Brew Before You Post — Part 4: Not Everyone Is Ready to Order Yet

You've built the habit. You've chosen a lead platform. Last week, we figured out that you're already sitting on a whole pot full of content.

Now we need to decide what to pour when.

Because having 100 good content ideas doesn't mean you should grab one randomly every morning and call that a strategy.

The person who discovered you five minutes ago needs something different from the person who's been following you for six months, comparing options, and getting very close to buying. Your existing customer needs something different again.

And while all of that is happening, people are making another decision that matters just as much: Do I like this person? Do I trust them? Do I actually want to work with THEM?

Welcome to the buyer's journey.

☕ Why can't every post ask people to buy?

Because not everyone seeing your content is ready to order.

Some people don't know you exist yet. Some recognize the problem but don't understand their options. Some are researching. Some have narrowed their choices down to you and a couple of competitors. Some are ready to pull out the credit card.

And some have already bought from you.

Those people need different things from your content.

Not every post is supposed to produce an immediate sale. Some posts make someone stop scrolling. Others help them understand their problem, demonstrate your expertise, let them get to know you, or remove one more reason they haven't bought yet.

Eventually, some posts need to ask for the order.

Different content has different jobs, but it's all part of the same brew.

☕ What do you serve someone who's never heard of you?

Awareness is the first sip.

Your potential customer probably isn't waking up thinking, I really hope a roofing company introduces itself to me on Facebook today.

They're thinking about the brown spot that just appeared on their ceiling.

That's why awareness content should frequently begin with them, not you. Pull from that whole pot of content we found last week and talk about things like:

• Problems they recognize.

• Situations they're experiencing.

• Questions they're beginning to ask.

• Mistakes they don't realize they're making.

• Misconceptions they believe.

• Possibilities they haven't considered.

• Stories that make them curious.

• Experiences that make them think, Yep. That's me.

Instead of “We're ABC Roofing and we've been proudly serving the Triad since 1997,” you might start with, “That little brown spot on your ceiling isn't going to fix itself.”

Now you've entered a conversation they're already having in their own head.

Awareness also isn't only about getting someone to recognize a problem. They're beginning to recognize you.

They're seeing your face. Hearing your voice. Learning how you communicate. Noticing what you believe and how you approach your work.

They aren't ready to order yet. You're giving them a reason to take another sip.

☕ How do you become the person they actually want to buy from?

Here's where the buyer's journey gets human.

Your potential customer probably has choices. There are other realtors, accountants, insurance agents, photographers, contractors, restaurants, coaches, consultants, and social media strategists.

Sometimes the products and services aren't dramatically different.

The people are.

While someone moves through Awareness and Consideration, they're not only evaluating whether you know what you're doing. They're getting a feel for whether they want to do business with you.

This is the know, like, and trust part of marketing, and it doesn't belong in one tidy little box on the buyer's journey. It brews throughout it.

Give people opportunities to experience:

• Your opinions and perspective.

• Your sense of humor.

• Your values.

• Your face and voice.

• Your communication style.

• Stories from your business and life.

• What you care about.

• What you won't compromise on.

• Behind-the-scenes moments.

• How you work with customers.

• The way you explain complicated things.

• The things that make you recognizably you.

This does not mean posting a picture of your lunch because somebody told you to “be authentic.” It means allowing the human being behind the expertise to show up in the marketing. It's in the (AUTHENTIC) way you talk and the (AUTHENTIC) things you do when you're posting.

Can you post personal stuff on your biz page? Of course. Consider using Stories for Behind-the-Scenes content that gives people a backstage pass into your day and life.

Think about other people's services where you're trusting somebody with your money, business, home, body, family, reputation, or a significant amount of your time. You're not only asking, Can this person do the job? You're also wondering whether you want this particular person doing it.

That's why hiding your personality behind perfectly polished, generic business content can work against you. If five businesses can pour roughly the same cup of coffee, the customer may choose the person they'd actually like to sit down and drink it with.

Expertise can put you on the list. Personality can help you become the choice.

☕ What moves someone from another cup to “I'll take it”?

Being likable isn't enough. Eventually, potential customers need reasons to believe you can actually solve their problem.

That's where Interest and Consideration content does some heavier lifting.

This is where you pull things from your content pot like:

• FAQs and educational posts.

• Demonstrations.

• Comparisons.

• Myths and misconceptions.

• Your processes.

• Before-and-afters.

• Testimonials.

• Customer stories.

• Results and case studies.

• Explanations of your approach.

• What people should know before buying.

• Why you recommend one option over another.

You're answering questions your potential customer may not be asking you directly yet.

Does this person know what she's doing? Will this work for someone like me? What happens if I hire them? How is this different from the other option? Is it worth the money? Can I trust them?

Notice what we're doing here. You're not posting an FAQ simply because Wednesday is “FAQ Day.” You're answering a question that may be standing between a potential customer and a purchase.

That's the difference between filling a content calendar and using content strategically.

Then there comes a point where you need to stop pouring samples and ask for the freaking order.

Call-to-action content should make it ridiculously easy to understand what you offer, who it's for, and what someone needs to do next. Ask them to book the appointment, schedule the consultation, request the quote, buy the product, visit the store, register, call, or send the message.

Some business owners sell in every post. Others are so afraid of sounding salesy that they educate and nurture people forever without ever telling them how to become a customer.

Neither is much of a strategy.

You've brewed the coffee. You've let them smell it. You've answered their questions and shown them why yours is worth drinking.

At some point, ask if they'd like a freaking cup.

☕ What happens after they've placed the order?

They bought. We're done, right?

Nope.

This is Delight, and it's one of the easiest parts of the buyer's journey to forget when you're planning social media.

Your audience isn't made entirely of potential customers. Existing customers, former customers, referral partners, advocates, and people who may buy again are still watching.

Content can continue to:

• Help customers get more value from what they purchased.

• Answer questions that come up afterward.

• Celebrate customer successes.

• Feature customers and community.

• Show appreciation.

• Provide useful follow-up information.

• Introduce complementary products or services.

• Keep your business familiar.

• Give people something useful enough to share or recommend.

The human connection you've been building doesn't disappear once the credit card goes through, either. This is your opportunity to reinforce the feeling that choosing you was the right decision.

You don't want someone leaving the relationship thinking, Well, that was a perfectly adequate transaction.

You want them thinking, “I'm really freaking glad I chose them.”

Because that customer might come back. They might buy something else. They might tell their neighbor, coworker, sister, client, or networking group about you.

They aren't necessarily finished with the buyer's journey. They may just be ready for another cup.

And now we have another piece of our posting strategy in place.

We started by showing up consistently. Then we chose where to focus. We found the whole pot of content already brewing inside your business. Now we know that the things in that pot have different jobs depending on who we're serving and what they need from us next.

Next, we're going to stop choosing those posts one freaking morning at a time.

We're going to brew the month before we make the posts.

☕ Hooks to Move Them Toward the Order

☕ Awareness: Give Them the First Sip

• If you're dealing with [problem], start here.

• That [small symptom] may be telling you something.

• Have you noticed [recognizable situation] lately?

• If [specific situation] keeps happening, pay attention.

• You shouldn't have to [frustrating workaround] just to [desired result].

• Most people don't notice [problem] until [consequence].

• Does [specific situation] sound familiar?

• Before you assume [problem] is normal, read this.

• Here's the first sign that [problem] may be happening.

• If you've ever thought “[customer thought],” this is for you.

• Nobody tells you this about [customer situation].

• [Problem] usually starts before you realize you have it.

☕ Know Me: Let Them Meet the Human Behind the Business

• Here's something you should know before working with me.

• I will never tell a customer to [thing].

• There's a reason I care so much about [topic].

• The longer I do this, the more I believe [belief].

• Before I became a [profession], I was [background].

• I got into this business because [reason].

• One thing I refuse to compromise on is [value].

• If we work together, you should expect [specific behavior].

• Here's what drives me absolutely nuts about [industry].

• My approach to [topic] is pretty simple: [belief].

• You probably have plenty of [profession] options. Here's how I work.

• This is the part of my personality that absolutely shows up in my business.

☕ Like Me: Give Them Something to Connect With

• Can we please talk about [relatable frustration]?

• I cannot be the only person who [relatable behavior].

• Here's the very unglamorous truth about [topic].

• This happened today, and it perfectly explains [lesson].

• Apparently, this is the hill I'm willing to die on: [opinion].

• If you also believe [shared belief], we're probably going to get along.

• I have a confession about [industry/business topic].

• Here's something about running this business that still makes me laugh.

• This is your reminder that even [professionals] sometimes [human thing].

• If you've ever [relatable experience], you are my people.

☕ Trust Me: Show Them You Know Your Stuff

• Before you pay someone for [service], ask this question.

• Here's what I'd check first if you told me [problem].

• Most people think [belief]. Here's what's actually happening.

• There are [number] things I look for before recommending [solution].

• You may not need [expensive solution] at all.

• Here's why I recommend [option] in this situation.

• What should you expect when you [hire/buy/book]?

• This is one mistake I see constantly with [topic].

• After [number] years doing this, here's what I've learned about [topic].

• Here's how to tell whether [option A] or [option B] makes sense.

• Don't choose a [provider/product] until you understand this.

• This tiny detail can make a huge difference in [result].

☕ Proof: Give Them a Reason for Another Cup

• Here's what happened when a customer came to us with [problem].

• They came to us because [situation]. Here's what happened next.

• This is what [result] actually looks like.

• Before [solution], our customer was dealing with [problem].

• Here's why we recommended [solution] instead of [alternative].

• This customer story perfectly explains why [lesson].

• The result wasn't [obvious result]. It was [meaningful result].

• Here's what changed after [service/product].

• This is the kind of result we're actually looking for.

• Want to know what happens when [specific change]? Here's an example.

☕ Call to Action: Ask for the Freaking Order

• If you're ready to stop dealing with [problem], here's your next step.

• Ready for [desired outcome]? Here's how to get started.

• This is for you if [specific customer situation].

• If you've been waiting for [result], let's fix that.

• Here's exactly what happens when you book [service].

• You don't need to figure out [problem] alone.

• If [problem] is costing you [time/money/stress], it's time.

• We have [number] openings for [service/time period].

• Here's how to work with us if you need [result].

• If you're thinking, “This is exactly what I need,” here's what to do next.

• You've done the research. Now here's how to get started.

• Ready to order? Here's what's on the menu.

☕ Delight: Keep the Coffee Coming

• Already using [product/service]? Here's how to get more from it.

• If you've worked with us before, don't forget about [helpful thing].

• Here's what to do after [purchase/service].

• One thing I want every customer to know after [action] is this.

• You've got [product/service]. Now let's make it work even harder for you.

• Here's the question customers often have AFTER [purchase].

• Before you put [product/result] on autopilot, do this.

• Here's how to protect the result you just invested in.

• Our relationship doesn't end when [transaction].

• This is one of my favorite parts of seeing customers reach [result].

• Already a customer? This one's specifically for you.

• Another cup? Here's what comes next.