Discovery: How People Find You Before They’re Ready

Note: Discovery is Step 1 of your Customer Journey. Before you dive in, we recommend you read our Customer Journey overview.  

Here’s the big idea of this article:

• Discovery is not one ad or one channel

• Discovery is a sequence of touchpoints

• Discovery works best when it matches timing (especially seasonal timing)

• And for products/services that need education, Discovery must teach in layers before the customer is ready to buy

To make this real, I’m using a specific brand example: Sunday (lawn care subscription + physical product system - getsunday.com).

 

Why this example matters: I wasn’t actively shopping for a lawn subscription when I first saw them. But by the time spring arrived in Colorado, they were one of the first brands I thought of.

That is Discovery done right.

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What Discovery Is (and What It Isn’t)

Discovery is…

The early phase where someone becomes aware of:

• the problem (or opportunity)

• the category of solution

• your brand as a credible option

They may not be ready to buy. They may not even be ready to research. But they’re starting to build memory.

Discovery isn’t…

• one channel

• one campaign

• only paid traffic

• only “brand awareness”

• a guaranteed same-day conversion

Discovery is how you earn the chance to be considered later.

And if you sell something with a learning curve (subscription, system, higher-consideration product, behavior change service), Discovery has to do more than get attention—it has to reduce confusion and build confidence.

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The Sunday Example: How a Brand Wins Before Search Begins

A few years ago, we moved from Denver to the suburbs into a new house in the winter.

Spring was coming, and I knew I wanted a good first lawn season, but I was not in active buying mode yet. I’m usually the kind of person who just goes to Home Depot or Lowe’s and figures it out there.

I wasn’t searching for “lawn care subscription.”
I wasn’t really searching much at all yet.

Then in February, I started seeing Sunday ads on YouTube.

What made it work was not just the ad placement—it was the sequencing.

I didn’t get the exact same ad over and over. I saw different messages over time:

• a more polished brand ad (new version below, I saw a similar themed one in 2021)

• a practical “how it works” demo

• an explanation of the plan / multiple products

• messaging around personalization (soil sample and tailored recommendations)

• reminders on Instagram and Facebook after that

It likely took 7–8 touches before I visited the website.
And I probably didn’t purchase until 30–45 days after first seeing them.

By the time the weather started warming up in Colorado and I was ready to act, Sunday was already familiar. They had done the work early.

Then I found out they were in Boulder (I’m in Centennial), which added another trust signal for me.

Today, I’m happy to have them charge me $300 every April for my specific plan because the product works. And I get exactly what I need and never have any extra left over. Note: They send "here's your plan-still look good?" emails prior, and offer to switch out items and/or add more items before payment. 

But the reason I tried them in the first place is that they made a more complex offer feel easy, timely, and trustworthy before I was actively shopping.

Karma takeaway: Discovery often wins by becoming the first brand someone thinks of when their timing changes.

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What Sunday Did Right in Discovery (Step by Step)

This is the part most brands miss: Sunday didn’t just “run ads.” They built a Discovery sequence.

1) They showed up before I was searching

This is the seasonal timing advantage.

I started seeing them in February, before I was actively researching lawn care.

That means they were not only trying to capture demand.
They were building awareness ahead of demand.

For seasonal categories, this is everything.

If you wait until customers are already searching, you’re competing at the hottest, noisiest moment. If you show up earlier, you can build memory before the rush.

Lesson: Discovery budgets should follow customer behavior timing—not just a flat monthly budget.

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2) They used multiple messages, not one repeated pitch

Sunday didn’t try to explain everything in one creative.

They used different messages across different touches:

• intro / awareness

• demo / usage

• personalization

• how the plan works

• reminders across other platforms

That matters because they’re not just selling a product—they’re selling a different process:

• shipped to your home

• used on a schedule

• personalized to your lawn

• easier than guessing in the store aisle

Lesson: If your offer needs education, Discovery should be layered. Each touchpoint should answer one key question.

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3) They made changing behavior feel easy

For me, the real competitor wasn’t another DTC brand.

It was my existing habit:
“I’ll just go to Home Depot or Lowe’s.”

Sunday’s messaging reduced that switching friction:

• easy to use

• no guesswork

• plan built for your lawn

• convenient timing

• better fit for normal family life

That is a Discovery superpower:
making the “new way” feel simpler than the “old way.”

Lesson: If your offer changes behavior, Discovery must sell the ease of switching—not just the product itself.

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4) They sold outcomes that mattered to my life

I was not buying fertilizer because I care deeply about fertilizer specs.

I cared about:

• saving time

• reducing hassle

• feeling confident I was doing it right

• getting a good lawn in my first spring/summer

• using something that felt safer around family/pets

Sunday’s messaging connected to real-life outcomes, not just product details.

Lesson: In Discovery, context and outcomes usually land before features.

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5) They stayed visible long enough for my timing to catch up

This is the part that matters for almost every business.

I didn’t convert on the first touch.
I didn’t convert on the second touch.

But they stayed visible, consistent, and educational long enough that when my urgency showed up, they were the brand I remembered.

That is the handoff point between Discovery and later customer journey stages:

• Brand Research

• Onsite UX

• Conversion Flow

• Follow-Up (including abandoned cart, reminders, email/SMS, retention)

Lesson: Discovery is not always trying to force an immediate sale. Sometimes the win is being remembered at the right moment.

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The Discovery Paths (Connected to the Sunday Example)

This is where the framework becomes useful.

The point is not that every business needs every path. The point is that buyers move through different Discovery paths before they act—and Sunday is a good example of how those paths can work together.

1) Paid Video / YouTube Discovery (the first seed)

This was my first touch with Sunday.

They used YouTube to get in front of me before I was actively searching, which let them build awareness early and start the education process.

Why it worked here: seasonal timing + message sequencing.

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2) Social Retargeting / Social Scroll (memory + reinforcement)

After YouTube, I saw Sunday again on Instagram and Facebook.

That reinforced the message while I was still warming up and kept them present during the gap between awareness and action.

Why it worked here: they didn’t disappear after the first touch.

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3) Educational Creative (how-it-works Discovery)

Sunday used practical messaging and demos, not just polished brand ads.

That helped me understand the process before I ever visited the site.

Why it worked here: they reduced confusion before the click.

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4) Search Discovery (the “I’m finally looking” moment)

I didn’t start with search, but this is where many customers eventually go.

Once timing and intent rise, people start searching things like:

• reviews

• comparisons

• “worth it”

• use-case fit

• safety/ingredient concerns

• “best for [specific need]”

Why it matters here: early Discovery increases the odds your brand is the one they search for or click first.

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5) Reviews / Social Proof Discovery (the legitimacy check)

Before buying a product + subscription model, people want proof.

They’re looking for signs that it:

• works

• fits real life

• is easy enough to use

• is worth the money

Why it matters here: reviews answer the doubts your ads introduce.

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6) Website Discovery (yes, discovery can continue on-site)

By the time I got to Sunday’s website, I was warmer—but still not done learning.

The site still had to confirm:

• what it is

• how it works

• why it’s different

• what happens next

Why it matters here: many visitors are not “conversion-ready” when they land. Your site often continues the Discovery process.

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7) Follow-Up Discovery (the bridge into later stages)

Because my decision took time, the gap between first awareness and purchase mattered.

This is where follow-up systems connect to Discovery:

• retargeting

• reminders

• email capture

• abandoned cart recovery

• timing-based messaging

Why it matters here: Discovery creates demand memory. Follow-up helps convert that memory when the customer is ready.

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Discovery Is Also a Timing Strategy (Not Just a Channel Strategy)

Most brands treat Discovery like a media checklist:

• ads

• social

• SEO

• reviews

That’s useful—but incomplete.

The stronger version is this:

Discovery is a timing strategy.

Sunday likely understood that in Colorado, lawn-care buying behavior starts warming up before peak season. So they showed up before the search spike, not just during it.

That same principle applies in almost every category.

Examples of seasonal Discovery timing

• Lawn care: late winter / early spring

• Gym memberships: Dec / Jan / Feb (resolution behavior)

• Wellness clinics: routine resets, seasonal stress spikes, year-end benefit windows (depending on the offer)

• Home services: weather changes and life-event timing

Even “year-round” businesses usually have seasonal patterns in customer behavior.

Karma takeaway: Every business has seasons. Some more subtle than others. Your Discovery strategy should too. Don't just have a monthly ad budget. Spend more intentionally in peak consideration/buying windows and use a sequence of messages that builds trust before the customer is ready to buy.

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Practical Takeaway: The 60-Minute Discovery Audit

Use the Sunday example as your lens: early timing, layered messaging, and enough repetition to build memory before intent peaks.

1) Seasonal timing check (do this first)

Ask:

• When does my customer first start thinking about this problem?

• When do they begin researching?

• When do they usually buy?

• Am I building awareness before that buying window opens?

If demand is seasonal but your budget is flat, you may be missing the months that create top-of-mind recall.

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2) Message sequencing check

Do your Discovery touchpoints each have one job?

For example:

• Ad 1 = awareness

• Ad 2 = how it works

• Ad 3 = proof / outcomes

• Ad 4 = trust / personalization

• Ad 5 = clear next step

If every touchpoint says the same thing, you may be repeating instead of educating.

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3) Consistency check (message + visuals)

Compare your:

• paid creative

• social presence

• website hero

• reviews

• Google Business Profile / marketplace presence (if relevant)

Do they feel like the same brand with the same promise?

Recognition builds trust.
Mismatch creates hesitation.

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4) Next-step clarity check

Discovery visitors don’t always want “Buy now.”

Give them the next right step:

• learn how it works

• compare options

• see proof

• understand pricing

• understand what to expect

This keeps Discovery traffic moving forward instead of bouncing.

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Discovery Won’t Close the Sale by Itself (But It Earns the Chance)

Discovery is the front door.

It creates awareness, memory, and trust.
The sale happens when the rest of the customer journey is also working:

• Brand Research

• Onsite UX

• Conversion Flow

• Follow-Up

That’s why the best order is still:

Fix the journey first. Then scale Discovery with confidence.

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Final Thought: Discovery Is How They Remember You in Time

Here’s the simplest version of this whole article:

Sunday didn’t win me because I saw one ad and clicked.

They won because they:

• showed up early

• educated me in layers

• stayed visible across channels

• and were top-of-mind when my seasonal need became urgent

That is what Discovery should do.

Whether you sell:

• products

• services

• subscriptions

• or a combination of all three

…your customer journey starts before your homepage.

Make Discovery strong enough that when your customer is finally ready, they already know who to trust.

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Read next:
Customer Journey Overview • Step 2: Brand Research

Discovery deep dives: ChatGPT / YouTube / Meta / Google Ads / High Ticket SEO

Energize Your eCommerce. Book A Karma Call Today.

We’ll help you scale profitably by improving your customer journey—whether you sell products, services, or both.

Brand Discovery → Brand Research → Onsite UX → Conversion Flow → Follow-Up