Stage 1: Awareness

Touchpoint: Social Media Advertising/Organic Social Media

Picture this: you’re scrolling through Instagram, and bam! A delicious image of fresh, locally-sourced produce from Farm Boy pops up. Farm Boy has nailed the art of social media advertising, using eye-catching visuals and engaging videos to create buzz around their seasonal goodies, deals, and new store openings. These ads don’t just look good – they make you want to go to Farm Boy. 

Advantages:

• Wide Reach: Social media platforms can reach a large audience quickly
  
• Cost-Effective: Compared to traditional advertising, social media ads can be more affordable and offer better targeting options 
  
• Engagement: Interactive ads can engage potential customers and encourage them to learn more about your brand 

Tips:

• Use high-quality visuals and videos
  
• Target specific demographics based on location, interests, and behaviour
  
• Experiment with different ad formats such as carousel ads, stories, and video ads
  

Stage 2: Consideration

Touchpoint: Content Marketing 

Once you have their attention, it’s time to engage with them further. Farm Boy’s blog is a great example, with recipes, cooking tips, and stories about local suppliers. This kind of content not only provides value, but also keeps your audience coming back for more and moves them closer to making a purchase. 

Advantages:

• Build Trust: High-quality content establishes your brand as an authority in your industry
  
• Engagement: Keeps potential customers interested and engaged with your brand
  
• SEO Benefits: Regularly updating content can improve your search engine rankings 

Tips:

• Create a content calendar to ensure consistent posting
  
• Use a mix of content types such as blog posts, infographics, newsletters, etc.
  
• Share your content on social media and through email newsletters to reach a wider audience
  

Touchpoint: Email Marketing 

At this stage, your goal is to also nurture leads by providing relevant information. Farm Boy excels with their email newsletters, which includes recipes, weekly specials, and event invitations. These personalized emails keep Farm Boy top-of-mind for their subscribers. In addition to their content marketing, Farm Boy’s consideration stage has multiple touchpoints. 

Advantages:

• Personalization: Emails can be tailored to individual preferences and behaviours
  
• Direct Communication: Allows you to communicate directly with potential customers
  
• Measurable: Easy to track open rates, click-through rates, and conversions

Tips:

• Segment your email list to send more targeted messages
  
• Include clear calls-to-actions (CTAs) to guide readers towards the next step. 
  
• Add an option to reduce the number of newsletters received. Too many can annoy customers, but too little won’t provide valuable content

Stage 3: Intent 

Touchpoint: Remarketing

Remarketing is a powerful way to re-engage visitors who have shown interest in your brand by viewing your blog or opened newsletters. Farm Boy uses Google Ads remarketing to remind visitors of the products they viewed but didn’t purchase. These tailored ads encourage them to return and complete their purchase. 

Advantages:

• Increased Conversions: Reminds potential customers to complete their purchase
  
• Targeted: Can focus on users who have already shown interest in your brand
  
• Cost-Effective: Often cheaper than acquiring new customers

Tips:

• Use dynamic remarketing to show ads featuring the exact products users viewed 
  
• Set frequency caps to avoid overloading users with ads
  
• Create compelling ad copy and visuals to encourage clicks
  

Touchpoint: Checkout Process

The final hurdle is making the purchase as smooth as possible. While Farm Boy does not offer online shopping for regular groceries, they do provide online ordering for catering services and speciality chef-made dinners delivered. This service ensures a seamless purchase experience for those looking to host events or enjoy gourmet meals at home. The ordering is straightforward, with clear instructions and multiple payment options. 

Loblaws excels in providing a smooth online shopping experience with their mobile self-checkout app, PC Express, making it easy for customers to shop for groceries efficiently. 

Advantages:

• Reduces Cart Abandonment: A smooth checkout process minimizes the chances of a customer abandoning their cart
  
• Enhances User Experience: A hassle-free experience encourages repeat purchases
  
• Secure Transactions: Builds trust with customers

Tips:

• Optimize your checkout process for mobile users and offer multiple payment options
  
• Reduce the number of steps 
  
• Provide guest checkout option to make the process quicker for new customers
  
• Use progress indicators to show customers how close they are to completing their purchase 

Stage 4: Evaluation 

 Touchpoint: Customer Support and Follow-Up

After the purchase, maintaining the relationship strong is key. Farm Boy shines in this area by offering hassle-free returns, quick responses to any questions, and a loyalty program that makes customers feel special. Their follow-up emails often include surveys and personalized offers, ensuring that every customer feels valued and appreciated. 

Advantages:

• Builds Loyalty: Great customer support encourages repeat business
  
• Enhances Reputation: Positive experiences lead to word-of-mouth referrals
  
• Provides Insights: Customer feedback helps improve products and services

Tips:

• Implement a customer loyalty program to reward repeat customers
  
• Send a follow-up email to gather feedback and offer additional support
  
• Provide multiple channels for customer support, such as phone, email, and live chat 

Conclusion

As a marketing professional, guiding customers through the marketing funnel is like hosting a grand adventure, where each touchpoint is a crucial stop in their journey. By stepping into your customer’s shoes, you can identify the touchpoints that will truly resonate with them. Understanding their needs and preferences allows you to create meaningful interactions at every stage, ensuring a smooth and enjoyable customer journey.  

If you have any questions, need advice, or just want to chat about enhancing your marketing funnel touchpoints, please contact me!