Buying journey: one simple example to understand how it works

This week, when I was finally buying Shield, the Linkedin analytics tool, I observed my buying journey: What were the main steps and triggers? How long to it take to make me buy? What was key in the buying journey? How did I feel first as a user and then, as a customer?

I tell you everything through this purchase journey example because examples are the best teachers even... and because it is key for a marketer to understand properly how a buying journey works.

The example of my buying journey as a user, step by step

1 > Since last year I am not satisfied with the Linkedin statistics. Limited data fields. No data history. No data consolidation. {general and known issue}

2> This year, I notice the pain. I love Linkedin, I loooooove testing things, I love to play. In one word: I am a Marketer ; ) But without any data, playing is not fun. So I build an Excel table to follow my progress. Useful... but boring, time-consuming, bad for consistency. {personal motivation}

3 >Around three months ago I hear of a Linkedin specialist mentioning Shield. {product awareness through social proof}

4> Some weeks ago I come back from holiday and decide to be active on Linkedin again. {momentum}

5> This week, Daniel Murray, a Marketing expert (that I would add to my top marketers' list) recommends the tool too, in his Linkedin playbook. {recurrent social proof}

6> I search immediately for the domain name on Google, reach the website... and see this (killer) copy:

"If you like LinkedIn,

you will love Shield."

Shield

I think:

"I don't like Linkedin: I loooooooove it! So I will be absolutely passionate about this tool. And I like to be passionate about things. Let's be passionate, now!"

7> ....And I bought. 6 dollars a month in an annual payment. Pure impulsive purchase... coming after numerous months of thoughts in the back of my head. But this is not the end of my buying journey.

8> Yesterday, I read comments on a Linkedin post by Thibault Louis mentioning the tool again. I was even happier with my purchase {recurrent social proof... mixed with a bit of ego. Yes, I know, it's bad but well I am human}

Now, as a strong convinced customer (after 20 minutes of usage...), I naturally generate word-of-mouth around the product. {the user as a promoter}

What this buyer journey example taught me as a marketer

• The buying journey is about months, not weeks or days.

• You can have built a wonderful marketing funnel but if your website is not optimized, you will ruin instantly all your efforts.

• Respect and support your copyrighters: excellent copyrighting can do much more for your sales than what you think.

• Word-of-mouth is key at each step of the customer journey, before but also after the purchase.

The buying journey in 4 key principles

Some similarities with one of your last buying journeys?

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This post about the buying journey was initially published on Linkedin on the 26th of August 2021. Some adaptions were made.