At DigitalMakers, we have often mentioned the importance of two key concepts in Inbound Marketing: the buyer persona and the buyer's journey.

In this article, we will delve deeper into the second concept and explain why it is crucial to consider it in your marketing strategy.

What is the buyer's journey or purchase cycle?

We can define the buyer's journey as:

the active research process a potential customer goes through before making a purchase

This process, also known as the purchase cycle, can be divided into three stages, ranging from identifying a problem or need to the final purchase.

First stage: Awareness.

At this stage, the buyer persona realizes they have a need and begins to research to better understand it. It is an information-gathering phase about their problem and the possible solutions available.

At this point, the customer is not ready to buy; they are focused on learning. This is the perfect moment to build trust in your company by showcasing your expertise through blog articles or e-books. Most likely, your buyer persona will start searching on Google or social media, so having strong SEO, a solid online presence, and a well-designed website will help them find and consider you.

Second stage: Consideration.

At this stage, the buyer persona has identified their need and begins to narrow down the options available to solve it, comparing different solutions. It is a process of deeper and more specific research.

Although they are still not ready to buy, they are getting closer to making a decision. This is the right time to offer content such as videos, podcasts, case studies, or testimonials, which position your company as an expert in the field and help build trust.

Third stage: Decision.

In the final stage, the buyer persona already has a thorough understanding of their need, knows the alternatives available on the market, and is ready to make a purchase. They are looking to narrow down the final options until choosing one definitive solution, which will be the one selected.

At this point, offering a discount, a free consultation, a product demo, or a personalized presentation can be crucial in making them choose your product.

In summary, it is essential to leverage the purchase cycle to provide an excellent experience to the buyer persona and address all their questions, which will make them trust your company and ultimately choose you.

Why is it important in your marketing strategy?

The stage your buyer persona is in directly impacts how you should communicate with them. It is not the same to talk to someone who is identifying a problem as to someone who is exploring solutions; at each stage, your buyer persona seeks different answers, and it is crucial that you can provide them.

Knowing the stage they are in also allows you to segment your leads and send them relevant content based on their position in the process, especially in email marketing campaigns. For example, sending discount information to someone in the decision stage can be key to closing the sale, while sending that same message to someone in the awareness stage will have little impact.

In short, the buyer’s journey will help you communicate and segment better, two key functions in your daily work as a marketing manager.

At DigitalMakers, we encourage you to create your buyer persona’s purchase cycle, as we are confident it will help improve the success of your campaigns.