What is the Buyer’s Journey?
The buyer’s journey is the path that potential customers take as they move from awareness to consideration to making a decision. In each of these stages, the buyer goes through different behaviors and needs which if addressed correctly, can help push them through your marketing funnel successfully.
Mapping out your own buyer’s journey will help you understand the specific needs of potential customers and how you can best meet those needs. It’s time to “walk a mile in their shoes”. Below we’ll explore each of the stages and how you can make them your own.
What is your “Awareness” stage?
When your buyers are in the awareness stage, what kind of symptoms, problems and pain points are they experiencing? Many of them might not know what they need, but they do know they need something. How can you provide them with information and resources that will help them move from the awareness stage to the consideration stage?
For example, you have a runny nose and killer headache. After looking up your symptoms and seeing a doctor, you find out that you have a nasty cold.
Quick Exercises:
- Write down the top 3 pain points your customers experience early in the buying process.
- Create a list of helpful resources that address the pain points for buyers in this stage (ebooks, white papers, blog posts etc).
What is your “Consideration” stage?
After your buyers have moved from the awareness to consideration stage, it’s important to clearly identify their new set of needs. The buyer is now in “research-mode” and looking for specific information to help them remedy the diagnosis.
For example, you now know that you have a cold so you head to the store and find the cold/flu aisle where you begin looking at all of the available options.
Quick Exercises:
- Jot down your top 3 competitors and how buyers may find them.
- Create a list of helpful resources that address the pain points for buyers in this stage (comparison ebooks, expert guides, sales sheets etc).
What is your “Decision” stage?
Now that your buyer has clearly defined their options, it’s time for them to move into the decision stage where they will closely evaluate each option and make a final decision.
For example, you find 3 cold remedies that you pull off the shelf to compare. You may grab a store employee to ask questions and compare the labels side by side before making your decision.
Quick Exercises:
- Write down a comparison list of how you stack up against your competition.
- Create a list of helpful resources that address the pain points for buyers in this stage (vendor comparisons, product comparisons, case studies, live demo etc).
What’s next? Create Your Buyer Personas
