So how do you prove that your brand is the best solution? Create content that differentiates your brand from the competition while still addressing any questions your buyer may have during this stage. Let’s discuss how to use content marketing to make your brand stand out in the consideration stage of the buyer's journey.
Let's recap on what goes on in your buyer's mind when they are in the consideration stage so that you can understand what they're looking for.
In the awareness stage, your buyer has already conducted some initial research. But in the consideration stage, they are really buckling down on finding more detailed information to resolve their issue. Essentially, they are evaluating the best place to purchase what they need. This makes it crucial that your brand is visible and present during the process of consideration.
According to a report by Pardot, 70% of buyers return to Google at least 2-3 times during the course of their research. They want to see what the options are, and will start directly putting one product against another to see how factors like pricing, features, or design compare with the competition. By now, you should be able to rely on your buyer personas to identify which factors are most important to them.
Ideally, your buyer has followed you here from the first stage, but more often you’ll be dealing with buyers who were interacting with other brands during the awareness stage and are only stumbling upon your product mid-stream. This makes it even more important that you’re serving up powerful messaging that precisely hits the key triggers for each persona.
To ensure that the content you create specifically for buyers in this stage, here are some questions to answer about your buyer persona:
There are other ways to solve your buyer’s problem that do not involve using your product or service. Know what they are so that you can address these points in your content.
It's essential to know the specifics about how your buyer persona gets their information because these are the channels you want to make sure you are present in.
If you are selling a product, is your persona more likely to search in store or online for your solution? If you offer a service, do they search for reviews or go to your website's about page to learn more about your company?
Find out what matters the most when your buyers are narrowing down their options. Some people are ultimately influenced on which company has the better price. Others go for the more convenient option or the one that has the best reviews.
Once you determine what the most important factors are through your buyer persona research, highlight those features in your content for this stage.
The content you create for buyers in the consideration should differentiate your brand from the competition. It should still allude to the customer’s pain points while positioning your product or service as the best solution.
Here are examples of content you need to set your brand apart:
Since your buyer is looking for more detailed information a case study is great piece of content to have. A case study thoroughly explains how your company was able to resolve a customer's issue by using its product/services. It will usually include important statistics and quotes from the customer.
Buyers will relate to the case study since they are in a similar scenario as the customer.
Highlight the benefits of your product or service in a blog post by comparing your brand to its competitors. Chances are that your buyer is searching for compare/contrast blog posts anyway, so this is a great way to attract them to your site.
This is where you can clear up any misconceptions your buyer would have about your product. You can either have a FAQ section on your about page or create a blog post that answers common questions you receive about your product or service.
A demo video is different than a how-to video because you are explaining details about the product/service itself instead of a generic process. Videos are a great way to show your prospects visual proof that you can solve their problem.
Speaking of proof, buyers heavily rely on reviews and testimonials in the consideration stage. Be sure to have testimonials on your website and to throw any impressive stat you have on your landing page (i.e., 90% of our buyers found our product helpful).
By creating the content your buyers are looking for in the consideration stage, you will attract them to your site. That means that you will have the opportunity to position your brand as the best solution for their problem.