Buyers today are more informed than ever before, thanks to the vast amount of information available at their fingertips. Because of this, the balance of power has shifted from the sales rep to the buyer. This is why pushy sales tactics are no longer effective the way they used to be.
Instead, to be successful in sales, reps must shift their goals from selling to helping. In order to start this process, we recommend first becoming intimately familiar with who the buyer is and the journey they take before making their purchase: the buyer’s journey.
Here is how revisiting The Buyer’s Journey can enhance your 2022 marketing strategy.
1. THE AWARENESS STAGE
As you revisit your awareness-stage marketing, here are a few things to ask yourself, according to HubSpot:
- How do buyers describe their goals or challenges in the context of our business?
- How are our buyers educating themselves on these goals or challenges?
- What are the consequences of inaction by the buyer?
- Are there common misconceptions buyers have about addressing the goal or challenge?
When considering how people describe their problems and how they search for information, keep keyword research in mind. 72% of buyers will turn to Google for answers once they realize they have a problem, and they’ll also tend to use more open-ended search terms. This might include words like “improve,” “prevent,” or “optimize.
A good strategy at this stage is to produce how-to content that addresses the problems they are searching for, using the terms likely searched to improve your odds of being found.
2. THE CONSIDERATION STAGE
This is the time to figure out how buyers weigh the relative pros and cons of each solution, and what leads them to make a decision. Your job at this stage is to convince customers why your particular solution will be the best fit for them.
According to HubSpot, when planning your marketing strategy you’ll want to ask yourself these questions:- What categories of solutions do buyers research?
- How do buyers educate themselves on the various categories?
- How do buyers perceive the pros and cons of each category?
- How do buyers decide which category is right for them?
Instead of taking a sales approach, this stage is meant to highlight the benefits of your product. Your aim is to provide answers to the key questions that people would have as they search for a solution.
3. THE DECISION STAGE
At this stage in the journey, your customers will be whittling down their options by deciding on what is the “best product” and “best deal.” They might use other criteria for their decision, such as how simple it will be to buy your product.
When developing your 2022 marketing strategy, you will want to keep these things in mind:
- The criteria buyers use to evaluate solutions.
- Anything that buyers like about your solution makes you different from others.
- The requirements buyers need to be met in order to make a decision: for example, do they need a demo?
- Who needs to be involved in the decision? For each person involved, how does their perspective on the decision differ?
Your content should provide proof of the efficacy of your solution (such as customer reviews or testimonials) and should highlight how your product or service will help them.
4. WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR MY MARKETING STRATEGY?
The buyer’s journey should play an integral role in any marketing plan. If you don’t seem to be gaining enough traction from your marketing efforts, there’s a chance that you’re not targeting the right information to the right people at the right time or stage in their journey.
Once you’ve defined your buyer’s journey, think about their questions, goals, and desires at each stage. Create content and marketing campaigns that address those key points and help to draw the customer closer to a decision.
