How Do I Bridge The Gap Between Awareness and Action in Marketing?

Show of hands: Who would like to spend less money on advertising, get better results and win over clients you want to work with? It's the marketing grail, right?

The trouble is that many businesses get stuck in a rut we call "the gap." It's a series of steps between someone being aware of your services and taking action — in other words, investing in you. And each step requires different marketing messages.

This might be one of the toughest challenges we see at Zoe Marketing & Communications. Every year, we help hundreds of clients understand and master the process it takes to cross that chasm and earn the right kind of clients. That is, they're engaged with and excited about your brand and, dare we say, love you.

After reading this blog, you'll be poised for success, too, as we walk you through:

• What the marketing gap between awareness and action is

• How to nudge people from asleep to aware

• How to bring them from aware to awake

• How to get them from awake to to alive

• Some key takeaways to get yourself out of the gap rut

Let's bridge that "gap" from awareness to action in this down-to-earth 101.

What is the marketing gap between awareness and action?

It's moving people from "cold" to "warm" to "hot." At each one of these phases, your hopeful future client is in a very different headspace:

1. Cold = They don't know who you are, and they don't even know they have a problem

2. Warm = They know they have a problem, but they don't know who you are

3. Hot = They know who you are, they know you could solve their problem — and they're starting to raise their hand to choose you

There are four phases people tend to cycle through:

• Asleep: I've never heard of this company

• Aware: I think I've heard of this company

• Awake: I have heard of this company

• Alive: I do business with/use this company's products or services

Let's take a closer look at moving people from one phase to another.

How do I nudge people from 'asleep' to aware?

Being jolted from a stone-cold slumber is no fun. That analogy holds up with marketing, too. Your debut message to your ideal "sleeping" client should not be a clock on the head (i.e., blaring how amazing your company is). Rather, think of it as a gentle, "Hey — are you there?"

In our experience, we've found 90% of clients don't have an 'asleep message.' That means this first step is not only crucial; it's also chronically overlooked.

So what works? Here are some fundamentals.

Know your ideal customer

What are their goals, desires and aspirations? What do they want? What issues do they face? Where do they hang out online — what forums are they in, what publications do they consume? What are their demographic/geographic details? How about their income and ZIP code?

If you know your customer, you can more identify their pains or things they want. And you can convey your message clearly through your copy, whether via email marketing, social media marketing or digital ad marketing. Bottom line: Do your homework.

Point out the problems

Remember, they may not even know they have a problem. Compelling prompts like, "Ever notice when ...?" or "Do you ever feel...?" help nudge people towards that "aware" place. 

You're getting them to identify something "painful" or unpleasant they're experiencing.

Explore sponsored content

Telling your story with sponsored content articles helps build rapport and warm people up. Just be sure to keep it educational and customer-first. What do your customers care about? What can you teach them about it?

If you're posting articles directly to your website, ensure there's an option on the page for people to give their email for something valuable (like a PDF download with more info).

If you're using another publisher to create and host articles, include an outbound link to your site that lands on a compelling page with more information. And again, include an option to capture email addresses.

In either case, with those email addresses, you can market more directly to people. Which has high value.

How do I bring people from aware to awake?

The next hurdle is bringing folks from being "vaguely aware" of you to actually registering your name. This is half the process: You're taking them from 30% to 80%.

Their mentality is: "Yes, I've identified I have a problem. Yes, I'd like to have this solved. And I might consider your company as the one that can help me do it." Some tips:

Meet your customer in their mind

At this point, you should know what their concerns are. So, address the thoughts you know they have going on in their mind that they're not telling anyone else. How do you know these secrets? Because your current clients have had the same thoughts!

Again, research is vital. Their thoughts should factor into your messaging.

Count every 'small yes'

Your prospects still aren't on the bandwagon yet. So every engagement counts. If they click on an ad, that's a small yes. If they spend time reading a message, it's another little nod.

With every message, you're asking permission. With every response, permission is granted and momentum is growing.

Create 'a way out' 

As you're building rapport, keep in mind: You've pointed out the "pain." Maybe you've helped them have an epiphany. Now, start showing them the light at the end of the tunnel.

After all, their subconscious says, "I still don't know about you. I'm still a little wary. I have these beliefs — and you're telling me they're wrong."

To help them along, show them the possibilities with inspiring stories, social proof (i.e., props for your business on social media) and other testimonials.

And finally, how do I get them from awake to alive?

The moment of truth. We'll start with a slightly awkward but very important fact: If you get someone to 80%, you've done your job in the internet marketing world.

What's that mean? To some degree, it's out of your hands. They're going to head off and do their own research. They need to process things. Again, their mindscape looks something like this:

• I identify with the problem your company described — 100%

• I want to solve the problem — 100%

• I think you're the solution to my problem — 80%

But don't despair. There are still ways you can offer an impactful nudge here, too.

Deliver a powerful offer

At this point, they're close to being sold. And a strong offer can push them over the edge. Some examples, targeted to a highly engaged audience, could include:

• Get on a coaching call with us. We have three spots open next week for new people.

• Think we might be a match? Try your first month at a 20% off discount.

• What are your next steps? Find clarity by taking a client needs analysis.

This more firmly brings a prospect into your world. You might even be directly communicating with them by phone or email. 

Provide a blueprint

They've got a clear picture but no clue how to do the problem-solving. That's where you, of course, shine. You have the tools, the assets and the mindset to get them there. Whether you've helped five other people, 500 or 5,000, you can deliver those results.

And people want results. It can drive a decision even more than price. Ask them, "What would your life look like if you had these results?" and let them paint the picture. When they're ready, they'll grab your hand — and you'll help them get there.

So what are key takeaways to get out of a gap rut?

As you've discovered, moving from action to awareness is a series of steps. Prospects need to transition from "asleep to aware," "aware to awake" and, ultimately, "awake to alive." 

Along the way, it takes different marketing messages and approaches. You're pointing out problems, meeting customers in their minds and showing them a path — a way out of their problems that you're uniquely qualified to provide. 

If you're still processing all this, don't sweat! It's a shift. We'll leave you with four extra insights and resources to continue learning and adjusting:

• Focus on making human connections first vs. touting why you're the best. There's a common misconception that "everybody who sees me will sign up!" And it isn't so.

• Learn more about getting conversion results in our Zoe article, which offers a deeper dive on keeping your expectations in check.

• Embrace being a "pest" in different ways at different times. As long as you align your message to the stage your prospect is in, you're on the right track.

• Finally, explore which marketing tactics you should use at each marketing funnel stage. Zoe digs into the details to help you plot a plan.

Don't forget: Everybody struggles with this gap — and it's never fully solved. Keep testing and experimenting to see what's working for your dream customer.