Why Your buyer's Information Needs are So Critical?

Why Your buyer’s Information Needs are So Critical?

Why Your buyer’s Information Needs are So Critical? 369 217 Shlomi Ron


When you think about how to create an effective visual storytelling strategy, it’s always critical to understand your target buyer’s information needs at each stage of the buyer’s journey.

Why?

Your buyer’s needs constantly change as she moves through the stages of your buyer’s journey.

At the top of the funnel (TOFU), the Discover stage you’re dealing with complete strangers with very narrow attention span. That’s why your buyer needs you to answer her in the shortest time and space: Why should I care?

 With this in mind, based on your prior research about your buyer persona you could address basic questions addressing the core problem your product or service helps solve as an initial hook.



Once your stranger becomes a visitor and decides to check out your Website for more information, this is where you want to unpack their information needs into WHAT and HOW.

At the Learn stage, you provide information that helps your buyer deepen their understanding of a given hot topic, and opportunities to try your product/services.

At the mid-funnel (MOFU), the Try and Buy stages your buyer is first getting ready to try out your product without any risk, so information needs are around free samples, free appointments, demo tours etc. These are all free trials that give your customer a risk-free environment to test out your product or service. If satisfied with the experience, your customer will move to the Buy Stage and information needs will change to getting a few proof points, like success stories and the basic terms – to build his confidence and allow her to seal the deal.

Naturally, the sales cycle length depends on your audience type and price point, but the more expensive your product/service is, the more proof information your buyer would need and the longer time it would take.

Congratulations! Your buyer decided to purchase your product/service. As a new Customer, her information needs at the Adopt stage are automatically transformed into wanting to protect her investment and maximize her value.

Therefore, you need to lay out a series of core questions your new customer most likely would ask about and create a corresponding onboarding program to make them feel special and catered to.

At the bottom of the funnel (BOFU), the Advocate stage you want to create a special program for your most happy customers and turn them into advocates, so they can help spread the word on your behalf by boasting their experience working with your product/service.

Here your buyer’s information needs are all about looking for good opportunities to brag or show off their great success using your product/service.

So as you can see as your buyer moves along the stages of the buyer’s journey her information needs change and as a result, the stories and tactics will have to match each stage, the buyer persona and the platform culture you plan to engage them on.

Mapping out your buyer’s information needs is an essential factor in ensuring your buyer constantly receives relevant information to build trust and eventually – behavioral change.

Need help developing your visual storytelling strategy to satisfy your customer’s needs at each stage of the buyer’s journey?

Schedule a complimentary conversation today

Shlomi Ron

Shlomi Ron is the founder and CEO of the Visual Storytelling Institute, a Miami-based think tank with a mission to bring the gospel of visual storytelling from the world of art to more human-centric and purpose-driven marketing. A digital marketing veteran with over 20 years of experience working both on the agency and brand sides for Fortune 100/500 brands such as Nokia, IBM, and American Express. He started VSI to combine his marketing expertise with his passion for visual stories stemming from his interests in classic Italian cinema and managing the estate of video art pioneer, Buky Schwartz. At VSI, he helps brands rise above the communication noise through visual storytelling consulting, training, and thought leadership. Select clients include Estée Lauder, Microsoft, and Cable & Wireless – to name a few. He currently teaches Brand Storytelling at the University of Miami’s Business School. Thought leader and speaker at key marketing conferences. He is also the host of the Visual Storytelling Today podcast, which ranks in the top 10 best business storytelling podcasts on the Web. His book: Total Acuity: Tales with Marketing Morals to Help You Create Richer Visual Brand Stories. Outside work, he is a nascent bread baker, The Moth fan, and longtime fedora wearer likely to jive with his classic Italian cinema interest.

All stories by: Shlomi Ron
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