How to Align Content to Different Stages of the Buying Cycle

Different customers have different expectations in terms of offers. Generally, customers who are at different stages of the buying cycle can be separated into three broad categories. The first category encompasses those customers who have just become acquainted with your company and the key to your offer centres around raising awareness. The second category involves those who are considering your offer. They have done their research and are weighing up the options – they’ve looked at your competitors and are evaluating whether to move forward with their purchase. The last category describes those who are ready to make the purchase – the focus here is giving these customers are reason to come back to your business. To generate leads, businesses must learn to create and tailor content to each stage of the buying cycle.

Awareness

In the initial stages of the buying cycle, the customer identifies a need and looks for businesses that could potentially satisfy it. At this stage, the type of content that is most effective is typically educational in nature – think of it as an introduction to your product or service. Content should have broad appeal  – the most common type being blogs, Q&As about what your business has to offer or FAQs about the products and services that you have available to consumers.

Consideration

During the consideration stage, the customer will do their research and evaluate the different options available to them. This is where SEO comes in; the consumer will be looking for businesses that can fulfil its needs. It’s important to ensure that your website comes up on the search lists with the relevant keywords. This is also where web reviews come in – consumers will compare your offer with offers from other businesses. Content should be more targeted, more in-depth here. Think along the lines of case studies and product webinars.

Purchase

It’s the final stage in the buying cycle, but your efforts shouldn’t end here. Encourage customers to come back with free demos, coupon codes and discounts. Keep them in the loop with product updates and other development news.