The Impact of Content on the Buyer’s Journey
Effective marketing depends on your ability to provide valuable information to potential customers throughout their shopping experience — aka the buyer’s journey.
Digital marketers agree that content marketing is the optimal way to drive people toward your products or services as they navigate this process.
In this article, you will learn:
- The ins and outs of the buyer’s journey
- How quality content marketing can boost your conversion rates
- How to deploy effective content marketing throughout the buyer’s journey
The Fundamentals of a Buyer’s Journey
The buyer’s journey is a five-stage process starting with a person’s first exposure to your brand and ending with their advocacy of your brand as a customer.
Let’s explore each phase in detail:
Stage 1: Unaware
In the unaware phase, your target customer will not recognize that they have a problem that your products or services can resolve for them. At this point, they are not planning a renovation and aren’t looking for contractors.
Stage 2: Exposure
During the exposure or “awareness” phase, your potential buyer will realize they have a problem. Their problem could be anything — a run-down roof, an outdated kitchen, a home that is too small for their growing family, etc.
Sometimes, you can pull potential customers into the awareness phase by exposing them to informative content.
For instance, suppose you own a roofing company. You could write an article about identifying roof damage and informing homeowners about how that damage threatens their property.
After identifying their problem, they will seek information that helps them resolve it. However, this research does not mean they are ready to purchase your services just yet.
Stage 3: Interest
The interest or “consideration” phase is where your potential customer understands the root of their problem. They may realize through your content that the solution is beyond their own abilities.
Still, your potential customer may not be ready to invest in your services, but they may start comparing local contractors. Your content should convince them to get quotes or explore additional resources during this stage.
Stage 4: Conversion
In the conversion or “decision” stage, your potential customer is ready to commit to your contracting service that they’ve been researching in depth. They will know what they need to solve their problem and may have several options on the table.
You must convince them that your company provides the best solution compared to your competitors. Your content should emphasize how your brand helped customers with similar problems in the past and highlight data to reinforce your claims.
Stage 5: Advocacy
The advocacy stage of the buyer’s journey is the final stage in which the buyer becomes a loyal customer who advocates for the brand.
At this stage, the customer has already made a purchase and had a positive experience with your company.
They may share their positive experience with friends, family, or online communities, leaving positive reviews and recommending the brand to others.
The advocacy stage is important for construction businesses because it can increase brand awareness, customer loyalty, and repeat business. It also reflects the brand’s ability to provide a positive customer experience and build strong relationships with its customers.
How Creating Content for the Buyer’s Journey Drives Conversions
The purpose of content marketing is to carefully tailor your online resources to address the pain points of your target audience.
The best way to drive conversions is to keep your brand upfront and visible to potential customers during their search.
You may need to complete extensive research on your target market to organize your content efficiently. You can start by learning where customers are in the buyer’s journey and create content that soft-sells your services.
The internet provides numerous keyword research tools that help you track relevant keywords, frequently asked questions, and more. These tools show how your target market searches for information on services like yours — allowing you to guide them through each phase of the buyer’s journey.
Tips for Creating Content to Accommodate Buyer’s Journey
Once you understand your target audience and how they navigate the buyer’s journey, you can develop your content strategy.
Here are a few tips you can use to map out content for each phase of the buyer’s journey:
- Exposure: Provide well-researched information, organize engaging content that acknowledges problems your target demographic faces, and offer professional solutions from your company.
- Interest: Explain why your specific services are better than others. Discourage them from seeking alternative solutions that may cost more and offer subpar results.
- Conversion: Finalize the importance of choosing your brand and spotlight convincing data, reviews, and examples of success.
Depending on your target market, it could take just a few days for someone to get through the buyer’s journey. For others — such as business-to-business customers — it could take weeks or months.
Here are three common content marketing solutions you can use:
1. Blogs
Blogging is one of the most effective forms of content marketing. This medium provides plenty of space to write substantive information on a specific topic for potential customers.
It’s a good rule of thumb to ensure that your blog posts are at least 1000 words long to rank higher in search engines. This way, potential customers will find your content easily during the awareness stage.
2. Social Media
Posting on social media is another effective way to communicate information directly to potential customers during the buyer’s journey.
In general, social media platforms do not usually allow or encourage you to post long-form content.
However, you can produce frequent, short-term content, like before and after photos of a past project, using these channels. This method ensures that your brand is always at the top of your followers’ feeds during the buyer’s journey.
You can also link blogs and landing pages to your social media posts, redirecting users toward additional information.
3. Educational Videos and Webinars
Diversifying your content with videos and graphics is a practical way to engage your potential customers. You can also use short videos or webinars to convince them to choose your brand at the end of the buyer’s journey. Video content marketing cultivates trust between you and the customer and increases your chance of earning long-term leads.
Boosting Content with Help from Digital Marketing Experts
You may not have the time or resources to develop an effective content marketing strategy on your own. Fortunately, our digital marketing experts at Contractor Growth Network can help. We have years of experience building websites and creating content for hundreds of contractors like you.
Whether you want to increase your organic website traffic or encourage users to spend more time on your web pages, we have the knowledge to help you succeed.
Contact Contractor Growth Network in Charlotte, NC, to optimize your content marketing today. Fill out our contact form or Call (980) 449-4384 for more information.
