A very simplified five-stage buying process might look like this: UNAWARE AWARE Interest research purchase Leverage Points For expansion-stage companies, the leverage points are usually at the awareness and research stages. These are crucial junc- tures where you should look to focus your efforts most to help improve sales. Many potential buyers may not be aware of your company or your solution, while those doing research may be ready to make a purchase. By understanding the buyer journey as well as where your buyers are likely to get stuck — and why — you can create the content necessary to address their concerns and propel them through the buyer journey. 3. Setting Clear Conversion Goals Once you understand who your targets are, what they care about, and the steps along their buying journey, you need to decide what actions you want them to take as a result of consuming your content. Ultimately you want to convert your target buyers into paying customers, and the way to make that happen is by getting them to take a series of much smaller actions that will collectively help propel them through the buyer journey. Each of those actions is a conversion, and you should set a series of conversion goals for your target buyers based on the content you have delivered to them. For example, your goal might be to get your target buyers to: For a » Open one of your e-mails » Fill out a contact form comprehensive » Spend a certain amount of time » Sign up for your e-mail list or newsletter list of potential on your website » Download your latest eBook or case study conversion goals, » Visit a specific number of pages see page 62 » Engage in a live chat with one of your in the Appendix. on your website customer service reps » Share your content with others » Sign up for a free trial » Watch one of your videos It Takes a Content Factory! | 12