This article was written by Greg Kihlström for MarTech. Read the full article here.

Understanding customer needs allows us to improve our offerings and build lasting, mutually beneficial relationships. This results in customers getting more relevant content, offers and experiences while the brand enjoys increased customer lifetime value.

The acquisition stage marks the beginning of the customer journey. It is when potential customers first discover your brand and the products or services you offer. 

At this stage, the main objective is to capture their attention and encourage them to engage with your brand. To achieve this, various marketing channels can be used, including social media, search engine optimization, content marketing and paid advertising.

To succeed in the initial stage of the customer journey, you need data that helps you understand your customers’ motivations, what potential audience segments they belong in, what products or services might be of most value and, ideally, ways to reach them with follow-up communications. This includes:

• Demographic data (age, gender, income level, etc.) to understand the characteristics and preferences of your target audience.

• Behavioral data (browsing history, search queries, etc.) to learn how potential customers interact with your brand and products.

• Social media analytics (followers, likes, shares, etc.) to evaluate the impact of your social media campaigns.

• Email marketing metrics (open rates, click-through rates, conversion rates, etc.) to assess the effectiveness of your email campaigns.

• Paid advertising metrics (cost per click, conversion rates, return on ad spend, etc.) to measure the success of your paid advertising efforts.

Always consider other data sources critical to your unique business. 

This article was written by Greg Kihlström for MarTech. Read the full article here.