What is Customer Journey Mapping?

05/18

Customer Journey Mapping (hereafter CJM) is a marketing tool which organizes the communication of the client with the brand by identifying contact points in order to improve the efficiency of the communication strategy.

Customer Journey Map is a step-by-step path of the client.

We mean the client of our brand, a representative of the target audience. This path begins with the client’s needs and often continues over the years, providing we build a quality and effective communication at each point of contact. CJM is developed at the stage of product introduction and receiving feedback from the consumer.

 

In our time, the map became a necessity, as the number of communication channels increased and intermixed. 20 years ago, the consumer mainly contacted the brand directly at the place of purchase, through outdoor advertising, exhibitions. Now, there are websites, applications, social networks, support services etc.

Possible contact points

 

Rules and procedure for creating Customer Journey Mapping

Clear rules and the form of compiling CJM do not exist. Each company draws it in a different way. All of them are different, because the product/service is always different and, accordingly, the map will be different. The main thing is to create it so that we could understand it easily. Maps also differ by size depending on the number of communication channels.
But nevertheless some principles of creation of Customer Journey Mapping should be considered:

  • Map for a specific consumer. Since we have at least 3 categories of consumers – the core of the target audience, target audience and potential audience – the map has to be created for each category separately.
  • The process of creating the map begins from the schedule of the consumer’s whole day. Where and when he/she is thinking about your product. When he/she is more tolerant of new information including advertising.
  • The information should be structured; presentation in the form of some charts will be more convenient for perception.
  • The map should show the goals and possible questions of the client at each stage. Here, data research is to the rescue.
  • Identify all points of contact in each consumer’s communication channel with the brand.
  • Set KPI goals for each stage if you are creating a brand from scratch. If you do a rebranding and you have some specific data, also identify the problem areas.
  • When creating a map, you can not express your assumptions; all information must come from the client. The information we received as a result of the research, some feedback through the support service and in social networks.

When we have CJM, we will clearly see if there are any flaws at some stage. Our main task is to satisfy the client’s needs at every point of contact. The map should be simple. It should show where and how to increase customer loyalty.

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The map is created, and the journey begins. It is necessary to introduce control over each point and increase efficiency. And, of course, a Customer Journey Map requires constant changes depending on how customer’s preferences are changing, how channels and interaction points are added or changed, how our product is changing or improving. But this work is worth it. According to Mckincey, companies, which create and use Customer Journey Mapping, increase sales by 5-10%, and it is a good growth for only one tool.

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