The 5 Stages of Buyer Awareness, And What They Mean For Your Writing
Whether you realize it or not, you go through a journey every time you make a purchase.
Before you buy something new, you spend time learning and thinking about it. You never see something that you’re totally unfamiliar with and buy it right then and there.
The journey looks very different depending on the thing you’re buying.
When you’re buying a cup of coffee from your favorite cafe, the journey is very short. You already know what the product is. So, the journey is two steps:
- I want a flat white from Sloth’s Cafe.
- I’m going to buy one.
But, if I offered you an etihwtalf, the buyer’s journey looks much different. You have no idea what that is, how much it costs, what it does, or what problem it solves.
You have no idea if you want an etihwtalf, so the buying process starts with you learning about it, becoming aware of what it can do for you, and why it’s the best option.
Everyone is in a different stage of the buyer’s journey.
In his famous book, Breakthrough Advertising, Eugene Schwartz explains the 5 different stages of awareness.
If you’re writing copy, you need to understand what stage of awareness your reader is at. If you have no idea what my product is, my writing needs to be completely different than if you’ve already experienced my product and I want you to buy it again.
Here are the 5 stages of awareness, and tips to write copy for each stage.
Unaware
At this stage, your reader is unaware of their problem and the solution you’re offering. This means the reader has never heard of the product or service, or any of the competitors.
They might be experiencing some symptoms of the problem, but haven’t identified it yet.
What it means
When you’re writing to an unaware audience, you can only appeal to the identity of the person.
You need to cast a wide net, and do a lot of educating.
Because of that, most people don’t want to write to an unaware audience. It requires a lot more work to build trust with your readers, and help them understand why what you’re talking about is important to them.
Problem Aware
Your reader is aware of their problem, but they’re unaware of any solutions to their problem. For example, your reader is having some back pain, but doesn’t know what they should do about it.
Maybe they need new shoes? Or a new desk chair? Or a back massager?
They have no idea right now, but they’re feeling the back pain.
What it means
Show people that you understand their problem, and tell them that you have a solution.
You’ll still need to do a lot of education in your copy. People at this stage will be unsure about the solution you’re offering, so you need to spend time building trust and relating to the reader.
Solution Aware
This means your reader is aware of their problem, and they know some solutions exist. But they aren’t sure if your solution is right for them.
Imagine you’re walking around in a city you’ve never been to. It’s lunchtime, you’re hungry, and you want a slice of pizza. The problem is that you’re hungry and want pizza.
You know that there are probably various restaurants that sell pizza, but you have no idea which one is best for you. You know the solution is somewhere, and need to find your ideal solution.
What it means
You need to show the reader that you’re knowledgeable about the solutions, and prove why your solution is their best option.
Remember that people in this stage know about their problem, and that are solutions out there. They’re still a bit skeptical, so your copy needs to tell them specifically how your solution is going to solve their problem, and why it’s better than the other solutions.
Maybe your pizza shop has the best deal in town — any slice and drink for $3. Or you have the widest variety of pizzas. Or you offer the fastest delivery in town.
Tell the reader exactly why you’re the best.
Product Aware
At this stage, your reader is aware of your solution. They’ve heard about your offer, but they’re not fully convinced that it’s right for them.
Maybe they heard one of your commercials, read an article about your product, or a friend recommended you to them. When people are at this stage, you might have an advantage over your competitors, but you need to get people to cross the line and become a customer.
People have objections and reasons why they’re not going to buy what you’re selling, and you need to overcome those.
What it means
You need to communicate your best offer and promises. Prove to them why your solution is their best option and aim to eliminate any risks they might see.
Most Aware
Your reader is right on the edge of buying your product, but hasn’t crossed the line yet. They know exactly what your product does, and they want to buy it.
This is the situation when you know you want to buy a new pair of Nike Air Zoom running shoes. But, something is holding you back from making the purchase.
Maybe you think the shoes are too expensive. Or you’re worried that they’re not going to last. Or couldn’t find the color and size you wanted at the store.
You know exactly what you want, but need an extra push to cross the line.
What it means
You need to overcome the reader’s final objective.
To do that, you need to know what that objection is.
- Is your product too expensive?
- Are they worried that your product will take too long to get delivered?
- Are people unsure of the results your services will get them?
- Do they think there’s a lengthy onboarding process?
If you can figure out what someone’s final objective is, you can make them an offer that’s impossible to resist.
Before writing any copy, you need to understand what stage of awareness your reader is at. Writing to a problem aware audience is much different than writing to a product aware audience.
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