The Non-Linear Customer Journey and How to Map It
Customer journeys are unpredictable. Instead learn how to map real customer moments and create video content that meets buyers exactly where they are.
Marketers love a clean customer journey map. Awareness neatly flows into Consideration, then Decision, with every touchpoint tracked like clockwork. It's predictable, measurable, and very much fictional.
In reality, customer journey stages are anything but linear. People don’t glide smoothly from one stage to the next. They bounce between tabs, abandon carts, rediscover your brand on social media, read a review three months later, and then, maybe, sign up. Or maybe they come back a year later.
It’s the nature of modern buying behavior. With infinite choices, channels, and distractions, your audience doesn't follow customer journey map; they forge their own paths.
But a non-linear journey doesn’t necessarily mean chaos. If your content is flexible, context-aware, and built to meet people wherever they are.
In this post, we’ll unpack what a non-linear customer journey map really looks like today, why traditional funnel thinking falls short, and how you can map and optimize these journeys for the way people actually buy.
Why the Old Customer Journey Map No Longer Works
The traditional customer journey map was built for a world that no longer exists. It assumes a passive buyer waiting to be shepherded from problem to purchase. But today’s buyers aren’t following that anymore.
They’re Googling before they talk to sales. They’re comparing ten alternatives on G2. They’re scrolling Reddit threads for real-life use cases. They’re binge-watching YouTube reviews at midnight, or reading blog posts while waiting for coffee. And they might show up at your “Book a Demo” form having never seen your homepage.
The power dynamic has shifted. Buyers are:
Self-educating: They want to try before they talk. They’ll watch walkthroughs, read case studies, and test freemium plans without ever engaging with your funnel.
Comparison shopping: With endless options, customers constantly bounce between competitors, often discovering new ones mid-decision.
Jumping in mid-journey: Someone might enter at what used to be “bottom of funnel” and need reassurance that your product is legit before they ever care about the problem it solves.
In other words, buyers are no longer clinging to linear customer journey stages. If you’re still creating content for a sequential customer journey map, you’re missing how people actually move today. Mapping this new reality starts with embracing its messiness and building systems that adapt to it.
What “Journey-Skipping” Looks Like in the Real World
Users routinely ignore the “intended” flow. They dip in and out of your funnel, entering at unpredictable customer journey stages and making decisions out of sequence. Here’s how that plays out:
1. From TikTok to Pricing, No Context Required
Imagine a brand goes viral for a quirky feature breakdown on TikTok. A curious viewer taps the bio link, skips past the homepage, and heads straight to the pricing page. They haven’t read your blog. They haven’t explored the product. They’re just here to ask: Is this in my budget?
They might convert on the spot or bounce when pricing feels opaque or misaligned. Either way, they never touched your carefully crafted “Awareness” assets.
2. Skipping Onboarding, Hunting for Power Features
A product-led growth (PLG) user signs up and immediately hits “Skip Tour.” Your helpful tooltips and welcome videos? Ignored.
Why? Because they’re not a beginner. They're trying your product because they’ve outgrown a competitor. They’re looking for integrations, advanced filters, or custom automations. If they don’t find what they need fast, they’ll assume you can’t deliver.
3. Entering via Reviews, Not Ads
Someone discovers your brand not from your ad budget, but from a three-sentence testimonial in a Slack community. They google you, land on a feature comparison blog, and evaluate you alongside three competitors.
To them, this is the awareness stage, but it’s happening inside a consideration environment.
4. The Repeat Visitor Who Looks New
A user who ghosted your sales demo four months ago revisits your site. This time, they click “Get Started.” You treat them like a new user, but they’re already sold. They just needed buy-in from their boss. For them, your welcome series is redundant noise.
These real-world behaviors aren’t anomalies. And if your journey map doesn’t account for them, your messaging, UX, and even sales plays can feel completely out of sync. The challenge isn’t preventing journey-skipping; it’s designing for it.
The 5 Customer Moments That Matter More Than “Stages”
Forget customer journey stages. Instead, smart teams are mapping for customer moments. They are decision-driving inflection points that reveal intent. These moments can happen in any order, any time. And they’re far more useful for content, product, and support teams alike.
Here are five high-impact customer moments to track (and serve) instead:
1. The First Encounter
This isn’t always your homepage. It might be a social post, a podcast mention, or a product-led invite from a colleague. What matters here is clarity: What is this? Who’s it for? Why should I care?
📋 What they need: Clear positioning, fast value prop, social proof. This is your moment to make a strong first impression.
📹 Best video types:
Product teaser
Brand manifesto
Homepage hero video
💡 Example:
The video opens by naming a familiar tension and immediately reframes Slack as the solution: a unified, AI-powered workspace where people, apps, data, and automations come together.
With clean narration, bold visuals, and rapid-fire examples, it delivers a clear value proposition and showcases real-world relevance. It’s short, slick, and emotionally resonant.
Why this works as a first encounter:
Clear positioning: Slack = your AI-powered work OS
Fast value prop: Increased speed, clarity, and ROI
Social proof: “The most innovative companies in the world rely on Slack”
This kind of brand-forward, high-level teaser is exactly what a prospect needs when they first stumble across you.
2. “What Exactly Does This Tool Do?”
They’re intrigued but unclear on the core value prop or scope. They want to know if it solves their problem, and how it’s different from everything else out there.
📋 What they need: Clear product positioning, TL;DR explainer, category fit.
📹 Best video types:
Explainer video
Product overview video
Short feature demo (1–2 mins)
💡 Example:
Atlassian recognizes a key problem facing modern teams: disconnected tools, fragmented updates, and context overload. Then, the video introduces the Atlassian Cloud Platform as the solution; positioning it clearly as a unified workspace that connects teams, apps, and data.
The video walks through each core app (Home, Goals, Teams, Analytics, and AI-powered Robo), giving just enough detail to explain what it does, why it matters, and how it’s different.
Why this works for the “What does this tool do?” moment:
Clear value prop: A connected platform that preserves context across tools
TL;DR explainer: Each app’s purpose is distilled into one clear benefit
Category fit: It reframes Atlassian from just tools like Jira/Confluence to a modern “system of work” platform
The viewer walks away with a strong understanding of the platform’s scope, fulfilling the goal of this moment: build understanding, fast, and create clarity that drives the next step.
3. The “Can It Do This?” Moment
They’re testing fit. Maybe they’re replacing a tool or solving a weird edge case. At this point, customers are evaluating capabilities, often with a specific use case in mind.
📋 What they need: Robust feature documentation, use case demos, integration guides, fast answers. Show exactly how your product handles their job-to-be-done.
📹 Best video types:
Use case based product walkthrough
Integration video
📌 Product Videos in Minutes, Powered by AI With Clueso, you can instantly transform raw screen recordings into clean, polished videos and auto-generated documentation. It is perfect for demos, onboarding, or support. No editing expertise needed.
💡 Example made by Clueso:
The video dives straight into a real use case: creating a dynamic list of contacts who haven’t been engaged in 14 days. This is a common, tactical need for sales or CRM managers and exactly the kind of question a prospect might Google before choosing a tool.
What makes this a strong fit for the “Can It Do This?” moment:
Focused on a single task: It answers one clear question with a step-by-step walkthrough
Shows the UI in action: Prospects get to see what using HubSpot actually looks like
Demonstrates dynamic behavior: By highlighting active vs. static lists, it showcases smart automation
The idea is not to show off every feature. It’s about proving fitness for purpose, and this clip does exactly that.
4. The “Wait, What Does This Cost?” Moment
It’s pricing curiosity and it’s emotionally charged: budget tension, comparison anxiety, or fear of commitment.
📋 What they need: Transparent pricing, context (what’s included and why), value justification.
📹 Best video types:
2–3 min pricing breakdown
Plan comparison walkthrough
Value justification video
💡 Example:
Canva uses this video to justify value emotionally and functionally. It takes the viewer on a fast-paced walkthrough of premium features tied directly to real creative workflows.
Why this video works at the pricing tension moment:
Feature = benefit mapping: Every upgrade feature is contextualized within an actual task (e.g., customizing brand assets, scaling social posts)
Speaks to ROI, not just cost: The video implies saved time, better output, and fewer third-party tools - all of which help justify the investment
Tone = casual + empowering: Instead of hard-selling, it positions Pro as the natural next step for creators
This is a strategic value justification video that preempts pricing objections by showing exactly what you gain for what you pay.
5. “Should I Trust This?” Dilemma
Before they commit, they need proof. This could be social validation, recognizable logos, or real results from users like them.
📋 What they need: Testimonials, customer logos, metrics, awards, or peer review visibility (G2, Trustpilot, etc).
📹 Best video types:
Customer testimonials
Short case studies
“Why we switched to [Your Product]” stories
💡 Example:
This video is a great example of addressing the dilemma. Instead of a flashy brand pitch, Notion spotlights a real customer sharing how Notion powers their work as they scale from a handful of employees to over 100.
The testimonial covers everything trust-seeking buyers care about: team coordination, AI capabilities, low overhead, and the ability to build internal systems without touching code.
Why this works for the trust dilemma:
Real user, real story: No actors or scripts, just a startup leader reflecting on tangible benefits
Growth narrative: Viewers see how Notion scales with the company, building confidence in long-term fit
Values alignment: The customer talks about democratizing software and AI-native workflows, aligning perfectly with Notion’s mission
This kind of story builds emotional and functional trust. It reassures late-stage buyers that they’re not alone in choosing Notion and that they can expect similar results.
When you start mapping for moments instead of stages, your content becomes more helpful. Your product experience becomes more intuitive. And your marketing? Way more relevant.
How to Make Your Video Library Journey-Skipper Friendly
If today’s buyers won’t follow your customer journey map, your video library needs to follow them. That means building a content ecosystem that’s flexible, searchable, and designed for users whenever a specific need arises.
Here’s your practical playbook to get there:
1. Build a Searchable Video Hub
Don’t bury your best videos in gated email drips or deep in your CMS. Create a public-facing, searchable video hub organized by topic, feature, and user goal.
💡 Pro tips:
Add metadata - tag by use case, persona, and intent
Enable filters like “Getting Started,” “Advanced Features,” “Pricing”
Use descriptive titles (avoid generic labels like “Demo 1”)
2. Embed Videos Contextually
A standalone library is good, but in-context video is better.
💡 Where to embed:
In-app (onboarding flows, tooltips, modals)
Within your knowledge base or help articles
On high-intent pages like pricing, comparison, or integrations.
3. Keep Videos Short, Modular & Reusable
Journey-skippers aren’t watching five-minute videos unless they’re deeply invested. Focus on one purpose per video, and make it easily reusable across formats.
💡 Guidelines:
Aim for 30–90 seconds max
Use clear, clickable thumbnails
Reuse clips across sales, onboarding, and support
4. Match Content to Intent, Not Stage
Don’t ask: “Is this TOFU or BOFU?” Ask: “What’s the customer trying to solve right now?”
💡 Shift your mindset:
Map videos to questions, not stages
Identify common “moments” where users seek video (e.g., setup, evaluation, troubleshooting)
Track engagement by behavior — not funnel position
The dream of a tidy, linear customer journey map is just that - a dream. And chasing it can lead to rigid funnels, misaligned messaging, and missed opportunities.
Modern buyers follow curiosity, urgency, and social proof. They jump customer journey stages, skip onboarding, revisit after ghosting, and often make up their minds before your funnel even knows they exist.
The smartest brands aren’t fighting that behavior. That means:
Swapping rigid “Awareness > Consideration > Decision” models for flexible customer moments
Creating short, sharp videos that answer real questions — not just fill funnel slots
Building searchable, modular content that’s available when and where it’s needed
Mapping intent over customer journey stages, and serving relevance over sequence
Because the brands that win aren’t the ones who push customers down a customer journey map they created. They’re the ones who show up, help out, and deliver clarity at every unpredictable turn.
Frequently Asked Questions About Customer Journey Map
How do I identify which customer moments need a video?
To identify customer moments that need a video, look for points of friction or high intent. These are places where users ask questions, hesitate, or drop off (e.g., pricing confusion, onboarding hiccups, renewal doubts). Prioritize videos where a visual or quick walkthrough can unblock action.
What’s a modern alternative to customer journey stages?
Customer moments, like “first encounter,” “confused about pricing,” “what are the features,” are a modern alternative to customer journey stages. These reflect real behavior and intent, not assumed funnel positions.
What kind of video content works when buyers skip steps?
Short, self-contained videos that deliver value fast are the best video content when buyers skip steps. For example, Product teasers, Mini-demos, Testimonials, etc.
Can one video type serve multiple stages of the journey?
Yes, one video type can serve multiple stages of the journey if it’s focused on a specific question or outcome. A 60-second demo might help someone discover your product, evaluate it, or decide to upgrade. Relevance matters more than placement.
