To take your buyer on an incredible journey, you must provide relevant content every step of the way. Before purchasing anything, the buyer goes through a funnel. This includes visiting your website, subscribing to your email list, reading your newsletters, talking to a company representative, and deciding to buy or pass.

Just as this funnel is a key component of sales, it is also beneficial to marketing. Using the “purchase funnel” concept, the buyer goes through various stages. It is your job to provide potential buyers with needed information so they make a purchase. You need to engage with the buyer throughout the various stages of the journey using content.

The challenge is knowing what content is effective. The goal is to create excellent content for the right people at the right time. Success starts with understanding your audience. To provide relevant content, you need to know who your customers are and what they want and need.

Enhancing the Journey

  • Awareness Stage — The first stage involves defining the buyer’s journey. During this stage, prospects search for information, opinions, resources, answers, and insight. Potential buyers are trying to solve problems or get answers. For that reason, content must be informative and factual. You want content to answer questions that solve a specific problem.
  • Evaluation Stage — The evaluation stage is at the middle of the funnel. Once a potential buyer reaches this point in the journey, there is a definite interest in what you sell. Now that you have the buyer’s attention, show how your product or service is a good fit for the problem. You want to provide prospects with detailed information, testimonials, research, guarantees, and so on. In this stage, you have the opportunity to build a trusted relationship and nurture a lead.
  • Purchase Stage — The last stage is all about the prospect buying what you sell. A potential buyer looks for ways to become a viable customer. Because the buyer is now ready to make a decision, the content must encourage and persuade. The content must have a compelling call to action. This is what pushes the buyer into choosing your product or service.

Before buying anything, the prospective buyer conducts online research. To capture the buyer’s attention, be sure to optimize your content. Throughout the buyer’s journey, incorporate other items for persuasion. This includes courses, social media content, and videos. Through all stages, be sure to target the content to your specific audience.