My Weekly Marketing

Five Awareness Stages That Will Transform Your Marketing

• Janice Hostager • Season 1 • Episode 114

Share episode

If your content isn't getting the results you hoped for, the issue might be in how you're matching your message to your audience’s awareness. In this episode, I walk you through five distinct stages your potential customers go through, and how to adjust your messaging for each one.

Most small business owners skip ahead and assume their audience already understands the value they offer. But when you meet people too far along the journey, they tune out. I’ll share simple ways to shift your content so it speaks to what your audience is actually thinking and feeling right now, making every post, email, or ad more effective.

Listen in to learn how to reach the right people at the right time with words that land, and if you want to go deeper, I teach all of this inside the Modern Marketing Mastery program.

Send us a text

Support the show

Janice Hostager:

I'm Janice Hostager. After three decades in the marketing business and many years of being an entrepreneur, I've learned a thing or two about marketing. Join me as we talk about marketing, small business and life in between. Welcome to My Weekly Marketing.

Janice Hostager:

Hey friend, welcome to another episode of My Weekly Marketing. Lately I've been knee-deep in creating content for my Modern Marketing Mastery beta group these last few weeks, and something I talk about in class that's sneakily tripping up a lot of small business owners, especially if you're out there doing all the things posting on social, writing emails, going to networking events and still not getting a lot of traction. Let me ask you something have you ever felt like you're saying all the right things but people just don't seem to connect with what you're saying, like they don't understand what you do or, worse, they assume it's not for them? Yeah, that might be because you're speaking to the wrong level of awareness. So today I'm breaking down what that even means how to spot where your customer really is in their journey and what to actually say at each stage so your marketing hits home instead of bouncing off like a rubber ball. Okay, so first of all, what the heck are awareness levels? First, this isn't some fancy marketing jargon. It's just about how much your ideal customer knows, how much they know about their problem, about the solutions out there and about you and your offer. Once you understand where they're at in that journey, you can speak their language and that's when the magic starts to happen. Because if they're still stuck thinking I have this problem and you're over here shouting buy my six-step business system, you're not helping them yet. Your message is just not going to resonate with where they are right now. So there are five levels of awareness. Let's go through these with some small business friendly examples.

Janice Hostager:

Okay, so first up, unaware, they don't see a problem at all. Life feels just fine. They're thinking everything's okay, but maybe they just feel a little bit off. So with marketing, you're going to want to spark some curiosity or emotion. You're wanting to plant seeds at this point. So, for example, a life coach might write why you feel stuck even when everything looks good on the outside. All right, so it kind of gets their attention. They know something's a little off. That's going to capture their attention, all right.

Janice Hostager:

The next is symptom aware. So they're feeling something, they're experiencing something, but they don't know really what's behind it. For example, they might think I'm tired all the time. Maybe I just need more sleep. So in this stage you want to help name the symptom and normalize the experience. For example, if you're a burnout coach, if there is such a thing, they might say exhausted after eight hours of sleep. These three hidden causes might be why. So, again, you're addressing their symptom, you're connecting with where they are right now and you're putting something out there that is meant to capture their attention.

Janice Hostager:

Okay, so the third level is problem aware. They've connected the dots, they know something is wrong and that it can be solved. So that same customer might think, hey, I'm burned out, I need help. So now you're validating their belief and leading them toward a possible solution. So, for example, a therapist might send out an email saying let's talk about burnout and why rest alone isn't the cure, out an email saying let's talk about burnout and why rest alone isn't the cure.

Janice Hostager:

And number four is solution aware. They're exploring different types of solutions. They might think should I take a course or hire a coach? Read a book maybe? So what you want to do there is show how your type of offer works, teach them a framework or a method, or show them how you have a solution for their problem. So a marketing strategist might share how the trail to the sale framework can simplify your strategy, even if you hate marketing. Because again, you're meeting them at their emotional level that they are. They know they have a problem. They know that there's a solution and you're trying to make sure that they are aware that you have the product that they want.

Janice Hostager:

And the final one is product aware. They know you and your offer. They're weighing the pros and cons, they're ready, but they just need a push. They might think her course sounds great, but is it right for me? So in this case, you want to use urgency, exclusivity, bonuses or even just some personal encouragement. So a coach might say only three spots left and the doors close on Friday. Are you in? So these are all just examples of the different levels.

Janice Hostager:

Here's where so many well-meaning, hard-working entrepreneurs slip and yes, I've face-planted here too. We accidentally write our content in our emails or even our sales pages for the most aware people. So they're the ones that you think are ready to buy, the ones that are already warm and just really get what you do. They've maybe followed you for a while. They're already halfway to the buy now button, so you write like that. You might write something like here's how my eight-week framework will triple your lead conversion. But meanwhile your actual audience, they're still sitting at home wondering wait, what's a lead conversion? Do I even need a framework? What's she even selling. So you're giving them the gourmet menu when they're still trying to figure out what kind of food they really want to eat. It's not your fault. We all do this. It feels natural to write for the people who get us, but here's the thing those people are already mostly sold, not that they don't need a nudge, but we also need to focus on people who are not quite ready to buy yet.

Janice Hostager:

If you want to grow your audience, build connection and attract new people to your world, you've got to speak to those earlier stages, the ones who are unaware, symptom aware or just starting to think oh, I might need some help. That means skipping jargon, starting with empathy, meeting them in their actual thoughts, not the thoughts you wish they were having. Right, because here's the truth. If you're tossing out strategy tips to someone who's still Googling, what does a business coach really do? It's like handing someone a parachute when they haven't actually stepped into the plane yet. So if your content hasn't been converting, if your audience isn't engaging, it's not that you're bad at marketing. It might be just that your message is too far ahead of where your people are.

Janice Hostager:

So let's fix that. I get a lot of emails telling me. I need help with YouTube, but I'm not sure what help I need. Why do I need help? They'd be better off if they approached it by pointing out the symptom I was having Low YouTube engagement, no followers. They need to determine where I likely am on the awareness journey and start speaking to me there and, honestly, I wouldn't start with spamming me with emails, but that's another conversation.

Janice Hostager:

So here's how to apply this without overcomplicating things. First of all, pick one offer you're focused on. If you're trying to speak with everyone at once, that's chaos. We know that. Put on their shoes. What are they thinking at this point in time, when they're researching this problem or seeing this ad or reading the social media posts? You probably know who your ideal customer avatar is, but you also have to think about their level of awareness. Then ask what does my ideal customer already know when they land there? Do they already know what the problem is? Are they comparing solutions or are they still unsure if anything can help? These are the questions you need to ask yourself before you do any marketing. You need to ask yourself before you do any marketing. And then, third, match your message to that mindset. Okay, now you know where your audience might be on the awareness staircase. It's time to match the message to the stage. This is where your marketing gets traction, because a mismatched message think of it like someone asking for a proposal on the first date bit like someone asking for a proposal on the first date the right message at the right awareness level. That's when people lean in, click, subscribe and eventually buy.

Janice Hostager:

So let's break it down a little further For the early awareness people. So they might be unaware or symptom aware or problem aware. These folks are still in that foggy place. They might be feeling something's off or they're just starting to name the problem, but they're not ready to hire you or buy your offer or even think about a solution yet. So what do they need from you?

Janice Hostager:

Stories, first off, use relatable stories or analogies that gently help them see themselves and identify the problem or symptom they're having. For example, you could say I used to dread Mondays and I didn't realize burnout had crept in slowly. The other thing they could use is education. Teach light concepts in a non-jargony way. Here's why you might be feeling invisible online and what could be causing it. Third, empathy Make them feel seen. Call out their symptoms they're experiencing. For example, if you've been spinning your wheels trying to make social media have traction, but nothing's working. I see you.

Janice Hostager:

The goal of this stage is to spark curiosity, build traction, but nothing's working. I see you. The goal of this stage is to spark curiosity, build trust and plant seeds. You're not selling the thing. They don't even know they need the thing, yet You're showing them that there is a thing. Okay, so for later awareness.

Janice Hostager:

So people that are solution aware or product aware now they know that they have a problem and that there are options. They might already know about you. These folks are window shopping or standing at the edge of a diving board thinking do I jump? Here's what they need. Comparisons Show them how your way is different or better than the other options out there. For example, why I teach marketing strategy instead of trendy tactics and why it works long term. Next, testimonials for social proof Use your happy clients and real results to show that you're a legit business. For example, lisa tripled her visibility in three weeks using this one small shift. And last, urgency and incentive. These folks need a little nudge. That could be a deadline, a bonus or even simply saying hey, you've got this, I can help you. For example, doors close Friday. Let's make a plan that works with your brain and your life.

Janice Hostager:

The goal here remove doubts, highlights results, make the decision feel easy and safe. And remember you can always have a mix. Don't stress. If your audience includes all these levels, that is the norm. Even your most ideal customer will be in all of these different levels. You want a mix of content in your ecosystem Some story-driven content, some educational content and some sales-focused content. Just make sure each message is written for one mindset, not all of them.

Janice Hostager:

That's when things get fuzzy. Marketing isn't about shouting louder. It's about whispering the right thing in the right ear at the right time. So for you, I'd love for you to pick one post, email or sales page and ask who was I really talking to here? Then tweak it to match your level of awareness and watch what happens. If you want to go deeper on how to use this in your business, come join me on the waitlist for Modern Marketing Mastery. This is literally what I teach in Module 2, and it changes the game for many of my students. Thanks for listening today. For more information, visit myweeklymarketingcom. Forward slash 114. And thanks for doing the work most people won't do. I'll see you next time. Bye for now.

People on this episode

Head Shot

Janice Hostager

Host