The Customer Value Journey Part 2

In Part 1, we covered the first four stages of 'The Customer Value Journey' (the eight-stage process coined by DigitalMarketer), which every new prospect goes through in order to become a customer, and eventually, a raving fan.

If you didn’t get a chance to read that article, definitely go back and read up on the stages that kick off this process — Aware, Engage, Subscribe, and Convert.

Below, we'll go over the last four stages of the Customer Value Journey so you can see how it all comes together:

5. Excite Stage

6. Ascend Stage

7. Advocate Stage

8. Promote Stage

5. Excite Stage

If you remember where we left off in Part 1, you’ll know that during the fourth stage, Convert, the customer has made their initial low-dollar purchase.

During the Excite stage, you want to ensure that the transaction is a good one. If they don’t feel like they received great value from the transaction, they're probably not going to want to purchase more from you and will likely stop interacting with you.

This stage is something you must go back to again and again. Each time a customer does what you ask of them (attend a webinar, fill out a form, buy a product) there should be a marketing follow-up that maximizes the perceived value.

Here are some email marketing and content marketing examples that businesses implement to make sure their customers get extra value and "wow" them:

• A coffee maker includes a few free coffee servings and a Quick Start Guide so their customers can have an amazing cup of coffee within minutes of opening the box
• A life coach sends three of their best, most informative blog posts for their newest client to review before their first session
• A clothing retailer gives their customers a coupon for $10 off their next purchase after spending a certain amount 

6. Ascend Stage

At this point, you’ve spent time and money gaining new leads and converting them into a low-dollar sale. It’s possible you haven’t even made money on these prospects yet. That's okay.

As DigitalMarketer says, “Buying customers on the front end is just shrewd business, but only if you are able to monetize those customers on the back end.”

The Ascend Stage is where you turn a one-time buyer into a multi-buyer. You want to move your new customer to buy your next offering, which is most likely your core offer. Now is the time to make that offer.

Here are some examples of ascension to encourage customers to do more business with you: 

• A camera manufacturer sells a new DSLR camera for $899 and adds a lens kit, camera bag, and tripod bundle for an additional price of $499
  
• A woman with a brand-new luxury car buys an unlimited car wash package for $40 per month instead of paying for each car wash individually

7. Advocate Stage

Now you should have some happy customers who are making several profitable purchases from you. It’s time to take it to the next stage and create marketing that encourages advocates for your business.

An advocate is someone who speaks positively of your business. They may not necessarily promote your business as yet, but when prompted, they’ll respond favorably.

The final two stages of the Customer Value Journey (Advocate and Promote) are often thought to be outside the control of the business, but that’s not true. There are marketing opportunities you can create that generate more advocates and promoters.

Here are a couple of examples for getting customers to become advocates, building trust in your brand:

• An Etsy shop owner emails review requests to customers a week after their order has been delivered to collect more online reviews
• A national coffee chain creates a branded hashtag for social media, then comments and reposts content of customers that use the hashtag

Getting advocates helps generate awareness, trust, and credibility with a wider audience, which helps you get more customers and continue to grow.

8. Promote Stage

Promoters are different from advocates in that they actively spread the word about your business, products, or services.

Sometimes it’s as simple as they had an amazing experience with you and want to share it with their friends and family. Other times it’s because you have created an incentive for them to do so.

Either way that it’s initiated, the new audience is hearing about you from a trusted source (such as a friend or family member). They are generally much more likely to become customers themselves.

Here are some examples of ways that intentionally create promoters:

• A beauty guru earns 20% commission from a certain makeup brand on every purchase by one of their viewers when they use her affiliate link
• A trivia game app offers one free life for every friend who uses your referral code when signing up
• A grocery delivery service offers a "Give $10, Get $10" promotion where both the existing customer and the referral get $10 off their next order.

By offering incentives, you are able to manufacture promoters for your business and spread your reach to their friends and family.

You don’t have to stop at one method to inspire people to promote. Always be on the lookout for other exceptional offers that will delight your customers. 

Turn Leads and Customers into Fans

That wraps up the Customer Value Journey! We hope this brief overview of each stage has helped further your understanding of the overall process it takes to turn a stranger into a raving fan for your business.

If you’re new to marketing or haven’t had much success with it in the past, all of the stages we talked about in this two-part series are essential for you to analyze and nail down before you can really start to grow your business significantly.

Schedule a free, no-obligation meeting with Sales & Marketing Technologies now to explore marketing solutions that gain your business more leads, customers, and fans!