Different marketers may have different views on how many stages a buyer goes through before making a purchase, what comes to my mind is that the 4 stages of a buyer’s journey are:
- Awareness that one needs a particular product or service
- Research, and information gathering and idea exchange about the needed product or service
- When the buyer decides to go with a particular product or service
- The buyer purchases that particular product or service
At every stage of a buyer’s journey your content writing can play a vital role. Whether it is stage 1 or stage 4, your content is indispensable, and even a small oversight can send your prospective customer or client scurrying away. Now let’s explore these individual stages and see how your content writing can lead your prospect up till the conclusion of the fourth state.
Awareness that one needs a particular product or service
This awareness can be voluntary, induced by a friend, a family member, or a colleague, or by your content. Your content writing becomes crucial in this first stage of the buyer’s journey if you need to make the buyer aware of the need for him to go for your product or service.
Take for example my content writing and content marketing services. You hire me because
- You know that effective content writing and content marketing can improve your conversion rate, your search engine rankings, and consequently, get you more business;
- You have read material that has made you aware of the fact that you can use effective content writing to grow your business without spending a ton of money on online advertising.
Sometimes the buyer knows that there is a particular product or service that is being used by many people, but somehow, she is not convinced that she herself needs that product or service. At this stage, your convincing content writing can make her aware of the fact that even she requires that product or service.
Sometimes the buyer isn’t even aware that she needs your service. There are many business owners with very badly written content on their websites and consequently the conversion rate is either zero or very low. They are totally disappointed with the website. They either end up thinking that what they offer is not needed or at least not needed from them, or they try out various things without really knowing what they want.
In such circumstances, educational content can help. If your business is not doing well due to your content, through my content writing, I can make you aware. But how are you going to find me without knowing that you need my content writing service?
For that, you must be able to find my website for search terms like “how can I sell more from my website?”, “how can I improve my conversion rate?”, “how can I improve my search engine rankings?”, and so on. Through strategic content writing, I must make you aware that there is a solution available for your problem.
Research, and information gathering, and idea exchange about the needed product or service
Once a person realizes that she may actually have a use for a particular product or service, she starts doing research. She wouldn’t like to settle for the first product (or service) she comes across. She would like to know all her options. Normally she will do research on Google. She may also look through various forums. She may ask on Facebook and Twitter. She may read blog posts.
This is the stage when helpful content that you may have published elsewhere (other websites, blogs and social networks) may prompt her to visit your website. Even content published on your own blog may help her know more about how her need can be satisfied with your product or service.
Many people decide to hire my content writing service after reading my blog posts. I share so much information on content writing and content marketing that my clients are convinced that I know my stuff.
When the buyer decides to go with a particular product or service
Just because a buyer has decided to go with your product it doesn’t mean you can rest assured. She can leave in the middle of making a payment. Once your customer has decided that she is going to do business with you, you need to convince her that
- You are reliable and trustworthy
- You are going to provide value for money
- You are going to be there in case there is a problem
- She is getting a good deal by not getting the same product from somewhere else
The buyer purchases that particular product or service
Most of the businesses claim that 40% of their business comes from repeat customers – customers who have already done business with them and have had good experience.
Your existing customers are your best leads; don’t let them go and don’t let them forget about your business. Maybe you are selling multiple products or service. Having experienced satisfaction after doing business with you, they would rather do business with you again than try someone untested, even when they’re purchasing something totally different.
Having gotten a few blog posts or webpages written by me, many of my clients return for random content writing assignments or even for ongoing content writing jobs. This is because even after years, they remember my services because I’m constantly publishing content on my blog and also send them email updates.
Your content writing can help your buyer throughout her buyer’s journey.