Navigating the Five Stages of Customer Awareness in Digital Marketing

Understanding the psychological journey of your customers is pivotal for creating effective digital advertising strategies. Often overlooked when crafting ad copy, creative content, and landing pages, these stages shouldn’t be ignored. Regularly revisiting it can help you craft experiences that encourage potential customers to convert.

Inspired by Eugene Schwartz’s framework in Breakthrough Advertising, this guide explores how to apply the five stages of customer awareness to digital marketing platforms, driving more sales and engagement.

The Five Stages of Customer Awareness:

Let’s check out each stage, discuss strategies, and provide examples using my fake company, Totally Awesome Office Chairs, and their slogan, “End Discomfort, Buy Totally Awesome Office Chairs,” to effectively reach your audience at every point of their journey.

1. Unaware: The Blank Slate

At this initial stage, potential customers are oblivious to their needs or problems. They are the most challenging to reach because they don’t realize they have a problem you can solve. The goal here is to ignite their curiosity without resorting to a direct sales pitch.

Digital Strategies:

1. Education through Storytelling: Use compelling visuals and narratives on social media or video ad platforms to subtly introduce the problem while incorporating your brand.

Example: Totally Awesome Office Chairs creates a video showcasing the daily life of an office worker named Alex, who struggles with constant back discomfort and fatigue. The video shows how these issues affect Alex’s productivity and mood without directly mentioning office chairs. At the end, the company’s logo appears with their slogan, “End Discomfort, Buy Totally Awesome Office Chairs.” This prompts viewers to reflect on their own comfort at work and associate the message with the brand. I will admit using the slogan here is probably a bit more salesly than it has to be with “Buy Totally Awesome Office Chairs,” but it’s how I would do it, and it’s my brand’s slogan.  

2. Engagement via Curiosity: Craft headlines and ad creatives that prompt the audience to ponder an unconsidered issue, subtly linking back to your brand and slogan. Using a “Did you know?” approach can entice engagement.

Example: On social media, Totally Awesome Office Chairs posts: “Did you know that the average office worker sits for over 10 hours a day? Discomfort is not ok.” The post includes their branding and links to a blog article on their website about the impact of prolonged sitting, ending with the slogan, “End Discomfort, Buy Totally Awesome Office Chairs.” This encourages readers to become more aware of their own office setups.

2. Problem Aware: The Awakening

At this stage, customers recognize they have a problem and begin looking for solutions. This is the perfect time to educate and connect with them.

Digital Strategies:

1. Informative Content: Leverage educational blog posts, infographics, and explainer videos (can be with influencers or doctors) to provide value and answer key questions, clearly associating the content with your brand and slogan.

Example: Totally Awesome Office Chairs publishes a blog post titled “5 Reasons Your Office Chair is Causing You Pain.” The article offers valuable insights into how improper seating can lead to back pain and decreased productivity. In the post, they incorporate their slogan, “End Discomfort, Buy Totally Awesome Office Chairs,” reinforcing their commitment to solving this problem.

2. SEO and SEM Optimization: Optimize your content with problem-related keywords to capture attention during the search phase. Ensure your solutions are visible to those seeking answers and that your brand and slogan are prominently featured.

Example: They target keywords like “office chair back pain” and “how to sit in office chair.” When individuals search for ways to alleviate discomfort at work, Totally Awesome Office Chairs’ optimized guides and resources should appear at the top of search results. Each piece of content features their branding and includes the slogan, reminding users that “End Discomfort, Buy Totally Awesome Office Chairs.”

3. Solution Aware: The Consideration

Customers know that solutions exist but haven’t discovered yours yet. This stage is about highlighting what makes your solution unique.

Digital Strategies:

1. Showcase Your Solution: Create content that clearly demonstrates how your product works, ensuring your brand and slogan are front and center. Use case studies, testimonials, and product demos to showcase benefits.

Example: Totally Awesome Office Chairs produces a demo video highlighting the innovative features of their chairs, such as adjustable lumbar support and pressure-relieving cushions that prevent soreness. The video is branded throughout and ends with their slogan, “End Discomfort, Buy Totally Awesome Office Chairs.” Testimonials from satisfied customers emphasize how the chairs have eliminated their discomfort.

2. Precision Targeting: Employ ad campaigns to reach audiences interested in similar solutions, emphasizing your unique value proposition, brand identity, and slogan.

Example: They run targeted ads on platforms like Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube aimed at professionals and/or entire businesses that may interested in office ergonomics. The ads highlight their chairs’ unique features—like their patented “ComfortMax” technology—with the Totally Awesome Office Chairs brand prominently displayed and include the slogan, reinforcing the message that discomfort is unacceptable.

4. Product Aware: The Decision Phase

Customers are aware of your product but aren’t yet convinced. They’re considering their options, and it’s time to persuade and convert them with compelling content and offers.

Conversion-Centric Strategies:

1. Build Trust with Social Proof: Integrate customer testimonials and success stories into your ads to build credibility. Ensure your brand and slogan are clearly associated with these success stories.

Example: Totally Awesome Office Chairs features success stories of companies that upgraded their office seating. One case study highlights how a tech firm saw a 20% increase in employee satisfaction after switching to their chairs. The testimonials include video interviews with the company representatives, the Totally Awesome Office Chairs logo, and conclude with the slogan, “End Discomfort, Buy Totally Awesome Office Chairs.”

2. Create Urgency with Limited Offers: Use tactics like limited-time discounts or exclusive bonuses to encourage immediate action, making sure your brand and slogan stand out in the promotion.

Example: They promote a “Fall Office Revamp Sale” offering a 15% discount on all chairs for the next seven days. Promotional emails and ads feature the company’s branding, the slogan “End Discomfort, Buy Totally Awesome Office Chairs,” and countdown timers to motivate customers to act before the offer expires.

5. Most Aware: The Commitment

In the final stage, customers are ready to purchase but may need a compelling reason to click “buy.” These individuals are very familiar with your brand and solution, and may even be existing customers. The offers here can look similar if you are creating urgency with offers. Remarketing and custom offers also fit well in this stage. 

Closing Strategies:

1. Present Irresistible Offers: Offer clear, compelling incentives such as free shipping, extended warranties, or bundle deals to tip the scales in your favor, with your brand and slogan reinforcing trust.

Example: Totally Awesome Office Chairs sends personalized emails to potential buyers offering free ergonomic desk accessories with the purchase of a chair, or an extended 10-year warranty for orders placed within the next 48 hours. The communications are branded and include the slogan, “End Discomfort, Buy Totally Awesome Office Chairs,” emphasizing their dedication to customer comfort.

2. Remarketing and Upselling: Run retargeting ads to people who have added to cart  but not bought. Use data analytics to identify purchasing patterns and suggest complementary products, using branded communications and your slogan.

Example: They identify customers who purchased chairs previously and send them targeted ads showcasing their latest models with enhanced features, along with a trade-in program offering a discount on new purchases. The ads feature the slogan, reminding customers that “End Discomfort, Buy Totally Awesome Office Chairs.” For existing customers, they promote complementary products like adjustable standing desks, encouraging them to complete their ergonomic workspace.

By tailoring your advertising efforts to each stage of customer awareness and ensuring your brand is consistently represented, you can guide potential customers from initial curiosity to a confident purchase. Remember, there is some overlap between these stages, and in reality, a potential customer can buy at any of the stages, but simply incorporating them into your strategy can help increase sales and build lasting relationships. It’s important to try to understand where your potential customers could be at every stage of their journey. 

Questions?

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