Research from the Marketing Insider Group indicates that for every one buyer, there are one hundred people who are searching for answers to questions. These are the questions that trigger a journey for these one hundred people to find the right product or service to solve their struggle.
So, what does this journey look like for buyers? And, what types of content do you need to create so that you appeal to these people who are searching for answers?
In this episode, we’re addressing which types of content to use at each stage of the buying process to get more people to buy from you.
TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES:
[01:22] What is a “Buyer’s Journey” and How Does it Work?
[03:17] What are the Stages of the Buyer’s Journey?
[05:54] Which Types of Content Should You Use for Each Stage of the Buyer’s Journey?
[12:35] Is There a Right or Wrong Way to Use Content in the Buyer’s Journey?
[15:23] Bloopers
What is a “Buyer’s Journey” and How Does it Work?
[Meghan] We know that marketers love processes and frameworks because it makes marketing easier and more predictable.
So, it’s no surprise that there’s at least one process to address how buyers behave before they buy. And this process is typically referred to as the “buyer’s journey.” Some people also call it a “sales funnel.”
The concept is that a person goes through a series of steps before they make a purchase. They go through specific stages before they buy.
First, they seek answers to questions about a particular problem, struggle, or desire. As they become more aware, then they start to really consider their options. Eventually, they decide to make a purchase or not.
[Theresa] There are differing opinions about how people buy and the stages of buying. Of course, there are many factors at play. But, marketing experts have studied buying patterns. Many of them believe this model to be how most people buy.
[Meghan] In my own personal experience, I’ve purchased without research. And, I’ve had people purchase from me without going through a typical sales journey. So, there are exceptions to this model.
[Theresa] There are definitely exceptions. People are different. It’s hard to put everyone in the same box when it comes to buying behavior.
[Meghan] That’s a fair point. Now, that doesn’t mean the concept of a journey or funnel isn’t reliable. There are still patterns of behavior that exist, and the buyer’s journey concept is still applicable in marketing.
It is a proven, effective method of determining how to acquire sales. And, it shapes what types of content you need to create to hold your prospect’s hand through their buying process.
Get more people to buy from you! Discover the types of content to use at each stage of the buying process.Click To TweetWhat are the Stages of the Buyer’s Journey?
[Theresa] Okay, so now you know that your prospects typically behave in certain ways before buying.
Let’s do a brief overview of the stages of the buying journey. Then we’ll talk about what content to create to address each stage.
Stage/Step 1: Awareness
[Meghan] The first stage or step of the buyer’s journey is Awareness. This is also called the “top of the funnel” or TOFU. It’s called “top of the funnel” because if you think about the buyer’s journey as an inverted pyramid representation of the sales funnel, the Awareness stage is at the very top.
During the Awareness stage, prospective customers research to find out more about their problem. They’re learning more details about their specific challenge and deciding if it’s worth exploring. You know, is this something that warrants taking action?
[Theresa] As the prospects research, they also discover potential solutions. They begin to get a better grasp on their struggle, some of the solutions in the marketplace, and who or what can solve it.
Stage/Step 2: Evaluation or Consideration
[Meghan] Once prospects become more aware, they move to the Evaluation or Consideration stage. This is also called the “middle of the funnel” or MOFU.
During this stage, prospects evaluate the options in front of them. They look at the different solutions and assess each one. They even determine their level of desire to do something about it. Sometimes they’ll decide not to pursue any action at all.
[Theresa] Think about all of the abandoned shopping carts out there! That’s a good example of people who determined that they didn’t want to pull the trigger and make a purchase.
For whatever reason, the prospect decided a solution wasn’t the one for them—at least, not in that moment.
Stage/Step 3: Conversion or Decision
[Meghan] For all of the prospects that evaluate their options and choose one, they decide to make a purchase. This is the third step in the buyer’s journey, which is the Conversion or Decision stage, when the prospect becomes a customer. This is often called the “bottom of the funnel” or BOFU.
[Theresa] In this stage, the prospect knows they’re going to buy something. They’ve decided to make a purchase. At this point, they’re figuring out WHICH option they’re going to choose.
You know how it goes before you make a purchase. You compare products, look at the positives and negatives, and then you choose the option that works best for you—and you buy it!
Which Types of Content Should You Use for Each Stage of the Buyer’s Journey?
[Meghan] So that brings us to the episode’s topic: what types of content should you create to guide your potential customers through this buying journey?
Because obviously each person will need different information as they get closer to making a decision.
Types of Content for the Awareness Stage (Top of Funnel/TOFU)
[Theresa] Think about it. When a prospect is in the first stage of making a purchase decision, they’re still learning more about their problem and the solutions available. Remember, this is the “Awareness” stage. So the prospect is unaware and looking for answers or for help.
And sometimes, a prospect may not even realize that they have a problem! So, consider that too.
In the Awareness stage, a person may be unaware of the problem AND the solution.
[Meghan] You’re probably thinking: “how can someone not know that they have an issue?” Let me give you a quick example from my personal experience.
Last year, I saw an ad for a facial device that removes that peach fuzz from your face. Peach fuzz is what we call those tiny hairs on your face. You know, it looks like the fuzz on the skin of a peach.
Now, I have that peach fuzz on my face, and I’ve often thought about how much better my foundation would go on if it wasn’t there. But I didn’t recognize my peach fuzz as a struggle for me. But suddenly this problem was introduced to me, and I became more aware of peach fuzz as a problem and my desire to get rid of it.
[Theresa] You’d be surprised how often people are unaware of their struggle!
[Meghan] It definitely happens! In fact, we talked about the “oblivious buyer” in episode #24 about the alternatives to the customer avatar.
So anyway, back to creating content. For the Awareness stage, it’s your job to create entertaining or educational content that attracts prospects.
Since they aren’t yet super committed to solving a problem or finding a solution, the content must be low barrier and low commitment.
[Theresa] “Low barrier” and “low commitment” are other ways to say that your content doesn’t require any hurdles to access. It’s public content that doesn’t require signing up with an email address to view. It’s content that should also be easy to consume.
After all, if someone isn’t sure they even care about the topic, are they going to devote a lot of time to reading a 50 page eBook or taking a five module online course? Probably not.
[Meghan] Exactly. Some examples of low barrier, low commitment content are:
- Blog posts
- Podcast episodes
- Social media posts
- Videos
- Infographics
- Newsletter
These are effective types of content for the top of the funnel since they’re easily consumed and easy to access.
Plus, while you’re entertaining and educating prospects with this content, you can also raise awareness about your brand’s offers. You can pepper photos, graphics, and links throughout the content to start introducing your brand. You can also start moving prospects to the next stage of the buying journey.
Types of Content for the Evaluation/Consideration Stage (Middle of the Funnel/MOFU)
[Theresa] Okay, once a person is more aware, they need more specific, more detailed information. And that’s the next type of content you need: content that moves your prospect to evaluate and consider their options.
In this second stage of the buyer’s journey, it’s time to create content that asks for more commitment from your prospect. Generally speaking, this is content that requires an email address.
[Meghan] Why an email address? You want to motivate your prospect to opt-in. This is a micro commitment where the person is giving you their contact information and giving you permission to contact them.
That doesn’t seem like a big deal, but it signifies that the prospect is getting more serious about solving their problem. AND, they’re considering your business as the possible solution.
It also means that you can follow up with your prospect. Follow up is totally necessary to move them through the buyer’s journey.
[Theresa] Content in this category is typically a “lead magnet.” A lead magnet is free content that you exchange for a prospect’s email address.
It’s designed to attract those people who are interested in your niche, which means it helps you build a list of relevant leads.
[Meghan] Content that generates leads is super important! It is critical to moving people through the buying journey.
Here are some of the types of content that foster evaluation:
- Webinars
- eBooks
- White papers
- Case studies
- Discounts, coupons
- Free trial
- Checklists or other resources
- Mini-course
You don’t need every single one of these! Pick one and give it a try for a while to see if your audience responds to it.
[Theresa] Start small! Don’t try to create every type of content we’re listing here. Start with one type for each stage. Otherwise, you’ll suffer major overwhelm and that will set you back.
[Meghan] Absolutely true! Many business owners get jammed up by this stage. They create a ton of TOFU content and stop there. So what happens? They fail to get their prospects to advance or ascend to the next stage. And that means: no sales!
[Theresa] Meghan and I have both been guilty of this. So, we’re not pointing a finger at you by any means.
But, the middle of the funnel content is crucial to generating leads. This is why you’re doing content marketing—to generate leads and sales.
Take the time to plan your content strategy so that both your TOFU and MOFU work together to send leads your way.
Types of Content for the Conversion/Decision Stage (Bottom of the Funnel/BOFU)
[Meghan] Now we’re moving to the Conversion stage. What content do you use to get your prospect to say “yes!” to you? What motivates them to become a customer?
I believe that people become more motivated to buy when they have more direct interaction with you or your product. They also typically desire more information at a very granular level.
We know that people buy based on emotion. However, prospects still want to believe that they’re making an informed, wise decision. So, it’s time for you to also appeal to their logical side and prove to them why you’re the right choice. People love proof!
Types of content that work well for conversions are:
- Mini-courses
- Demos
- Free trials
- Pricing guides
- Free consultations
- Customer stories/testimonials
- Product/service comparison guide/sheet
[Theresa] You’ll notice that some of the content types overlap. That’s intentional. Some types of content work in multiple stages. It just depends on your audience and your particular business.
Is There a Right or Wrong Way to Use Content in the Buyer’s Journey?
[Meghan] To piggyback on what Theresa just said, I think you can get creative in other ways and combine some of these.
For instance, why not write a blog post comparing your product or service with the competition? You don’t have to wait until the last stage to present some of this content. You can still create a separate product comparison guide as a PDF and use it in your funnel for the last step. Repurposing your content is completely acceptable and encouraged!
Each person is in a different stage of their buying journey. A person who is in the middle of their journey may be seeing content intended for awareness. And that’s okay. The truth is that prospects guide their own journey a lot of the time. You can’t control every aspect.
The point is to do your best to create content for every stage so that people can maneuver through their journey at their pace.
[Theresa] Good point.
You know, we’re reviewing these recommendations so that you can use them as a guideline to make sure you’re creating content for each stage. Think of this episode as a checklist for you.
[Meghan] That’s a good way to look at it.
We don’t want you to get stuck in a loop of creating content for only the top of the funnel. We want to help you use your content marketing efforts to generate leads and sales.
[Theresa] But remember that, sometimes, getting a little messy with your marketing helps you discover more about your target market and your business. Let the expert knowledge guide you as needed, but don’t be afraid to go off-script here and there and do your own thing.
[Meghan] I love that!
And, I’ll add that there will be prospects who skip stages and buy faster than others. Again, you can’t control everything about how people buy. The emphasis here is all about making sure that you account for each stage of buying with the appropriate content.
The biggest takeaway is to plan content for each step in the buyer’s journey so that you’re implementing a content marketing strategy that moves people to take action! That’s how you’ll increase your sales over time.
[Theresa] Okay, that’s a wrap!
If today’s episode was helpful, please take a few minutes to leave us a positive comment below. Thank you for your support.
See you next week!
