When have you looked at a newspaper ad, related with it and forgotten about it the next day? If you're anything like me, I'm assuming every time. However, now those days are long gone and thanks to the world of digital media we can reach far and beyond by being able to optimise advertisement, so that we are able to reach out to the right people with full capacity to also monitor the effectiveness of our advertising.
It is significant that we are able to understand our customers so that we can tailor our marketing, content and sales approach to their needs and challenges.
The difference between outbound and inbound marketing is the internet. Inbound marketing is actually a great way for you to learn about your customer, as it gives you a better insight into their journey of actually becoming a customer.
Buyer personas
The secret to getting to know your customers in sufficient detail is the buyer persona. Lets get started with a definition of a buyer persona.
''A semi – fictional representation of your ideal customer based on market research and and real data about your existing customers''
To kick off the market research process and help you craft the ultimate buyer persona, there are some sections below that can be used to create questions and help you get to know your target buyer. While you don't have to answer them all, gathering details on as many of them as possible will give you the information needed to give high-converting opportunites, as well as give you an edge over competitors who haven't gone to such lengths to understand your shared audience.
- Background and early history: Name/gender/race/ethnic heritage
- Education: Favourite subject/school/grades/friends
- Employment history: First job/current job/salary/dream job
- Current situation: City/housing/relationship status/travelling
Pay particular attention to make the questions relevant to how the buyer feels, as well as their thoughts, feelings and motivations. This will help you identify the appropriate marketing approach to take with your target customers, and also reveal important objections that must be countered in your sales strategies; in a way that's consistent with the understanding of the buyer you've developed through the rest of your market research.
Buyers Journey
It's difficult to try and understand what is going on in the buyers mind – trying to comprehend our own is difficult enough! And that's where the buyers journey comes in.
Awareness
The awareness stage of the buyers journey is the beginning; they are most likely unaware of the fact that your company exists, all that is known to them is that they are experiencing a problem or symptoms. This will eventually bring them to researching the trouble that they are having, by possibly using the most easiest route such as Google. It is important to share information that doesn't shout promotion – but instead gives an answer to their queries so that you are able to build trust leading them to come to you for information again and again.
Consideration
Here the buyer has better knowledge of their problem and begins to compare the options that are available to them. Some options of information to make this process easier for them may be formats such as white papers, expert guides or even something more personal such as a live – interaction. This is a crucial stage within the buyers journey, you need to really put yourself out there! Keep in mind how you're setting out your content. Focus your content and link it back to both your buyers journey and buyer persona so that you are able to maximise results.
Decision
The final purchase decision. Your prospect has decided on their solution strategy, method or approach, they're looking to whittle that long list down and go for the ultimatum. Show them that you are willing to exceed their expectations and really go that extra mile! Create quality content that can give them as much information as possible such as a case study or a trial download. Put yourself at an advantage to others. Right here is where your remarkable content will work it's wonders and give you the outcome to your time well spent.
Language
When you've done your buyer persona research and you understand them better, you can see; their pains, problems, their desires and this will help you to know what content to create that will speak directly to them and their language.
Every buyer persona uses different language, and they also use different language at different parts of the the buyers journey, but they also use key words such as troubleshoot, issue, resolve,improve, optimise thereon as they move to the consideration stage they use key words like solution tool, software, appliance, and lastly, in the decision stage, they may use your brand name in conjunction with the word compare or review and testimonials.
Using buyer persona knowledge in conjunction with your buyers journey knowledge can help to create content that resonates.
Conclusion
The better you understand your customer, the more positively you can showcase your business whilst informing and advising them. You are raising yourself up against your competition by showing you have the latest knowledge on all current and future industry advancements; in turn gaining more enquiries for your business as well as sales. This is why it is so important to be choosing the most relevant content in regards to the stage of the buyers journey. If this is done correctly, you're able to increase website conversions putting you at a better position than the rest.
Article by Yasirah Fatimah
