Digital Communication and the Buyer's Journey

Digital Marketing - Study Notes:

The buyer’s journey is a framework that maps out the stages of your customers’ lifecycle. While not always linear, we can use this model to track customers as they move from initial discovery to deeper research, as they choose between options and eventually make a purchase. The model allows us to imagine how a typical purchase journey might look.

Nonlinear buyer’s journey model

The latest nonlinear model of the buyer’s journey begins with passive exposure to a product or service. Then, an internal or external trigger spurs consumers and B2B buyers into action. This trigger can be an internal realization of a need or a want, exposure to awareness-driving marketing material, or, in the case of B2B purchasing, a business requirement that must be fulfilled. Consumers then move back and forth between exploration and evaluation. This is the equivalent of the interest and consideration stages of the traditional buyer’s journey. 

In the latest model, once their mind is made up to take action, consumers will proceed to convert or buy. This aligns with the traditional buyer’s journey but attempts to show the nonlinear nature of the pre-purchase stages, which are interest and consideration in the old model and exploration and evaluation in the nonlinear model. This nonlinear model applies to both B2B and B2C purchase journeys. 

Different channels can be more important at different stages in the buyers’ journey. For example:

•      At the Exposure stage, TV, outdoor ads, social media channels, influencers, in-store ads, display ads, and PR all enhance general brand awareness.
•      Triggers can include social media referrals and recommendations, email reminders of renewal date, and alerts.
•      At the Exploration stage, SEO and PPC, social media posts, recommendation engines, blogs, whitepapers, research reports, and website are important.
•      At the Evaluation stage, review sites, price comparison sites, experts and influencers, trials, and social media reviews come to the fore.
•      At the Purchase stage, websites and ecommerce sites, retargeting, and in-app purchasing are most important.
•      At the Experience stage, YouTube how-to guides and videos, SMS welcome programs, email loyalty programs, and social media brand communities are the key channels.

Matching digital channels to target audiences

You can match the various digital channels to different target audiences. For example: 

•      LinkedIn, SlideShare, and Twitter are suitable for business to business and professional target audiences. 
•      Instagram and TikTok can be matched to 18- to 24-year-olds. 
•      Facebook is best for older millennials, Gen X, and Baby Boomers.
•      Pinterest is a good choice for females aged 25 to 54.
•      Google is suitable for all searchers across ages and demographics. 

Many channels work well together. For example, TV can have a halo effect on other channels such as email, door drops, and direct mail. It can boost other ad channels by up to 54% and has a much bigger effect on them than any other channel. 
 
However, other channels also impact each other. There is a strong link between social media and face-to-face events. Social media can also be used to alert the news media to topical content, which then will be re-amplified on social media

Example: Mall of the Emirates wildfires campaign

For example, consider the Mall of the Emirates Christmas wildfire campaign. The brand wanted to raise awareness of climate change and the destructive effects of wildfires. In the Mall, the brand “lit” and “set fire” to a carbon neutral digital tree made from recycled LED screens. It asked people at the event to pledge their commitment to supporting climate action. For every pledge received, the brand committed to plant a real tree. This impactful incident was shared on social media. It was quickly picked up by news outlets and then reamplified on social.

The results of the campaign were impressive. The campaign generated:

•      2.2 million views on-site and online
•      120 million impressions
•      $1.8 million in earned media 

In addition, Google searches for the word “wildfire” increased by 27% during the period of the campaign. The event was later repeated on the Rockefeller tree in New York.
       
The B2B journey differs from the B2C journey in several ways:

•      The B2B journey is typically longer and more expensive. 
•      B2B decisions are more likely to include multiple stakeholders in a buying group or involve multiple departments.
•      B2B decisions often carry a higher risk. They can affect many people, including the decision maker. So, brand reputation, reviews, and recommendations can have a bigger impact in the decision-making process.