Recap: The buyer’s journey is the research process an individual takes to transition from a prospect to a customer.
Your customers go through the same thought process before making a purchase. The process is called the buyer’s journey.
…How to Map the Buyer’s Journey with Content: Consideration Stage [Part 2 of 3]
Recap: The buyer’s journey is the research process an individual takes to transition from a prospect to a customer.
Your customers go through the same thought process before making a purchase. The process is called the buyer’s journey.
The Buyer’s Journey
- Awareness: The customer realizes they have a problem
- Consideration: The customer researches solutions to their problem
- Decision: The customer investigates services or products related to their chosen solution(s)
Customers seek different information at each stage. You can predict which types of content are most helpful by understanding the questions customers ask at each stage. The more helpful your content, the more likely customers will buy from you.
Consideration Stage content educates potential customers about solutions to their problem.
After customers identify their problem, they research potential solutions. Their primary question in this stage is, “How do I solve my problem?”
Somebody who has identified their problem as “poor home office layout” would look into different approaches to improving their home office. They might research the cost of a partial remodeling. Or they might look into the cost of installing a skylight or larger window for more natural light. Another person whose problem is a broad “sinks aren’t draining quick enough” might check out pipe cleaners, drain snakes, and plumbing services.
Show customers that your services are a viable solution.
At this stage, customers will start considering the solutions offered by specific companies. They’re not settled on a solution yet, so you need to prove your services or products are an excellent choice.
Your goal is to create content that clearly shows how you will address their needs. Your content should also demonstrate your ability to help and how you differentiate from other providers. Similar to in the awareness stage, your content needs to prove you’re an authority on solving your customers’ problems.
Consideration stage content focuses on your products and services.
All content, in any stage of the buyer’s journey, must establish your expertise, authority, and trustworthiness. This is especially important when customers start narrowing in on who to purchase from or work with.
Expert Guides
In-depth guides on your offerings are great for complex products and services. Customers can get overwhelmed with their own research, so you’re making it easier for them to decide. It’s key to have an expert write your guides and establish trust.
Live Interactions
Interacting with potential customers in real-time is particularly useful if you’re selling a service or high-cost product. Customers want to trust in their purchase before they’ve made it. Trust is built through free consultations, demos, trial runs, or talking with a product/service expert.
You can direct customers toward live interactions through Call To Actions on your website, blog posts, and newsletters.
Webcast/Podcast
Customers have different preferences for learning about products. Some might prefer the personal touch of live interactions, while others might prefer to learn from the comfort of home or wherever they choose. If you host a live event, such as a demo, you can broadcast it online in a webcast. This is also beneficial for customers who can’t physically attend the demo.
Some customers prefer to learn about products through podcasts, or audio files of people speaking. Customers might listen to podcasts as they drive, clean, cook, and do other tasks. Podcasts are a valuable resource to reach people too busy to sit down and read.
Comparison Whitepapers
Whitepapers are commonly used for B2B customers in the awareness stage, but they’re also great for the consideration stage. However, instead of focusing on an industry topic, comparison whitepapers compare products and services.
For example, a comparison whitepaper for water heaters might go over the performance of storage heaters and tankless heaters. The heaters might be from different companies. Or they might be from the same company if the company offers a variety of heaters.
After customers decide on a solution, they make a purchase.
The buyer’s journey ends with a purchase, but you need to deliver. Your customer should be assured they made the right choice. Their problem should not only be solved, but they should be pleased enough to refer you to others, make future purchases, or continue working with you. This will be covered in the next blog, which discusses content for the final stage in the buyer’s journey: Decision.
Contact WSI Connect for a free consultation, and we’ll help you create engaging content tailored for the consideration stage. We’ll also develop a complete content strategy across multiple marketing channels, so you can free up time to focus on the rest of your business.
How to Map the Buyer’s Journey with Content: Awareness Stage [Part 1 of 3]
The buyer’s journey is the research process an individual takes to transition from a prospect to a customer.
Your customers aren’t all the same, but they go through the same thought process before making a purchase. The process is called the buyer’s journey, and it has three stages:
- Awareness: The customer realizes they have a problem
- Consideration: The customer researches different solutions to their problem
- Decision: The customer investigates specific services or products that fall under their chosen solution(s)
It’s important to craft content specific to each stage, because customers seek different information as they travel through the buyer’s journey. You can predict which types of content are most helpful by understanding the questions customers ask at each stage. The more helpful your content, the more likely customers will buy from you.
Awareness Stage content educates potential customers about their problems.
The buyer’s journey starts with the Awareness Stage, when a potential customer realizes they have a problem. They might not know what the problem is or how to solve it, but they know there’s an opportunity for change. So they start researching the problem.
At this stage, customers look for informational content. Their primary question is “How do I describe my problem?”
Problems can be as specific as splotchy windshields during a rainy winter season, or as broad as an inability to focus. For example, someone with a splotchy windshield window wants to pinpoint what’s causing it: the windshield itself, the wipers, the climate, or something else, whereas someone struggling to focus might not consider their workspace as the problem until they learn about the qualities of an efficient office.
At the start, customers aren’t looking for sales pitches.
Break out the sales pitches too soon and you’ll turn away customers. When customers are first aware of their problem, spending money isn’t the first thing on their mind. If you start off by talking about how your company can help, they won’t believe you truly understand their problem. And if they can’t trust your expertise, they won’t buy from you.
Awareness Stage content comes in many forms, but some are more intuitive.
Blog Posts
If your business doesn’t have a blog, start one! Blogging is an easy way to keep your website updated with relevant content.
A common marketing technique is to link related posts together by hyperlinking relevant phrases or keywords. When customers want more information on a topic referenced in a post, they’ll be redirected to more of your content and spend more time on your website. Sample blog topics for the Awareness Stage include troubleshooting, risk prevention, upgrades, and myth busting.
Sample blog posts:
- General Contractor
Simplifying Siding: Facts & Myths That You Need to Know
- Auto Services
5 Risks of Forgoing Routine Car Maintenance
- Winery/Vineyard
The Cabernet Guide – How to Taste like a Sommelier
Blog posts should have short paragraphs and simple language for an easy reading experience. For a quick guide to formatting your blog posts, read How to Format Your Blog Post [for Better Engagement].
eBooks / Whitepapers
Though long-form content takes longer to put together, they are valuable resources for customers who want in-depth information. Though eBooks and whitepapers both cover specific topics and position your brand as a subject expert, eBooks are extended “how-to” guides for a general audience, while whitepapers tend to contain industry research for B2B professionals.
eBooks are usually easier to create because they can be formed out of blog posts. If you have a sizable collection of blog posts, you can edit them together into a cohesive read. If you don’t have a blog yet, you can write an eBook and repurpose each section or chapter into a separate blog post.
Sample eBooks:
- General Contractor
Siding: Selecting the Right Material, Pattern, and Colors
- Auto Services
Simple DIY Auto Repairs
- Winery/Vineyard
How to Plan a Wine Tasting Event
Sample whitepapers:
- Financial Services
Effective Payroll Strategies for Small Businesses
- Healthcare
The Future of Affordable Healthcare
- Retail
Why Scent Marketing is Underutilized
Infographics
Some topics are difficult to teach without visual aids. If you can’t get the hang of explaining a topic through only text, try creating an infographic. Infographics are supplementary or standalone content that can distill complex processes into easy-to-follow procedural diagrams or flow charts. They’re also shareable and versatile. You can include them in blog posts, feature them on your website, and add them to your resources page.
After customers identify their problem, they narrow their research to solutions.
Keep an eye on this blog for the second part in this series, which discusses the appropriate content for the next stage in the buyer’s journey: Consideration.
Contact WSI Connect for a free consultation, and we’ll help you create engaging content tailored for the Awareness Stage. We’ll also develop a complete content strategy across multiple marketing channels, so you can free up time to focus on the rest of your business.
