If you’d rather listen to these insights, see episode 185 of The Powerful Content Podcast
Do you ever feel like your content is everywhere but nowhere all at once? You’re showing up, posting, and trying your best to follow what the experts say you should do… yet it still feels scattered, inconsistent, and disconnected from the results you actually want.
I’d love to offer you the option to see your content through a different lens. One that’s aligned with you and the humans you’re creating for. Not transactional. Not pushy. But grounded in purpose and connection.
That’s where the client journey comes in. It’s a new way to view how your content guides someone from discovering you to becoming a raving, paying fan.
The Client Journey
Sales funnels often focus on finding your audience’s pain point and then poking it again and again (I call this the festering wound approach). Sure, it gets attention, but it’s not a healthy way to start a relationship. You end up attracting people who are desperate, not empowered and that energy never feels good for anyone involved.
What if, instead of poking wounds, you focused on possibilities? What if your content helped people see what’s available to them instead of what’s wrong with them?
That’s what the client journey does. It’s about walking beside your audience, guiding them through their own transformation, not yelling directions at them from the sideline.
The Five Stages of the Client Journey
The client journey is made up of five stages: Connect, Subscribe, Nurture, Convert, and Onboard. Each one offers an opportunity to build a genuine relationship, step by step.
- Connect
This is where someone first discovers you. Maybe they find you through a podcast, a post, or a conversation. Your goal here isn’t to impress them with perfection, but to make them feel seen. Create content that inspires, educates, or comforts them. Show them that you understand what they’re going through and that you have something meaningful to share. - Subscribe
Once someone resonates with your message, they’ll naturally want more. This is where your lead magnets, like a quiz, workbook, or free training come in. It’s your gentle way of saying, “Let’s take the next step together.” Keep it light, invitational, and genuine. - Nurture
This is the heart of your relationship. Through consistent communication like emails, stories, or behind-the-scenes posts, you show that you’re here for the long haul. It’s where trust grows. The more you nurture with intention, the easier everything else becomes. - Convert
Conversion doesn’t need to feel pushy or uncomfortable. When you’ve spent time connecting and nurturing, this part happens naturally. You’re simply offering a next step that makes sense for them and because they already trust you, it feels like an easy yes. - Onboard
This is where you make your new client feel celebrated and supported. Send a warm welcome, offer clear next steps, and make sure they feel cared for. A thoughtful onboarding experience is what turns happy clients into loyal advocates.
Mapping Your Own Client Journey
Think of this journey as a map and your ideal client as the traveller. To truly guide them, you need to understand what they’re thinking, feeling, and doing at each stage.
When you approach your content this way, it becomes less about selling and more about supporting. You’ll start to create with empathy, curiosity, and care and your audience will feel it.
When you focus on connection over conversion, your content starts to feel easier, lighter, and more purposeful. You’ll spend less time creating for algorithms and more time creating for humans. And that’s when everything shifts.
Because when your content feels good, it works.
If you’re ready to move from confusion to clarity and start creating purposeful content that actually feels good, then The Content Effect is the perfect place to begin.
Inside this membership, you’ll find guidance, inspiration, and a community of like-hearted entrepreneurs who are learning how to create powerful, sustainable content that builds genuine relationships and grows their business with ease.
Read more from the blog
Transforming Connection into Aligned Conversion
The Convert stage of the client journey is where interest becomes intention — and intention becomes action. It’s not about convincing someone to buy from you.
Mastering the Nurture Stage: Deepening Genuine Connections
When you nurture well, your audience doesn’t feel pressured. They feel understood, and they start to work with you from a place of hope, possibility, and trust. You’re not a pushy salesperson—you’re a trusted guide.
Turning Interest into Intention: The Art of the Subscribe Stage
When you start seeing your Subscribe stage of the client journey as a way to deepen relationships instead of just grow your list, everything changes.
