In today’s dynamic marketplace, understanding and effectively targeting consumers throughout their buying journey is essential for any successful marketing strategy. The Buyer’s Journey is typically divided into three main Phases: Awareness, Intent, and Action. Each Phase marks a critical point in the consumer decision-making process, requiring customized marketing strategies to effectively engage and convert potential customers.

Awareness Phase: Grabbing Attention at the Top of the Funnel

In the Awareness Phase, consumers are just beginning to recognize and articulate their needs. This top-of-the-funnel phase is not about selling; it’s about informing and educating. The goal is to build awareness of your brand and demonstrate how you can meet their needs.

Media Channels:

1. Programmatic advertising covers the entire web versus the “walled gardens” of Google and Facebook. The programmatic platforms enable advertisers to upload their custom-built targeting audiences, ensuring that your ads are shown only to your intended audience and reducing wasted ad spend. We utilize brand awareness display ads and videos delivered across mobile phones, tablets, and desktops/laptops, with links to the product pages on the website. Additionally, we serve video ads or TV spots to consumers streaming content on their Connected Television (CTV) screens in their homes.
2. Facebook advertising also lets advertisers upload their custom audiences so only the consumers they want to target see the ads. With Facebook, we use their retargeting campaigns to serve ads to our target audiences. Almost all Facebook ads and videos are viewed on mobile phones (98% as of March 2025), so we design brand awareness ads and videos with links to the product page of the website.e.
3. Google advertising also allows advertisers to upload custom audiences, and, as with Facebook, we utilize remarketing campaigns to serve ads to our audience.
4. Local Broadcast Television is also used in the Awareness Phase when we operate in a small television market and local shows like News, Wheel of Fortune, and Jeopardy are reasonably priced.
5. Billboards are now digital, which allows us to serve ads directly to them through our programmatic ad platform. We use digital billboards strategically when we have enough budget to do so.
6. Direct Mail is also used to kick off the spring and fall selling seasons for many of our dealers, especially when manufacturer coop funds are available. As with the other media channels we target just the households in our Awareness, Intent and Action audiences.

Intent Phase: Nurturing in the Middle of the Funnel

Once consumers start researching flooring online, we move them into our Intent Audience for more targeted promotional advertising. While we still use one or more of the digital media channels mentioned above, we adjust the messaging to ensure they understand our dealers offer the highest quality flooring at the best prices in the market.

Media Channels:

1. Programmatic advertising in the Intent Phase targets our Intent Audiences, which consist of consumers who have been online researching flooring. Our Intent Audiences are refreshed daily to ensure we haven’t missed any consumers in the market who are researching flooring online. We use more promotional ads during the Intent Phase and increase the frequency with which we reach each consumer. Similar to the Awareness Audience, we serve promotional display ads and videos across mobile phones, tablets, and desktop/laptops, linking to the “on sale” pages of the website. We also broadcast TV spots to consumers streaming content on their Connected Television (CTV) screens in their homes.
2. Facebook advertising also targets the Intent Audience with a different set of creatives designed to be more promotional and discount-oriented. As explained in the Awareness section above, virtually all Facebook ads and videos are viewed on mobile phones, so like with the programmatic ads, we create promotional and discount ads and videos with links to the “on sale” page of the website.
3. Google advertising in the Intent Phase primarily emphasizes PPC and PPL, and we shift the creative of remarketing ads to a promotional or discount theme.

Action Phase: Converting at the Bottom of the Funnel

In the Action Phase, consumers are prepared to make a purchase decision. During this bottom-of-the-funnel phase, your marketing efforts should concentrate on persuading potential buyers that your product is the right choice at the right price, turning intent into action.

Strategies to Engage:

1. Personalized Offers and Discounts: Use data insights to deliver tailored offers or discounts that encourage purchase decisions.
2. Customer Testimonials and Reviews: Display testimonials, reviews, and case studies that highlight satisfied customers who have benefited from your products or services.
3. Secure and Simple Purchase Processes: Make your buying process smooth and safe, reducing any potential obstacles that could prevent conversions.

In this phase, urgency and reassurance are crucial. It’s about convincing the potential buyer of the value and benefits of their choice while making the purchasing process as easy as possible.

Conclusion

By strategically targeting consumers throughout the Awareness, Intent, and Action phases, businesses can improve their marketing effectiveness and increase overall conversion rates. Customizing strategies for each phase of the Buyer’s Journey not only aligns marketing efforts with consumer needs but also establishes a strong foundation for long-term growth. Effective consumer targeting enhances understanding of consumer behavior, enabling brands to provide value at every stage of the buying process.

Take Action Today

Ready to boost your retail flooring business with IFDA’s GenAI Targeting Technology? Schedule a Zoom meeting today to find out how IFDA’s GenAI Targeting Technology can help your store outperform the competition in your market.