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.
Some similarities with one of your last buying journeys?
This post about the buying journey was initially published on Linkedin on the 26th of August 2021. Some adaptions were made.