No one wakes up in the morning and decides, \u201cI\u2019m going to buy something today.\u201d Instead, they go through a path to purchase that includes research and evaluation before committing to a sales call.<\/p>\n
That journey is called the buyer\u2019s journey. Because consumers are more informed and empowered than ever, it\u2019s important to deeply understand your buyer persona and their journey so you can create content that helps them along that path while positioning you as an authority in your space.<\/p>\n
<\/a><\/p>\n In this post, we’ll cover:<\/p>\n The Buyer\u2019s Journey and What It Means in Marketing<\/a> <\/a> <\/p>\n In most cases, with the exception of impulse buys, an individual begins their journey in an \u201cunaware stage.\u201d This individual likely fits the demographics of your ideal client, also known as your buyer persona<\/a>, but they are unaware of your product or in need of it.<\/p>\n However, they may experience a triggering event that changes their situation or pain that needs to be solved. This kicks off their buyer\u2019s journey.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n Let\u2019s say that an individual wants to kick off a personal fitness journey. They may not immediately decide to purchase a gym membership. This individual may take to the internet to learn more and make decisions as they progress through the following stages in their buyer\u2019s journey, and it\u2019s our job to assist them in that decision-making process.<\/p>\n In the awareness stage, the buyer is experiencing a problem or symptoms of a pain, and their goal is to alleviate it. They may be looking for informational resources to more clearly understand, frame, and give a name to their problem.<\/p>\n An example of a search query a prospect might begin with is: “How do I get stronger?”<\/em> In the awareness stage, they are not yet thinking about solutions or providers; it\u2019s much too early for that. Instead, they\u2019re looking to contextualize their problem first. As a content marketer, you\u2019ll want to show up in search engine results, even in these early stages, to establish your authority and gain the trust of buyers who are starting the journey.<\/p>\n In the consideration stage, the buyer will have clearly defined and given a name to their problem, and they are committed to researching and understanding all of the available approaches and\/or methods to solving the defined problem or opportunity. In other words, they are considering potential solutions.<\/p>\n An example of a search inquiry a prospect would make at the consideration stage is: “What\u2019s better: going to a gym or hiring a personal trainer?”<\/em> In the consideration stage, the prospect is not yet ready to buy, but they are deciding on the potential solution for them. Your goal will be to consider your indirect competitors and educate them on the pros and cons.<\/p>\n Once they\u2019ve progressed to the decision stage, the buyer has decided on their solution strategy, method, or approach. Their goal now is to compile a list of available vendors, make a short list, and ultimately make a final purchase decision.<\/p>\n An example of a search inquiry a prospect would make at the decision stage is: “Planet Fitness vs. Gold\u2019s Gym.”<\/em> Now they\u2019re ready to spend money, and they\u2019ll likely go with a provider that they like, know, and trust so long as that provider can meet their needs.<\/p>\n <\/a> <\/p>\n As in all marketing disciplines, it\u2019s <\/a>essential to understand your audience<\/a>: how they think, the answers they seek, and the path they tend to take to find a solution. From that research, you can <\/a>begin crafting a documented content strategy<\/a> that maps your content to the various stages of the buyer’s journey.<\/p>\n When you don’t completely understand your audience, a disconnect is created between your business and your potential customers. For content marketers, this usually means you’re putting out content that your readers don’t really relate to, which can cause you to lose them.<\/p>\n To avoid this, you’ll have to consider the stage they’re at in their journey, how to meet them there, and the best channels to put the content in front of them. The internet has made it easier for marketers (and salespeople) to engage customers at the various stages of their journey using content marketing. That\u2019s one of the main reasons that 60% of marketers<\/a> consider content as ‘very important’ or ‘extremely important’ to their overall strategy.<\/p>\n However, it can be challenging to create the right content, for the right people, at the right time.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n Building a content strategy starts with identifying the types of content you\u2019ll need to reach your audience according to their progression through the buyer\u2019s journey, and we\u2019ll guide you through it in terms of both the marketing flywheel.<\/p>\n Once you have an idea of your buyer persona and how prospects move closer to purchase, you can begin creating content for your buyer at different stages and tailor that content per channel.<\/p>\n Doing so can help you <\/a>map your content to the relevant stages of the buyer\u2019s journey<\/a> to make a marketing funnel.<\/p>\n Awareness Stage:<\/strong> The stage where people look for answers, resources, education, research data, opinions, and insight. Your journey may look very different depending on your industry, business model, product, pricing, and audience. Some B2C customers, for example, spend very little time in the middle of the buyer\u2019s journey compared to B2B customers that require far more nurturing, engagement, and relationship development before a purchase is made. A $50 pair of sneakers, for instance, requires a lot less hand-holding when it comes to making purchase decisions than a $10,000 business software investment.<\/p>\n <\/a> <\/p>\n Because audiences can vary widely based on industry and intent, <\/a>persona<\/a> research is of the utmost importance<\/a>. By understanding their unique process for awareness and evaluation, you can create a truly effective content marketing strategy packed with custom content that best supports their journey toward making a purchase.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n So let\u2019s take it from the top and start from the beginning of the buyer\u2019s journey.<\/p>\n At the awareness stage<\/span>, a buyer is trying to solve problems, get an answer, or meet a need. They\u2019re looking for top-level educational content to help direct them to a solution, like blog posts, social content, and ebooks. Their value as a lead is low because there\u2019s no guarantee that they\u2019ll buy from you. But those who find your content helpful and interesting may journey on to the middle of the funnel.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n The ideal channels for the awareness stage may include:<\/p>\n Blogging Let\u2019s run through the different content formats best suited for these channels.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n A blog post is an ideal piece of content targeting the awareness stage. By targeting a pain, problem, or topic your target audience wants to discover and then posting it to your website, you\u2019re creating a brand asset that\u2019s crawlable by Google and discoverable by search engine users. You can also promote your blog content across other channels.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n Image Source<\/a><\/p>\n Arel=”noopener” target=”_blank” hrefs is an excellent example of a brand that does blog content right. They include original data and informational advice to create long-form articles that serve their audience.<\/p>\n Download for Free<\/a><\/p>\n Social media is a channel that can be used to promote your other content, and you can also create content specifically for the channel. According to <\/a>Pew Research<\/a>, 72% of the public uses some form of social media, so your audience is likely native to this channel. Unlike blog posts, social media posts are likely in shorter form, and <\/a>video consumption is also on the rise<\/a>.<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n In the above example, HubSpot Agency Partner <\/a>Yokel Local<\/a> shares attractive customer marketing tips on the LinkedIn platform. SlideShare formats are popular on LinkedIn, so the content is created to be snackable with short-form take-aways.<\/p>\n A whitepaper is an organization\u2019s report or guide on a particular topic. Whitepapers are especially useful as downloadable offers when readers want to go more in-depth on a specific subject they\u2019re reading about. For whitepapers, it\u2019s essential to provide information that can\u2019t be found elsewhere so that your audience understands the report’s value and is compelled to get it.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
\n Why It\u2019s Important to Create Content for Each Stage of the Buyer\u2019s Journey<\/a>
\n Content Ideas for Each Stage of the Buyer\u2019s Journey<\/a> <\/p>\nUnderstanding the Buyer\u2019s Journey in Marketing<\/h2>\n
Awareness Stage<\/h3>\n
Consideration Stage<\/h3>\n
Decision Stage<\/h3>\n
Why Creating Content for the Buyer’s Journey Is Important<\/h2>\n
Creating Content for Each Stage of the Buyer’s Journey<\/h2>\n
\n Consideration Stage:<\/strong> The stage where people are doing heavy research on whether or not your product or service is a good fit for them.
\n Decision Stage:<\/strong> The stage where people figure out exactly what it would take to become a customer. <\/p>\nContent Ideas for Each Stage of the Buyer’s Journey<\/h2>\n
\n Search Engine Marketing
\n Social Media Marketing <\/p>\n1. Blog Post<\/h3>\n
Featured Resource: <\/a>6 Free Blog Post Templates<\/a><\/h5>\n<\/p>\n
2. Social Media Post<\/h3>\n
3. Whitepaper<\/h3>\n