In 2026, people don’t click one ad, land on one page, and buy.

They research. They scroll. They validate. They watch. They wait.

And only then do they decide.

In this episode of the Digital Success for Business Podcast, Leanne Cohens, founder of Marketing Leap breaks down how the modern buyer journey now works, why it’s no longer a straight line, and what businesses must change if they want conversions without burning money on disconnected marketing.

You’ll learn why today’s buyer journey looks more like a loop, how trust is built across multiple platforms, and how consistency — not volume — is what drives decisions in 2026.

This episode is essential for service-based businesses, consultants, coaches, and founders who want clarity instead of chaos as AI, short-form video, and social validation reshape how people buy.

• Why the buyer journey is no longer linear — and what replaces the funnel
• The 7–11–4 Rule and how many touchpoints buyers actually need
• How AI, search, social and validation now work together
• Why showing up once no longer converts
• How trust is built before a sales conversation ever happens
• What your website, social content, reviews and DMs must reinforce
• How to align your marketing so conversion becomes a by-product of confidence

Conversion doesn’t happen at the click — it happens at the moment of trust.

AI has changed how people find you. It hasn’t changed why they trust you.

• 00:00 Introduction: The Evolving Buyer Journey
• 00:46 Welcome to the Digital Success for Business Podcast
• 01:05 Understanding the Modern Buyer Journey
• 01:27 The Loop: How Buyers Discover and Decide
• 03:51 The Importance of Consistency in Marketing
• 05:25 The Human Rhythm of Client Journeys
• 08:06 The Role of AI and Technology in Modern Marketing
• 10:37 Aligning Your Marketing Strategy for 2026
• 14:01 Recap and Next Steps
• 14:42 Conclusion and Upcoming Episode

If your marketing feels scattered, inconsistent, or disconnected from sales — that’s exactly what we fix at Marketing Leap.

We help business owners:

• map the real buyer journey
• align search, social, content, email and conversations
• remove friction and hesitation
• build systems that support confident decisions

➡️ Book a Strategy Session: https://marketingleap.net

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