Rob Walling spoke on stage at MicroConf 2024 to educate his audience about his current SaaS framework.
During this presentation, he discussed a key concept that has been used in marketing since the 60s to help understand consumer thought processes and lead them to certain products.
Understanding Customer Awareness
The basis of Walling’s strategy stems from a book called Breakthrough Advertising by Eugene Schwartz. In the book, Schwartz breaks down the concept of “awareness” into five different levels.
Understanding these levels is essential for creating effective advertisements. Let’s discuss each level and how to incorporate standard marketing practices into a strategy based on them.
5 Levels of Awareness
To properly understand this analogy, let's look at a reverse pyramid labeling the stages:
- Unaware
- Problem Aware
- Solution Aware
- Product Aware
- Most Aware
• Unaware: This is the broadest level of awareness. Consumers aren’t aware they have a problem or need.
• Problem Aware: Consumers recognize a problem or need but can’t pinpoint a solution.
• Solution Aware: Consumers are aware that there are solutions to their problem but aren’t sure exactly what those solutions entail.
• Product Aware: Consumers now know of a product or service that might be a solution.
• Most Aware: Consumers have identified the solution they feel most comfortable with and are closest to making a purchase.
From a business perspective, the three stages in the middle are the ones you should focus on the most.
Since there are likely many different solutions to consumer problems, competition comes into play, and you need to differentiate your product from others to gain a competitive advantage.
There are many ways to implement this new understanding of awareness into a solid strategy. Here are some key steps to do so:
• Focus on Generating Brand Awareness.
This is mostly used to combat the first level: Unawareness. You have to establish your brand and highlight key components and the problems you intend to solve as a business. It might even help consumers pinpoint a problem.
• Separate Yourself from the Competition.
This is effective during the Solution Aware and Product Aware phases, where consumers are most likely studying multiple solutions to remedy their problems or desires. Let the public know how you are different from the competition and highlight what your brand brings to the table.
• Use Keywords for SEO.
It’s a good idea to associate your business with many keywords, which is essential for when consumers are in the Problem Awareness phase. You should try to anticipate what questions a consumer might type into a search engine and format your keywords based on those inquiries.
For example, let's say someone is looking for a graphic design tool to make thumbnails. A person searching for a new product like that might type in some of the following:
- “Easy to use design tools”
- “Thumbnail designer”
- “What’s a good online graphic designer?”
As a website and business owner, it’s your job to study those search options and format your site to include the words “graphic design” as much as possible. That same principle applies to nearly every online business and will help customers familiarize themselves with your products and services.
Lastly, Stay in Touch with Your Consumer Base.
This method might seem pushy, but it’s necessary to effectively advertise to consumers. If you are making sales calls or one-on-one sales pitches over social media, there are some key questions you should ask:
- “Do you have a budget?”
- “When are you looking to make the purchase?”
- “What specific brands are you comparing us to?”
- “What key features are you looking for in a product?”
- “How often do you plan to use this product?”
Not only will these questions help you gain a competitive advantage, but you can also assist consumers in the buying process by educating them on the best ways to locate your brand and make purchases.
Understanding the consumer thought process will help you establish a well-rounded formula to elevate your brand and keep you a step ahead of the competition.
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