Increase sales by reading your customers’ mind.
Here’s a concept that’s 100% guaranteed to next-level your marketing and increase sales.
A bold claim.
But before we get started, if you’re serious about getting your marketing right, you’ll have a target customer avatar (or buyer persona) and be clear on who you’re writing, talking and selling to.
If not, do this now and I’ll see you back here ASAP.
Now we need to dissect your customer avatar, because the type of person you’re targeting may fit an archetype, but the level of awareness they have of your business, that’ll differ from person to person.
According to the late-great copy-king Eugene Schwartz, there are 5 ‘levels of awareness’, ranging from completely unaware that they have a problem you can solve. Right through to actively seeking out a solution to their problem and purchasing from your business.
The idea is that your content should be in the right place, at the right time, saying the right thing, in the right amount. To move the customer through the levels of awareness until they get to level 1.
Let’s pretend, for the purpose of example, that you sell fly screen doors and starting at level 5 (which is the hardest sell), we’ll detail the characteristics of your content, what form it might take and where you might place it, in order to make your customer thing you’ve read their mind.
Stay with me.
Level 5: Completely Unaware.
These people don’t know they have a problem that needs fixing and they’ve certainly never heard of your business.
Basic characteristics of your copy:
- Generally longer than the other levels, as more explanation is needed
- More emotive; detailing their state of mind and painting a picture
- Low level commitments in the call to action — don’t ask them to purchase straight away
- Content should be education focused, trust building and not about your product
Mind-reading trick
Social ads are great for level 5 customers as they won’t be actively searching for a solution to a problem — you need to go to them. Hit on a pain point you know they have, but they might not necessarily be aware they need a solution for.
Example:
As a fly screen door seller the problem you’re fixing could be flies around the fruit bowl.
You might serve a social ad in the summer to local home-owners entitled ‘Fly landed on your apple? Here’s why you need to bin it immediately’. The ad is going to catch their attention as that happened to them that morning. Spooky!
The call to action may be to download an ebook on all things home-hygiene and how to keep your family safe and healthy during the bug-season. This provides them with value but doesn’t ask them to buy a fly screen door…just yet.
This has taken them from level 5 — completely unaware, to level 4 — problem aware.
Level 4: Problem Aware.
As the name suggests, the customer is aware that their problem exists, but doesn’t necessarily know there’s a solution, or make the connection between their problem and your solution.
Basic characteristics of your copy:
- Content should discuss various solutions (yours being one of them)
- Be empathetic to their pain or desire
- Bridge the gap between what they know (the pain) and what you know (the solution)
- Education-focused with some soft-sell if appropriate
- Low level commitment in the CTA, such as newsletter sign up or ebook download
Mind-reading trick
Blogs are great for customers at this level, as they might start googling the problem and there may be numerous solutions. Your job is to pre-empt what they might google, write a piece of content on the subject and show up when they search — spooky!
Example:
Our fly screen door challenged customer has had a fly land on her apple one too many times and is wondering whether it’s OK to still put the aforementioned apple in her son’s lunchbox. So she hits google.
Searching ‘diseases carried by flies’ or ‘can I still eat my apple after a fly has landed on it?’, she comes across a blog you wrote on that very subject.
The customer is now aware she has a problem, so she has found your blog post, and a possible solution…instead of throwing away the fruit — why not stopping the flies getting in the house in the first place with a fly screen door?
This as taken her from level 4 — problem aware, to level 3 — solution aware.
Level 3: Solution Aware.
The customer now wants to get their problem fixed and knows what they’d like the outcome to be, but doesn’t know which product to use to get them there.
Basic characteristics of your copy:
- Move away from demonstrating that you know their pain and more into the solution
- Content should discuss how they get to the outcome they want
- Need to understand the mechanics of how your product or service works
- Need to envisage your product or service delivering for them
Mind-reading trick
Here your content should be focused around your product and it’s benefits. Note, this is product benefits, not product features. Your customer doesn’t want to get into too much detail here, just to know how your product might be a better solution that anyone else’s.
Example
The customer knows there are solutions out there for her fly problem, but which one to choose? A fly swatter? Bug spray? An advanced air conditioning unit, so she doesn’t have to open the doors in Summer?
At this point she might start doing some research on different solutions to work out which suits her needs best.
You might run a campaign which retargets your potential customer through social media after she’s been to your website. Or a google ads campaign so you show up when they search for a competitor. The goal here is to appear where they are online, at the point they are searching for a solution — spooky!
Now we’re getting somewhere, moving from level 3 — solution aware, to level 2 — product aware.
Level 2: Product Aware
We’re getting to the pointy end; the customer is making their final decision as to when (or if) to purchase. They are aware of your business, but also of your competitors.
Your copy should:
- Be very specific as to the product features and benefits
- Reassure that your is the right product for them
- Detail your USPs what makes you better than the rest?
- Reinforce their desire with logic, proof and results — not emotion
- CTAs are strong and clear, leading directly to purchase
Mind-reading trick
The customer has done their homework — they know what else is on the market but they just need to be reassured that your product is the right choice. If only there was a way to compare the pros and cons of each.
When they revisit your website to double check the fine print, they might find a checklist compariation, listing competitor options and how yours compares — spooky!
Example
Our potential customer has decided that a fly screen door is the best solution to her problem, but there are so many businesses out there selling the same product. You have already built up a certain level of trust through the ebook and digital ads she came across in her earlier levels of awareness, but that doesn’t mean she’s ready to buy right now.
A checklist will help take away the confusion and hard work of making a decision and ressure her that your fly screen doors are the best on the market.
We’re almost there; moving level 3 — product aware, to level 2 — most aware.
Level 1: Most Aware
They’re ready to click, but remember a customer is always looking for a reason not to buy from you. The job of your marketing is to leave them with no excuse to say no. Here they just need that extra nudge, or bit of reassurance that they’re doing the right thing.
Your copy should:
- Tell them about an offer, give them a discount or free delivery to tip them over
- Stress urgency
- Think about what might be holding them back and squash it then and there
- Messaging is short, direct and straight to the point — just tell them the deal
- Provide an incentive to purchase now, not later
Mind-reading trick
Content here is short, sharp and to the point. The customer is not bothered about emotions, they want cold hard facts and to know who’s going to give them the best deal, with the least amount of hassle: you or your competitor.
Example
Remember back in the early levels we got our potential fly screen door customer’s email address? Now is the time to use it wisely. Send an email with an urgent offer and a discount code, or free delivery and installation — “but hurry the code expires at midnight”!
You might include a testimonial from a customer singing your praises about how the fly-screen door has saved their fruit bowl and allowed them to enjoy apples in peace once more. Spooky!
Or maybe they don’t need any more than a bit more detail on the purchase process. Bridge the gap between the customer not having a fly screen door, to owning and using one in 3 easy steps:
- Measure your doorway
- Click here to choose the size and type of door that’s right for you
- One of our friendly team will be in touch to arrange FREE delivery and installation
A money back guarantee if the fly screen door doesn’t change her life will reassure her that she won’t regret parting with their hard-earned cash.
The wise words
I know what you’re thinking; how do I know what level a customer is at? There are various ways, such as pop up surveys, questions via email marketing, chat and customer service logs but the biggest clue is situational.
How did they get to your site? Remarketing, email list, social media ad, google search? This is going to give you the biggest clue as to how aware they are of their problem, the solution and your business.
For example someone on your email list is likely to be around levels 4–5 and just need the nudge. Someone who hit your site via a facebook ad or google search will be around the lower levels and should be greeted with landing pages that spell out their pain points and desires.
The golden rule of copywriting is say what needs to be said, when it needs to be said. But don’t say any more.
So I’ll leave it there.
