Conquering The Marketing Funnel: Consideration
Now that you’ve got the potential customer’s attention with your awareness campaign, it’s time to market to the consideration stage of the buyer’s journey. Your goal in this stage is to turn curiosity into consideration. At this point, consumers are beginning their research to compare the pros and cons of engaging with your business versus a competitor. A successful consideration campaign considers three different but equally important elements.
1. Transparency & Trust
Similar to authenticity, transparency pertains to how your company is perceived by customers. If your brand matches the personality of your customer, and you operate with transparency, you’ll build trust and rapor. The perfect example of transparency (and humour) is Buckley’s brand cough syrup slogan, “It tastes awful. And it works.” The self-awareness of the tagline earned consumer respect with its clear expectations. Consistency in building trust through transparency, without undermining your competition, is vital to retaining trust. Perceived trust can also be achieved with quality customer service, such as being available and responsive to consumer inquiries and feedback. Some customers may need more information than others, and being able to reach out to someone from your brand may be all the support they need to convert.
2. Differentiation & Benefit
Marketing campaigns targeting the consideration stage are an opportunity to control the narrative by providing all the need-to-know information with a somewhat biased spin. For example, a product comparison chart can strategically aid the customer’s comparison research by highlighting your brand’s benefits. Differentiators that can set you apart include health, location, aesthetics, and quality. Starbucks brings the ‘local coffee shop’ atmosphere to the masses with complex, customizable coffee, compared to the grab-and-go cup of joe that Tim Hortons offers. Each is effective with the differentiation they offer.
3. Convenience & Accessibility
It’s important to make it easy as possible for people to learn more about your business once you’ve sparked their interest. A mobile responsive website, for example, can quickly streamline the buyer’s journey from awareness to consideration. Consider adding links to social media pages and posts or QR codes to printed materials. This allows convenient access for those seeking more information about your business, products, or services. Another convenient resource is Google My Business (GMB), which highlights key details about your company, like address, hours, website, and more. This is an opportunity to quickly showcase online reviews that may act as referrals for customers in the consideration stage.
Need help getting started? Turn to your enhanced marketing department at Sims Advertising to strategically complete your buyers’ journey and help turn the consideration stage into a conversion.
