Customer Journey Maps

Before you write a headline, plan a nurture sequence, or write your next landing page, there’s something you need: You have to have a clear understanding of your customer's journey. Without it, you’re writing in the dark.

What Is A Customer Journey Map?

A customer journey map is a visual tool that outlines the steps a person takes when interacting with your product or brand—from first discovery to long-term use. But it’s not just about what they do. It’s also about how they feel, what they need, and where they struggle.

Why Marketers Should Care

If you’re a content marketer or a marketing content writer, having a customer journey map can help you:

• Speak directly to your user’s concerns at every stage

• Tailor content based on context (not just persona)

• Identify messaging gaps across channels and touch points

• Collaborate better with product, design, and sales

In this post, I’ll show how break it down using five stages, and, more importantly, what to write at each stage.

Example: A Customer Journey Map for a B2B SaaS Tool (For School Admins)

Let’s say your product is a scheduling and communication platform for schools. You’re targeting school administrators—people who are time-poor, overwhelmed, and not that tech-savvy.

🎯 Your goal: To adopt a new tool that makes managing teacher schedules and school announcements easier.

🧍Persona: Sharon, a school admin from a small Australian public primary school. Her pain points: Overloaded with admin work, prefers phone/ email, resistant to tech/ jargon

Stage 1. Awareness

They don’t know you exist (yet). They’re just trying to solve a problem.

Mindset:
“I’m drowning in admin work. There has to be a better way.”

Content opportunities:

• SEO blog posts that match problem-first queries:
  “Best scheduling tools for schools in Australia”
  “How to simplify team rosters without Excel”

• Paid search and social ads with clear pain-point framing

• Organic social posts or carousels that empathise with their chaos

• Lightweight explainers: “How [X tool] works in under 60 seconds”

At this point, don't pitch the product yet. Pitch the problem you're solving.

Stage 2: Interest

Now they’ve heard of you—but they need to care enough to click.

Mindset:
"This looks promising, but I’ve tried apps before that made things worse."

Content opportunities:

• Case study teasers with tangible wins (e.g. “Saved 5 admin hours a week”)

• Customer quotes in ad creatives or landing pages

• Comparison sheets: “Google Calendar vs [Your Product] for School Admins”

• Product preview videos that are short, clean, and practical

• Email sequences for top-of-funnel leads: lightly educational, low-commitment

Tip: Show social proof and keep effort low. This is the scroll-and-skim stage.

Stage 3: Consideration

They’re on your site. Comparing. Hesitating.

Mindset:
"Can I trust this? Is it worth moving from what I’m already using?"

Content opportunities:

• Deep-dive customer stories (especially with before/after contrasts)

• “For You If…” blocks to pre-qualify ideal users

• “Getting Started” guides to show to reduce friction

• Email drip to trial users or warm leads explaining features over time

• Help centre content written in plain English, linked from landing pages

The goal here is to remove friction. Answer objections before they’re asked.

Stage 4: Decision

They’re this close. They just need the confidence to hit “Start.”

Mindset:
"I want this to work, but I don’t want to deal with the messy setup or regret."

Content opportunities:

• Free trial onboarding email series (starting with a quick win)

• “Your First 10 Minutes” video or interactive walkthrough

• Templates, import tools, or starter kits to reduce blank-slate anxiety

• Testimonial quote wall or quick video montage from happy users

• Live chat or real-human CTA: “Still unsure? Let’s talk.”

Tip: Focus on doing, not convincing. Help them act fast and feel good about their decision to take the leap.

Stage 5: Advocate

They’re now a believer. But will they spread the word?

Mindset:
"This actually helped me. I’d tell others—if it were easy."

Content opportunities:

• Referral emails with copy they can forward

• "Share your story" forms with user-generated case study potential

• Loyalty email: "Thanks for being with us for 3 months—here’s what’s next"

• Feature spotlights that showcase power users

• Exclusive customer community invites or newsletters spotlight

Give your customers a mic and a reason to use it. Make it feel personal.

How to Use This Map in Your Writing

1. Plan Content by Stage

Every stage has a different question you’re answering:

• Awareness: Why should I care?

• Interest: Is this for me?

• Consideration: Will I get stuck?

• Decision: Am I doing this right?

• Advocate: Is it worth sharing?

Use the stages to make decisions on what types of content to write. Should you be writing educational vs trust-building blog posts? In what tone (reassuring vs motivating)? What CTA should you include (download vs try now vs share)?

2. Write for Emotion, Not Just Action

Don’t just map tasks — map mindsets. A frustrated admin needs reassurance. A curious one needs proof. Match your tone and language accordingly.

3. Fill in the Gaps

Look for where content is missing. Are people bouncing at sign-up? Ghosting after the demo? That’s your cue to step in with the right content.

Final Tip: Don’t Build It Alone

The best journey maps are collaborative. Sit with support reps, sales, PMs, and real customers if you can. (Airtable, FigJam, Miro, or even a good spreadsheet will do.)

Start with one journey—your most common or highest-value—and iterate as you go.

Because if you can write with the journey in mind, you won't just be creating content that will simply check boxes or fill content calendars.

You’ll build momentum.

That’s all for this week! Hope this issue helped you.

Cheers,
Janis