--- title: "The Buyer’s Journey: the Inbound Marketing Path to Better Business Loan Leads" description: The buyer's journey is a central concept of inbound marketing. It's also a great way to envision the decision process of a typical business loan prospect. image: https://www.trendingupstrategy.com/hubfs/Blog_Photos/the_buyers_journey_shows_the_evolution_of_visitor_to_customer-104705-edited.jpg --- [![Trending Up - Logo - Horizontal - Color - Inverted copy](https://www.trendingupstrategy.com/hs-fs/hubfs/logos/Trending%20Up%20-%20Logo%20-%20Horizontal%20-%20Color%20-%20Inverted%20copy.png?width=210&height=70&name=Trending%20Up%20-%20Logo%20-%20Horizontal%20-%20Color%20-%20Inverted%20copy.png "Trending Up - Logo - Horizontal - Color - Inverted copy")](https://www.trendingupstrategy.com/) - [SALES-READY WEBSITES](https://www.trendingupstrategy.com/automated-sales-machine) - [SALES & MARKETING STRATEGY](https://www.trendingupstrategy.com/marketing-strategy-for-specialty-manufacturers) - RESOURCES - [BLOG](https://www.trendingupstrategy.com/manufacturing-blog) - [FREE RESOURCES](https://www.trendingupstrategy.com/manufacturing-marketing-resource-center) - [MARKETING ROI CALCULATOR](https://www.trendingupstrategy.com/roi-calculator) - [CASE STUDY](https://www.trendingupstrategy.com/conveyor-system-manufacturer-case-study) - CONTACT - [CONTACT US](https://www.trendingupstrategy.com/contact) - [CAREER CENTER](https://www.trendingupstrategy.com/career-center) - [FREE MARKETING ANALYSIS](https://www.trendingupstrategy.com/personalized-marketing-analysis-video) ## Smarketing Blog ## The Buyer’s Journey: the Inbound Marketing Path to Better Business Loan Leads by [Bruce Geiger](https://www.trendingupstrategy.com/blog/author/bruce-geiger)![](https://www.trendingupstrategy.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Hubspot_Persona-Avatars/BWG_-_MI_PR_photo.jpg?width=35&name=BWG_-_MI_PR_photo.jpg) August 1, 2016 - [Tweet](https://twitter.com/share) Maintaining a steady pipeline of qualified, interested business loan prospects has always been a bit haphazard. There is a better way.  ## The Buyer’s Journey A central concept of inbound marketing is [the buyer’s journey.](https://cdn2.hubspot.net/hub/137828/file-347140697-pdf/docs/the-buyers-journey/hubspot_buyers_journey.pdf) It’s an idealized path, a model to enable you to visualize how a prospect evolves from being a stranger to your business to becoming a delighted customer of your business.![the_buyers_journey_shows_the_evolution_of_visitor_to_customer-104705-edited.jpg](https://www.trendingupstrategy.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Blog_Photos/the_buyers_journey_shows_the_evolution_of_visitor_to_customer-104705-edited.jpg?width=749&height=250&name=the_buyers_journey_shows_the_evolution_of_visitor_to_customer-104705-edited.jpg) The journey has three steps, or phases: awareness, consideration, and decision. Each step is characterized by a search for information about solving a specific business problem. The kind of information sought during each phase is different. And, in today’s world, the first two steps – [about 70% of the process](http://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/relationships-selling-content#sm.0001lmjj8ghi7dwas2518t4m3ipbu) - are typically completed online. Or, more accurately, via the smart device in the palm of your hand! ### Awareness The **awareness phase** describes the state of becoming aware of a potential problem or opportunity. It involves online research for relatively neutral information related to typical issues of the immediate problem. At a high level, the prospect may begin to form high-level opinions about different options available to address the problem. Specifically, the researcher is looking for a name to coincide with the problem they're experiencing. ### Consideration The **consideration phase** follows after the prospect has clearly defined and named the problem or opportunity. Now, activity turns to more deeply researching and understanding available options or potential approaches to resolving the problem or taking advantage of the opportunity. The researcher is looking for an idea of solution options to solve the problem. ### Decision Finally, we reach the **decision stage**, the endpoint. Now, the preferred solution or approach has been selected, based on some combination of research, supporting documentation, industry data, best practices and benchmarks, and trusted professional recommendations. During this stage, the researcher is choosing top contenders as solution providers. It's time for your top-notch sales team to take over and relate your solution directly to solving the problem that your potential customer is experiencing.  ## Does this help you understand when a business owner will seek a bank loan? Consider that the majority of big financial decisions, both B2B and B2C, are governed by timing more than anything else. In reality, none of us can clearly and accurately assess another person’s motives, fears, goals, or dreams, regardless of the external signals we can see. This may be particularly true of a business owner considering a loan. And this is exactly why an intelligently-crafted [inbound marketing program](https://www.trendingupstrategy.com/inbound-marketing) makes so much sense in a financial environment! ## Inbound marketing offers a better solution. Since you’ll never know for certain when a business owner is about to begin actively considering a new loan and searching for information, the better approach is to publish content with a purpose: appropriately crafted blog posts, downloadable pieces to convert visitors to leads, and other educational online content. And do it consistently! In other words, implement a program of [inbound marketing built to attract, convert, and close potential business loan customers.](https://www.julcreative.com/inbound-marketing) If you’ve published consistently enough to become a [respected thought leader](http://blog.hubspot.com/blog/tabid/6307/bid/22170/6-Ways-to-Establish-Yourself-as-an-Industry-Thought-Leader.aspx) for business lending, when the prospect searches for information about a potential loan, perhaps for a capital purchase or to expand the business,  they'll find your information, along with a call to action, like this one: [![Click to Read the Case Study: Local Home Builder Grows Online Leads by 396 Percent.](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/404404/ea4f9fcd-bad4-48b7-8770-39fe776cf3ad.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/404404/ea4f9fcd-bad4-48b7-8770-39fe776cf3ad) The call to action leads to [a landing page](http://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/fantastic-landing-page-examples), where the prospect can download a whitepaper, eBook, financial calculator, or marketing kit. Or, request a fact-gathering meeting. Remember, two-thirds of an average prospect’s buyer’s journey is carried out online. So, make sure you have the answers available when that search happens. Further, if you’ve published in the proper online environment, you’ll know exactly when this prospect has acted. He’s now become a qualified lead, and you can follow up to nurture the lead to become a genuinely delighted customer. ## Trending Up's Inbound Marketing can partner with you to do precisely this! We'll even give you a tool to help you make the decision. We know there are lots of marketing agencies out there; which one fits your situation best? [Our guide](https://www.trendingupstrategy.com/what-to-consider-when-hiring-a-digital-agency) explains some differences and recommends questions to ask yourself and any agency you're considering. **[![Download here: What to Consider when Hiring a Digital Agency](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/404404/09f47a25-9e17-4e6a-b3bd-3e69bdb51c27.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/404404/09f47a25-9e17-4e6a-b3bd-3e69bdb51c27)** Topics: [Increase Lead Generation](https://www.trendingupstrategy.com/blog/topic/increase-lead-generation) [Inbound for Financial Institutions](https://www.trendingupstrategy.com/blog/topic/inbound-for-financial-institutions) ### About the Author: ### [Bruce Geiger](https://www.trendingupstrategy.com/blog/author/bruce-geiger) ![](https://www.trendingupstrategy.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Hubspot_Persona-Avatars/BWG_-_MI_PR_photo.jpg?width=100&name=BWG_-_MI_PR_photo.jpg) Bruce is a marketing strategist at Trending Up. For a guy who lived on a dairy farm until he was six, he’s followed an interesting path. After getting an MBA in marketing, he started as an agency account supervisor and copywriter. He went on to lead a variety of marketing and communication functions in several large insurance companies and banks. As a writer, he’s passionate about being clear, concise, and conversational, especially when writing about inherently complex topics like banking, investments, and insurance. Otherwise, when pressed, he can also play blistering blues on his 1969 Les Paul Custom. [Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/bruce.geiger) [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/brucewgeiger) [Twitter](https://www.twitter.com/BruceGeiger5) [Website](https://www.trendingupstrategy.com) ## Something Powerful ### Tell The Reader More The headline and subheader tells us what you're offering, and the form header closes the deal. Over here you can explain why your offer is so great it's worth filling out a form for. Remember: - Bullets are great - For spelling out benefits and - Turning visitors into leads. ### About The Trending Up Blog On our blog, we'll share our passion and energy for strategy, inbound marketing, selling, and growing businesses. We hope you'll do the same! Here's what to expect from our blog: - The best ways to accomplish your growth goals - News & updates on the digital industry and what it means for you - How to keep *trending up*. 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