Did you consider the 5 stages of awareness when building your launch plan? If not, here’s a quick overview of what they are and how to use them
When you’re building out your sales funnel, you must know your ideal audience.
And in understanding that audience, you also should know their levels of awareness about:
- Their problems
- The available solutions (including your competitors)
- Your solution
The idea behind this process is to ensure that you can target them at each stage of awareness for the sensitization, explanation, and selling process. As Eugene Schwartz puts it, taking them through the 5 stages of awareness.
What are the 5 stages of awareness?
Copywriter Eugene Schwartz in his book, Breakthrough Advertising, outlined the 5 stages of customer awareness as follows:
- Unaware
- Problem Aware
- Solution Aware
- Product Aware
- Most Aware
Here’s a quick synopsis of each stage of awareness. This should help you to start thinking about how you Engage, Connect, and Convert them at each stage.
1. Unaware
They have no idea they have a problem, much less need a solution. So, naturally, they’re the most challenging market to sell to. They require extensive nurturing.
You first have to get them to understand and acknowledge that where they are right here and now is a problem. You begin the sensitization and awareness process.
2. Problem-aware (also known as pain-aware)
In the 2nd of the 5 stages of awareness, your ideal client knows they have a problem. But what they don’t know is that a solution to that problem exists.
In fact, some think their situation is so unique that they may not even be searching for answers. But they’ll have questions, and eventually, they may start looking for answers.
But the question for you is … are you providing the answers they seek about fixing their pain in a way that speaks to them?
3. Solution Aware
This is a sweet spot for most course creators.
The target audience knows they have a problem and knows that solutions are available. They are even actively trying to find an answer to their need. So, they’re searching, researching, and comparing … looking for a fix to their problem.
Now, while they won’t know about your specific course, they are looking for courses like yours to help as potential fixes.
4. Product Aware
They now realize you’re an option.
At this point, you need to showcase why your product is the one that will give them the transformation they seek. Otherwise, they’re just going to compare on price, and you know who wins in that respect? Nobody.
It’s not a race to the bottom. So, be a differentiator and showcase that in your copy.
Quick copy tip: Your ideal audience may not be in all 5 stages of awareness. You can choose to focus on those who are problem and solution-aware. Or, you want to focus on an unaware audience. It’s your client avatar.
Breakthrough Advertising by Eugene Schwartz is a great resource on the 5 stages of awareness. After all, he coined and developed the term.
5. Most Aware
At this stage, they’re actively thinking about buying your course.
They just need a nudge to actually take out the credit card and pay. Your copy at this stage is about handling their objections and overcoming their fears, maybe providing incentives (e.g., bonuses in your course launch).
Why is it important to understand the stages of awareness?
You’ll need to create content and/or copy for each stage.
When you maximize your content at each stage of awareness, you:
- Build awareness of your brand
- Position yourself as an authority and the solution to their problems
- Differentiate yourself from your competitors as the go-to course for their needs
- Convert more of your audience to paid students
So, have you taken your audience’s level of awareness into account when designing your course sales funnel? Run a quick audit to see which of the 5 stages of awareness applies to them and if your copy is meeting them where they are.
If not, let’s talk about how to uplevel your course launch and convert more of your audience to paid and enrolled.
Start with a sales page audit if you already have one. If not, let’s discuss how to build your high-converting sales funnel to match your audience at their level in the 5 stages of awareness.
