The myth of the linear buyer journey

I’ve got a question for you.

When was the last time you made a significant purchase by moving neatly from awareness to consideration to decision?

Never, right?

Yet this is exactly how most marketing teams structure their content—as if prospects follow a predictable, linear path that ends with a purchase.

The reality couldn’t be more different.

We recently mapped the actual journey of a client who signed with a professional services firm we work with. Their path looked like this:

1. Google search for a specific issue
2. Read three blog posts on the firm’s website
3. Left without taking action
4. Two weeks later, saw a LinkedIn post from one of the firm’s partners
5. Watched a video on the topic
6. Shared the video with a colleague
7. Both visited the website again
8. Downloaded a guide
9. Didn’t respond to follow-up emails
10. A month later, attended a webinar by the same partner
11. Finally requested a consultation
12. Brought two additional decision-makers to the meeting
13. Signed contract three weeks later

Thirteen touchpoints. Three decision-makers. Nearly three months from first contact to signed contract.

And this isn’t unusual. It’s the norm.

Why traditional journey maps fail

The traditional marketing funnel—awareness at the top, consideration in the middle, decision at the bottom—was created in 1898. Yes, really.

It might have worked when information was scarce and buyers relied heavily on salespeople. But it’s hopelessly inadequate for today’s reality.

After analysing the actual journeys of clients working with, we’ve identified three fundamental problems with the traditional approach:

People don’t move sequentially through stages

Real buyers bounce between stages, revisiting awareness content during the decision phase and jumping straight to decision content during early research.

A Sydney construction company we work with discovered 64% of their prospects were looking at pricing and “how to choose” content in their very first website visit—supposedly an “awareness” stage activity.

Multiple stakeholders enter at different points

In B2B purchases, different stakeholders join the journey at different times, each with their own information needs and starting points.

A technical evaluator might be deep in the consideration phase while the finance director is just becoming aware of the problem. Creating content only for the “current phase” ignores this reality.

External triggers create non-linear paths

Jobs change. Budgets shift. Competitors make moves. Each external event can reset or accelerate the journey in unpredictable ways.

One IT consultancy client told us they had been nurturing a prospect for months when a security breach suddenly accelerated the timeline from “considering options next quarter” to “need implementation next week.”

Identifying the critical “change moments”

So if buyer journeys aren’t linear, how should you approach content creation?

Instead of obsessing over funnel stages, successful firms focus on identifying and addressing the critical “change moments” in their buyers’ journeys.

Change moments are decision points where the right content can significantly influence the outcome. They’re the difference between a prospect continuing their journey with you or dropping off.

Through our work with Sydney professional services firms, we’ve identified five universal change moments that matter most:

The trust threshold

This is the point where a prospect decides your firm is credible enough to consider seriously. It typically occurs early but can be revisited multiple times.

Content types that work here: Thought leadership videos, practical guides, data-driven insights, and authentic client testimonials.

The value alignment

This is when prospects are trying to determine if your approach aligns with their values and priorities. It’s often subtle but crucial.

Content types that work here: Case studies showcasing your methodology, “behind the scenes” content, team profiles, and purpose-driven messaging.

The stakeholder expansion

This occurs when your initial contact brings in additional decision-makers. Each new stakeholder is essentially starting their own journey.

Content types that work here: Role-specific content packages, executive summaries, shareable visual assets, and comparison frameworks.

The risk assessment

This is when prospects actively look for reasons not to choose you. They’ve become interested but now need reassurance about potential risks.

Content types that work here: Detailed case studies, implementation guides, FAQs addressing common concerns, and technical documentation.

The confirmation seeking

Just before finalising decisions, prospects often seek validation that they’re making the right choice.

Content types that work here: Client video testimonials, ROI calculators, readiness assessments, and “what to expect” guides.

Mapping content to real journeys

Once you understand these change moments, you need a practical framework for creating and organising content around them. Here’s the approach we use with our clients:

Step 1: Journey intelligence gathering

Start by collecting real data about how your existing clients found and chose you. This isn’t about website analytics alone—it’s about having conversations with clients and sales teams to document:

• Every touchpoint in their journey
• Questions they had at each stage
• Content they found helpful (or wished they had)
• Stakeholders involved and when they entered the process
• External factors that influenced timing

A Sydney accounting firm we work with dedicates one hour each month to interviewing a recent client about their buying journey. These conversations reveal insights no analytics platform could capture.

Step 2: Change moment mapping

Using your journey intelligence, identify the common change moments for your specific audience. While the five universal moments apply broadly, your business will have unique trigger points.

Create a visual map showing:

• Each change moment
• The questions prospects have at that point
• The concerns blocking progress
• The information needed to move forward

Step 3: Content gap analysis

With your change moment map in hand, audit your existing content to identify gaps. For each change moment, assess:

• Do we have content that specifically addresses this moment?
• Is it in the right format for this stage of the journey?
• Does it answer the actual questions prospects have?
• Is it easily accessible at the right time?

Step 4: Strategic content creation

Rather than creating content for generic funnel stages, develop assets specifically designed for your identified change moments. Focus on:

• Addressing the specific questions and concerns at each change moment
• Creating formats appropriate for how content is consumed at that point
• Designing content that can be easily shared among stakeholder groups
• Building clear pathways between related content pieces

Step 5: Content orchestration

The final step is ensuring your content reaches the right people at the right moments. This requires:

• Trigger-based email sequences aligned to buyer behaviours
• Sales enablement tools that help your team deliver relevant content
• Strategic retargeting based on content engagement
• Multi-channel distribution strategies for different stakeholder groups

Moving beyond the linear mindset

Shifting from linear journey thinking to a change moment approach doesn’t happen overnight. It requires new ways of creating, organising, and distributing content.

The key is moving from “what content should someone in the awareness stage see?” to “what content does someone experiencing this specific change moment need?”

That shift—from theoretical stages to actual buyer experiences—makes all the difference.

The buyer journey isn’t a straight line. It’s time your content strategy reflected that reality.

Want to see how your content maps against the actual journeys your customers are taking? Drop us a line.