Understanding the Customer Journey in Architecture, Engineering, Construction, and Commercial Real Estate.
As a B2B business working in architecture, engineering, construction, and commercial real estate, you will want to understand the journey your potential clients embark upon before the handshake that seals the deal or the signing of a contract. It starts in the mind of your potential client, with awareness.
Awareness, at the start of the marketing funnel, is a nuanced progression through various levels of understanding and interest. Recognising and catering to these stages leads to more meaningful content, more engagements and, ultimately, greater demand generation. There are five stages of awareness at the beginning of your customer’s journey.
1. Unaware
In this initial stage, potential clients are not consciously aware of their own problem or need - that their current methods might be inefficient, outdated, or costly. For marketers in our sectors, this means making content that identifies and highlights problems that your audience may be experiencing in a way that is relevant to them.
2. Problem-Aware
At this point, potential clients recognise they have a problem but are not yet aware of the solutions. For instance, a construction company might realise that their project timelines are consistently overrunning but might not know why or how to fix it.
Content that resonates at this stage includes white papers, articles, helpful and inspiring posts on social media, blog posts, and case studies that articulate common challenges within the industry, emphasising your understanding and empathy towards these issues.
3. Solution-Aware
Once your potential clients know the problem, they start looking for solutions. However, they might not be aware of your company or its offerings yet. At this stage, demonstrating your expertise and the breadth of your solutions is crucial. Webinars, walkthroughs and case studies that showcase how your offerings address specific industry problems can be particularly effective.
4. Product-Aware
Here, potential clients are aware of your solutions but need to be convinced of your product or service's fit for their specific needs. This stage calls for more targeted content, such as customer testimonials, and detailed case studies showcasing successful projects or problem resolutions. Tailored content that speaks directly to the concerns and needs of clients in architecture, engineering, construction, and commercial real estate can help differentiate your offerings.
5. Most Aware
Finally, potential clients not only know about your solution but are also considering it as a viable option. They are comparing you directly with competitors and evaluating the nuances of your offering. At this stage, your email marketing, pre-qualification or technical tender return, pricing information, and face to face workshops moves them closer toward the decision-making phase. At this point they will have come on the journey with you from the unaware stage, and they have a clear sense of how you help them solve problems.
Recognising and engaging with your target audiences and potential clients across these stages of awareness allows you to plan your content marketing strategy. By tailoring your content to each stage, you can guide potential clients through the funnel, leading to a differentiation of your company from your competitors, a clear sense of your unique value proposition and fostering lasting business relationships.
In the ever-evolving fields of architecture, engineering, construction, and commercial real estate, staying attuned to the needs and awareness levels of your clients is key to growing your audience, and demand for your solutions. By understanding these stages, you position your brand as a knowledgeable partner ready to guide them towards optimal solutions for their business challenges.
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