The marketing prospect journey

One of these things is unlike the others.

The linear prospect journey: create a campaign, add a CTA, hit send and wait for a response.

Remember those days? It wasn't that long ago that this was the winning playbook for your top-of-pipeline marketing efforts.

As long as your content was sharp and your offer solid, a sale was almost a guarantee. It felt good to plan, measure and optimise in those days, didn't it? So easy!

But today's prospect journey? Total chaos.

Prospects jump in whenever they want. They meet you at an event, visit your pricing page, engage with your LinkedIn post 2 months later; 3 months later they might listen to that podcast you barely remember recording, then finally return to your pricing page 9 months after their first touchpoint.

They've researched in stealth mode, silently forming opinions based on their findings and what others are saying. By the time they hit your CRM, they've made their decision. And it wasn’t your funnel that got them there.

When working with leaders who still believe in the linear buying process, I always ask them how they personally behave when considering a product. I ask them how they react to sales emails landing in their inbox. Do they read through them and click the CTA to learn more?

Of course they don't. None of us do!

When creating your demand generation strategy, it's key to remember that your prospects behave just like you.

So how are you representing your brand on this scrambled prospect journey? If you were in your buyer’s shoes, would you be convinced? 

Every touchpoint matters, so it's imperative to think like your customer. Make sure your brand shows up in a clear and compelling way wherever they choose to engage.

If navigating this new, non-linear buyer journey feels overwhelming, you’re not alone - most companies are still operating with a playbook built for a world that no longer exists. The brands winning today are the ones showing up consistently and intentionally across every touchpoint, not just the ones shouting loudest in a campaign.

If you want help building a demand strategy that matches how buyers actually buy, while positioning your brand to be the obvious choice when they’re ready, I’d love to support you. Get in touch for a free consultation and let's work this out together.

www.etainmarketing.com