Hersh Marketing

How the consumer buying decision process works

  

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Question: What's the best way to know when to advertise?

            A. Intuition
            B. Use a crystal ball
            C. Understand the Consumer Buying Cycle

If you chose C, go to the head of the class. If not, don't worry. Most people don't know there is such a thing as a Consumer Buying Cycle. The Consumer Buying Cycle refers to the consumer buying decision process. And once you understand it, knowing when to advertise gets a lot easier.

Here's how the consumer buying decision process works:

The average Consumer Buying Cycle is about 120 days. That's for everyday purchases, not big ticket or luxury items like buying a house, a cruise vacation, or a ferrari. Those have a much longer buy cycle of months to years rather than days.

Consumers move through the 120 day cycle starting as a Future Buyer and ending as a Now Buyer. Future Buyers need to be motivated and persuaded to know and remember you. Because they haven't made up their mind about what they need or who they'll get it from, you have a chance to influence them. This is your window of opportunity for becoming Top of Mind. Trying to persuade them to consider you by the time they're a Now Buyer is pretty much an exercise in futility. The Now Buyer will identify those vendors or service providers they are familiar with or have already done business with. Thinking you can squeeze in with a great offer at the last minute and get noticed is a gamble and a good way to waste your ad budget. By the time they are close to the point of purchase, they're going to choose from a short list. Two, maybe three vendors.

Don't believe it? Ok, try this: when you're ready to go to lunch, how many places do you think of? Burger King or McDonald's. Pizza or Chinese. Subway or Applebee's. You don't think of six or seven or even four or five places to go. It's almost always between two or three choices. And they're always choices you are familiar with.

So if you want to sell something, you want to get on that list. But first, you have to  get into the mind of the consumer before they're ready to buy.

You have to start talking to them when they are Future Buyers.  BEFORE they become a Now Buyer.

If you haven't, chances are you won't be on the Now Buyer short list. Now matter what great offer you throw at them.

So the answer to the question, "When is the best time to advertise?" is: all the time.

Remember, people go where they know. Do they know you?

Best,

Audrey

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