When you’re creating content for your website, it’s important to consider how your audience is engaging with you.
Not all of your content will be relevant or useful for every stage of the buying cycle.
Depending on where your buyer is in their journey, they will be looking for different types of information.
By understanding the needs of your audience at each stage, you can create content that is more likely to resonate and convert.
In this blog post, we’ll take a look at the different stages of the buying cycle and the types of content that are most effective at each stage.
What is the Buying Cycle?
The buying cycle is the different steps that consumers go through when making a purchase.
There are three main stages in the buying cycle:
- Awareness
- Consideration
- Decision
Not all consumers go through all three stages for every purchase. Some purchases are made on impulse, without much consideration.
Other purchases, especially big-ticket items, may involve a lot of research and comparisons before a decision is made. While others shift through the stages quickly, others may cycle back and forth before finally committing to a purchase.
The type of product, the price, and the consumer’s buying habits all play a role in how the buying process unfolds.
Awareness Stage
The awareness stage is the first stage of the buying cycle, and it’s when the potential customer becomes aware of a need or want that they have. They start to recognise that there’s a problem or challenge that they need to address, and they begin to search for information about potential solutions.
At this stage, customers are still pretty general in their search. They’re not really looking for specific products or brands yet. They just want to learn more about their options so that they can narrow down their search later on.
Consideration Stage
The consideration stage is the stage of the buying cycle in which the potential customer evaluates their options and decides which product or service to buy.
During this stage, the customer will assess their needs and wants, research their options, and compare different products and services. They may also speak with friends and family about their options, or read online reviews.
At the end of this stage, the customer will usually have a shortlist of products or services that they are considering buying. They will then move on to the decision stage, where they will decide which product or service to buy.
Decision Stage
The decision stage is the last step of the buying cycle. It’s when the buyer has made a purchasing decision and is looking for a supplier that can meet their needs.
At this point, the buyer is looking for information about suppliers and comparing prices and features. They may also be considering different options, such as buying from a store or ordering online.
Content Types for the Stages of the Buying Cycle
Now that we’ve looked at the buying cycle, let’s take a look at how content can be used to support prospective customers at each stage.
Content for the Awareness Stage
Content that is designed for the awareness stage should be focused on helping the customer understand their problem or challenge. It should be educational, informative, and valuable – it should help the customer understand their options.
You’re not trying to sell anything at this stage, but you are planting the seed for a future sale.
Some examples of content for the awareness stage include:
- Blog Posts: Write helpful, informative blog posts that cover topics related to your product or service. For example, if you sell bicycles, you could write a blog post about the different types of bicycles, or the benefits of cycling.
- Videos: Create videos that discuss the different types of products or services that your target customer is interested in. You could, for example, create a video series that covers the different features of your products, or that compares your products to similar products on the market.
- Guides & Ebooks: Write an ebook that covers the different types of products or services that your target customer is interested in. For example, if you sell bicycles, you could write an ebook about choosing the right bicycle for your needs.
- Social Media Posts: Share informative articles, blog posts, or videos on social media. Use hashtags to reach a wider audience, and include links back to your website.
- Infographics: Create infographics that explain a need or want that your product or service can meet. For example, if you sell bicycles, you could create an infographic that compares the features of different types of bicycles.
- Industry Reports and Analysis: Share your insights on the latest industry trends and developments. This will show that you are an expert in your field, and it will help build trust with your target audience.
Content for the Consideration Stage
At this stage, customers are actively researching their options and looking for more information to help them make a decision.
Your goal is to provide helpful, relevant, and unbiased information that will assist them in their buying decision.
Some examples of content for the consideration stage include:
- Case Studies: Share stories of how your product or service has helped others achieve their goals. For example, if you sell bicycles, you could write a case study about how your product helped a customer lose weight, or get fit.
- Buying Guides: Write helpful guides that compare different products or services.
- Comparisons Guides: Write helpful guides that compare your products or services to similar products on the market.
- Product Pages: Create detailed pages for your products or services, including specs, features, photos, and videos.
- Reviews / Testimonials: Share what others have said about your product or service, through testimonials, reviews, and case studies.
- FAQs: Provide answers to common questions that people have about your product or service.
Content for the Decision Stage
At this stage, customers are ready to buy, and they are looking for reassurance that they are making the right decision.
Your goal is to provide them with the information they need to make a buying decision, and how it can benefit them.
Some examples of content for the decision stage include:
- Product Page / Sales Page: Include all the information a consumer needs to know about your product or service, such as specs, features, price, and availability.
- Emphasise Credibility: Use testimonials, reviews, and case studies to show why others have chosen your product or service.
- Benefits Over Features: Focus on the benefits of your product or service, and how it will meet the needs of the customer.
- Guarantees: Offer a money-back guarantee or satisfaction guarantee to ease any concerns the customer may have.
- Shipping Info / Free Shipping: Provide information on shipping times and costs, or offer free shipping to sweeten the deal.
- Clear Call-to-Actions: Make it easy for the customer to purchase your product or service, with clear call-to-actions and links.
Conclusion: Guide Customers Through the Buying Cycle
In most cases, people will go through all of these stages — it’s just a matter of how long it takes. And, as the buying cycle progresses, their needs and wants will change.
This is why it’s so important to create a variety of content that can be used at each stage of the buying cycle.
By doing this, you’ll be able to provide the customer with the information they need, when they need it. And, you’ll be able to guide them through the buying cycle until they’re ready to make a purchase.
If you can provide helpful, relevant, and targeted content at each stage of the buying cycle, you can build trust with your target audience, and increase the chances of making a sale.
Now that you know what kind of content to create for each stage of the buying cycle, it’s time to start creating!
Recap
- The buying cycle consists of three stages: Awareness, Consideration, and Decision.
- Content for the Awareness Stage should be educational, informative and valuable. Examples include blog posts, videos, guides & ebooks, social media posts, infographics and industry reports.
- Content for the Consideration Stage should provide helpful, relevant and unbiased information to assist in their buying decision. Examples include case studies, buying guides, comparison guides and product pages.
- Content for the Decision Stage should provide all the necessary information to make a purchase and emphasise credibility through testimonials or reviews. Guarantees and shipping info/free shipping can help sweeten the deal.
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