5 Simple Steps to Creating a Customer Journey that Converts
Creating a customer journey is not only an important aspect of email marketing, but it is also my favorite part.
Through a planned series of emails, you get to narrate your brand’s story, engage with subscribers, and nurture them into loyal repeat customers.
Starting may seem daunting, which is why some brands still don’t even have a simple welcome series, but I'll simplify the process by breaking down the five steps to building a customer journey.
Step #1 - The Journey Map
Starting within your ESP can be overwhelming. Mapping your journey outside your ESP will help you define your business objectives and create the different paths customers will take with your brand.
I use mapping software, but pen and paper work just as well.
Design your journey map to meet your objectives, which could be as simple as a welcome or more complex, such as when it's time for a repeat purchase.
Outline the number of emails for each journey, where subscribers might drop off the journey, and where they enter a new journey.
Determine how many emails you need to accomplish this. When you begin building your journey, there are no wrong answers.
Step #2 - The emails
Now that you have your map, you know exactly how many emails you need.
Step #3 The Journey Buildout
Use your map to build out the journey in your email marketing platform.
Trust me; it will go much faster if you do this as Step #3 vs. Step #1, which I see so many people starting on and then pausing and never launching the journey.
Your email marketing platform is used to execute your strategy, not be the strategy.
Step #4 The Launch
When building a customer journey for a brand, I use sample test data to ensure that I thoroughly test the journey for content and that all triggers work as intended.
After that, you are ready to launch, but check it daily for a few days to ensure subscribers are flowing through your journey.
Step #5 The analysis
Automated emails were once thought of as "set it and forget it.” But there is no such thing. You want to consistently analyze your journey and ensure it meets your business objectives. Keep that map handy.
To close this out
Having a customer journey for your email program is vital today! Yes, it takes time, but trust me, the benefits can be huge.
I just launched a post-project journey myself (like you, I knew this was important, but it never got started), and guess what? The engagement has been great, and people are hitting reply.
I should have done this a few years ago.
I originally wrote this blog as a guest post for All About Email. I encourage you to check it out and sign up for their weekly newsletter.