IMPROVING CUSTOMER LEADS WITH A BUYER JOURNEY

We have seen in our previous blogs that strategy development starts with being customer-centric. 

A great first place to start is  building buyer personas that not only bring your ideal and most important customer to life, but also uncovers their needs and the pain/gain points that you may be able to help solve. This blog now begins to explore the ideal process that they would go through to engage with your brand or business – the buyers journey!

Lean how to generate sustained growth with B2B Marketing Strategy

What is a Buyer's Journey?

A buyers journey is an important part of the Inbound Marketing framework. It’s the process that your most important customer is likely to take, right from the initial pain/gain trigger point that they need to solve, right through to purchasing your product or service, and any ongoing engagement with your brand/business. 

The journey is a five-step process:

  1. Trigger: The pain or gain point that triggers the need
  2. Search: Where do they go to seek a solution.
  3. Consideration: The options to solve it.
  4. Action: Steps taken to choosing a solution.
  5. Reflection: On the product/service performance and experience 

The graphic below illustrates a sample buyer’s journey for the simple purchasing decision of a tradesman whose has had an onsite tool failure.

TCA-Blog-buyer-persona-banner

What Questions Should I Ask?

Questions are vital to getting the most out of the buyer journey. They can really unlock the insights that will focus your marketing efforts. Here are some suggestions:

Trigger

·What was the thing that triggered the pain or need?

Search/Awareness

·Where did they get or seek information to educate 
 themselves and/or seek a solution?

·Who did they talk to?

·Any geographic limitations?

Consideration

·What was the criteria for prioritising?

·How do we as a business rate on the criteria?

·Do we have any advantages/disadvantages?

·Who did they shortlist to get their needs met?
 (remember it may not be your direct competitors)

·Was there rational and emotional considerations?

Action

·What first step did they take to validate their
 chosen solution?

·What second step?...Third step?... Before they
 finally made a decision

Reflection

·How did they feel when their need was solved? (may
 be positive neutral or negative)

·Who did they tell?

·What other actions may they take from here?


The final questions you need to ask include:

  • Which point in this process is most important to the Customer?
  • Where should we prioritise our communication investment?
  • What format will my communication be best received? 

How Can The Buyer's Journey Help Your Growth Plans?

It better targets immediate communications at your potential customers by answering:

  • What’s the most important message to my prospective customers
  • Where (at what stage in the journey) should I allocate my limited communications investment.

It opens up future customer opportunity because it:

  • Positions you as a useful/helpful solution provider
  • Can drive traffic to further explore your business/brand offering
  • Creates a pathway to further delight your customers

Workshops At The Collaborative Agency

We have a strong team of ‘Inbound Certified’ marketers* who provide all of the capabilities for strategic development and execution of an inbound marketing strategy, including the Buyers Journey and the content required to execute it.

We think the Inbound Marketing framework is an extremely accountable way to market your brand in today’s digital age.  If you’d like to know more, or how it could apply to your business contact us here for a free review of your business needs.

For the buyer persona templates and a detailed guide to building your own personas, download our eBook How to Create Buyer Personas.

Buyer Persona Guide

* All Collab Staff are all Hubspot ‘Inbound Certified’