What is a Buyers Journey?
Before you ever try to engage potential buyers, it’s important to first know and properly understand what the the buyer’s journey to buying your product or service looks like. Understanding how to connect with buyers is essential if you wish to maximize marketing dollars and achieve maximum results.
There are 5 Stages of the Buyer’s Journey
As a business, your goal is to help a buyer identify their problem and once you’ve done that, you’re then in a great position to help them with their solution. The fastest way in helping potential buyers is to build a relationship of trust. Doing so will require you to get the buyer to understand why you relate to his/her problem and how only your product/service will be the best answer.
How you get them there is the Buyers Journey!
Stage 1: Attract the right audience
In this stage, you’ll be looking to provide the type information that’s specific to your product or service, and that the buyers don’t have to search for online. Here, you’ll want to “HOOK” the buyer’s attention with strong content that could make them stop what they are doing.
A perfect analogy is asking yourself, what type of content or headline will stop someone from scrolling through their Facebook feed? That is a HOOK and the better the hook, the better the chance you have in getting the buyer to learn more about your project.
You can hook your buyers and create awareness through;
- Paid Ads
- Social Media
- Webinars
- eBooks/Whitepapers
- Events/Trade Shows
- Press Releases
- Blog Posts
Stage 2. Interest: Turn prospects into leads
In this phase, you’ll need begin working your way towards what’s known as an “EPIPHANY BRIDGE”. An epiphany bridge is a method of helping sell a product or service through the art of storytelling. Through storytelling, your leading the buyer down a trail of “breadcrumbs” towards your product or service, with those breadcrumbs not only showcasing your product/service capabilities, but more importantly, its benefits to the buyer. Benefits NOT capabilities are what creates interest in a buyer.
You can create interest through;
- Great Copy
- Landing Pages
- Products Description
- Targeted Content
- Videos
Stage 3: The Consideration Stage – Building a brand preference through story telling
A good “STORY” captures a reader’s attention and breaks down their resistance to offers. The greater the story, the better the chance of conversion and it’s the epiphany bridge that provides the “Light Bulb” moment.
Your buyer will want information at this stage and storytelling breaks down the barriers and allows them to consider your solutions. Without the breakdown of buyer resistance prior to giving your offer, then the buyer won’t be ready to purchase a solution. This means you’ll want to provide content that highlights the benefits your products/services offer that could feasibly help the buyer in their current situation.
Some great vehicles for building this relationship can be through;
- Emails
- Case Studies
- Product Reviews
- Product Comparisons
- Free Trials/Demos
- Special Offers
The Buyer’s Journey Graph
4. Decision Stage: Conversion from prospect to customer
A great compelling offer is whats needed to get the prospect to become a buyer. There has to be many benefits that creates that decision to act and it’s the “EPIPHANY BRIDGE” that takes the buyer from resistance to the “light bulb” moment where they decide to purchase your product or service.
Some good tools that help create that buying moment are offers that are well laid out through your;
- Sales Page
- Special Offers
- Promotions
Stage 5 – Retention:
This part of the Buyers Journey refers to the ability of a company or product to retain its customers over some specified period.
Some good tools to help retain them in their Buyer’s Journey include but aren’t limited to:
- Emails
- Blog Posts
- Social Media
- Special Offers
It’s important to know that only when you truly understand a buyer’s journey, can you then determine how to market to them.
Contact us if you’re looking for help in getting your business to boost its marketing efforts. We can help you better understand the buyer’s journey and develop a marketing plan that’s suited for your business. We provide help through our GET SMART program.
Ready to get going? Reach out now –
Phone: (646) 883-2927
Email: [email protected]