Understanding Your Buyer's Journey

Happy Friday 👋

In this edition of Lucid Insights, we talk about getting to know your customers on a more personal level.

Okay, not too personal…

More specifically, we talk about why it is important to understand the buyer’s journey.

Let’s dive in!

The buyer’s or customer journey refers to the various stages a customer goes through when interacting with your business or brand.

These are the phases someone goes through to reach a purchase decision.

From the moment they find out you exist to the moment they hand you some money.

So why is this important?

Because people today have more options than they know what to do with.

And no matter how good your product or service is, there are always alternatives available that claim to be able to solve the same problem.

That is just the nature of the world we live in.

New trends are always emerging, and people have become more and more comfortable with having an infinite number of choices shoved in their direction.

So how do we combat this?

One option is the spray and pray method.

This is when you arbitrarily post about your product or business across as many platforms as you can manage, hoping this will maximize your reach and bring in fresh new customers.

Makes sense at first…

Which is why so many people go down this road.

But in our experience, this is how so many people burn out early…

But what if you could be more strategic with your approach?

What if you had a clear understanding of what your target audience was thinking? From the moment they discover their problem, look for potential solutions, and finally decide on a course of action.

This is where the buyer’s journey comes in.

Most people follow a similar and repeatable process when making purchase decisions.

The better you understand this the more directly you can speak to them with the exact content that is relatable to where they are in the process.

Starting with…

1. Awareness

Our journey starts here, at the awareness phase.

In this phase, the customer is experiencing a specific problem and has discovered the existence of potential solutions.

This discovery can happen in several ways…

They could find you on social media, come across a paid ad, hear about it from word of mouth, or pretty much any other method that creates exposure.

This is why content is crucial!

We all know how important first impressions are, and it’s no different when it comes to content marketing.

With that said, make it a habit to analyze your marketing channels and ask, “What would I think if I was seeing this for the first time?”

Do everything you can to make sure that your future customers receive a pleasant introduction.

2. Interest

The interest phase is where the customer starts to become genuinely curious about what you have to offer.

The time frame to reach this phase can vary, but it looks like this…

The customer is doing their own research. They are looking at your website, reading relevant reviews, and maybe even engaging with your content.

It’s safe to say, at this point, we have their attention.

Take advantage of this by making it as EASY as possible to learn more about who you are, what you do, and the specific problem that you solve.

How many times have you come across an ad that piqued your interest, only to find that the company’s website is clunky, hard to navigate, and leaves you feeling more confused than before?

We’ve seen it too many times.

Invest in making your website, long-form content, or even your storefront as engaging as possible.

3. Consideration

Okay, now things are getting serious.

During the consideration phase, the customer has surpassed curiosity and is now fairly confident that they will indeed make a purchase.

They just need to decide which brand has the best solution to their problem…

Now is when we turn up the heat!

Consider something like a retargeting campaign.

This shows content to people you know are already interested in what you have to offer.

This would be a great time to show your product in action or to show something like video testimonials of real people talking about their pleasant experiences with your business.

Like this video we shot for A|N Skin & Beauty

In other words, you need to show them EXACTLY why you are the BEST option available.

4. Decision

Their interest has intensified even further and their options have narrowed.

Maybe they are deciding between you or your closest competitor…

Regardless, they know they are going to purchase something but still need that final push to move them across the finish line.

Now would be a great time to offer some sort of trial, demo, guarantee, or discount. (Only if it makes sense of course)

Something that really allows them to feel the real deal.

Psychologically, you want to make the customer feel like they have already made a great purchase.

Once someone has something, they don’t want to let it go.

Give them a taste of what you have to offer and expect your conversions to increase!

5. Purchase

This phase needs no explanation.

We’ve made it.

The customer has made their decision and you have received payment.

You can pat yourself on the back for a job well done.

But before we go, one last pro tip…

Make sure to automate some sort of thank you response and find ways to learn about your customer’s overall experience.

The more knowledge you have about YOUR customer’s journey, the more precise you can be with your content marketing.

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Tired of content bottlenecks holding you back? Lucid Media helps brands tell better stories and grow audiences faster.