourage your folks into this next phase, it’s helpful to think about where you want to show up (and asking your folks to meet you there!) and offering great value. If we equate this to dating, think of this like the second or third date. You’re attentive, listening intently, perhaps even offering a small gift to show how much you genuinely care. Practically speaking, this is often when someone engages with your work in a way that’s a bit more involved than double-tapping on an Insta post. It’s joining you for a live, free event or signing up for your newsletter. That action confirms that they Know you and are eager and willing to hear more. As the guide, it’s important to consider: What are those free opportunities to engage with you more?

CONSIDERATION

When a customer enters into the Consideration phase, they are entertaining the idea of entering into an exchange with you whether that’s working with you directly or purchasing something you have to offer. Another way to think about this is the Contemplation stage. Every person has a unique way of approaching purchase decisions, and based on their current financial circumstances or even personal predisposition, they may need more or less information and time to make that decision. Once again, as the guide, it’s imperative that you consider various ways to support the unique individuals as they ponder whether or not to take it to the next stage — purchase. To support your folks who find themselves here, carefully review your sales pages, your proposals, your shop and/or checkout pages to remove as many barriers to purchase as possible. Triple check your tech before you officially launch!

PURCHASE

Once someone enters this stage, we see the Purchase as a confirmation that the customer Likes you — taking into account the Know-Like-Trust factor. And here is where I see too many business owners stop. Yes, there is a transaction that occurs, and the entire experience does not have to be purely transactional. You are the guide, remember? How can you make even the traditionally transactional intentional? Instead of checking the box, marking the sale, and refocusing your energies back on Awareness and finding ways to get even more people, explore how you can infuse the post-purchase experience with abundant gratitude and personality. That could be getting creative with the packaging as you deliver the item, or creating a thoughtful onboarding experience that acknowledges and celebrates the journey the client is about to embark on with you. What is something small but mighty that you can add to this process that would make it even more memorable?

LOYALTY

After the Purchase is when you can start to build Trust by following up and delivering on what you promised. This is where it’s important to honor quality and honesty by walking your talk and offering your client an exceptional experience. Most likely, you shared at length what they would be receiving back in the Consideration phase, and also, who doesn’t love a little surprise? To whatever extent feels safe to do so while honoring your own energetic capacity, how might you offer a little something above and beyond? The other thing to note at this stage is that we focus so much on getting the client in and starting the engagement, that we often neglect to put equal emphasis on how we’re closing the container and guiding them onward after our engagement ends. Take time to think about that post-engagement generous send-off now. Is there any additional value you might add?

ADVOCACY

If you have intentionally explored each touchpoint that we’ve shared in the five stages above to create an exceptional customer experience, you will inevitably find yourself here in the coveted Advocacy stage where folks Trust you enough to the extent that they share about you on your behalf. Regardless of how much technology and automation, trip wires and countdown timers, upsells and exploding offers will continue to be added into the mix of things we feel we must do in modern marketing, the golden ticket is — and will always be — word-of-mouth referrals. You can certainly explore a referral or affiliate program to put some structure and incentives behind this. Or you may also consider how to continue to stay in touch with your clients after the engagement has ended to merely touch base human to human. These small acts of care can have an amplifying effect, hence why you see the Advocacy stage expanding back out into that hourglass shape. If you are able to get here with even a handful of customers, they can work loads of magic in amplifying you and your message when you aren’t even aware of it!

In the end, a marketing funnel is so much more than simply herding people into your sphere of influence and turning them into customers by any means necessary. It’s a journey that you walk with them. It’s building a trusting, mutually beneficial relationship with your audience. This is the process by which you deliver the most value to the people you are meant to help, and to receive value from them in return.

It’s quite beautiful when you stop to think about it, and far more enriching than typical pushy marketing tactics would have us believe, because it is based on truly helping your people. And isn’t that what business is all about?