Building a complete awareness marketing strategy is the key to reaching more buyers and driving growth
Many marketing initiatives concentrate on buyers who already recognise the need for a particular product or solution. While this approach can yield conversions, it inherently limits potential market reach.
At any given moment, approximately 5% of potential buyers are solution-aware. They are actively researching products in a specific category, comparing vendors, and preparing to make a purchase. These buyers are aware of the results they desire and the type of solution required to achieve them.
The remaining 95% of potential buyers are problem-aware. They experience challenges that a product or solution could address but do not know that such solutions exist.
Consequently, these individuals are not actively searching for products or categories that could resolve their issues. They perceive their challenges as inherent to their roles or industries rather than as solvable problems.
Understanding these distinctions and developing marketing approaches that reach problem-aware buyers, in addition to solution-aware buyers, is essential for expanding market reach and overcoming growth constraints.
We discuss awareness marketing, the limitations of focusing exclusively on solution-aware buyers, the untapped potential among problem-aware audiences, and the implications for content, channel, and measurement strategies.
We cover:
- What awareness marketing is
- Why marketers rely on solution awareness
- How unaware and problem aware are missing opportunities
- How audience awareness determines your marketing
Key Takeaways
• Problem-aware buyers know they have frustrations but haven’t connected them to your solution category.
• Solution-aware buyers are actively evaluating vendors, they represent only 5% of your market.• Most B2B marketing targets only solution-aware buyers, creating artificial growth ceilings.
• Full-funnel marketing creates content for each awareness stage, from unaware to most aware.• The buyer awareness stages determine what messaging resonates and which channels work best.
• Measurement strategies differ by stage, upper-funnel impact is tracked via impressions, assisted conversions, and engagement, while lower-funnel ROI is easier to measure with direct attribution.
What does awareness marketing mean?
The concept of customer awareness stages originates from Eugene Schwartz’s Breakthrough Advertising, first published in the 1960s. Schwartz described varying levels of awareness that guide the development of effective marketing messaging. His framework remains relevant for modern business-to-business marketing.
Schwartz outlined five levels of customer awareness:
- Unaware: The individual is unaware of a problem, a solution, or even the existence of a product category. Knowledge is limited to personal context or opinions.
- Problem-Aware: The individual recognises that a challenge or frustration exists but does not know that a solution is available.
- Solution-Aware: The individual understands the desired outcome and the type of solution required but is not aware that a specific product provides it.
- Product-Aware: The individual is familiar with the product but has not yet determined if it is the right choice.
- Most Aware: The individual is fully aware of the product and only requires information on pricing, offers, or next steps to convert.
Marketing efforts that focus primarily on solution-aware and product-aware buyers tend to overlook the upper stages of the funnel. This approach addresses a limited segment of the potential market, restricting growth potential.
Reliance on solution-aware marketing
Solution-aware buyers actively seek solutions to their problems. For example, they might enter search queries such as “best marketing attribution software” or “top sales engagement platform.” They compare features, review analyst reports, request demonstrations, and evaluate pricing across vendors.
Marketing directed at solution-aware buyers can be effective in generating immediate conversions. However, focusing exclusively on this segment creates several limitations:
- Finite audience: The total number of solution-aware buyers at any given time is inherently limited. Marketing efforts targeting this group compete with all other vendors in the same category, resulting in high costs for limited reach.
- Competitive pressure: These buyers compare offerings directly, emphasising features and price. The competition often shifts marketing efforts toward incremental differentiation rather than broad awareness.
- Artificial growth ceilings: By only addressing the portion of the market actively seeking solutions, organisations may experience stagnation despite strong conversion rates.
This approach does not reflect inefficiency but rather incompleteness. By neglecting problem-aware and unaware buyers, organisations limit their potential market and the opportunity to generate demand where it does not yet exist.
Untapped opportunities among problem-aware and unaware buyers
Problem-aware buyers experience challenges and inefficiencies that products or solutions could resolve but are not actively searching for remedies.
For example, a marketing director may struggle with inconsistent reporting across analytics platforms, leading to difficulties in measuring campaign performance accurately. They may spend hours reconciling data, yet remain unaware that a dedicated marketing attribution solution exists.
Problem-aware buyers:
- Recognise inefficiencies or frustrations.
- May perceive these issues as inherent to their operations rather than solvable.
- Do not use search engines or vendor comparison tools to identify potential solutions.
Unaware buyers, similarly, are not yet conscious of the problem or the potential impact a solution could provide. Engaging these individuals requires introducing new perspectives on existing processes or identifying latent issues that have not yet been acknowledged.
The primary implication is that traditional search-based or comparison-focused marketing will not reach these audiences. Google Ads targeting solution categories, product comparison pages, and demo requests are ineffective for individuals who have not yet connected their frustrations to a recognised problem or category.
How audience awareness stages determine your marketing strategy
Once you understand customer awareness stages, your entire marketing strategy shifts. Different stages require different content, channels, and measurement approaches.
Content strategy by awareness stage
Effective marketing requires tailoring content to the specific awareness stage of the target audience. Each stage necessitates distinct messaging and formats:
- Unaware → Problem-Aware: Content should highlight hidden problems, reframe familiar frustrations, and challenge existing assumptions. Thought leadership, industry insights, and analyses comparing outdated approaches can facilitate awareness of issues previously unrecognised.
- Problem-Aware → Solution-Aware: Educational content should outline available solutions, explain why traditional approaches fail, and establish the existence of a product category. Category creation content is effective at guiding buyers toward solution recognition.
- Solution-Aware → Product-Aware: At this stage, content should compare solutions, present case studies, provide buyer guides, and contextualise the value proposition relative to alternatives.
- Product-Aware → Most Aware: Content should focus on conversion, emphasising product demonstrations, pricing, testimonials, and offers.
Channel strategy by awareness stage
Different awareness stages also determine the effectiveness of marketing channels:
- Unaware & problem-aware buyers: These individuals are not actively searching for solutions. Effective channels include LinkedIn sponsored content, job title–targeted social media advertising, content syndication, and thought leadership distribution. Messaging must be presented proactively rather than relying on discovery.
- Solution-aware buyers: These buyers actively seek solutions and can be reached effectively through search engine marketing, search engine optimisation, review platforms, and product comparison pages. Visibility during search is critical.
- Most-aware buyers: Retargeting, email nurture sequences, and remarketing campaigns are suitable for these individuals. Awareness is established; communication should provide incentives or remove friction for conversion.
Measurement strategy by awareness stage
Marketing effectiveness measurement must correspond to awareness stage. Traditional direct attribution methods are suitable for lower-funnel activities but are insufficient for upper-funnel awareness campaigns.
Lower-funnel measures: Click-throughs, demo requests, and direct conversions can be tracked with multi-touch attribution to evaluate ROI. These methods are appropriate for solution-aware and most-aware buyers.
Upper-funnel measures: Awareness-driven initiatives should be evaluated using impressions, reach, engagement, assisted conversions, and brand recall. Specific approaches include:
- Total impressions and reach modeling to estimate potential revenue impact.
- Multi-touch attribution that accounts for the entire customer journey.
- Self-reported conversions from lead forms or surveys.
- Engagement metrics such as content downloads, video completions, or social interactions.
- Growth of remarketing audiences.
- Increases in branded search volume as an indicator of top-of-mind awareness.
Related: How to measure top of the funnel marketing and brand awareness
Evaluating upper-funnel activity with lower-funnel metrics can produce misleading conclusions. For example, a campaign targeting problem-aware buyers on LinkedIn may show minimal immediate conversions but contribute significantly to later searches and conversions when buyers become solution-aware.
The strategic advantage of understanding awareness stages
Awareness marketing provides a framework for understanding the stages through which buyers progress from unawareness to active consideration and purchase.
Focusing exclusively on solution-aware buyers limits market reach, creates competitive pressures, and establishes artificial growth ceilings. In contrast, addressing problem-aware and unaware audiences enables organisations to expand their potential market, educate buyers, and foster new demand.
Content, channels, and measurement strategies must be aligned with awareness stages to achieve optimal results. Upper-funnel efforts require distinct metrics and evaluation approaches, while lower-funnel initiatives can rely on more traditional measures.
Ultimately, the strategic advantage of awareness marketing lies in its ability to connect organisations with the full spectrum of potential buyers.
By meeting buyers where they are in their journey and addressing unmet needs, organisations can generate sustainable growth, increase market share, and achieve a more effective allocation of marketing resources.
