People don’t move through the buying process in a straight line. One day they’re curious, another day they’re comparing. Eventually, they decide to buy (if you’ve given them a reason to).

That’s where content comes in. Not the kind that just fills a page, but the kind that actually supports decisions.

Blog posts are essential here. Since 53% of all website traffic comes from search engines, they’re often the first thing people find. And once they’re in, social content keeps them close. With about 5.3 billion people using social platforms, your reach is already built in. You just need something worth showing.

Here, we’ll help you create strategic content that answers real questions when customers are asking them. With that, we’re not saying that you need to create more content. You just need to make sure that each piece speaks to what someone needs at that point in their journey. Not too soon. Not too late. Just right for where they are.

Awareness Stage – Grabbing Attention and Building Reach

The awareness stage is when potential customers first discover your brand. They’ve just realized they have a problem or a need but aren’t looking for specific solutions yet. Your content’s job here isn’t to sell but to educate and build visibility.

Here, you need to focus on addressing pain points and answering basic questions while introducing your brand naturally. Success means getting found by the right people and positioning your company as a helpful resource.

Blog Content

Blog content is especially useful at the awareness stage because it gives people something valuable right when they start looking for answers. It helps your brand show up in search results, builds trust early, and gives readers a reason to stick around. Its goal is simple: educating, informing, and earning interest.

There are a few blog formats that work well at this stage:

1. Problem-Focused Content

  • Address your audience’s challenges without pitching your solution.
  • Speak to their specific problems and pain points.
  • Highlight overlooked opportunities that your audience might be interested in.

2. How-To Guides

  • Focus on common questions or early-stage problems your audience is trying to figure out.
  • Keep the language simple and the advice clear.
  • Think “How to Choose the Right Tool” rather than “Why Our Tool Is the Best.”

3. List Posts

  • Roundups like “5 Ways to Lower Bounce Rates” or “7 Mistakes New Investors Make” can introduce key issues without diving into your product.

4. Explainers

  • Break down complex topics in plain language.
  • These help people understand the big picture and give you a chance to demonstrate expertise.

To do this right:

  • Avoid jargon.
  • Link to related content.
  • Make sure every post has a clear takeaway.
  • Don’t assume the reader knows the basics. Help them get there.

A great example of this blog strategy is RE Cost Seg, a company offering cost segregation services for real estate owners. They publish content that helps real estate investors understand how depreciation works and how it can impact their taxes.

For instance, they provide a guide on calculating real estate depreciation savings, which includes a free, interactive cost segregation calculator. This resource directly addresses any confusion and missed savings real estate owners often face during tax season.

This approach works because it solves a genuine problem (understanding tax savings opportunities) while demonstrating expertise. Property owners get immediate value through the free calculator, while RE Cost Seg establishes credibility in their field.

The content attracts precisely the right audience (real estate owners concerned about tax efficiency) without feeling like a sales pitch.

Source: recostseg.com

Social Media Content

Social media content plays a key role at the awareness stage because it helps you meet potential customers where they already spend their time. It’s also great at helping brands be visible, relatable, and helpful in a way that makes someone stop scrolling and take notice.

The focus here should be on content that educates, entertains, or sparks curiosity.

A few formats work especially well:

1. Short-Form Videos and Reels

  • Quick tips, beginner how-tos, or simple tutorials work well on platforms like Instagram, TikTok, Threads, Facebook, and YouTube.
  • Keep them concise, easy to follow, and visually clear.

2. Visual Posts and Carousels

  • Use them to highlight common mistakes, myths, or questions in your space.
  • Break down one useful idea per slide.
  • End with something that encourages saving or sharing.

3. Polls, Questions, or Casual Prompts

  • These can spark engagement and tell you what your audience cares about without pushing a product or service.

To do this right:

  • Consistency matters more than frequency.
  • Show up regularly with value.
  • Keep your tone friendly and clear.
  • Design content with attention spans in mind.
  • Avoid heavy branding or hard CTAs.
  • Give people something worth watching, reading, or reacting to.

A solid example here is Sewing Parts Online, a company in the sewing machines and supplies niche. Their social media presence is full of genuinely helpful content for both beginners and longtime hobbyists.

From short tutorials to tool breakdowns, their videos are practical, well-edited, and clearly made for the community they serve. The content builds trust and brand familiarity without ever feeling like a sales pitch. That’s exactly the point at this stage.

Source: tiktok.com

Consideration Stage – Building Interest and Trust

In the consideration stage, prospects recognize they have a specific problem and actively research potential solutions. They’re comparing options and forming opinions about different providers.

Your content now needs to demonstrate expertise and build credibility while highlighting your unique approach. Focus on deepening trust and showcasing what makes your solution different.

Success means becoming a leading contender as prospects narrow their choices.

Blog Content

At the consideration stage, blog content helps guide readers who are actively comparing solutions. They’re looking for details, differences, and reasons to trust one option over another.

The goal here isn’t just to explain what you do but also to help prospects make sense of their choices and see where you fit in.

Several blog formats work well at this point:

1. Comparison Posts

  • These are especially valuable for readers weighing options. They show you understand the space and are confident enough to mention competitors.
  • You might lose a few leads, but the trust you build with transparency is often worth more.
  • Be honest about all of the pros and cons.
  • Don’t just push your offer. People see through that fast.

2. Customer Stories and Use Cases

  • Show how your product or service works in real-life scenarios.
  • Focus on the problem, solution, and outcome, not on fluff.

3. Expert Roundups and Curated Lists

  • Include your brand in a broader context.
  • When done right, this adds value for the reader and positions you alongside other trusted names.

To do this right:

  • Don’t oversell.
  • If your product isn’t the best fit in every case, say so.
  • Use internal links to guide readers to more in-depth content.
  • Look for opportunities to appear on other blogs. Strategic content partnerships expand your reach and help you show up in more decision-stage searches.

One company doing this well is CapitalPad, a platform that matches investors with verified investment opportunities. By having their product featured on a third-party site’s blog post, they are inserting their sales mechanism into a post with very specific “Consideration” intent.

Readers who search for this topic are likely to be a considerable way down the buyer’s journey and are ready to pull the trigger on a conversion as soon as they get some credible information comparing various options against each other.

Credibility is one of the main reasons why leveraging content partnerships like this is so effective. Having a third-party blog publish this comparison adds additional weight to the favorable comparison and eliminates any sense of bias that may be an obstacle to the conversion.

Source: smash.vc

Social Media Content

At the consideration stage, social media can help move someone from awareness to real interest. People are starting to narrow down their options and are more likely to dig into your content with purpose.

This is the time to show what makes your brand trustworthy, reliable, and worth a closer look. Content here should aim to build connections, highlight your strengths, and remove doubts without turning into a sales pitch.

A few content types work especially well:

1. Repurposed Snippets from Blog Posts

  • Share highlights or quotes from your blog content to drive traffic and reinforce brand positioning.

2. Behind-the-Scenes Content

  • Show how your product is made, how your team operates, or how you solve problems day to day. Transparency builds trust.

3. Educational Breakdowns

  • Share short videos or carousels that explain a specific feature, process, or benefit.
  • Keep it simple, direct, and focused on real value.

4. Culture-Driven or Lighthearted Posts

  • People want to buy from brands they like. A little personality goes a long way.

To do this right:

  • Skip polished scripts and aim for clarity and honesty.
  • Highlight what makes your brand different, but don’t overstate it.
  • Show your work, your values, and how you treat customers.

OrthoBracing, a company that sells orthopedic braces and cold therapy machines, mastered this stage through authentic behind-the-scenes content.

Instead of only posting product highlights, they lean into humor and wholesome moments. It makes them feel human, approachable, transparent, and real. That kind of content serves to build trust, which is exactly what people are looking for at this stage.

Source: instagram.com

Decision Stage – Driving Conversion

In the decision stage, prospects have narrowed their options and are preparing to make a choice. They understand their problem and possible solutions but need final reassurance before committing.

Content now needs to remove last-minute hesitations and provide clear paths to purchase. You need to address specific concerns, highlight guarantees, and make the next steps obvious. The goal is to make the choice feel easy and low-risk.

Blog Content

At the decision stage, blog content helps remove final doubts and guide users toward a clear next step. By now, people know who you are and what you offer. They’re just looking for reassurance, clarity, or that final nudge.

This is where well-crafted blog content can support conversions by answering sensitive, high-stakes questions, easing hesitation, and offering timely ways to take action.

A few blog formats work well here:

1. Decision-Focused Q&As

  • Address specific questions people often ask right before converting.
  • Be direct, honest, and respectful of the emotional or practical weight behind the decision.

2. Step-by-Step Process Overviews

  • Help readers understand what happens next if they choose you.
  • Lay out the timeline, steps, and expectations.
  • Remove surprises.

3. Readiness Checklists or “What to Expect” Guides

  • These help people feel confident that they’re making the right call and prepare them for what comes after the purchase.

To do this right:

  • Your content must be clear, thoughtful, and sensitive to the reader’s state of mind.
  • Don’t overload with technicalities.
  • Keep CTAs visible but not aggressive.
  • Give people an easy way to take the next step right within the content.

CodaPet, a provider of in-home pet euthanasia services, does this extremely well. Their blog includes posts that tackle emotional and deeply personal questions.

For instance, their piece titled “How Will I Know When It’s Time” is gentle and informative, and it speaks directly to the concerns their audience has trouble voicing. The post also includes in-content CTAs that let readers reach out or book their service right at the moment when they’re most ready.

It’s respectful, helpful, and effective – exactly what decision-stage content should be.

Source: codapet.com

Social Media Content

Before they commit to a purchase, people are looking for final proof. They want to know that others trust you, that your product works, and that they won’t regret the purchase.

Social media content at this point should focus on validation, such as real experiences, trusted voices, and clear reassurance. The right content helps people feel confident enough to choose you without second-guessing.

Here’s what works well:

1. User-Generated Content (UGC)

  • Content created by your actual customers builds instant credibility. It feels real and relatable.
  • UGC-based ads also perform better, garnering 73% more positive comments on social platforms than traditional ads.
  • Encourage customers to tag you or use a branded hashtag.
  • Reshare the most relevant, high-quality posts with a simple caption that highlights their experience.

2. Before-and-After Posts

  • These are highly effective for products where results matter.
  • Keep them short and visually focused.
  • Add a clear CTA.

3. Video Reviews or Customer Stories

  • These give potential buyers something to connect with.
  • Make sure they’re natural and not overly scripted.
  • A quick 30-second clip showing satisfaction is often more persuasive than polished promo content.

4. Last-Minute Promo or Urgency-Based Posts

  • When timed well, a limited-time offer or announcement can help seal the deal.
  • Keep it subtle. Avoid sounding pushy.

Allbirds, a brand known for sustainable shoes and apparel, dominates here by flooding their feed with UGC. They regularly share posts of real customers wearing their products in everyday life.

This content isn’t staged. It’s people genuinely enjoying the product. That shows social proof, makes the brand feel loved, and removes final doubts better than polished marketing ever could.

Source: instagram.com

Retention and Advocacy Stage – Keeping Customers Happy and Engaged

Once someone becomes a customer, your job isn’t over. At the retention and advocacy stage, the goal is to keep them engaged, supported, and satisfied long after the sale.

Content here should help them get the most out of what they bought, remind them why they chose you, and give them reasons to stick around.

When done well, this stage builds loyalty and turns happy customers into advocates who spread the word for you.

Blog Content

At the retention and advocacy stage, blog content plays a key role in keeping customers engaged and satisfied. After the purchase, people want to feel confident that they made the right choice and understand how to get the most value.

The right blog content supports that by educating, updating, and inspiring users to explore more of what you offer.

Some effective blog content types here include:

1. Feature Updates and Product News

  • Regularly share new tools, enhancements, or improvements.
  • Keep the tone helpful, showing how these updates solve real problems or add value.

2. Advanced Tutorials

  • Help customers get deeper into your product or service.
  • Focus on practical steps that improve their experience or productivity.

3. Use Case Stories

  • Highlight creative or advanced ways others use your product.
  • This encourages customers to try new approaches and keeps them engaged.

4. Pro Tips and Best Practices

  • Share advice that makes customers more successful with your product.
  • This adds ongoing value beyond the initial purchase.

To do this right:

  • Keep the content clear, actionable, and focused on user benefit.
  • Avoid jargon or heavy technical details unless your audience demands it.
  • Always include easy access to support or next steps to encourage continued use.

Figma, a collaboration platform for interface design, is a great example of this method. They regularly publish posts announcing new features and explaining how they work.

For instance, their post on Figma Make introduces an advanced feature that expands what customers can do with their existing platform.

By keeping users informed and excited about evolving functionality, Figma helps customers stay engaged and see ongoing value in their subscription. Those are key factors for retention and turning users into advocates.

Source: figma.com

Social Media Content

Social media is a powerful tool to keep customers engaged and satisfied after their purchase. It’s a place for ongoing conversation, support, and encouragement.

The right social content reassures customers they’re valued, helps solve problems quickly, and encourages them to stay loyal and share positive experiences.

Some effective social media content types include:

1. Customer Support and Q&A

  • Actively monitor and respond to questions, complaints, or concerns.
  • Fast, helpful replies build trust and show you care beyond the sale.

2. Tips and Tricks Posts

  • Share quick, useful advice that helps customers get more from your product or service.
  • This keeps your brand relevant and valuable in their daily life.

3. Community Highlights and Shoutouts

  • Feature customers using your product or engaging with your brand.
  • This encourages advocacy and makes people feel recognized.

4. Exclusive Offers or Loyalty Rewards Announcements

  • Use social media to reward repeat customers with early access or special perks.
  • Keep these offers simple and transparent.

To do this right:

  • Be genuine and timely.
  • Avoid scripted or generic responses.
  • Listen carefully and personalize your replies.
  • Encourage feedback and showcase it to build a positive community atmosphere.

Wayfair, an online home goods retailer, nails this approach. They use social media not just to promote but to assist customers directly. Whether it’s answering product questions, helping with orders, or addressing complaints, their team responds quickly and professionally.

This active engagement turns frustrated buyers into satisfied customers and encourages positive word of mouth.

Treat social media as an always-open support channel, and customers will reward you with repeat purchases and word-of-mouth referrals.

Source: facebook.com

Final Thoughts

Using blog and social media content to support every stage of the customer journey creates a stronger, more meaningful connection with your audience. It can help you become one of those brands that show up consistently, whether someone is just discovering you or already deciding to buy.

When your content genuinely helps at each step, it builds trust, keeps people engaged, and turns customers into advocates.

Given everything, there’s no question that you should already be doing this. The real challenge is how you’ll start shaping your content to meet your audience’s needs more effectively and make every interaction count.

Are you seeking social media marketing tips, insights, and best practices for social media? Register for our next social media conference!

Featured image by Pexels.

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