Awareness is the first stage of the buyer's journey. When a prospect becomes aware of your business, it's typically easier to make contact with them. Active buyers are prospects that are already on the buyer's journey. Passive buyers, on the other hand, haven't begun the buyer's journey. These buyers may have a problem, but it isn't big enough yet that it's forced them to look for a solution.
Why Target Active Buyers
One of the elements of effective inbound marketing is to identify active buyers and to primarily target them. Placing a costly full-page ad in a newspaper is not a targeted approach. By default, most folks who see it will be passive buyers or, worse, utterly indifferent to your offer. Advertising on a website that's dedicated to your industry or niche is more likely to get your message in front of active buyers.
Passive buyers don't have a clear goal in mind about what they want. They are often what salespeople call "tire kickers." These are folks that like to browse, ask questions and shop but who seldom buy anything. Passive buyers may ultimately open their wallets for you, but it takes more effort to convince them to do so.
Finding Active Buyers
If you want to reach more active buyers, it's necessary to identify your ideal customer. For each product or campaign, create a buyer profile. If you're targeting customers for retail products, what is the age, gender, location, income bracket, and profession of your typical buyer? If you're involved in B2B marketing, identify the qualities of the businesses that are most likely to buy from you. What's their size and industry? Once you've identified your ideal customer, there are many inbound marketing strategies to attract active buyers.
- Optimize your website to attract buyers seeking your products.
- Build an email list that you can contact with offers.
- Connect with folks on social media channels.
- Create focused groups on Facebook or LinkedIn.
Not everyone who fits your buyer profile will be an active buyer. However, targeting people who fit this profile is the best way to attract active buyers and convert them into customers.