Content Chat

#ContentChat is a weekly twitter chat that brings together content creators and content marketers to share their challenges and best practices for solving them.

I took over hosting duties from Lucy Rendler-Kaplan on June 13, 2016. The chat was originated by Jenise Stout Fryatt of Smarter Shift who built up the community over three years.

Check out these recaps from recent chats and join us on Mondays at 12 noon Pacific/ 3:00 p.m. Eastern to join in the conversation.

November 15, 2021 Content Chat Recap: How to Audit Your 2021 Content Strategy to Drive Your 2022 Strategic Content Marketing Planning

November 16, 2021 by Alek Irvin Leave a Comment

Have you started your 2022 content marketing planning? Before you start to put pen to paper for your plan, it’s crucial to audit your 2021 content and uplevel key insights that can boost your team’s success next year.

In this #ContentChat we explain how to lead an effective content audit with Amy Higgins (@AmyWHiggins), director of content strategy at Salesforce for its Service Cloud. Read the full recap below, where we explain how to structure a content audit, the channels to prioritize during an audit, how to turn your data into insights, and more.

Q1: Why is an annual content audit essential for effective content marketing planning?

A content audit should not be a one-and-done exercise. An annual audit is necessary to understand how to best allocate your marketing budget and resources to meet your community needs.

A1a: Auditing content should be part of your ongoing strategy in order to learn from the past and optimize for the future. #ContentChat https://t.co/wYG1afIO42
— Amy Higgins (@amywhiggins) November 15, 2021

A1b: With annual audits, you can see a high level trend of what worked/didn’t work to help optimize and uncover gaps in your content. #ContentChat pic.twitter.com/sKgx9YsuVr
— Amy Higgins (@amywhiggins) November 15, 2021

A1a: In some organizations, a content audit is a one-time exercise. This is a HUGE missed opportunity!
If you are not auditing your content every year, and making budget and resource allocations without your content performance data in-hand, how can you budget? #ContentChat
— Erika Heald | Content Marketing Consultant (@SFerika) November 15, 2021

A1 It lets you know if your content is doing what it’s supposed to do!
It’s essential for producing content that works for both you and your audience, sends the right message, and is to get the brand seen
-Alyx#ContentChat https://t.co/QllSz1AjFn
— Charlie & Alyx – Charlie Appel Agency (@ColfaxInsurance) November 15, 2021

A1: A content strategy is a living, breathing mechanism. It feeds off of results of previous content. Without a quarterly audit, a big org is wasting marketing spend for sure.
One must have their finger on the pulse of what is getting results.#ContentChat
— Brett Pucino 👻 🖊 (@BrettPucino) November 15, 2021

Most readily available marketing data is just one piece of the puzzle. An audit helps piece everything together.

A1b: Yes, you can look at your leads dashboard to see what content has contributed to your closed deals, but that’s only one piece of the puzzle when it comes to identifying your #contentstrategy for the coming year. #ContentChat
— Erika Heald | Content Marketing Consultant (@SFerika) November 15, 2021

usually leads is the end of the funnel. Don’t forget to audit how they got there in the beginning. #ContentChat
— Amy Higgins (@amywhiggins) November 15, 2021

An audit can also uncover how your customer content needs have shifted over the last year.

Over the past 18 months, in particular, we’ve seen just how quickly customer content consumption and needs can shift—if you didn’t shift your content strategy appropriately, and quickly, you really left your community hanging. #ContentChat
— Erika Heald | Content Marketing Consultant (@SFerika) November 15, 2021

To reinforce this, @MarketingProfs and @CMIContent found that 55% of B2B content marketing strategies are now at least “moderately different” than pre-pandemic. Only 14% of teams have a strategy that is “not different at all.” https://t.co/Yz6UAK2W9T #ContentChat pic.twitter.com/oLL7U7dkIy
— Alek Irvin (@AlekIrvin) November 15, 2021

Q2: How do you structure your content audit? Do you have a template you can share?

November 8, 2021 Content Chat Recap: How to Plan and Promote an Engaging Virtual or Hybrid Event

November 11, 2021 by Alek Irvin Leave a Comment

Research from LinkedIn found that 85% of marketers have held a virtual event in the past year. For nearly a quarter of these marketers, at least 90% of their events are now entirely virtual. Does this mean marketing teams should plan exclusively for virtual events in 2022? Not exactly.

As more communities lift their social distancing protocols, we should see an increasing number of live and hybrid event experiences next year. The research suggests we can anticipate a breakdown of 30% virtual events, 36% in-person events, and 24% hybrid events.

To help marketers start their 2022 event planning, in this #ContentChat we explain how to plan and promote an engaging virtual or hybrid event. Read the full recap to learn how to start planning a virtual or hybrid event, the challenges you will likely face (and solutions), how to navigate a call-for-speakers process, and more.

Q1: What is the current state of B2B industry events? Can we expect in-person experiences to come back in 2022?

There will be more in-person conferences in 2022.

A1a: A number of big industry events that canceled their 2021 in-person conferences are already announcing plans for in-person and hybrid events in 2022. #ContentChat
— Erika Heald | Content Marketing Consultant (@SFerika) November 8, 2021

However, we expect many of these in-person experiences to include a virtual component, meaning that many events will be hybrid.

A1b: What’s interesting to note is many events that previously did not have a virtual component have heard from their attendees that they aren’t ready to go back to live events yet. Hence seeing a boom in hybrid offerings. #ContentChat
— Erika Heald | Content Marketing Consultant (@SFerika) November 8, 2021

A1: It definitely sounds like some in-person events will be back in 2022, but with virtual options. I think it’s a safe bet to have both planned. As we’ve seen, things with the pandemic can change fast. #ContentChat
— Melanie Graham (@WriterGirlMel) November 8, 2021

Agree 100% on this. A city that seemed like a great choice can have a COVID surge that causes people to not want to travel there in person. Definitely saw that this year. #ContentChat
— Erika Heald | Content Marketing Consultant (@SFerika) November 8, 2021

my day job is promo products and we’re having live events in 2022, along with a virtual slate as well.
— Cait Mack (@caitmackcs) November 8, 2021

A1 I think we’re seeing them becoming more popular again – there’s been a lot of Zoom/screen fatigue and people are excited to get back to meeting in-person
That said, I would like to see hybrid style events becoming more commonly used
-Alyx#ContentChat https://t.co/qntFeuy9xi
— Charlie & Alyx – Charlie Appel Agency (@ColfaxInsurance) November 8, 2021

Per LinkedIn research (see The Drum article), 85% of marketers have held a #virtualevent in the last year, and 28% say at least 90% of their events are all virtual. In 2022, they expect a breakdown of 40% virtual, 36% in-person, & 24% hybrid. https://t.co/SsLU6GOs9D #ContentChat
— Alek Irvin (@AlekIrvin) November 8, 2021

This is an understandable evolution of the events industry. Marketers spent 2020 and 2021 learning how to host a successful virtual conference, and teams now understand that the best event experiences make full use of the features and functions available based on the attendees’ preferred way to attend.

A1c: Also, once you’ve been able to successfully host an all virtual conference, and seen how you can draw an audience that wouldn’t normally attend in-person due to budget or travel constraints, it makes sense to keep that momentum going. #ContentChat
— Erika Heald | Content Marketing Consultant (@SFerika) November 8, 2021

Networking remains a challenge for virtual and hybrid events.

I’ve tried a few virtual events that span multiple days. I’m not a fan. I can research any topic whenever I’d like, and networking at virtual events is subpar in my experience. #ContentChat
— Tod Cordill (@todcordill) November 8, 2021

I’ve noticed networking is harder at virtual events too
I wonder if there hasn’t been enough planning on the host’s end to promote networking, or if it’s just a new enough concept that it hasn’t taken off yet 🤔
-Alyx#ContentChat
— Charlie & Alyx – Charlie Appel Agency (@ColfaxInsurance) November 8, 2021

I think that is a multifaceted issue. Many #virtualevents platforms don’t have great audience participation and engagement tools for sessions, let alone for peer networking. We will get into that a bit more later in the chat as well. #ContentChat
— Erika Heald | Content Marketing Consultant (@SFerika) November 8, 2021

There are definitely technical limitations at large events. At live events, you randomly meet people and see people you know. Discussions happen naturally. #ContentChat
— Tod Cordill (@todcordill) November 8, 2021

Agreed. I haven’t yet seen a great virtual event interface for tagging along with your friend to their sessions, although some will allow you to see their custom agenda of planned to watch sessions. #ContentChat
— Erika Heald | Content Marketing Consultant (@SFerika) November 8, 2021

Q2: If you planned a virtual or hybrid event in 2021, what challenges did you face?

November 1, 2021 Content Chat Recap: What Marketers Need to Know About Company Rebrands

November 3, 2021 by Alek Irvin Leave a Comment

Following years of media scrutiny and increased legislative attention, Facebook announced last week that it will now be called Meta. The company claims this will help it more closely align with what it does as it reaches into areas like virtual reality.

From a marketing lens there are two top-of-mind considerations stemming from Facebook’s rebrand to Meta:

How is Facebook’s communications team doing?
Why should a company rebrand, and what does it mean from a marketing standpoint?

In this #ContentChat, we explore what marketers need to know about company rebrands. Read the full recap below, where we explain the common reasons that companies rebrand, what marketing teams should do during a company rebrand, and more.

Q1: Why do companies rebrand? What are some common scenarios that lead to a rebrand?

Companies can undergo a range of rebrands, spanning from light changes to the brand’s visual identity to a full-blown overhaul of the company’s purpose and naming.

A1a: There are so many reasons that companies rebrand. Frequently, when a new marketing leader comes onboard they kick off a visual refresh or overhaul in their first few months. #ContentChat
— Erika Heald | Content Marketing Consultant (@SFerika) November 1, 2021

Company rebrands happen for a variety of reasons, including a change in team leadership, if the brand has become outdated, or following a merger or acquisition, or to distance the brand from negative press (just to name a few).

A1b: Brands often take a step further to rename themselves when the old name feels outdated (see company names with the word “online” in them), or they’ve changed focus through mergers and acquisitions, like Google rebranding its parent company. #ContentChat
— Erika Heald | Content Marketing Consultant (@SFerika) November 1, 2021

A1 At my last employer, we rebranded because the company was moving from academic-oriented consulting company to a data-based technology company. We needed a name/branding to reflect that new positioning. #contentchat
— Martin Lieberman (@martinlieberman) November 1, 2021

A1: So many reasons! Sometimes, it’s to overcome a PR disaster and to try to disassociate from bad press. Often it’s because the brand’s name, focus or value prop has changed. #ContentChat
— Melanie Graham (@WriterGirlMel) November 1, 2021

A1 When a company is purchased by another there can frequently be a rebrand that comes soon after, especially if there was mismanagement of the company previously
It can be the new management making a statement that they’re different, etc
-Alyx#ContentChat
— Charlie & Alyx – Charlie Appel Agency (@ColfaxInsurance) November 1, 2021

If it was a merger of equals, a rebrand can also make sense so neither party feels like they are seen as the lesser brand. #ContentChat
— Erika Heald | Content Marketing Consultant (@SFerika) November 1, 2021

A1 If they’re expanding their product or service line is one of the more common reasons I suppose. #contentchat
— Nate (Formerly known as the Jazzy Goat🎷🐐) (@UncensoredNate) November 1, 2021

In the case of Facebook/Meta, the rebrand is intended to reflect larger company goals. However, ‘Meta’ is already a broadly used term and will likely create new challenges for the brand’s marketing team.

A1c: In the case of Facebook, it seems to be that they are trying to distance the company from the slew of bad press the Facebook platform has raked in over the past few years, and to reflect larger goals. #ContentChat
— Erika Heald | Content Marketing Consultant (@SFerika) November 1, 2021

A1d: However, in going with a company name that is already a broadly used existing word, “meta”, they are likely to have a whole different set of brand association and confusion issues. #ContentChat
— Erika Heald | Content Marketing Consultant (@SFerika) November 1, 2021

Q2: What are the top considerations for marketers as they prepare for a company rebrand?

October 25, 2021 Content Chat Recap: How To Engage An Executive Audience Through Content Marketing and Thought Leadership

October 28, 2021 by Alek Irvin Leave a Comment

Marketing teams often target company executives, including C-suite and comparable VP-level decision-makers, given the undeniable purchasing power and influence that executives have at their organizations. However, executives are known to be short on time and can be incredibly difficult to break through to—unless you know the best practices for engaging an executive audience.

In this #ContentChat, we’re joined by Sarah Greesonbach (@AwYeahSarah), founder of B2B Content Studio, to discuss how to engage an executive audience through content marketing and thought leadership. Read the full recap below where we explore how to break through to executive audiences, the type of content that tends to resonate with an executive, what not to do when contacting execs, and more.

Q1: How does an executive audience differ from other customer personas from a content marketing standpoint?

Executives often make decisions for others, focusing on strategic advantages for the organization. Non-executives typically make decisions for themselves.

In my view, the difference comes down to the definition of the word executive.
An executive is often making decisions for others — a non-executive is often making decisions for themselves.
A1 // #ContentChat
— Sarah Greesonbach (@AwYeahSarah) October 25, 2021

A1 An executive audience is typically less concerned with brand or tactical features. They want the big points, the strategic advantages. They’re the ultimate decision makers, and they have less time to research. #contentchat
— Martin Lieberman (@martinlieberman) October 25, 2021

Agreed. That’s why having an executive summary for your research report or e-book is a must when creating content tailored for this audience. #ContentChat
— Erika Heald | Content Marketing Consultant (@SFerika) October 25, 2021

Executives value overviews, explanations, thought leadership, and skimmable content because their time is short. They need the top-level details in an easy-to-digest format. Non-executives have more time to explore how-tos, guides, and tips and tricks that help with day-to-day details.

Executives can use overviews, explanations, thought leadership, and skimmable content that makes connections obvious. Non-executives can use how-tos, guided insights, tips and tricks, etc. A1b // #ContentChat
— Sarah Greesonbach (@AwYeahSarah) October 25, 2021

A1: @AwYeahSarah is making some great points. I always think the execs have less time/brain space to dedicate to your content, so you need to make the important selling points clear with data and a compelling value prop. #ContentChat
— Melanie Graham (@WriterGirlMel) October 25, 2021

A1. Executives tend to have broad perspectives and may be purposively ignorant of details. They’re drawn to content that quickly informs of benefits like increased rev or profits, lower costs, better efficiencies.
They may consume more content outside of biz hours. #ContentChat
— Tod Cordill (@todcordill) October 25, 2021

Being purposefully ignorant is absolutely an executive skill. Specialization FTW Tod! #ContentChat
— Sarah Greesonbach (@AwYeahSarah) October 25, 2021

And they often are consuming that content on their iPad or other mobile device. Which some content formats perform better on than others. #ContentChat
— Erika Heald | Content Marketing Consultant (@SFerika) October 25, 2021

Many executives have assistants and staff that distill information for them and help maintain their social media profiles.

This is where the conversation of H2H gets heated up. In this context, all the important readers are humans.
But some humans are reading on behalf of others, and some are reading for themselves.
A1c// #ContentChat
— Sarah Greesonbach (@AwYeahSarah) October 25, 2021

Excellent point. Was wondering if anyone would mention this. Execs often have ghostwriters and ghost-social posters. (I’ve been one of them.) So the “execs” who consume content and engage on social often aren’t even the execs themselves. #contentchat
— Martin Lieberman (@martinlieberman) October 25, 2021

The key is to remember that all marketing is human to human.

This is such a good point. @SFerika and I were discussing the H2H aspect this morning on the Let’s Get Real livestream. This is an important point to not leave out. #ContentChat https://t.co/kh80eyjINp
— Shane Shaps (@520eastbrands) October 25, 2021

Was talking about this with @SaraRosinsky too. I think beginners and advanced marketers need different lessons. Beginners need to know there’s’s a difference! Advanced marketers need to forget the difference. 😛 #ContentChat
— Sarah Greesonbach (@AwYeahSarah) October 25, 2021

In B2B settings, in particular, content can often feel like it’s tailored to an org chart box and not to the human being who’s actually in the role. #ContentChat
— Erika Heald | Content Marketing Consultant (@SFerika) October 25, 2021

Focusing on ROI and FOMO for executive-focused content can be an effective approach.

Focus on ROI + FOMO are usually a great combination. #ContentChat
— Erika Heald | Content Marketing Consultant (@SFerika) October 25, 2021

Personally I hate using FOMO… but you know what? People need it! People will literally ignore you until they feel like they’re missing out or going to lose something. Human nature. #ContentChat
— Sarah Greesonbach (@AwYeahSarah) October 25, 2021

I’m with you on that! FOMO doesn’t typically work for me unless I am missing out on adorable puppy or kitten photos. But I’ve had some execs that it was the best lever to use to get their attention. #ContentChat
— Erika Heald | Content Marketing Consultant (@SFerika) October 25, 2021

Q2: What type of content tends to resonate with an executive audience?

October 4, 2021 Content Chat Recap: Content Marketing World 2021 Takeaways

October 7, 2021 by Alek Irvin Leave a Comment

Last week was the hybrid Content Marketing World 2021 conference, which joined thousands of marketers and content professionals for one of the biggest annual marketing industry events.

In this #ContentChat, we debrief from our CMWorld experience and share how we will put our conference learnings into action. Read the full recap below, where we share our favorite sessions and takeaways so far, how we plan to apply our learnings to our work, and lessons for marketers planning a virtual or hybrid event experience.

Q1: Whose sessions did you love? What were some of your top takeaways from your favorite sessions?

There are 100+ CMWorld sessions, each PACKED with valuable lessons that can help you transform your marketing strategy. Early highlights from the community include Jay Baer’s session on How to Lower The Three DrawBridges of Content Success…

A1a: I joined ~10 sessions last week, so I still have A LOT to see. Some early highlights:
– @timschmoyer: Instead of asking “why should we tell stories?” ask “why don’t we tell stories?”
– @jaybaer: Right message, right messenger, right modality#ContentChat
— Alek Irvin (@AlekIrvin) October 4, 2021

I’m so glad @jaybaer used the word “modality”. I use that word occasionally because it’s a hold over from my training and development days and most marketers give me the confused dog head tilt when I say it! #ContentChat
— Maureen Jann (she/her) (@NeoLuxeMo) October 4, 2021

I can not wait to dive into the session recordings this week.
I also enjoyed @jaybaer‘s presentation. For me, one of the points that really resonated was “The word ‘custom’ is in the word ‘customers,’ yet we too often treat them all the same. #ContentChat
— Erika Heald | Speaking at #CMworld + #MProfsB2B. (@SFerika) October 4, 2021

Jacquie Chakirelis’ session on Why Purpose-Driven Content Will Drive Your Marketing Strategy…

A1 So many good ones. @JacquieChak was one I particularly enjoyed and we’ve had some one to one followup afterward. And the keynotes were outstanding. To meet @mdeziel in person was an amazing moment. #contentchat #cmworld https://t.co/hFuUWLdwVW
— Shane Shaps (@520eastbrands) October 4, 2021

Andrew Davis’ keynote on Embrace the Constraints: Why Adding Constraints Sparks Creativity, Inspires Action & Creates Better Content…

This reminder from @drewdavishere is it in a nutshell for me. #ContentChat pic.twitter.com/lf5M5zD8yB
— Carmen Hill (@carmenhill) October 4, 2021

Ann Handley… everything… including her keynote on The Art of Storytelling: Telling True Stories Well…

A1b: I think that @annhandley‘s coining of “resting CEO face” is one thing I will remember from this year’s #CMworld forever. #ContentChat https://t.co/hnb3dAORPH
— Erika Heald | Speaking at #CMworld + #MProfsB2B. (@SFerika) October 4, 2021

John Jantsch’s session on Rethinking the Customer Journey…

A1: Another helpful moment for me was in @ducttape‘s session, with this great slide that maps the right kind of content to the relationship stages with your customers. It’s the sort of visual I always need to use with clients. #ContentChat https://t.co/2eVVvjxZoT
— Erika Heald | Speaking at #CMworld + #MProfsB2B. (@SFerika) October 4, 2021

Rob Walch’s session on Podcasting – How to Start & How to Promote…

A1b.: Starting or hosting a podcast? Check out Rob Walch/@podcast411‘s session. He covered all the gear you’ll need from recording to editing and best practices for artwork and music.
Loved this tidbit: Don’t confuse social media followers with podcast listeners. #ContentChat
— Alek Irvin (@AlekIrvin) October 4, 2021

And sessions from our #ContentChat community! Including Erika Heald’s breakout on How to Conduct a Social Media Audit That Helps Your Community Thrive…

A1: it’s going to be hard to choose. @SFerika had an incredible framework for social audits, @carmenhill used legos to illustrate how to build a content framework and @520eastbrands brought REALNESS to our social content. Tons of good stuff! #ContentChat
— Maureen Jann (she/her) (@NeoLuxeMo) October 4, 2021

Carmen Hill’s session on Content Modeling for Marketers; Making Your Content Work Harder So You Don’t Have To…

A1d: I loved how @carmenhill used Lego bricks as a metaphor for her content frameworks and broke down what sounds like a really complex process into a dead-simple workflow approach for creating consistent, reusable content. #ContentChat
— Erika Heald | Speaking at #CMworld + #MProfsB2B. (@SFerika) October 4, 2021

And, obviously @NeoLuxeMo @carmenhill & @SFerika gave me great intel on areas I thought I knew well but clearly their info helped me improve. Implementing now! #ContentChat #cmworld
— Shane Shaps (@520eastbrands) October 4, 2021

Maureen Jann’s breakout on Leveraging Content To Build Connections (And Gain New Clients)…

Not to suck up to our guest, but loved @NeoLuxeMo—great way to close out my week. Also got creative juice from @DrewDavisHere, @ALeeJudge & @JasonMillerCA; provocative insights from @marctothec & @movie_pundit; and great practical tips from @SFerika & @ZonteeHou #contentchat https://t.co/6vF9NClroN
— Carmen Hill (@carmenhill) October 4, 2021

A1d: And from @NeoLuxeMo I picked up the tip of asking people you are networking with where else they hang out. So that way if they’re the kind of folks you want to meet more of, you know where to look! #ContentChat
— Erika Heald | Speaking at #CMworld + #MProfsB2B. (@SFerika) October 4, 2021

And Shane Shaps’s breakout on How Employee Engagement Can Tell a Better Story.

A1c: My favorite takeaway from @520eastbrands‘s session. #ContentChat https://t.co/V0ElfDl7Vh
— Erika Heald | Speaking at #CMworld + #MProfsB2B. (@SFerika) October 4, 2021

Q2: How do you debrief from #CMWorld? What are you going to do to put your learnings into action?

September 20, 2021 Content Chat Recap: How To Use Customer Journey Maps To Improve The Customer Experience

September 22, 2021 by Alek Irvin Leave a Comment

Great content aims to help its ideal consumer learn new concepts, overcome challenges, and perform better in their day-to-day work. To fully serve your community through content marketing, it’s essential to map your customer journey to understand the challenges they face and ways you can help them at each stage of their journey.

In this #ContentChat, we’re joined by Jenny Magic (@JennyLMagic), content strategist at Convince & Convert, to discuss how marketers can use customer journey maps to improve the customer experience. Read the full recap below, where we explain what is included in the customer journey, our favorite tools to map the customer journey, ways to improve this journey through content marketing, and more.

Q1: What is the customer journey? What is or is not included in this journey?

The customer journey involves every touchpoint a customer has with your brand (whether direct or indirect). This includes everything starting from when the customer first becomes aware of your company through to their post-purchase experience(s) (if they get that far).

A1a The #customerjourney documents what buyers need at each stage of a decision process to keep momentum & get to the next stage #ContentChat https://t.co/U7RQB2oMHV
— Jenny Magic (@JennyLMagic) September 20, 2021

A1: the customer journey is comprised of all the touchpoints a customer has with your company from first becoming aware of your company through to the sale.
(as an aside, this is why I am a proponent of multi-touch attribution) #ContentChat
— Erika Heald | Speaking at #CMworld + #MProfsB2B. (@SFerika) September 20, 2021

A1: All interactions a customer has with your brand from the moment they hear about you. That can include anything pre- and post-sale. #contentchat
— Melanie Graham (@WriterGirlMel) September 20, 2021

A1.
It is the whole voyage from the first touch point unfamiliar with your brand/company to a satisfied and returning, steady customer. It includes all interactions, stages, service and communications.
Amd that will hopefully be a nice trip 🌞#ContentChat pic.twitter.com/jY3hUksJCA
— Christian Lipp 🌱 (@SEMgalore) September 20, 2021

The customer journey includes every online and offline/in-person interaction. In many ways, the customer journey and customer experience are closely intertwined.

A1: I define the customer journey as all the way they can engage with your brand…online, offline, in person…the full experience. #ContentChat
— Bernie Fussenegger (@B2the7) September 20, 2021

It’s so interesting, I’ve often seen that the #customerjourney are where #CX really comes together for an organization #contentchat https://t.co/ry8bZvvrz8
— Jenny Magic (@JennyLMagic) September 20, 2021

Great point here—too often we see marketers focus exclusively on the owned + digital aspect. While that’s critical to include, it’s nowhere near all of it. #ContentChat
— Erika Heald | Speaking at #CMworld + #MProfsB2B. (@SFerika) September 20, 2021

Customer journey are all the touch point that the customer has with the brand. These include resources by the brand itself (website, customer service etc.) but also references found on the web (review sites, influencers etc.) #ContentChat
— Irina Graf (@themiceblog) September 20, 2021

Marketers use customer journey maps to understand their buyer needs and the hurdles that customers face when exploring or purchasing from a brand.

A1b For me the #customerjourney is really the intersection of buyer needs & sales CTAs. What do we want them to DO and WHY would they do it? #ContentChat https://t.co/U7RQB2oMHV
— Jenny Magic (@JennyLMagic) September 20, 2021

A1c In practice, journeys are often spreadsheets with rows for each persona at each stage of the decision process #ContentChat https://t.co/U7RQB2oMHV
— Jenny Magic (@JennyLMagic) September 20, 2021

To reiterate: The customer journey does not stop when the buyer makes a purchase. The journey involves all post-sale interactions, too, encompassing the full customer lifecycle.

I would go further. It’s so easy for those of us in marketing to forget what happens AFTER the sale, which we may not be as involved in but is equally important. #contentchat
— Dan Goldberg (@Jonas419) September 20, 2021

Very true! As someone who focused on content marketing to existing customers, I am always surprised when existing customers are not part of the journey maps.#ContentChat
— Erika Heald | Speaking at #CMworld + #MProfsB2B. (@SFerika) September 20, 2021

So true. Aligning team incentives so that onboarding, upsell, and other post-sale activities are rewarded across teams helps keep this top of mind #contentchat https://t.co/qUxZ37seZE
— Jenny Magic (@JennyLMagic) September 20, 2021

Excellent take, Dan 👍🏾. Don’t stop after a quick sale!
🤔What about service + support?
🤔 Something went wrong?
🤔Exchanges and returns?
🤔Customer questions?
🤔Upsale opportunities?
All part of a customer journey and the #CustomerExperience #ContentChat
— Christian Lipp 🌱 (@SEMgalore) September 20, 2021

And all part of your #contentstrategy, we hope! #ContentChat
— Erika Heald | Speaking at #CMworld + #MProfsB2B. (@SFerika) September 20, 2021

For successful customer journey mapping, departments have to align their strategy and KPIs.

This is why I am now so invested in breaking down silos – you can’t attribute multi-touch if systems don’t talk and metrics don’t match #contentchat https://t.co/0D4S7nigQ7
— Jenny Magic (@JennyLMagic) September 20, 2021

And the customer journey can differ based on each unique audience (let’s dive into this for Q2).

It is also defining your audience/customer. A customer could also be your own team member and what their journey is with the brand and how they are engaging and needing to know who the audience is etc. #ContentChat
— Bernie Fussenegger (@B2the7) September 20, 2021

Q2: How detailed should an audience persona be? What are the essential elements to include?