The way consumers make purchase decisions has changed dramatically. Online platforms like Google, Amazon, and Netflix have conditioned people with an expectation. People want what they want, when they want it, and they expect a helpful, personalized experience.
Today’s consumers are also empowered like never before. They hold the keys to the sales process. Reports show that up to 80% of the B2B consumer research process is completed online before a person is comfortable hearing from a sales representative.
This shift in behavior is an incredible opportunity. In the new business environment, the helpful organizations have the upper hand. The goal: create helpful content that aids in the consumer’s research process. Combine that helpful content with a consultative sales approach that helps prospects find the best solution for them, and you’re on the road to success.
Today’s buyers sit in the driver’s seat and do their own research online. Engaging with prospective customers requires a strategic marketing approach that resonates with prospects all along their buyer’s journey as they consider their purchase decision.
As they go about their research, there is a series of stages through which they travel as they develop from simple researchers to solution selectors. The Buyer’s Journey is the representation of these stages and provides a context for content marketing campaigns.
The Buyer’s Journey classifies contacts into four distinct segments based on their level of awareness and involvement with your brand.
Unaware Stage: These “pre-awareness” consumers are good fits for your product or service but may not currently engaged with your marketing content. They are not actively shopping and may be unfamiliar with your brand.
Awareness Stage: These people experience a need and are browsing the Internet, researching potential solutions. They have interacted with your content and provided their contact information.
Consideration Stage: These people have settled on a solution to their need and are considering possible ways to answer their question or solve their business problem.
Decision Stage: Prospects in the Decision Stage are thinking about suppliers or vendors that can provide the solution they seek. They are aware of your brand but are also evaluating others.
Each stage of the Buyer’s Journey presents a unique opportunity to showcase your brand, build relationships, and drive customer loyalty. Businesses can enhance customer loyalty by understanding and effectively engaging each contact segment.
Here are some tips for transitioning customers through the Buyer’s Journey:
Unaware customers represent your largest untapped market. Although they are not currently shopping, these "good-fit" prospects will likely be in the market in the future, so you want to be ready when they are. The goal is to get these people to visit your website and subscribe to your content. To reach these individuals, businesses must engage in broad, awareness-building marketing activities. For instance, your business might sponsor a popular event among your ideal customer profile (ICP) or collaborate with influencers to increase its visibility.
Tactics
Awareness Stage offers are designed to help the reader get to the root of their pain. Your goal is to help educate the reader in the Awareness Stage about the elements that make up the solution to their problem and to build trust in their eyes. Content that is educational, but vendor neutral, is important at this stage.
Tactics
Contacts in the Consideration Stage already have defined the pain that they're experiencing and have found that potential solutions exists. Consideration Stage offers are designed to help the reader create a short list of the most viable solutions. Create offers at this stage that help them understand what is most important to them and narrow down their options. In-depth guides are important at this stage as the reader has already consumed a great deal of content and is well educated tactically.
Tactics
Decision Stage offers are designed to help the reader make their final purchase selection. They have already clearly defined their problem and have narrowed their list of possible solution providers. If they're still consuming your content at this stage, chances are you're on that list. Use these offers to help them make the most educated buying decision possible. Offers at this stage should include personal touch points. For example, a building products manufacturer could offer a consultation or product demo to architects that may specify their products.
Tactics
By intentionally creating and promoting helpful content, you’re able to connect and develop a relationship with prospects who are searching for a solution to their business challenges. Instead of speaking with a prospect that has already completed most of their product research, your content contributes to their research process with the helpful education they’re asking for much earlier in their purchase process and builds trust along the way.
By identifying and appealing to contacts at their particular stage in their Buyer’s Journey, you shift the focus from what you offer, to what your customers need — if it’s the right fit, the alignment between the two appears naturally.
Contact Heinzeroth Marketing Group to learn how an Inbound Marketing strategy attracts visitors and generates business leads.