Buyer Intent Marketing Is The Easiest Way To Get New Business
Attract those who already want what you offer.
What Is Intent Marketing?
Targeting those with intent is the simplest form of marketing. Right now, someone is looking for what you have to offer. They are typing it into Maps Apps, Google, Bing, Yahoo, Youtube, etc and looking at the top results. This is where you need to be in order to get the easiest attainable customers/clients/patients/whatever on the market.
Prospects who show intent are those actively trying to solve their problem. A couple of scenarios:
You are unsure what to eat, so you open up your phone and search “takeout near me.”
It is Friday night, and you want pizza, so you search for “pizza near me.”
Or, you are meeting up with friends in another town (say Pleasantville) for food, so you search for “best pizza in Pleasantville.”
Cut and dry, intent marketing is capturing those who are actively searching for your good or service by having the best presence on whatever outlet the prospect is using. They intend to make a transaction to solve a specific situation.
Intent marketing is different from targeting ads to an audience like you would on Facebook or other social media.
Even though you can advertise your goods/services to those interested in them on social media, their intent is not to purchase or buy. Instead, you are fighting to deviate their attention from what they want. With intent marketing, you will capture their attention at the opportune moment.
Where To Find Those With Buyer Intent
Where does your target market hang out? Malls, venues, libraries, phone books, and other physical entities used to be the answer. Now they hang out where they get their information, such as Google, Bing, YouTube, Yelp, TripAdvisor, Quora, Reddit, Facebook Groups, etc.
Summed up in a golden rule - be the best result for what your prospect needs where they are searching for it. Pretty much another variation of the definition of intent marketing, but I will drive this into your brain.
If you are unsure where your market hangs out, simply open Google (most likely a portion of your market is searching here anyway), type in something your target prospect might search, and look at the results. It is that simple! You are now getting in your prospect’s mind (seeing what keywords you should optimize for) and learning where they get their answers (Google Maps, YouTube videos, Quora QA, etc.).
How To Win Prospects With Buyer Intent Marketing
Be better than your competition and optimize.
To be better than your competition, you need proof. It is one thing to say you have the best pizza, but it is another to have 50 reviews on your Google Map listing from actual customers who rave about your delicious margherita pie, quick delivery, and friendly staff.
Your plan of action should focus on:
Finding out what your prospects are searching for
Make sure your current customers are happy so you can elicit quality (not just stars but written out) reviews
Producing content prospects can easily understand
You should focus on branding and reputation management at this stage. Do you look like the result prospects need? Do you have strong advocates? Do you have the information searched for by your potential customers?
Pizza Place Scenario:
You own a pizza place and your Google listing only has two photos posted by you: one of the outside and one of the inside. Someone posted a picture of your menu two years ago and also a selfie. Will you win the customer who wants a vodka sauce pie?
I own a pizza place. Every day I take a photo of our special, post it on my Google listing (among many other places), and write a description of the pizza with the price. My items are written out in the Google Menu section because the text is analyzed by their bots. When a customer picks up an order, I make sure they receive what they want before leaving (show them the order - don’t assume it is all there). I follow up the order with a text to say thank you for purchasing and it would be greatly appreciated if I could get feedback via a review. I guide them by saying it is vital to say which item they ordered and what they liked because it greatly helps others who might be interested.
I will earn much more business than you are in this scenario, simple as that.
Hot Tip - see if your POS or CRM has automated text and email capabilities. Ask for the review like an hour after they pick up their food.
Hot Tip Two - Use the reviews for social media posts and Google posts. Brag about your wins! Plus, you will be keeping your Google posts updated with relative content that helps local optimization.
That is easily said, but I am sure you are trying to figure out what tools I use and my process. Here ya go!
Tools to do it yourself:
https://brightlocal.com/ - if you are a local business, this will show you exactly where you rank on the Google map for those searching for keywords in your area.
https://www.semrush.com/ - get your site scanned for errors, find keyword ideas and volume, see your competitors, and discover content ideas
https://www.frase.io/ - type in a keyword and see ALL the questions your target market types into Google, Quora, Reddit, and much more. Build FAQ sections on your website’s product/service with these questions and your expert knowledge!
The Intent Marketing Machine
For those looking to take the next step, read on to create a perpetual machine of capturing your market.
We put them in the machine at the buyer intent stage. They have actively searched for your product/service on Google, Bing, Yahoo, YouTube, or whatever search engine. You have an ad or are the top results, so they click on your asset.
Scenario One - They Give You Their Information
Your website has a lead capture on it. Your main goal is to get their contact information: a minimum of name, email, and phone number. If you own something like a pizza place, you will get their phone number, so when they put in their order, ask for their email. If you are selling a course, this is in exchange for something free for them, such as an exclusive list of contacts, a how-to guide, etc. For service providers, this varies. Real estate agents can get this information for a free home valuation and access to see home details. Landscapers, you should be showcasing your best work and offer a free quote. There are tons of possibilities, but your goal is to get their information.
Once you get their information, you will add them to your email database, then send out weekly or biweekly newsletters to keep them informed and help them. These newsletters should empower the reader and just keep you top of mind.
Add them to a custom audience list on Facebook to advertise to them on Instagram and Facebook whenever you have a new special or service. It is also great for seasonal services because you can attract them before they begin to think about opening their pool, prepping their lawn, etc. AND, you will advertise to lookalike audiences to get people similar to your current customers to see your ads.
Make a retargeting ad on Google using the Display Network and do the same thing as you are with Facebook. These are attractive banner ads that sell a service.
Repeat as new prospect information comes in with their name, email, and phone number.
Scenario Two - they don’t give you their information
They click on your ad, don’t submit their information, then leave. Lost cause? Nope, you have your Google Ads conversion code and Facebook Pixel installed. You now have them automatically added to your retargeting lists.
On Google, you will advertise a special on the display network. Initially, your targets didn’t see enough value in your offer. Your goal here is to up the offer a bit to see if you can convert them. I always suggest an upsell rather than a discount because it doesn’t devalue your work. Once they click the ad to receive an offer, your target must give their information. Repeat the marketing machine above!
On Facebook/Instagram, you do the same thing. Run an ad to anyone who visited your site but isn’t in your database. Same offer as the Google Display network, but I would also suggest testing a few other offers out if you are savvy with A/B testing ads.
On YouTube, bust out those editing skills (or pay someone on Upwork or use Canva) to make a quick ad that simply says the offer and entices them to click. DO NOT WASTE TIME on the intro. Instead, you need to attract the person in a few seconds enough to divert their attention away from what they want to watch.
No matter how you get information, always provide a “refer a friend” incentive. Your current happy customers are your biggest advocates. They influence their immediate circle of friends.
Above is a perpetual flywheel of marketing. You are constantly putting prospects in, then getting their information. Depending on the scenario, you offer more value in different ways. Keep building your database!!!
No Need to search
Everything you need is right here. Go back and reread the article to see how you can start capturing those with buyer intent. If you are still lost, you have me.
Click below and start asking questions!