Creating Content for Each Stage of the Buyer's Journey
To create content that sells, you need to tailor it to the buyer’s journey. Every stage of the buyer’s journey requires different content in order to move the prospect closer to making a purchase. In this blog post, we will discuss what type of content is best for each stage of the buyer’s journey, and give you tips on how to create it!
What is the Buyer's Journey
The buyer’s journey is a process that potential customers go through when they are considering making a purchase. The buyer’s journey has three stages: awareness, consideration, and decision.
To understand the full aspect of the buyer journey, read our blog all about the buyer journey here!
The Complete Guide to Creating a Buyer Journey
The three stages of the buyer's journey
As a recap, here are the three stages of the buyer's journey
Awareness: In the awareness stage, prospects are first becoming aware of their problem or need. They may not even know that a solution exists but they just know that there is a problem.
Consideration: In the consideration stage, prospects have recognized their problem or need and are now researching different solutions.
Decision: In the decision stage, prospects have narrowed down their options and are ready to decide which solution is best for them.
Why is it important to create content for each stage of the buyer's journey?
You might be asking yourself, why should I be creating different types of content? Isn't content just content? Not exactly. Unless your customer knows right off the bat the solution to their problem, most customers won't buy your product or service right away. They'll take their time researching, see the best options, and then decide.
The type of content that you create needs to be tailored to the stage of the buyer's journey that your prospect is in. If you create content that is irrelevant or doesn't appeal to them, they will lose interest and move on. In order to keep your prospects engaged and moving closer to making a purchase, you need to have content for each stage of the buyer's journey!
Creating content for each stage of the buyer's journey
Now that we’ve gone over the three stages of the buyer’s journey and why it's important, let’s discuss what type of content is best for each stage.
Best Content for the Awareness Stage
In the awareness stage, you want to create content that will catch your prospect’s attention and introduce them to your business. After all, your prospect doesn't know a lot about you, they just know they have a problem they need to solve. You want to be able to answer whatever preliminary questions they have.
You want to provide information that will help them understand their problem or need and show them that there is a solution out there - you.
Some ideas for content you can create in the awareness stage include:
Blog posts - are one of the best ways to get in front of a prospective customer. You might have found this blog that way. You were looking for a solution to your problem i.e. how to create content for different stages of the buyer journey, and came across this blog. Hopefully, we will answer your questions.
ps. if you want to learn how to write an SEO-friendly blog, read this blog.
3-Step Guide to Writting SEO Friendly Blog Posts
Infographics - are another great way to provide information to your prospects in a matter that is easy to digest. Unlike blogs that can be extremely long with paragraphs on paragraphs, an infographic can provide the same amount of information in a much shorter manner.
Videos - are also a great form of content to have in the awareness stage. People are more likely to watch a video than read an entire blog post or infographic. Especially when you add time stamps. That way, people can go straight to the section they are looking for.
Best Content for the Consideration Stage
Now that your prospect is aware of their problem and knows there are solutions, it’s time to start creating content that will help them consider your business as the best solution.
At this stage, you want to provide more in-depth information about your product or service and how it can help solve their problem.
Some ideas for content that you can create in the consideration stage include:
Product demonstrations - are great for showing your prospect how your product or service works and how it can help solve their problem.
Case studies - are also great for helping prospects understand how your product or service has helped others in the past and how it can help them too.
Check out our case study on how we were able to help a recruitment company transform from a purely referral-based sales process to an online presence that was capable of generating and nurturing leads.
Campbell Morden: Transitioning to Online Lead Generation
Free sample/trials - let your prospects experience your product or service for themselves and see how it can help them before they commit to making a purchase.
Product comparison guide - having a guide that compares your product to similar ones in the market can help a prospect see the value in your product and how it’s the best solution for their needs.
Best Content for the Decision Stage
Finally, in the decision stage, your prospect has already decided that they want to buy a product or service to solve their problem. Now, they just need to decide which one to buy.
At this stage, you want to provide content that will help your prospect make their final decision and choose your business.
Some ideas for content you can create in the decision stage include:
Discounts or coupons - everyone loves a good deal, so offering a discount is a great way to help your prospect choose your product or service over another. A survey done by RetailMeNot found that four out of five (80%) of consumers feel encouraged to make a first-time purchase with a brand that is new to them if they find an offer or discount.
Consultation offer - this gives your an opportunity to personally answer some questions about your service and product and help your prospect with their final decision.
Creating content for each stage of the buyer's journey is essential to the success of your business. By creating content that is tailored to each stage, you will be able to provide information that will help your prospects through each stage until they are ready to make a purchase.
Contact us today if you need help creating content for your business or are unsure what the buyer journey looks like for you and your customers. We would be happy to help reach your business goals.
