The buyer’s journey is a central paradigm of digital marketing. Different markets go through the stages of the process at different rates, but it always boils down to the big three. Because of the difference in a buyer’s motives throughout the process, content needs to be tailored to their stage in the cycle. The buyer’s journey is divided into three phases: awareness, consideration, and decision.

Awareness

At the outset, your buyer may not even realize that they had a need for a service or product, much less that you can provide it. In the early phase of the buyer’s journey, you need to foster awareness of your product, service or company. Content at this stage needs to focus on addressing buyer pain points. Your brand doesn’t mean anything to them until they’ve identified their need.
Once a buyer has realized that they have a pain point, they start researching. The majority will turn to Google, so you want to make sure that your keywords match the general search terms of the early research phase. This is also a good time to start tracking downloads, hits and user info.

Consideration

After the buyer has recognized a need for a product or service, it’s time to start narrowing down their options from a provider. At this point, the buyer has clearly defined their problem or opportunity. During the consideration phase, they’re research revolves around the different companies that address their pain points. This is where buyers will start reaching out to sales, where your team should address their needs in direct and tangible terms. Content like white papers and expert guides are great resources for buyers in the consideration phase.

Decision

Finally, the buyer is motivated to make a purchase. He’s defined the solution, methodology or approach, and the only thing left to decide is where to make the purchase. He already understand his need and has some idea of what your competitors have to offer. This is where you sell your brand. Case studies and customer reviews are go-to content for the decision phase.
Well-targeted content for the buyer’s journey demands that your marketing team be flexible and focused in their output. Outsourcers can be a major relief for the demands of a diverse campaign. One way or another, keep in mind that your content needs to change with the processes of the buyer.