Creating Video Content for Every Stage of the Customer Journey

When a customer is considering purchasing something, they embark on what’s known as the customer journey. There are five primary steps to this journey, with the first three focused on making the customer aware of your product and persuading them to purchase. Marketing is crucial in these steps, and video marketing, in particular, can make or break your sales.

Your video marketing strategy should include content that targets each of the first three steps of the customer journey. At each stage, the customer has different needs, and your marketing needs to reflect that. Understanding the customer journey is just the first step in knowing how to create killer content that converts customers and drives sales.

What Is the Customer Journey?

The customer journey maps the path someone takes from discovering your brand to becoming a loyal advocate. While exact definitions vary slightly, most marketers agree on five key stages: 

1. Awareness - The stage in which customers become aware that your product or service exists.
2. Consideration –  The stage in which customers are weighing their options and deciding if the product or service is right for them.
3. Decision –  The stage in which the customer makes a decision about purchasing.
4. Retention – The stage in which you do what you can to keep customers coming back.
5. Advocacy – The stage in which your customer is so happy with your product or service that they are willing to spread the word to others.

The first three customer journey stages, awareness, consideration, and decision, are all focused on guiding the prospective customer from when they first discover your product to when they make a purchase. The last two stages are focused on building and maintaining customer loyalty.

Marketing is most impactful during the first three stages. That’s where video content can truly shine: informing, convincing, and converting your audience.

Why Video Content Is Crucial in Marketing

Video marketing used to be limited to television and movie theaters, but today, many more customers view video marketing online. Studies show that the average user spends 17 hours a week watching digital videos on sites like YouTube and TikTok. These platforms, as well as other social media sites, create the perfect opportunity to reach potential customers.

The power of video marketing is hard to deny. Marketing videos are often vastly superior to text or simple images because:

• Captures and holds attention better than static images or text

• Drives higher engagement, shares, and conversions

• Boosts SEO rankings and time-on-page

• Creates emotional connection and brand trust

In addition, videos are more likely to create an emotional connection with the viewer. This deepens your relationships and helps you build trust and credibility. As a result, videos have become an essential part of most marketing strategies, and you can learn more with Charter & Co.’s video marketing guide.

Stage 1: Awareness - Capturing Attention

The first stage of the customer experience journey is the awareness stage. This stage is all about making your target audience aware of your company and the products or services you offer as well as showcasing what those things can do for your customer.

Standard promotional videos are the most common type of video marketing used during this stage. These are videos meant to bring attention to your brand, product, service, or event. Think of your typical commercial, where the product or service is on full display.

But the market is flooded with commercials, so for videos like this, storytelling is incredibly important. These tell some sort of story, which can be humorous, heartwarming, educational, or somewhere in between. Storytelling videos are usually more memorable and more likely to be shared, which is what makes them so effective for the beginning of your customer sales journey funnel.

Best Video Types for Awareness:

• Promotional Videos – Showcase your brand or product with a memorable hook. Think: commercials, brand anthem videos, or campaign teasers.

• Explainer Videos – Introduce what your product or service does in a simple, visual way.

• Educational Videos – Answer common questions or share industry tips to build credibility.

• Product Demos – Show your product in action, especially on social media.

• Live Streams – Offer behind-the-scenes access, product reveals, or Q&As.

Tip: Short-form content (like Reels, YouTube Shorts, or TikToks) is especially effective here.

Stage 2: Consideration - Building Trust

In the consideration stage, customers are aware of your product or service but haven’t yet made the decision to purchase. At this point in the customer experience journey map, your job is to build trust with these potential customers.

Often, social proof, like customer testimonials, is the best way to do this. In testimonial videos, happy customers talk about your company or product. An effective customer testimonial will talk about a pain point that the customer was dealing with and how your product or service solved their problem.

But maybe you’re a new company that doesn’t have many customers yet. There are other types of videos you can use to help convert customers, such as interview videos. In these videos, you can interview people within your company to showcase what went into developing the product or interview experts to help you gain credibility.

Best Video Types for Consideration:

• Customer Testimonials – Real people sharing how your product solved their problem. Social proof = credibility.

• Founder/Expert Interviews – Showcase the people behind your brand and the care that goes into your solution.

• Advanced Product Demos – Go deeper than the awareness-stage demo, focus on features and benefits.

• Tutorials & How-Tos – Show your product solving specific problems, especially in a B2B context.

Tip: Let your audience see themselves in the story. Address pain points and demonstrate transformation.

Stage 3: Decision — Driving Conversion

The decision stage, sometimes called the purchase stage, is the part of the customer journey in which your potential customer becomes an actual customer. You’re trying to get them to make the final moves to go beyond “add to cart” and finalize the purchase.

This isn’t always easy, but there are a variety of video marketing tools you can use to convert customers. Persuasive content that aids customers in decision-making is key. You can create persuasive content by providing your customers with information, especially about how your product tackles common pain points.

One way to persuade customers who are on the fence is by creating videos that address frequently asked questions or concerns that your customers might have. Customers want to make informed decisions, and by providing answers to their questions up-front, you make it much easier for them to feel confident in their choices. 

Product demonstration videos can go a long way in this stage of the customer journey as well. Sometimes, seeing is believing, and when a customer is able to view for themselves exactly what your product does, it gives them that extra push to make their final decision.

Best Video Types for Decision:

• FAQ Videos – Proactively answer common objections or last-minute concerns.

• Product Comparison Videos – Show how you outperform competitors.

• In-Depth Product Walkthroughs – Highlight final details and use cases.

• Special Offer or Time-Limited Promos – Encourage urgency and motivate commitment.

Tip: Keep the call-to-action clear and prominent—make the next step easy.

Aligning Your Video Strategy With Customer Needs

The key to successful video marketing is meeting your customer where they are. That means:

• Using platform-specific analytics to see what content drives clicks, shares, and conversions

• Testing different formats to identify what resonates (e.g., short educational videos vs. long demos)

• Watching for funnel drop-offs to spot gaps (e.g., high awareness but low conversion = weak decision-stage content)

When you post marketing videos on social media, you’ll be able to see analytics for your campaign. These are things like how many people click on or share your ad and the gender and age groups of these people. You can then use this information to determine what your target audience likes, what marketing videos are working, and which ones aren’t. For example, if educational videos have a higher click-through rate than standard promotional videos, you’ll know where to shift your focus.

Additionally, looking at campaign analytics can tell you where you’re missing a step in the customer journey. Maybe your campaign has a great click-through rate but a dismal conversion rate. This can tell you that something might be lacking in your videos meant for the decision stage.

Ready to Build a Customer Journey With Video?

A comprehensive marketing strategy should include content, including video content, for the first three steps of the customer journey: awareness, consideration, and decision. This gives you the ability to guide your customers as they first discover your product until they ultimately decide to make a purchase.

Creating a marketing strategy for all three stages of the customer journey can be tricky, but it doesn’t have to be. Charter & Co’s comprehensive video production services will help you create the perfect marketing strategy that has you converting potential customers into paying ones. Contact us today to learn more!

FAQs: Video Content and the Customer Journey

What is the customer journey in marketing?

The customer journey refers to the stages a potential buyer goes through before, during, and after making a purchase. The core stages include awareness, consideration, decision, retention, and advocacy. Marketers focus most on the first three stages—guiding users from discovery to conversion.

Why is video effective at each stage of the customer journey?

Video content is versatile, engaging, and easy to consume. In the awareness stage, it helps capture attention; in consideration, it builds trust and credibility; and in the decision stage, it answers questions and encourages action. Video also performs well on social media and search platforms, making it a strong tool across the entire funnel.

What types of videos work best for the awareness stage?

Short promotional videos, explainers, educational clips, product teasers, and social-friendly content (like Reels and TikToks) are ideal for the awareness stage. These formats are designed to grab attention quickly and introduce your brand or product.

How can I use video to build trust during the consideration stage?

Customer testimonials, product tutorials, expert interviews, and more in-depth product demos all help establish trust. These videos show potential customers that your product works, your company is credible, and their problems can be solved.

What kind of videos help drive conversions in the decision stage?

FAQ videos, detailed product walkthroughs, side-by-side comparisons, and promotional offers are effective at this stage. They reduce purchase friction, answer last-minute questions, and reinforce value.

How do I know which types of videos my audience prefers?

Use performance data from past campaigns—such as click-through rates, watch time, and conversions—to see which formats work best. Social media analytics, A/B testing, and customer surveys can also provide valuable insight into content preferences.

Can one video serve multiple stages of the customer journey?

Yes, some well-crafted videos can span multiple stages. For example, a product demo might introduce a product (awareness), explain features (consideration), and include a call to action (decision). However, it's often more effective to tailor content to one specific stage for clarity and focus.