The buying journey is all the stages that potential customers have to go through before they can decide to make a purchase from a business.
This buying journey is used by companies to help market and sell to the target audience by knowing what to market and sell to them in the first place. It also helps in creating different types of content that increase conversions and close sales for both potential and repeat buyers.
The digital buying journey is quite similar to the regular one that happens offline, with the key difference being that the digital buying journey occurs in digital spaces.
Since it’s in digital spaces, companies can utilize various platforms and communication channels to market and sell to potential customers, as well as generate leads that aren’t available with traditional means.
To get potential customers to move from one to the next stage of the buying journey, companies need to create targeted content that’s going to answer any questions that the audience has during each stage.
Contents
Content
Companies that are looking to create content that will target the audience at every stage of the buying journey need to give potential customers the information they need.
To do that, companies have to conduct audience and market research and figure out how and what potential customers are searching for before they decide to make a purchase.
A company that sells TVs is going to have to create different types of content for potential customers that use generic search queries, such as “compare flat screen TVs” and very specific search queries such as “40 inch LCD TV”.
With the generic search queries, companies have to create content that’s going to bring potential customers from the awareness or the consideration stages of the buying journey into the intent or purchasing stages, which are generally when consumers are using more specific search queries.
To grab the attention of potential customers at the beginning stages of the buying journey, companies can provide the audience with a guide that’s going to help them choose the perfect TV for them, as with the example.
During the later stages of the buying journey, companies can utilize reviews from past customers, and highlight all of the benefits that potential customers can get from purchasing a TV from the business.
Platforms
The content that a company shares throughout the buying journey for potential customers is also going to depend on the solutions that the company provides, the communication channels that the business is using to share its content, as well as the solution itself.
There are several discerning elements that companies can track to figure out how they can target potential customers during each stage of the buying journey.
For example, during the awareness stage of the buying journey, companies can utilize search engine optimization and search engine marketing efforts.
During the consideration stage, companies can create targeted landing pages for potential customers, while during the intent stage, companies can highlight the benefits that customers can get from making a purchase.
During the last two stages of the buying journey, to close sales, companies can provide potential customers with discounts or coupons, and regular email outreach to get past customers to make purchases in the future.
Matthew Caiola serves as CEO at 5W Public Relations, managing the overall growth, direction and day-to-day business of the Corporate & Technology Communications Divisions and Digital Marketing.
With more than 17 years of PR experience, Matthew leads teams in launching and building high-growth tech companies, disrupting industries, building global brand resonance through thought leadership, C-Suite profiling, and speakers’ programs, as well as crisis communications across a variety of industries.
