"They are ready to buy but need spousal sign-off — send them shareable info to forward."
Stage 4 — Retention (Why they come back, or don't)
Element
Detail
State
Has bought/used — deciding whether to return
Internal question
"Is it worth continuing?" / "Is something better out there?" / "Anything new?"
Barrier
Forgetting, no reason to return, mediocre last experience
Content needed
Follow-ups, exclusive value, loyalty program
Effective channels
Email nurture, SMS, in-app, VIP community
Example insight
"They liked the service but don't return because nobody reminds them — they need a reason, not just a discount."
Jobs To Be Done (JTBD)
Customers don't buy products — they "hire" them to get a "job" done.
3 Layers of JTBD
Layer
Definition
Question
Example (Skincare)
Example (Marketing course)
Functional
Practical task to complete
"What do they need to do?"
Clear acne, cleanse skin
Learn how to run paid ads
Emotional
Desired feeling
"How do they want to feel?"
Confident, well-cared-for
Calm, not afraid of mistakes
Social
Image they want to project
"How do they want to be seen?"
Beautiful, professional
Skilled, modern, successful
JTBD Template
When [situation / context],
I want to [action / solution],
so I can [desired outcome],
and feel [emotional reward].
Examples:
"When my skin breaks out before a big meeting, I want to find a fast professional treatment, so I can feel confident presenting, and feel professional."
"When I don't know how to run profitable ads, I want to learn from someone who has done it, so I can manage campaigns myself, and feel independent from agencies."
"When my Shopify store has traffic but no sales, I want to understand why visitors don't convert, so I can fix the leak, and feel in control of my business."
Persona Builder
Customer Persona Template
Persona: [Representative Name]
Demographics
Element
Value
Gender
Age range
Location
Occupation
Income / month
Family status
Education
Psychographics
Element
Value
Core values
[What do they value most?]
Fears
[What scares them when buying?]
Aspirations
[What do they want to achieve?]
Beliefs
[What do they trust? What do they doubt?]
Lifestyle
[Describe in one sentence]
Behaviors
Element
Value
Primary info channel
[TikTok? Google? Friends? YouTube?]
Online time
[Morning / Lunch / Evening? How long?]
Shopping habits
[Online/Offline? Compare before buying?]
Trusted sources
[Reviews? Influencers? Friends? Experts?]
Purchase barriers
[Price? Time? Risk? Lack of info?]
Post-purchase behavior
[Reviews? Refers others? Silent? Complains?]
Media Consumption
Channel
Usage level
Preferred content
TikTok
High / Med / Low / None
Instagram
YouTube
Facebook
LinkedIn
Reddit
Twitter / X
Google Search
Email newsletters
Podcasts
Customer Journey Map
Journey Template
Stage
Touchpoint
Behavior
Thoughts
Feelings
Barriers
Opportunities
Awareness
[Sees ad? Reads article? Friend mention?]
Research
[Google search? Watches review? Visits site?]
Consideration
[Compares competitors? Asks community?]
Decision
[Messages? Calls? Books?]
Purchase / Use
[Visits store? Pays online? First experience?]
Post-purchase
[Satisfied? Reviews? Returns? Refers?]
Moments of Truth
Moment
Description
Your action
Zero Moment (ZMOT)
Customer searches/asks before contacting you
SEO, third-party reviews, educational content
First Moment (FMOT)
First impression of product/service
Imagery, packaging, website UI, channel profile
Second Moment (SMOT)
Real experience while using
Service quality, processes, staff attitude
Ultimate Moment (UMOT)
Customer shares their experience
Encourage reviews, referrals, UGC
Insight Validation
Not every observation is an insight. A real insight must pass 3 tests:
The 3-Criteria Test
Criterion
Validation question
Pass / Fail
TRUE
Is this grounded in real data/observation, not assumption?
TENSION
Is there a contradiction, dilemma, or unresolved need?
ACTIONABLE
Can you build content, product, or strategy from it?
Validation Examples
Observation
TRUE?
TENSION?
ACTIONABLE?
Insight?
"Women 25–35 like skincare"
Yes, but generic
No tension
Not specific
NO — too general
"They know their skin worsens but blame weather, not their routine"
Yes — seen in comments
Yes — gap between awareness and action
Yes — educational content can shift mindset
YES — strong insight
"They want to try the spa but fear high-pressure upsells"
Yes — reviews and DMs
Yes — desire vs loss-of-control fear
Yes — no-upsell pledge, transparent pricing
YES — strong insight
Internal Monologue (What they think but don't say)
Customers rarely say what they actually think. This section captures the inner voice:
Internal Monologue Template
Stage
What they say
What they actually think
What it means for you
Awareness
"It's fine, normal"
"Why does everyone else look better? Is something wrong with me?"
Soft pain triggers, no pressure
Consideration
"Let me look around"
"Too many options. Hard to tell legit from scam — afraid to choose wrong"
Honest comparisons, not bragging
Conversion
"Let me think about it"
"I want it but I'm scared — afraid of wasting money or not seeing results"
Risk reduction: trial, guarantee, real reviews
Post-purchase
"It's okay"
"Should I keep going? Nobody has even checked in on me"
Follow-up, after-care, retention offers
Sources for Capturing Internal Monologue
Source
How to extract
Comments on competitor posts
Read questions, complaints, praise — especially long comments
Your DMs / inbox
Most-repeated question = biggest worry
Reviews (Google, Trustpilot, Amazon, app stores)
3-star reviews are most valuable — mixed praise + criticism
Industry communities (Reddit, niche forums, Discord)
Opinion threads, vent threads, comparison threads
Past-customer surveys
Open question: "What made you hesitate before buying?"
Sales call recordings
Listen for objections, hesitations, repeated phrases
Behavioral Segmentation
Move beyond demographics — segment by actual behavior:
6 Segmentation Dimensions
Dimension
Categories
Example segments
Purchase frequency
One-time / Repeat / Frequent
Trial buyers vs Regulars vs VIPs
Order value
Low / Mid / High
Budget vs Premium spenders
Acquisition channel
Organic / Paid / Referral
TikTok-found vs Word-of-mouth
Engagement behavior
View / Like / Comment / Buy
Lurkers vs Loyal fans
Lifecycle stage
New / Active / Lapsed / Returning
New vs Churned vs Win-back
Loyalty level
Price-driven / Loyal / Advocate
Discount-seekers vs Brand-loyal
Behavioral Segment Action Table
Segment
Traits
Best content
Channels
Offers
New (no purchase yet)
Just discovered, researching
TOFU: education, social proof
TikTok, Instagram, Google
Trial, sample
First-time buyer
Tried once, no return yet
MOFU: added value, case studies
Email, SMS
Second-purchase offer
Repeat buyer (2+)
Satisfied, building habit
Retention: exclusives, VIP perks
Email, community
Loyalty tier
VIP (5+ purchases)
Loyal, ready to refer
Referral: bring-a-friend programs
1:1, events, VIP group
Referral bonus
Churned
Bought before, now silent
Win-back: reason for absence + special offer
Email, SMS
Comeback offer
Cross-reference
Need competitor targeting analysis? → Use 08-competitor-research-global
Writing content from insight? → Use 05-ad-copy-global or 04-video-script-global
Mapping full customer journey? → Use 02-campaign-brief-global
Calculating budget by segment? → Use 10-reverse-kpi-calc-global
Building overall strategy? → Use 00-marketing-plan-global
Quality Checklist
Before delivering the insight report, verify:
Consumer vs Shopper separated — if different, each has its own strategy
Insights cover all 4 stages (Awareness, Consideration, Conversion, Retention)
JTBD covers all 3 layers: Functional, Emotional, Social
Persona has all 4 sections: Demographics, Psychographics, Behaviors, Media Consumption
Customer Journey has touchpoints, emotions, and concrete barriers — not generic
Every insight passed the 3-criteria test: TRUE, TENSION, ACTIONABLE
Internal Monologue is grounded in real sources (comments, DMs, reviews) — not imagined
Behavioral segmentation moves beyond demographics — each segment has a specific action
No assumptions without backing — every conclusion sourced or evidenced
Output drives concrete actions (content, ads, product), not just description
Keep looking
Skills are one crate of 328,083. Ordering is by how many stacks a row turns up in, so the top of any crate is what has actually been picked rather than what has the most stars.