Writing the Customer Journey: Step Inside Your Reader's Shoes to Guide Them Forward.
You're a ghostwriter, likely specializing in business blogs, and you're seeing the landscape shift with AI. I get it. The ground feels a bit shaky. But here’s the thing: understanding your client's customer journey is how you build your new, unshakeable foundation. It’s about moving from being a word-provider to a strategic ally.
At its heart, the customer journey is just the path a person takes – from "Hmm, I have a problem" to "Aha! This is the solution!" and even beyond that.
For you, as a ghostwriter, this isn't just some marketing fluff; it's a lens that brings everything you write into sharp focus.
It helps you answer the critical question for your client: "How does this piece of content help my customer move forward?"
Knowing the Stops on the Map: Key Journey Stages
Think of it like planning a road trip for your client's customer. You need to know the key stops:
- Awareness: They've just realized they're hungry (they have a problem or a need).
- Consideration: They're looking at different restaurants or recipes (researching solutions).
- Decision: They're choosing what to eat (picking a specific solution – hopefully, your client's!).
- Retention: They enjoyed the meal and might come back (the ongoing relationship).
- Advocacy: They loved it so much they're telling their friends (becoming promoters).
Why does this matter to you?
Because each stage needs a different kind of conversation, a different type of content. If you’re talking about dessert when they haven’t even ordered appetizers, you’re going to lose them.
My experience has shown that when you tailor content to the specific stage, it resonates much more powerfully.
Matching Your Tools to the Task: Content for Each Stage
You wouldn't use a hammer to saw a plank. Similarly, different content types work best at different journey stages.
- Awareness: Think educational blog posts, maybe some thought leadership pieces. You're helping them understand their "hunger."
- Consideration: This is where detailed case studies, comparison guides, or whitepapers shine. You're showing them the best "menu options."
- Decision: Testimonials, strong product or service pages, clear pricing guides. You're helping them place their "order."
By mapping your ghostwriting efforts to these stages, you help your clients build a full-course meal of content, not just a random collection of snacks. This is how you demonstrate strategic value beyond just stringing sentences together.
More Than Words: Weaving Emotion into the Journey
Here’s where you, the human ghostwriter, can truly outshine any AI. Nonfiction, especially for business, isn't just about facts; it's about connection.
The Power of Feeling: People make decisions based on emotion, then justify with logic. As a ghostwriter, your job is to tap into that emotion.
Think of it like telling a story where the reader feels understood. It’s not about shouting or confessing, as Beth Kephart wisely noted about memoir; it’s about forging a truth that resonates.
Your Client's Customer as the Hero: I’ve found it incredibly helpful to frame the customer’s journey as a story. Your client’s customer is the hero facing a challenge.
Your client’s product or service? That’s the magic tool or the wise guide. The content you write is part of that heroic journey, helping them overcome their obstacle. This isn't just a cute idea; it’s how humans are wired to process information.
Your Game Plan: Integrating the Journey into Your Process
So, how do you actually do this?
Digging Deep: Research and Planning: Before you type a single word, you need to talk to your client. Understand who their audience is at each stage. What keeps them up at night? What questions are they asking Google? How does your client’s expertise provide the answers?
This often means some solid interview time. Laura Sherman nailed it: interview, collect notes, outline, then write. That's the groundwork.
Checking the Inventory: Content Audits: If your client already has content (most do), take a look. Where are the gaps in the customer journey? I’ve often found clients have tons of "Awareness" content but almost nothing to help prospects in the "Decision" phase.
Your audit highlights these gaps, allowing you to focus your firepower where it’ll make the biggest difference.
Making it Visual: A Ghostwriter's Sketch
Sometimes, a picture really is worth a thousand words, even for us writers.
- Storyboard the Experience: You don’t need to be an artist. Think of it like a comic strip of the customer’s experience. What’s the first step? What are they feeling? What makes them choose path A over path B? I’ve found this helps make abstract ideas concrete and can spark some great content angles.
- Map the Messages (Communications Journey Mapping - CJM): This sounds fancier than it is. It’s about looking at all the ways your client "talks" to their customers. Where are those touchpoints? Is the message consistent? Is the tone right for that stage of the relationship? This gives you clues for what kind_of content you need to write and how it should feel.
Where the Rubber Meets the Road: Practical Applications
This customer journey stuff isn't just theory; it's practical for all sorts of projects:
Ghostwriting Books: A book often serves to build awareness and establish your client as an expert. Think about the reader's journey through the book.
Are you taking them from basic understanding to deeper insights, mirroring their own path to solving a problem?
Crafting Marketing Content: This is where it’s crystal clear.
- Awareness: Educational blogs, thought leadership.
- Consideration: Case studies, comparison guides.
- Decision: Sales pages, testimonials.
- Retention & Advocacy: Newsletters, community content.
Building Website Content: Every page should have a purpose tied to a journey stage. The homepage might be for awareness, product pages for consideration/decision.
Beyond the Keyboard: Stronger Client Bonds
When you start talking to clients about their customer’s journey, something shifts.
From Writer to Strategic Partner: You’re no longer just the person who "does the words." You're a strategic partner who understands their business goals and how content achieves them.
In my experience, this is when clients truly see your value, and it often leads to better rates and longer relationships. It’s what helps you combat the fear of being replaced by cheaper alternatives.
Smarter Interviews: Your client interviews become laser-focused. Instead of "What do you want this blog post to be about?", you're asking, "What questions do prospects at the consideration stage typically ask?" or "What information would help someone feel confident choosing your solution right now?"
This gets you to the good stuff, faster.
Playing it Straight: Ethics in Journey-Focused Ghostwriting
With this powerful approach comes responsibility.
Authenticity is Key: The goal is to amplify your client's voice and expertise, not invent it. The insights and stories should be theirs. You’re the skilled conduit.
I always tell my clients, "My job is to make your wisdom shine, in your voice."
Clear Expectations: Be upfront about how understanding the customer journey shapes your process. Let them know why you're asking certain questions. Transparency builds trust.
The Bottom Line: Elevating Your Craft and Your Value
Look, incorporating customer journey concepts into your ghostwriting isn't just another buzzword. It's a fundamental shift from simply producing text to designing strategic communications.
It’s how you create content that works harder for your clients.
For you, the ghostwriter navigating a changing world, this is your path to not just surviving, but thriving. Mastering customer journey mapping and weaving it into your storytelling is how you deliver undeniable value.
It's how you move from feeling like your skills are being devalued to confidently positioning yourself as a premium, strategic partner. Whether it's a book, a blog, or a website, this framework helps you focus your efforts for maximum impact.
It’s an investment in your client's success, and in turn, your own.