Small Business Marketing in 2019: A 7-Step Customer Journey Plan

Would you ask your date to marry you the first time you met?

I’m guessing not.

As I remember the dating scene (which was eons ago), first, you get to know each other, then if the chemistry is right and you like the company and conversation then a second date is considered.

On the second and subsequent dates (assuming things are moving well), you continue to build the relationship, establish trust and move from strangers to friends.

Turning a stranger into a high value customer for your small business is similar.

But,

It requires a well thought out strategic plan.

If your marketing isn’t strategizing around the customer journey, you’re using yesterday’s strategies for today’s sophisticated consumer. A consumer with endless choices, immediately at her fingertips.

Small businesses have a unique advantage to be more nimble and responsive to the ever changing marketplace. Use it to beat back your bigger competitors!

So leveraging this powerful strategy is a sure-fire way to get high quality leads and better conversions.

Here, I share a 7-step plan to help you create an effective customer journey to get them quickly moving along a desired path. (This, inspired by a recent DigitalMarketer post)

Step 1: Create awareness

If you have the best products and service in the world and no one knows, you are invisible.

You are off the radar.

So how do you get on the radar of your ideal buyers?

First, create content that informs, entertains and is valuable to those you wish to serve and who are in the market for the solution you offer.

Next, share it.  

Share on your social media, blog posts, podcasts, Alexa Flash Briefings, Google Home, newsletter, events and so on.

Step 2:  Get them engaged

This is where you start to build and deepen the relationship with your tribe – you engage and create conversation using multiple channels like Facebook. Instagram, blogs, emails and so on.

Take Nathan Latka, for example, a very successful entrepreneur and podcaster from Austin, Texas. Back in 2017, Nathan went live on Facebook with cheque book in hand to make random business deals right on the spot.

He engaged his audience in real time by asking for opinions and feedback while they watched every minute of his deal making antics.

Soo fascinating!

Engaging his audience in such an intimate way allowed Nathan to become an immediate Facebook sensation and before he had time to breathe, CNBC came calling with an offer for his own television show called Latka Money.

In addition, Nathan successfully negotiated a major book deal.

Step 3: Ask for a micro commitment

As prospects get to Know, Like and Trust you (KLT) now is a good time to ask for a micro commitment.

A micro commitment more often than not, is an offer of something valuable in exchange for an email address.

This could be a webinar, seminar, e-book, cheat sheet, demo, coupon or anything else your ideal customer deems valuable.

With their email, you have an opportunity to continue to nurture and court before you ask for a bigger commitment or a sale.

Step 4: Turn Them Into Customers

 You’ve built trust, provided value, proven that you can solve the problems of your prospects better than the competitor, it’s now time to deepen the commitment.

It’s time to turn them into a customer.

But don’t get ahead of yourself. It’s not time to offer your core product or service.

This offer is usually low barrier, entry level, inconsequential $ commitment. This offer isn’t designed to make you money. That will come later.

The goal is to transition your prospect from a subscriber or follower into a paying customer.

Step 5:  Surprise and Delight

 Now that you have acquired a new customer be sure to surprise and delight.

First, deliver what you promise, when you promise and how you promise.

Next, include something extra they aren’t expecting.  A kind of bonus.

Think about the last time you were delighted by a great experience – you got something you didn’t expect. 

How did it make you feel? Were you excited? Delighted?

Did you share your great experience?

The feeling of happiness, excitement and warm and fuzzy, is the precise feeling you want to create when your new customer experiences your product or service.

Step 6: Make Them Repeat Buyers

 You’ve now acquired a new customer with your entry point offer; you’ve made the conversion and earned their trust.

What’s next? 

At this stage your goal is to make them a repeat buyer, to offer your core product or service.

It’s time to offer your profit maximizer. It’s time to bring in real $$$.

You may also consider other ways to create repeat buys – upsells, cross-sells, add-ons and so on.

Step 7: Ask For Referrals

This is an under utilized strategy yet one that could yield excellent leads.

So why don’t we do it more often? The Wharton School of Business suggests that a referred customer has a 16% higher customer lifetime value (CLV) than a non-referred customer.

In addition, it costs a lot less and has a higher potential for retention and loyalty 

Not sure how to create your own army of paid or unpaid promoters?

Here are a few ways:

1. Provide extraordinary value for your clients so that they will want to tell their network about you.
2. Give referrals first. When you receive exceptional value, let others in your network know.  Seek first to give before you can get.
3. Ask for reviews and testimonials – online and offline. Provide a link to your social accounts including review sites.
4. Offer incentives. A coupon, discount, gift cards, enter to win, a donation to a charity of choice and so on.

In conclusion

Using a single tactic or a series of unfocused marketing strategies in your business are likely to produce less than stellar results and sinking precious marketing dollars in things that no longer work.

With today’s sophisticated customer it’s important to have a strategic plan and appropriate assets at every stage of the customer journey to court and nurture. It’s a relationship.

Then and only then can you systematically move your small business to the next level of growth.

Do you have a customer journey mapped out?

If you need help, lets talk.