What We’ll Cover:
- The Buyer’s Journey Stages
- Stage 1: Awareness
- Stage 2: Consideration
- Stage 3: Decision
- FAQs: Creating Ad Content For Each Stage of the Buyer’s Journey
What Are The Buyer’s Journey Stages?
Before you start mapping out your advertising strategy, you’ll need to have an understanding of each of your personas as they move from stranger to customer.
Personas define each of your audience segments, and each will take a different journey toward becoming a customer. For instance, one persona could comprise college students while another accounts for single parents and working professionals, with both likely taking different approaches to connecting with brands and offerings.
Ultimately, your personas will guide you on how to create ad content for each stage of the buyer’s journey.
When we talk about the buyer journey, we’re typically talking about three stages:
- Awareness – At this stage, a potential customer might ask, “What’s this about?” They’ll want to learn more about a company or its offerings at the top level, where they’re merely gaining information.
- Consideration – The next stage involves considering a potentially ideal brand or solution. People here will be asking, “Which solution should I go with?” They’ll know who you are and what they’re looking for from you.
- Decision – Now is the time for the individual to make a decision. They’ll be ready to convert and take you up on your offer. Making that sale will be critical here.
While different sources may throw in a few extra stages here and there, Awareness, Consideration, and Decision tend to be the “Big Three.”
Here’s a quick look at the buyer’s journey stages and the mindset associated with each one.
As you might imagine, each of the buyer journey stages requires a different approach.
Before someone becomes a client, they’ll go through each of these stages.
The cool part? You can have a big effect on each and every stage in their decision-making stage. Let’s take a look at the role ads play in leading a user through the buyer journey.
Buyer Journey Stage 1: Awareness
First up: awareness.
This is as top-of-the-funnel as it gets, which means your customers have very little purchase intent at this point and often, this is the first time they’ve ever heard of your brand.
Understand the Stage
During the awareness stage, people are at the beginning of their journeys. They’re just researching a problem or a potential solution, but they don’t have the best understanding of it yet.
Your job here is to capture their attention and introduce your brand as a potential solution to their problem.
For instance, if they have a sore throat, you’ll want to create ad content that engages and educates your audience—you want them to walk away with an idea of what your product does, so next time they have a sore throat, they might be inclined to try your remedy versus their usual brand.
You could also create ad content that gives viewers a better understanding of their specific problems while empathizing with them. With the above example, you’d want to acknowledge the viewer’s pain and frustration with getting over a sore throat and other accompanying symptoms. You’d also want to illustrate an understanding of the underlying cause and how your remedy treats it.
As a side note, it’s incredibly important that you have a full understanding of your target audience at this point. This begins a long game that you’ll need to pursue from start to finish if you want to effectively convert—Around 63% of people who request information about your company or offerings won’t make a purchase for a minimum of three months.
Remember, while they may not even know they have a problem yet, you still need to become familiar with their pain points and understand the language and tone that resonates with this group.
Networks to Run Your Ads On
When targeting stages of the buyer’s journey, including the awareness stage, you should know which networks to target based on the ad type and the audience’s mindset.
Because your audience has low purchase intent at this stage, chances are, they’re not actively researching solutions to their problem.
Again, your audience might not even realize they have a problem at all. Because the intent is simply not there, direct search ads won’t be your best bet. Instead, you’ll want to focus on getting in front of your audience as they go about their business online.
Social ads work great for awareness campaigns—think Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn. The Google Display Network is also a good choice as you’re targeting users as they browse through partner network sites.
You can also experiment with Gmail ads.
These ads appear in the Social and Promotions tab of users’ inboxes and are almost indistinguishable from regular emails. Using them, you can gain access to people as they peruse their inbox (which they spend a lot of time doing), not just as they browse the web or social channels.
Newer options like Google Discover Ads, Gallery Ads, and YouTube Ads also present more opportunities for reaching your target market as they read articles and watch video content.
Targeting
At this stage, broad ad targeting in the buyer’s journey is a great way to cast a wide net, but that doesn’t mean you should broadcast your advertisements to anyone and everyone you can.
Instead, focus on targeting categories such as the following:
- Location
- Demographics
- Interests
- Keywords
This is also a good stage to build a Custom Affinity audience to target. Affinity audiences allow you to target your ads based on broad interests, like “food” or “sports.” Custom affinity audiences also let you get more specific by targeting URLs, YouTube channels, and interests.
This means that you might want to target your audience using a handful of things like URLs they may have visited, general categories, or channels that your existing customers spend time on.
Still, you don’t want to get too specific at this stage. Custom affinities are best for those businesses with a very niche product or service.
You can exclude people who already have some awareness of your brand – including those who have visited your website or engaged with you on social media.
Remember, the goal here is simply to spread awareness. Anyone with previous interactions should be served ads in the next stage.
Pro Tip: as you target keywords, the kinds of keywords will change. In the awareness stage, searches will be very broad.
Take a look at the table below.
Notice how it starts with broad keywords and gets more and more specific as a prospect moves into the consideration and decision phases?
Keep that in mind as you set your keyword bids and targets at each stage of the buyer journey.
Ad Formats
This isn’t the stage for text ads and extensions galore. Rather, the focus should be mostly on eye-catching imagery and generating interest. That being the case, you’ll want to put your focus primarily on video and image formats.
You’ll find both options for the Display Network (though strong images may be better received than video while users are browsing the web).
Pro Tip: video views can help you later, as they can be used as a retargeting metric for future ads. Instagram Stories is another format to try for social, and don’t forget the power of simple Promoted Stories.
Promoted Stories can be used to expand the reach of any great blogs or content on your site that will help introduce a new audience to the benefits of your business.
Keep in mind that in this stage, you don’t want your audience to have to work too hard for information.
Instead, present as much as you can up-front and in-channel (video ads are great for this) without making them click for more.
As you develop ad content for each stage of the buyer’s journey, you want to make the awareness stage very unintrusive and engaging. Keep the content simple but visually compelling as you introduce your brand and offerings.
Try to appeal to people’s curiosity in your awareness-stage ads, giving them information and enticing them to learn more.
Buyer Journey Stage 2: Consideration
In the consideration stage, your audience knows what they need and is aware of your business.
Understanding the Stage
Here, your goal is to educate your audience and show them the benefits you provide, as well as how you plan on solving their problem.
In this stage, users might not be ready to make a decision. Just think—81% of retail consumers conduct a lot of research before making a purchase. It’s your job to ensure that when they are ready to pull the trigger, it’s your brand that is top of mind.
Networks to Run Your Ads On
At this point, you can start adding search ads into the mix. While they may not be ready to make a final commitment, buyers are beginning to do active research into the products and services you offer.
Continue to keep ads running on the Display Network (or use Search Network with Display Expansion) and any social channels where your audience tends to be.
Again, it might be helpful to also advertise on YouTube and Google Discover.
Targeting
As mentioned, the paid media for each stage of the buyer’s journey will differ, along with targeting the stages of the buyer’s journey. Here, you’ll use a different approach than what you would with the awareness stage.
Remarketing is a strategy that allows you to target people who have engaged with your brand awareness ads in the past. They might have visited your website, watched a video, or engaged with social media content. In any case, you can make a list of people who completed an action and create targeted ads based on those interactions.
Based on those remarketing lists, you can then expand your reach with Lookalike Audiences (Facebook) and Similar Audiences (AdWords).
Different names, same function.
Essentially, they target people with shared interests and behaviors as those on your existing list. They have the potential to reach thousands of pre-qualified users.
So, if you have a list of everyone who visited your website after seeing your ad on the Display Network, you could then build an entirely new audience of people similar to them.
This stage is also a good time to start looking into Life Event targeting.
This type of targeting allows advertisers to show ads to people going through significant changes or events in their lives.
These people are often in-market for very specific goods or services, making them ideal for advertisers to be able to target.
As of now, Google offers the following life events:
- About to graduate college
- Recently graduated college
- About to move
- Recently moved
- About to get married
- Just got married
Note: life event targeting is currently only available for Gmail and video advertising campaigns.
The best results tend to happen when multiple channels work together, so I recommend you take a look at the different ways you can connect your Facebook and Google audiences.
Ad Formats to Use
Your ads and messaging at this stage in the buyer journey should be informative and focused on your product. Because your search ads and remarketing lists for search ads will be primarily text ads, make sure you include strong CTAs and compelling headlines.
Also, include relevant ad extensions to make additional information easily available.
For image formats on social, use large, clickable images that will lead users back to your website.
You might even consider using lead generation ads on LinkedIn or Facebook if your business model includes a strong content strategy.
B2B brands should follow this approach to capture qualified leads away from their website using case studies, white papers, and other types of high-level content to help nudge users toward making a buying decision.
As for the content, this is the time to push content that further helps the person understand their problem and what your solution can do. Produce ads that continue to inform the viewer while bringing them further into the sales funnel.
Generally, it’s best to keep these ads around 30% educational and 70% promotional.
Buyer Journey Stage 3: Decision
The last stage in the buyer journey is the decision phase.
This is where your focus shifts towards conversions, and your goal is to identify people who are ready to purchase with a well-placed at the right time.
Hopefully, if you’ve built up awareness and continued to educate and engage with your audience, you should have an edge over the competition and a chance to win a new customer.
Understanding the Stage
During the decision stage, people will be ready to decide whether to do business with you. Here, your aim is focusing on conversions—closing that deal.
As such, you’ll want to identify people ready to make a purchase by getting in front of them at the exact right moment. Hopefully, if you’ve built up awareness and continued to educate and engage with your audience, you should have an edge over the competition and a chance to win a new customer.
Which Networks Work Best for Decision-Stage Buyers?
As you consider ad content for each stage of the buyer’s journey, you’ll notice that each stage becomes less reliant on visuals. Case in point: Unlike the past two buyer’s journey stages, the decision is largely focused on the Google search network.
Why? Because Google – or if you’re really lucky, your website specifically – is the first place a buyer goes when they’re finally ready to seal the deal.
Make sure your ad is popping up for any relevant, bottom-of-the-funnel keyword searches (think purchase-intent keywords like “discount,” “deals,” “coupons,” “where to buy,” etc.)
Targeting
As your audience moves into the decision phase, you’ll want to continue targeting ads to users who have already engaged with your ads before.
That means you should get very specific with your remarketing and what behaviors you’re targeting on-site.
For example, you may want to build a list of users who have visited specific product or pricing pages or abandoned the checkout process.
Then, continue to build Lookalike and Similar Audiences based on those users.
You can also use in-market audiences.
These are audiences of people that Google has identified as having high buying intent based on their search and browsing history.
Which Ad Formats to Use
Because this is the make-or-break stage, it’s time to try testing ad formats that push price points and promotions.
Depending on your product, Google Shopping and Search Ads or Bing Shopping Ads are a great route to take if you’re advertising a specific product.
Shopping Ads appear to searchers who are shopping online for your product or related products. They appear at the very top of the SERPs, with a thumbnail image of your product, its price point, and sometimes additional extensions like star ratings and coupons.
You can also use a Showcase Shopping Ad, which are great for local retailers. These show ads to people who researching where to buy, rather than looking for a specific product.
Again, you’ll want to include relevant ad extensions (Note: these won’t necessarily show on your ad every time) like call extensions, review extensions, site link extensions, price extensions, etc.
Any ad you produce should feature a strong CTA like “Shop now!” or “Sign up!” to encourage quick action.
On the social side, try taking advantage of video or image carousel ads, designed to show off a line of products in a swipeable format.
One of the newer ad formats, canvas ads, comes with a “sell products” template that gives product information and encourages users to shop.
It all comes down to appealing to the impulse to buy. Encourage people to make that purchase they’ve been pondering.
As you figure out how to target ads at each stage of the buyer’s journey, you’ll discover how things naturally flow from mild curiosity to the desire to buy and commit to a solution.
FAQs About Creating Ad Content for Each Stage of the Buyer’s Journey
Have additional questions about how to target ads at each stage of the buyer’s journey? The following frequently asked questions will give you some answers:
1. How do different ad platforms cater to various stages of the buyer’s journey?
People will engage with ads differently, depending on where they’re at in their journey. Knowing these differences can help you develop connective ad content for each stage of the buyer’s journey.
For instance, during the awareness stage, you’ll do well to push more compelling visual content—like video ads—that grabs people’s attention and makes them, well, aware of your brand and solutions.
As people move down the sales funnel toward the decision stage, you can begin remarketing with image and search ads that provide more information. Eventually, your ads can be all about driving sales and getting people to buy.
Many of these end-stage ads can consist of bottom-of-the-funnel terms and minimal visuals, contrasting the highly visual or audial ads you used in the awareness stage.
2. Can the buyer’s journey vary across different industries or sectors?
Yes, the buyer’s journey will look different for different industries and sectors. For instance, even just comparing business-to-consumer (B2C) and business-to-business (B2B) shows a clear difference.
B2B customers tend to take longer to make a buying decision, with one survey finding that they’re typically about 57% of the way through the buyer’s journey by the time they actively engage with sales.
Of course, different industries within each of those models will also have different audiences. Each audience will go through the buyer’s journey a bit differently, depending on their behaviors, needs, and other factors.
3. What metrics are most effective for measuring success at each stage of the buyer’s journey?
The following are some of the key metrics to use when measuring the success of your advertising efforts throughout the buyer’s journey:
- Awareness Metrics: Ad impressions, time on page, and reach.
- Consideration Metrics: Clicks, website traffic, click-through rates, and engagement.
- Decision Metrics: Conversion rates and sales.
4. How does the integration of storytelling play into the buyer’s journey?
Storytelling is one of the most important paid media trends to use to connect with consumers.
People really connect emotionally with brands that tell relatable stories. For example, an ad at the awareness stage might construct a narrative around a pain point. It goes into the struggles that people experience and their frustrations, ultimately suggesting you have the solution—the light at the end of the tunnel.
5. How frequently should marketers review their ad strategies tailored to the buyer’s journey?
You should often measure the results your ad strategies are getting. Specifically, you may benefit from reviewing your strategies either quarterly or monthly.
It also depends on how frequently you make changes to your strategy.
6. In what ways can retargeting campaigns enhance the buyer’s journey experience?
Retargeting ad campaigns can help with targeting the stages of the buyer’s journey in multiple ways.
For instance, they can:
- Increase brand recognition and subsequent trust
- Maximize your return on investment
- Help you re-engage audiences who might have fallen off
- Enable you to stand out in a sea of ads and overcome ad fatigue
7. How do cultural or regional differences influence the buyer’s journey, and how can ads be adapted?
Cultural and regional differences can greatly influence people’s journeys.
For instance, different cultures celebrate different holidays, some of which could take place in some form over the course of a month or longer, like the Muslim holiday Ramadan. The customs during these holidays will impact people’s buying habits and more. In the case of Ramadan, as an example, people tend to spend more time shopping online as they take more time to rest.
Based on the cultures and regions you’re targeting, you can adjust your ads accordingly. In your ads targeting the buyer’s journey at the awareness stage, you could choose different times to push these ads based on when each location is likely to engage with them.
8. What role do influencers play in the different stages of the buyer’s journey?
Influencers can play a great part in connecting with audiences throughout the buyer’s journey.
They can help consumers most during the consideration and decision stages. At these points, influencers can create reviews, unboxing videos, product demos, or other content that provides personal insight into a solution and brand.
9. How do seasonal trends or events impact the buyer’s journey and the ad content created for each stage?
Certain events and seasonal trends can have an impact on ad performance and engagement.
An example of this would be a company advertising cough medicine. During the cooler months, people are more likely to want to buy these products as the cold season kicks in. The company might want to push more awareness ads during these times of year to help guide people suffering from cold symptoms toward its solution.
Holidays can also have an effect. For example, people will be more eager to buy luxury items and gifts around the holiday season, making consideration and decision ads more effective for retailers selling these kinds of products.
10. Are there any common mistakes to avoid when creating ad content for the buyer’s journey?
When creating ads for the buyer’s journey stages, there are some mistakes to avoid. These include:
- Not knowing your audience — Be sure to learn about your audience’s unique wants, needs, and buying habits. Otherwise, you won’t know how to reach them on paid media networks and establish a real connection.
- Not setting good goals — What kind of results define success? Do you want to reach a specific number of impressions or other forms of engagement? Maybe you want to make a certain amount of sales by the end of a particular period. Setting goals helps gauge performance.
- Not implementing clear CTAs — You need effective calls to action, especially during the consideration and decision stages. Keep your CTA clear, concise, and compelling to drive engagement.
- Not measuring the results — Always use tools to collect data and provide insights around your campaigns, which will help you continually improve them over time for better results.
Meet Your Goals With Help From Ignite Visibility
If you want to get the best results from ads targeting the buyer’s journey at each stage, you may need some help. Whether you need ads to target the awareness, consideration, or decision stage, we’ll help put together a strategy that truly works for you.
Regardless of your industry and your specific needs, Ignite Visibility can help develop the right solution to reach your goals.
We’ll assist with:
- Learning about your audience
- Determining which ad networks to target based on your audiences
- Creating high-quality ad content that covers all platforms
- Measure the results of your campaigns for continued optimization
Does that sound like something you need?
