There is one problem with the way many marketers and online businesses handle their online presence. They focus a little too much attention on “the purchase” instead of the relationship with consumers. It doesn’t matter if businesses are selling a product or a service, far too often, the purchase takes precedence over engagement. While this might seem like the perfect way to increase your sales and take your business to the next level, the actual purchase is but one of several equally important phases at the end of a buying process that actually starts with content marketing to drive customer engagement.
There is an actual journey that most people go through before they hand over their hard earned cash and knowing how to create content for this journey is really the key to successful online marketing. What is the buyer’s journey and how can you capitalize on it?
Stage One: Awareness
You could think of stage one as the “pain” phase. This is the phase where your prospects suddenly realize they have some sort of issue. At this phase of the content marketing process, most consumers don’t even realize they have an issue. This is where your experience within your industry will help big time.
You should be well aware of the problems your customers may be having at this early stage of the buying game. Your experience should be able to help them along the way. It is up to you to make your buyers understand they have a problem. Identify the pain associated with this problem and make them feel compelled to fix it. Don’t offer any solutions just yet.
Stage Two: Consideration
This is the stage where the consumer realizes they have some sort of problem and they are trying to decide how to go about fixing that problem. If you handled stage one correctly, then your prospect should be very aware of the potential problems they may be facing.
At this point in the buying game your customers will have several questions that have to do with a solution to their problem. A buyer doesn’t only want to know the answers to these questions. They also want to know how difficult it is going to be working with these solutions. Content that helps or pushes your customers in the right direction is the key here in this phase of content marketing.
Stage Three: The Gain
This is the portion of the buying process where your prospects are ready to make the purchase but they might need some extra assurance that they are making the right decision. This is the phase where most consumers are battling with possible buyer’s remorse. This is where you hit them with all the benefits your product or service provides and then immediately follow up with social proof in the form of results your customers have gotten using your products or services. Your prospects want to see success at this point in your content marketing strategy and it is up to you to show them how to achieve it.
See Also: Does Your Content Answer Customer FAQs?
Content creation techniques that helps your prospects at every stage of their buying journey will not only help your potential customers solve a problem but it will also help you increase your profit margins.
No comments yet