Episode 5: Aligning Content to the Customer Journey
In the customer journey, it's about reaching out to your audience and keeping them there. In this episode, Robbie & Tim discuss ways to align your content with the customer journey.
“Don’t just give people an oatmeal raisin cookie. Bake in some chocolate chips.”
Transcript
Tim Lowry:
So Robbie, you're telling me I can't write about kittens even though I sell bicycles?
Robbie Fitzwater:
Unless it's bicycles for kittens, I don’t know if it’s a great fit. I’ve been doing it wrong all along. All along, all along.
[Intro]
Robbie:
Hello, this is Robbie Fitzwater.
Tim:
And Tim Lowry.
Robbie:
Welcome to the Content, Community, and Commerce Podcast. We unpack and discuss ideas at the intersection of content, community, and commerce so e-commerce entrepreneurs and marketers can apply them, have some fun, and make marketing a little more accessible.
Following up on our last episode, where we talked about how the customer journey has changed, today we’re diving into how content fits at each stage of the buyer journey. Why is that important? Why has it changed?
Tim:
And it doesn't include kittens. Unless you're PetSmart.
Robbie:
If you can include kittens, it is a crowd-pleaser. It’s playing the hits.
Tim:
Not even fair. Opens so many doors on social.
So aligning content to the customer journey—where do we start?
Robbie:
It sounds abstract, but the customer journey has changed dramatically. Twenty years ago, the path to purchase was more linear. Now, consumers are trained to expect more. They want to do their own research and come to the table informed.
As marketers, we need to reverse engineer our ideal customer journey and give people what they need at each stage to help them make a decision that’s right for them.
Tim:
There are a couple of ways to approach this. You can start simple: who are your customers? Are you direct-to-consumer or B2B? That affects how you talk to them.
Some companies go deeper and study demographics, income, lifestyle—all that. That’s helpful, but even just knowing who you're talking to helps.
Like, am I talking to Bob, the avid cyclist who escapes on five-hour rides when he's not with his family? You need to know who your person is.
Robbie:
Exactly. Context matters. What are they doing with the product? What problem are they solving?
We talked last week about going from problem-aware to solution-aware. Content is what helps move people along those stages.
Tim:
Right. Step one is identifying the problem and being present when they search for it.
If someone’s looking for a lighter bike or a tennis racket that won’t aggravate their tennis elbow, you want to show up with helpful information.
You told me about a great example—was it Roka, the glasses brand?
Robbie:
Yeah, Roka Eyewear. I wear glasses, and I have almost no nose bridge. My glasses slide off constantly, especially when I’m sweating. I even use little rubber pieces to help with grip.
I saw an Instagram ad from Roka where someone is violently shaking their head and the glasses don’t budge. I felt so seen. I didn’t even realize I was looking for a solution until I saw that.
I was problem-aware, but not solution-aware. That ten-second ad changed everything. I immediately wanted to know more, check reviews, visit the website—it pushed me further down the funnel fast.
Tim:
I loved that story when you told me. That ad accelerated the journey in seconds. It made you product-aware and brand-aware almost instantly.
Robbie:
To this day, it’s one of the best Instagram ads I’ve seen. I still use it in my classes. It worked because they knew exactly who they were targeting and how to reach them.
Tim:
And they picked the right channel. A blog wouldn’t have had the same impact. That needed to be video, and it needed to show up where you were scrolling.
That’s something businesses need to think about: the product, the audience, the price point, and which channel best communicates the message.
Robbie:
Exactly. They hit me where I was—on the couch, late at night, scrolling Instagram. They added a little salt to the wound and made the problem feel more urgent.
I even ordered a pair to try on at home. I didn’t end up keeping them because they felt a bit too sporty, but the experience still stands out.
Tim:
And like you said, price point matters. That kind of low-barrier decision works well on social. If it were a $4,000 bike with dozens of customization options, the content would need to be more in-depth—blogs, videos, product explainers.
Robbie:
Totally. You need different content for different stages. Someone researching a new bike needs more than a flashy ad. They want specs, reviews, sizing guides, videos—all of it.
Tim:
It also depends on the context. That same B2B buyer doing research at their desk might be looking for a whitepaper or a case study. Not an Instagram reel.
Robbie:
Right. Attention is harder to earn and even harder to keep. You need to meet people where they are and give them content in a format they’re comfortable with.
Tim:
And make it digestible. Even technical content should be visual, interactive, or at least well-designed. Nobody wants to scroll through a wall of text.
Robbie:
Totally. Take something dry and make it fun. Turn your oatmeal raisin content into a chocolate chip cookie. The info might be the same, but the experience changes everything.
Tim:
Design, visuals, even interactive elements like a table of contents or embedded videos—they all help.
Robbie:
And don’t forget about accessibility. Captions, alt text, responsive design—all of that helps users consume content in the way that works best for them.
Tim:
Absolutely. Platforms like LinkedIn or Instagram mute videos by default. Captions are critical. So is anticipating when someone is skimming and just needs visuals to get the point.
Robbie:
It also matters for content depth. You need to offer something meaningful and relevant, but also easy to digest.
Tim:
And don't forget internal linking. When someone makes it halfway down your article, show them where to go next. Keep the journey going.
Robbie:
Exactly. And once someone starts that journey, how do we collect the right data to keep helping them?
Tim:
Like you’ve done for clients: ask simple questions. What kind of riding do you do? Boom—now we know this person does dressage, and we don’t send them irrelevant content.
Robbie:
Knowing what kind of customer someone is lets you curate everything. A grandparent buying kids’ clothes has totally different priorities than a parent. Cleaning ease versus cuteness. That changes your messaging.
Tim:
Same with B2B. A marketing manager needs how-to content. A CMO needs ROI metrics. Tailor it.
Robbie:
And collect that info early if you can. Add it to your onboarding flows. Then you can automate intelligently and nurture based on their needs.
Tim:
Once you’ve collected that info and paired it with behavioral data—like what they’re browsing—you can trigger relevant follow-ups automatically.
Robbie:
Exactly. And it all starts with that first piece of helpful content. Move them from problem-aware to solution-aware, then to product-aware. From there, it’s about retention.
Tim:
At the end of the day, if you're a marketer, ask yourself three key questions:
What stages does my buyer go through?
What is the context in which they’re consuming content?
How can I collect more data along the way?
Robbie:
Those three questions can guide your whole strategy. They're a directional compass, even if you don’t have a full roadmap yet.
Tim:
And don’t let overthinking paralyze you. Just start. Start creating. Start solving problems with content.
Robbie:
And speaking of journeys, this episode was pretty meta. We just walked you from problem-aware to solution-aware. Now you can go be product-aware and apply it yourself.
Tim:
Perfect.
Robbie:
If you’ve got questions, we’d love to hear from you. This stuff is our jam. Leave a comment, send a message, or drop us a five-star review.
Tim:
Or at least three and a half stars for Robbie.
Robbie:
The smooth Irish voice brings it up to four and a half at least.
Tim:
Thanks again, Robbie.
Robbie:
This was a treat. See you all next time.
[Outro]
