Creating a Successful Customer Value Journey
Key Takeaways:
- Understanding what’s behind a customer value journey
- Steps a gym owner can follow to create a successful customer value journey
- Common pitfalls in developing a customer value journey
The customer value journey describes a potential buyer’s steps to becoming a paying client. It’s helpful to draw a map of this process to see where you are communicating effectively with your leads and where you are falling short.
Also essential, is tailoring your approach to each prospect’s stage in the buying process by employing various channels and messages. Each contact should bring the prospect one step closer to joining.
Putting forth the effort to thoroughly understand this procedure will significantly impact your productivity, which in turn will lead to more sales of gym memberships.
Mapping out your customer’s journey is also an excellent way to learn how to allocate your marketing resources.
If you’ve already decided that mailers aren’t helping you raise brand awareness within your target demographic, you won’t have to think about it when the mailer salesperson knocks on your door.
There are various ways a gym can track customers’ journeys, but it is always wise to take a holistic approach. Consider every touchpoint of the customers, from when they arrive to how they interact with others and within the facility itself. Asking for their feedback is also helpful.
Unfortunately, many business owners don’t understand how to create a customer value journey. This guide explores how gym owners can map out a helpful journey for their potential clients.
Understanding the Customer Value Journey
It is vital that gym owners map customers’ journeys, especially for new members. Many customers are willing to pay for a better customer experience, and getting the customer’s journey right is one of the best ways of making customers enjoy their experience in the gym.
The customer value journey (CVJ) is a plan that can be followed to generate a consistent stream of consumers. It outlines the step-by-step method of converting strangers into customers with high lifetime value who become advocates for the business.
A CVJ is based on the dynamics of human connections and consists of additional steps that are absent from a conventional marketing funnel.
Not only does this result in a more natural sequence of encounters, but it also helps align the interests of the fitness studio and the consumer around a shared success.
The result of a successful customer value journey is satisfied customers who are more likely to be champions and boosters of your fitness studio. The customer value journey is a critical phase in developing an effective marketing strategy for companies, including gyms.
Steps for Creating a Customer Value Journey for Your Gym
Here are some steps to take to develop a successful customer value journey. Following these steps will help you become a knowledgeable, effective promoter of your gym.
Awareness
The awareness stage outlines how potential customers learn about your gym. You want to leave a lasting impression and elicit a click or visit. This may be accomplished by paid advertising, organic search, a recommendation, and the like.
Engage
Awareness campaigns drive visits and clicks, while engagement concentrates on gaining the attention and trust of prospects.
Typically, this is achieved through content marketing, such as blog articles, FAQs, a relevant study on your website, or social media posts on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and YouTube.
Subscribe
Once a prospect reaches the subscribe stage, they have decided your content is valuable to them and are interested in hearing from you further.
Your future clients can now put their faith in you, meaning it’s time to offer more value in exchange for the prospect’s contact information.
Subscribing to a blog, downloading a free guide, or signing up for a newsletter are all examples of this type of content delivery.
Convert
Here, the potential customer is offering either money or time in exchange for the advertised service. This could be an agreement to participate in a product trial, a consultation, or an informational meeting in a B2B context.
The price of this introductory deal, whatever the product or service, may be relatively low. During the convert phase, you’ll be working to create a scenario in which your prospect can become interested.
Excite
The excite step is your chance to show the potential customer how your gym transitions from being a would-be-nice-to-have, to a must.
The ROI calculator is the part of the presentation your potential clients keep asking for, the product demo feature they can’t stand to lose after the trial period ends, and the secret weapon you’re asked to show off to the company’s upper management.
It is crucial for marketing and sales success to become intentional about this phase of the journey, since this is where the actual breakthrough occurs on both sides of the connection.
Ascend
Now that your product or service’s worth has been established, your customer will want it, moving them from interested to invested. This stage describes your primary or flagship offering and relevant after-sale offers. Ascend aims to increase client pleasure and value.
Advocate
The advocate stage builds brand promoters that market to your audience for you. This could incorporate awards, affiliate, or referral strategies to make it easy for delighted consumers to brag.
Brand promoters create referrals from a trustworthy source, cutting customer acquisition expenses.
A customer value journey in digital marketing can make prospective customers feel more valuable and encourages them to subscribe to your gym.
Common Pitfalls in Customer Value Journey
An informed customer value journey is a vital part of your gym’s success. However, there may be some downsides while you’re attempting to get it right.
- Using the wrong journey-mapping framework
- Thinking there is one successful journey for all customers
- Applying a customer perspective vs. an organizational view
- Failure to reflect the whole customer journey
- Not keeping your customer value journey up to date
- Attempting to be in control of the timing in the journey – customers have their journeys and timelines
It’s important to keep these pitfalls in mind when developing your customer value journey. Staying focused on the right approach helps ensure you’re creating the best experience for your prospective clients.
Make Your Customer Value Journey the Best It Can Be
Creating a customer value journey is vital in any business – perhaps especially in a gym, since customers entrust you to provide them with the best guidance toward their health and wellness.
The professionals at Loud Rumor can help you create the best customer value journey for your gym. We offer services to fitness studios and gyms to help them attract and keep the right members.
Take your customer base to the next level by scheduling a free call so we can learn more about your business!
FAQs about Creating a Successful Customer Value Journey
What is a customer value journey?
The customer value journey describes the steps a potential buyer takes to become a paying client. It outlines the process of converting strangers into loyal customers and advocates for the business.
Why is mapping the customer value journey important for gym owners?
Mapping the customer value journey is crucial for gym owners, especially for new members, as it helps create a better customer experience and encourages customers to enjoy their time at the gym.
How does the customer value journey differ from a conventional marketing funnel?
The customer value journey includes additional steps and focuses on human connections, resulting in a more natural sequence of encounters and aligning the interests of the fitness studio and the consumer around shared success.
What are the steps for creating a customer value journey for a gym?
How can gym owners track customers' journeys effectively?
Gym owners can take a holistic approach by considering every touchpoint of the customers, how they interact with others, and asking for their feedback to track customers’ journeys effectively.
What are some common pitfalls in developing a customer value journey?
How can a successful customer value journey benefit a gym?
A successful customer value journey can result in satisfied customers who become brand advocates and boosters for the gym, leading to increased customer retention and reduced customer acquisition costs.