Understanding The Buyer’s Journey: A Guide for Smarter Digital Marketing
By EmoryDay
January 6, 2026
10 Minutes Read
Table Of Contents
Understanding The Buyer’s Journey: A Guide for Smarter Digital Marketing
What is the Buyer’s Journey?
Why Digital Marketers Need to Understand the Buyer’s Journey
The Three Stages of the Buyer’s Journey
Creating Content that Meets Buyers Where They Are
The Bottom Line
How EmoryDay Can Help
Get Your Free Account Today!
FAQs
Most consumers don’t make purchasing decisions on a whim. According to Salesforce, “81% of reps say customers are conducting their own research before they ever connect with sales.”
HubSpot points out that buyers go through a “specific process to become aware of, consider, and evaluate a new product or service before purchasing it.” This process is known as the buyer’s journey, and understanding it is one of the most important skills a digital marketer can have.
At EmoryDay, we believe successful marketing starts with meeting your audience where they are, not where you want them to be.
Let’s break down what the buyer’s journey is, why it matters, and how your digital marketing strategy can align with every stage.
What is the Buyer’s Journey?
The buyer’s journey is the process a potential customer goes through from the moment they realize they have a need/problem to the moment they make a purchasing decision.
The buyer’s journey isn’t a straight line or linear process. In fact, according to Salesforce, it “often winds up taking very non-linear paths.”
It's a thoughtful progression built on trust, education, and relevance.
The journey is typically broken into three key stages:
- Awareness Stage
- Consideration Stage
- Decision Stage
Each stage requires a different marketing approach, and that’s where many businesses go wrong.
Why Digital Marketers Need to Understand the Buyer’s Journey
When marketers don’t account for the buyer’s journey, they often push sales messages too early or deliver the wrong content at the wrong time. This can lead to low engagement, missed opportunities, and wasted money spent on ads.
By understanding the buyer’s journey, digital marketers can:
- Create content that resonates with the potential buyer
- Build trust before asking for a sale
- Improve conversion rates
- Shorten the sales cycle
- Deliver a better overall customer experience
According to Adobe for Business, “by proactively addressing the needs and expectations of customers at each stage, companies can create a seamless path that leads to higher customer satisfaction, stronger relationships, and increased sales.”
In short, the buyer’s journey turns marketing from guesswork into strategy.
The Three Stages of the Buyer’s Journey
1. Awareness Stage - The buyer realizes they have a problem or need.
At this stage, prospects aren’t looking for a specific product or service, they’re looking for answers.
Effective marketing for the awareness stage needs to focus on education and solving their problem, not selling. Salesforce suggests “making a strong and credible first impression that lays the groundwork for a relationship based on trust and value.”
Digital marketers should create content like:
- Blog posts
- Social media content
- SEO-driven articles
- Informational videos
2. Consideration Stage - The buyer researches possible solutions.
Now that the buyer understands their problem or need, they will begin exploring ways to solve it. According to Salesforce, at this stage, buyers are “actively researching, comparing, and considering different options.” They are looking for solutions.
Content in this stage should be solution-focused, demonstrate expertise, and showcase the unique benefits of your products or services, so your company stands out amongst your competitors. In fact, according to Forbes, in order to create successful content for the consideration stage, “you must understand the competitor landscape and how your business differs.”
Types of content for the consideration stage includes:
- In-depth blog posts
- Newsletters highlighting the unique benefits of your products or services
- Landing pages
- Case studies
- White papers
- Email drip campaigns
- Comparison guides
Keep in mind that your goal shouldn't be to push a decision. It should be to show why your solution is worth considering.
3. Decision Stage - The buyer evaluates options and makes a purchase.
At the decision stage, prospects understand their problem, know what they need, and are getting ready to make a purchase.
They’re asking questions like:
- Which company can deliver the best results?
- Which company offers the best value?
- Which company do I trust with my monetary investment?
- Which company has the best pricing?
- Which company has the best features/benefits?
- Which company has the best brand reputation?
- Which company has the best customer reviews/testimonials?
This is where clear messaging, strong calls-to-action, testimonials, and optimized websites are key. According to Salesforce, content “should be persuasive, reassuring, and clear.”
And, Salesforce suggests to focus on “selling a solution rather than a product” as it will “help set you apart from competitors.”
According to Forbes, types of content for the decision stage includes:
- Special offers
- Downloadable guides
- Demos
Creating Content that Meets Buyers Where They Are
Meeting buyers where they are means delivering the right message, on the right channel, at the right time. This requires a cohesive digital marketing strategy that integrates content, design, SEO, and automation.
Instead of treating all leads the same, companies need to:
- Segment audiences by their stage in the buyer’s journey
- Personalize messaging
- Use data to guide content creation decisions
The Bottom Line
The buyer’s journey isn’t just a marketing concept, it’s the foundation of effective digital strategy. When you understand how your audience thinks, searches, and decides, your marketing content can become more impactful at every stage.
Know Where They’re Going Before They Do
Align your strategy with the buyer’s journey to deliver the right message at the right time, every time.
How EmoryDay Can Help
At EmoryDay, we specialize in creating digital marketing strategies that align seamlessly with every stage of the buyer’s journey. Our services are designed to attract, nurture, and convert leads.
We help businesses grow through:
- Lead generation that attracts qualified prospects
- Website redesign that supports conversions and user experience
- Landing page development for specific buyer stages
- Email drip marketing that nurtures leads over time
- Social media marketing that builds brand awareness and trust
- Search engine management to bring more traffic to your site
- Content that educates, engages, and converts
- And so much more
By combining strategy, creativity, and data, EmoryDay helps businesses meet buyers where they are in the buyer’s journey.
If you’re ready to align your digital marketing with the buyer’s journey and see measurable results, EmoryDay is here to help. Let’s build a strategy that turns awareness into action, and leads into loyal customers.
Get Your Free Account Today!
If you have any questions about our digital marketing services, just fill out our contact form or give us a call at (888) 494-3810.
Resources
https://www.salesforce.com/blog/buyer-journey/
https://books.forbes.com/blog/creating-content-buyers-journey-stages/
https://business.adobe.com/blog/basics/buyers-journey-guide
https://blog.hubspot.com/sales/what-is-the-buyers-journey
Frequently Asked Questions
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