You need a marketing-operations-focused customer journey map that maps touchpoints, messaging, channels, content needs, and conversion triggers across the full marketing funnel. Complements the existing /journey-map skill (which focuses on product experience) with a marketing-specific lens covering awareness through advocacy.

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How it works

1. You provide the product or service, target persona, current marketing channels, and sales cycle details
2. The skill maps the full marketing journey from awareness through advocacy, identifying touchpoints, messaging, channel rationale, content needs, emotional states, conversion triggers, barriers, and coverage gaps
3. It returns a marketing journey map with a gap analysis showing where the client is missing coverage, plus a prioritized action plan to close the gaps

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Prompt

You are building a marketing-specific customer journey map for a Kate Makrigiannis consulting engagement. Kate helps clients see the full picture of how prospects become customers become advocates, and find the gaps where leads fall through. This is the marketing-operations companion to the product experience journey map. Before writing, read knowledge/voice-tone-guide.md -- use the client-facing voice.

Inputs I will provide:

• Product/Service: {{PRODUCT}} (what is being marketed -- e.g., "B2B SaaS project management tool," "DTC skincare subscription," "enterprise consulting services")
• Target persona: {{PERSONA}} (who the marketing targets -- role, needs, buying behavior. Check personas/ for existing persona files.)
• Current marketing channels: {{CHANNELS}} (channels currently in use -- e.g., "Google Ads, LinkedIn, email nurture, blog, webinars, sales outreach")
• Sales cycle: {{SALES_CYCLE}} (typical time from first touch to purchase, and whether self-serve or sales-assisted -- e.g., "30-day self-serve trial to paid," "6-month enterprise sales cycle with 3-5 stakeholders")
• Context (optional): {{CONTEXT}} (known pain points in the funnel, marketing budget range, competitive landscape, prior journey mapping work)

Step 1: Define journey stages

Map the full marketing journey across seven stages. Adapt stage definitions to the client's specific business model and sales cycle.

Marketing Journey Stages

Stage	Definition	Persona Mindset	Duration (typical)
Awareness	Prospect first becomes aware of the problem or the brand	"I have a problem" or "I did not know this existed"	[varies by channel and market]
Consideration	Prospect actively researches solutions and evaluates options	"What are my options?"	[estimate based on sales cycle]
Evaluation	Prospect narrows to a shortlist and compares specifics (pricing, features, fit)	"Is this the right choice for me?"	[estimate]
Purchase	Prospect decides and completes the transaction or signs the contract	"I am ready to commit"	[estimate]
Onboarding	New customer gets started and reaches first value	"Did I make the right choice?"	[estimate]
Retention	Customer uses the product regularly and renews or continues purchasing	"Is this still worth it?"	[ongoing]
Advocacy	Customer recommends, refers, or publicly endorses the product	"Others should know about this"	[opportunistic]

Step 2: Map touchpoints by stage

For each stage, identify all relevant touchpoints where the persona interacts with the brand.

Touchpoint Map

Stage	Touchpoint	Channel	Owned/Earned/Paid	Currently Active?
Awareness	[e.g., blog post discovered via search]	[SEO / Blog]	[Owned]	[Yes/No]
Awareness	[e.g., LinkedIn ad]	[LinkedIn Ads]	[Paid]	[Yes/No]
Consideration	[e.g., comparison landing page]	[Website]	[Owned]	[Yes/No]
Consideration	[e.g., webinar on industry topic]	[Webinar platform]	[Owned]	[Yes/No]
Evaluation	[e.g., pricing page]	[Website]	[Owned]	[Yes/No]
Evaluation	[e.g., sales demo call]	[Sales]	[Owned]	[Yes/No]
Purchase	[e.g., checkout flow / contract signing]	[Website / Sales]	[Owned]	[Yes/No]
Onboarding	[e.g., welcome email sequence]	[Email]	[Owned]	[Yes/No]
Retention	[e.g., monthly product newsletter]	[Email]	[Owned]	[Yes/No]
Advocacy	[e.g., referral program]	[In-product / Email]	[Owned]	[Yes/No]

Include at minimum 2-4 touchpoints per stage. If a stage has fewer than 2 active touchpoints, flag it as a gap.

Step 3: Messaging per touchpoint

Define what the brand should communicate at each touchpoint.

Messaging Map

Stage	Touchpoint	Primary Message	Supporting Proof Point	CTA
Awareness	[touchpoint]	[message that resonates with the persona's problem or aspiration]	[stat, testimonial, or credibility marker]	[desired action -- e.g., "Read the guide," "Watch the video"]
Consideration	[touchpoint]	[message that differentiates from alternatives]	[case study, comparison data, expert endorsement]	[e.g., "See how it works," "Join the webinar"]
Evaluation	[touchpoint]	[message that addresses final objections and builds confidence]	[ROI data, customer story, guarantee]	[e.g., "Start free trial," "Talk to sales"]
Purchase	[touchpoint]	[message that reinforces the decision and reduces buyer's remorse]	[social proof, welcome messaging]	[e.g., "Complete purchase," "Sign the agreement"]
Onboarding	[touchpoint]	[message that guides to first value quickly]	[quick-start guide, success metrics]	[e.g., "Complete setup," "Invite your team"]
Retention	[touchpoint]	[message that demonstrates ongoing value and deepens engagement]	[usage data, new features, community]	[e.g., "Try this feature," "Renew your plan"]
Advocacy	[touchpoint]	[message that makes referral easy and rewarding]	[referral incentive, community recognition]	[e.g., "Refer a friend," "Leave a review"]

Step 4: Channel selection rationale

For each channel in use (and any recommended additions), document the strategic rationale.

Channel Strategy

Channel	Stage(s) Served	Why This Channel	Cost Tier	Measurement	Current Performance
[channel]	[which journey stages]	[why it fits the persona and stage]	[Low / Medium / High]	[key metric to track]	[current results if known, or "Not yet measured"]

Channel evaluation criteria:

• Persona fit: Does the target persona actually use this channel?
• Stage fit: Is this channel effective for the journey stage it serves?
• Cost efficiency: What is the cost per touch or cost per conversion through this channel?
• Measurability: Can you track attribution from this channel to conversion?
• Scalability: Can you increase volume without proportionally increasing cost?

Step 5: Content needs at each stage

Identify the content required to support each stage of the journey.

Content Needs Matrix

Stage	Content Type	Purpose	Format	Status
Awareness	[e.g., "Ultimate guide to [problem]"]	Attract and educate	Blog post / Video / Infographic	[Exists / Needs update / Does not exist]
Awareness	[e.g., "Industry trends report"]	Establish authority	Gated PDF / Webinar	[Status]
Consideration	[e.g., "How [product] compares to [alternative]"]	Differentiate	Comparison page / Blog	[Status]
Consideration	[e.g., "[Customer name] case study"]	Build credibility	Case study / Video testimonial	[Status]
Evaluation	[e.g., "ROI calculator"]	Quantify value	Interactive tool / Spreadsheet	[Status]
Evaluation	[e.g., "Pricing page with FAQ"]	Remove purchase friction	Web page	[Status]
Purchase	[e.g., "What to expect after signing up"]	Reduce buyer's remorse	Email / Landing page	[Status]
Onboarding	[e.g., "Quick start guide"]	Accelerate time to value	Email sequence / In-app guide	[Status]
Retention	[e.g., "Monthly product tips newsletter"]	Drive ongoing engagement	Email / Blog	[Status]
Advocacy	[e.g., "Referral program landing page"]	Activate word-of-mouth	Web page / Email	[Status]

Content gap count:

• Exists: [count]
• Needs update: [count]
• Does not exist: [count]

Step 6: Emotional state tracking

Map the persona's emotional journey across stages.

Emotional Arc

Stage	Dominant Emotion	Intensity (1-5)	What Triggers This Emotion	Marketing Implication
Awareness	[e.g., frustrated, curious, unaware]	[1-5]	[what is happening in their work/life]	[how messaging should meet this emotion]
Consideration	[e.g., hopeful, overwhelmed, skeptical]	[1-5]	[information overload, too many options]	[simplify, guide, reassure]
Evaluation	[e.g., anxious, analytical, cautious]	[1-5]	[fear of making wrong choice, internal politics]	[provide proof, reduce risk]
Purchase	[e.g., committed, nervous, excited]	[1-5]	[budget approval, signing the contract]	[reinforce decision, celebrate]
Onboarding	[e.g., eager, confused, impatient]	[1-5]	[new tool, learning curve, stakeholder expectations]	[guide to quick win, reduce complexity]
Retention	[e.g., satisfied, habituated, questioning value]	[1-5]	[routine use, renewal approaching, new competitor]	[demonstrate ongoing value, surface new features]
Advocacy	[e.g., proud, loyal, rewarded]	[1-5]	[strong results, positive experience, community belonging]	[make sharing easy, recognize advocates]

Step 7: Conversion triggers and barriers

Identify what moves the persona forward and what blocks them at each stage transition.

Stage Transitions

Transition	Conversion Trigger	Conversion Barrier	How to Amplify Trigger	How to Remove Barrier
Awareness to Consideration	[what makes them start researching -- e.g., pain becomes acute, boss asks for options]	[what prevents research -- e.g., "not my priority," "I'll deal with it later"]	[content strategy, retargeting, email capture]	[urgency messaging, cost-of-inaction framing]
Consideration to Evaluation	[what makes them shortlist -- e.g., recommendation from peer, strong demo]	[what stops them -- e.g., too many options, unclear differentiation]	[case studies, comparisons, social proof]	[guided evaluation, clear positioning]
Evaluation to Purchase	[what triggers the buy -- e.g., budget approval, trial success, competitive pressure]	[what blocks -- e.g., price objection, stakeholder resistance, procurement process]	[ROI data, urgency offers, champion enablement]	[flexible pricing, stakeholder content, procurement support]
Purchase to Onboarding	[what gets them started -- e.g., clear next steps, dedicated CSM]	[what delays -- e.g., implementation complexity, competing priorities]	[immediate welcome, quick-start path]	[simplified setup, onboarding support]
Onboarding to Retention	[what drives habit -- e.g., first win, team adoption, integration with workflow]	[what causes churn risk -- e.g., no quick win, low adoption, support issues]	[success milestones, check-ins, feature education]	[proactive support, usage monitoring, re-engagement]
Retention to Advocacy	[what makes them advocate -- e.g., strong results, community, recognition]	[what prevents -- e.g., no referral mechanism, private about tools, mixed results]	[referral program, community, recognition program]	[easy sharing mechanics, address dissatisfaction]

Step 8: Gap analysis

Identify where the client has insufficient or missing marketing coverage.

Coverage Gap Analysis

Stage	Gap Type	Description	Impact	Priority
[stage]	[Missing touchpoint / Missing content / Weak messaging / No measurement / Channel gap]	[specific gap]	[High / Medium / Low -- based on impact on conversion]	[P1 / P2 / P3]

Gap Summary

Stage	Active Touchpoints	Content Pieces	Measurement in Place?	Overall Coverage
Awareness	[count]	[count]	[Yes / Partial / No]	[Strong / Moderate / Weak / Missing]
Consideration	[count]	[count]	[Yes / Partial / No]	[coverage level]
Evaluation	[count]	[count]	[Yes / Partial / No]	[coverage level]
Purchase	[count]	[count]	[Yes / Partial / No]	[coverage level]
Onboarding	[count]	[count]	[Yes / Partial / No]	[coverage level]
Retention	[count]	[count]	[Yes / Partial / No]	[coverage level]
Advocacy	[count]	[count]	[Yes / Partial / No]	[coverage level]

Biggest gaps: [1-3 sentence summary of the most critical coverage gaps and their likely impact on the funnel]

Prioritized Action Plan

Priority	Action	Stage	Gap Addressed	Effort	Expected Impact
P1	[specific action]	[stage]	[which gap]	[Low / Medium / High]	[what it will improve]
P2	[action]	[stage]	[gap]	[effort]	[impact]
P3	[action]	[stage]	[gap]	[effort]	[impact]

Quick wins (launch within 2 weeks):

1. [action] -- [rationale]
2. [action] -- [rationale]

Medium-term builds (2-8 weeks):

1. [action] -- [rationale]
2. [action] -- [rationale]

Strategic investments (8+ weeks):

1. [action] -- [rationale]

Related skills: Complements /journey-map (product experience focus) with a marketing-operations lens. Feeds into /audience-segmentation for persona refinement. Uses /funnel-analysis for quantitative funnel data to validate the qualitative journey map.

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