There has never been a home buyer that woke up one morning and said, \u201cI\u2019m going to buy a new home today.\u201d Buying a new home is a major commitment and home buyers treat it as such. They take time to understand the financing and buying process, decide where they want to live, the features they need in their homes, decide between new vs. resale homes and research builders. All this before they even step foot into a sales office.<\/p>\n
When you\u2019re trying to attract and engage buyers in different stages of their home buying journey, it\u2019s important to create content to effectively nurture buyers toward a sale.<\/p>\n
Without understanding where your buyers are in their journey, it’s impossible to create the right kind of content they need and want. Here\u2019s how you can best create content for each stage of the buyer\u2019s journey and successfully sell more homes.<\/p>\n
The buyer\u2019s journey goes by many names: customer journey, sales, or marketing funnel. Basically, its’ the combination of steps a lead goes through before making a purchase. There are four main stages:<\/p>\n
Buyers in the Awareness stage are at the very beginning of their journey. While your sales team won\u2019t want to contact them just yet, you can use your website and social platforms to begin laying the groundwork for your relationship.\u00a0Awareness-stage content should focus on providing educational value with little to no commitment or sales pitches. The goal for this stage is to capture their attention and encourage them to return to your website.<\/p>\n
Here is some content that can help do the job:<\/p>\n
The Consideration stage is crucial. This is when buyers understand their problem and are beginning to narrow down their options. Buyers in this stage aren\u2019t ready to buy but they\u2019re more qualified than those in the awareness stage. This is when you should begin mentioning how your homes solve your potential buyer\u2019s problems and showing how you stand out from the pack.<\/p>\n
Here is some content you can create for this stage:<\/p>\n
This stage is where buyers are finally ready to make a decision. They\u2019ve sorted through the information they gathered during the research stage, vetted your services, signed up for your emails, and have visited your sales office. This is the most qualified lead and where most sales people focus their efforts in converting. While buyers are ready to make their decision, they want to make sure you are the right one. You should create content that reduces any doubt that you\u2019re the right builder for them.<\/p>\n
Here is some content you can create for this stage:<\/p>\n
Your relationship with your customers doesn\u2019t end once they\u2019ve purchased a new home. Successful builders continue to nurture their relationships with homebuyers to cultivate referrals and possibly repeat buyers when they\u2019re ready for their next home. During this phase, you want to show them how to get the best value out of their homes.<\/p>\n
Here is some content you can create for this stage:<\/p>\n
As you can see, most of these content types can work for more than one buyer stage. Smart marketers can mix and match several of these types within each stage.<\/p>\n