How to identify your target market decision making process
You know you need to identify your target market and niche for your business. This helps you focus your efforts on a specific group and tailor your messaging to them.
But did you know you also need to understand how they make their decisions?
Along with knowing who they are, what they value, how they spend their money, etc. it’s also important to really step into their shoes and understand the exact thought process they go through when making a purchasing decision.
This is called the buyer’s journey and in my decade+ of experience as a marketing strategist, this is one of the most valuable pieces of information to be able to effectively market your business.
You can have all the other pieces in your marketing and business strategy, but if you’re missing this, it’s much more difficult to actually connect with your niche.
And it’s also often the most overlooked by small business owners because it’s a pretty niche marketing term that most people outside of marketing wouldn’t know, let alone know how to figure out what their buyer’s journey even is.
So what is the buyer’s journey?
The buyer's journey is essentially the decision making process your target audience goes through when making a purchase. It follows them through the stages of becoming aware of a need, considering different solutions to fulfill that need, researching these different solutions, and then making a decision between the different options.
Think about it this way… when you decide you need a new shirt, what sparks that need and what is the first thing you do to fulfill the need of a new shirt?
For some people, they are going to hop online, go to their favorite store, and see what selection they have.
For others, they’re going to head to their closet to see if they really need a new shirt or if something they already have will work.
Others are going to search Pinterest for new trends or head to their favorite influencer’s account to see what they’re wearing these day.
And each of these people will then make a different decision after this initial search and likely several others prior to buying a new shirt. (Each of these above examples are the start of different buyer’s journeys for different target markets.)
Everyone in your target audience is going to have a very similar decision making process so if you don’t know this typical process, it becomes more difficult to know what marketing avenues are the most effective for you. For example, if they start their search on Pinterest, then you want to be using Pinterest as one of your marketing strategies and if you’re not, your target market probably isn’t finding you or if having a harder time finding you.
It also means you don’t know how your target audience is feeling along this decision making process so you may not be connecting with them on an emotional level so when they see the solution you are providing them they’re just like yeah yeah yeah *eyerolls*
Knowing your buyer’s journey helps you on various levels for your marketing efforts:
It helps you learn where your target audience starts their search for a solution to their need and each step along that decision making process.
This allows you to intercept them during this process by being a resource for them. This helps prevent them from “falling off” (aka giving up on their search for a solution out of frustration).
It helps you understand how your target audience is feeling during the process so you can connect with them on that emotional level. If they’re frustrated AF already, you want to make sure your solution is presented in a clear and concise manner to prevent further frustration, for example.
It helps you identify any objections they may have so you can squash them before they even come up for your target audience (using testimonials can be a great way to do this!)
This all shows you where to put your marketing efforts so you can connect with your audience exactly where they are along their journey. There are numerous touch points along the buyer’s journey which gives you an opportunity to connect with your target audience at multiple points along their process.
This is the foundation to understanding your target audience on a deeper level... Allowing you to be the solution they are looking for. Once you understand this, you entire marketing strategy will click into place so easily and effortlessly.
So how the heck do you figure out your buyer’s journey?
I have a free workbook + video tutorial to help you map out your buyer’s journey from start to finish. Sign up below for instant access.