The business world is plagued with many challenges. These challenges require specific strategies to help you navigate them.
I’ll explain these challenges and the strategies to overcome and succeed.
Customer acquisition
Companies invest endlessly to acquire customers. They do so to convince them that their brand is the best choice on the market.
There are many known effective strategies to attract your prospects. These strategies focus on the customer journey. This describes the path your potential customers follow from start to finish.
Marketers and writers must know each stage of the process and tailor their material accordingly.
What is the customer journey?
The customer journey (also called the buyer's journey) is the sum of interactions that customers undergo before and after purchasing. It's a framework for business owners to fully understand their client's needs and how best to respond to them.
It includes finding out their experience and improving their buying process so they can remain loyal. Each stage of the customer journey can last from a few minutes (for instance, buying low-cost items like food) to several months (for example, purchasing a car). Businesses value repeat purchases more than one-off transactions. Life would be simpler if all an enterprise did was offer a service or product, the customer buying it and calling it a day. Buyers are more demanding and value their experience with a brand just as much as the products or services offered.
Importance of creating content for the customer journey
Examples of content you can produce are:
- Blogs
- Videos
- Podcasts
These are a few formats. The key to connecting with prospects is to know which content will work best at a particular stage. Delivering the right content at the right time is vital.
It’s sensible to have case studies or testimonials if the buyer is familiar with your business. You can't immediately sell your product when the buyer is still figuring out what they need. Create informational content that addresses their needs and how your business can help them. Then, link CTAs (calls to action) to the next stage.
Customer journey analysis is about understanding your audience. Content marketers aim to offer material that potential buyers can relate to so they don't lose them. We utilize a unique form of marketing to keep our clientele interested and invested. We use the Crazy Marketing Strategy Goleko to enhance our marketability and customer outreach. We also utilize Engineering as Marketing. This has the theoretical and practical aspects. It teaches you how to use engineering as a form of marketing.
Stages of the customer journey and Content formats
Awareness stage
This phase lays the foundation as it's at the beginning. Potential clients realize they have a problem and look for ways to solve it. They need time to think about which companies can provide the solution.
Most people don’t include brand names in search queries. It's advisable to gather insights, opinions, and resources. Your content will revolve around words like:
- "How"
- "What"
- "Who"
- "Why"
- "Where", etc.
Content formats in the awareness stage
Prospective buyers have just discovered your business. They aren’t quite ready to make a purchase. You have to think of content that would be purely informative and useful to help them. This content should help them make the right decision.
The best content formats here include:
- Blog posts or articles (decent long-form and shareable material)
- Videos (the most engaging content to have, which is suitable for all stages)
- Infographics (best for presenting statistical data)
- Whitepapers and e-books (best for going more in-depth on topics, where you can include infographics)
- Social media posts (ideal for short-form content to link to other more detailed content)
- Checklists (another way to offer short-form content)
- Podcasts (useful for presenting general industry information and more about your company)
- Webinars (another way of presenting expertise in your field)
Your role during the awareness stage
Your role is to present your business as an authority in its field. Your prospects may be oblivious that they need or want what you offer. The awareness stage should inform them of your brand and why they should care.
Content at this point is for enlightenment. Refrain from using any sales tactics. Your audience should receive upfront value in the form of useful information without any commitment.
Consideration stage
Customers are committed to discovering the available solutions for their problems. They are more familiar with your company but will evaluate it against others.
This stage is the longest as prospects look at multiple options, going through a process of elimination. They are prepared to buy while looking for the best choice. You'll want to be on their shortlist of potential options.
Keywords to consider here are:
- "Solutions"
- "Features"
- "Best"
- "Choices"
- "Options"
- "Comparison"
- "Benefits"
- "Steps"
Best content formats in the consideration stage
The content is informational with subtle promotion. Its goal is to compare with available solutions on the market while offering vital details about your service or product.
The most frequently used content formats for the consideration stage are:
- Product comparisons or catalogs (here, you can put your brand as the best option among others)
- Case studies (another in-depth look at the advantages of your solution)
- Cost calculators (similarly, you can position yourself as the most cost-effective option compared)
- Downloadable content (e.g., e-books, whitepapers)
- Videos
What should you do at the consideration stage?
The goal of a business is to position itself as the best option compared to its rivals. Your content should make your product or service as attractive and trustworthy as possible.
Decision stage
Buyers are ready to spend cash and have confidently decided on their solution strategy. Now's the right time to have content that covers all their concerns and questions before the sale. It should be direct and offer as many incentives as possible to close the sale (don't be shy).
Key sales words to use here are:
- "Discount"
- "Free trial"
- "Buy"
- "Order"
- "Don't miss out"
- "Risk-free"
- "Exclusive"
- "No strings attached"
- "Premium", etc.
Content formats for the decision stage
The material shows that your service or product is legit and performs as advertised. The best content to achieve this goal includes:
- Reviews
- Case studies
- FAQs
- Demos
- Reviews
- Coupons
- Testimonials
- Free trials or versions
Goal of the decision stage
Content at this stage aims to showcase why your business is simply the best. All doubts and concerns should be removed from your prospect's mind. They should trust your brand and know the steps to become your customer.
Summary
Salespeople talk about funnels. This describes the many steps we go through before buying from a company. It might seem like a simple choice, but it's multi-layered.
We rarely make impulse buys. That's why understanding the customer journey and using tailored content for each stage is vital. Understanding the path buyers take before they engage your business is pivotal.
It goes beyond the three stages we've discussed. A business must work just as hard to retain its customers and make them loyal. If they are happy for long enough, they will eventually become advocates for your business through word-of-mouth or referrals.
You can implement these strategies to help your business flourish. Divide responsibilities among your team members and coordinate everything with the help of Goleko. Goleko has features that help you achieve your goals, including multi-layered projects.
Visit Goleko today and begin your journey to success.
For these and more thoughts, guides, and insights visit my blog at martinbaun.com.
You can find me on YouTube.
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