as published on December 30, 2011 by the Dallas Business Journal

Although brand awareness can boost purchase consideration, the actual buying decision is likely to be done well before a customer may be aware of a brand, recent research indicates.

New findings show that buying decisions are triggered rather by a need which sets the buying process in motion.

After making the decision to buy, potential customers often start researching what options are available, even if they are already aware of certain brands.

Being part of the initial consideration set increases a brand’s likelihood of being purchased, but there is still a chance for low-awareness or even unknown brands to be considered if they are discovered while the customer evaluates different options and the offer is compelling, affordable and inspires trust, among other factors.

Thanks to widespread Internet access, the growth of social media and the explosion of information sources on the Web, the evaluation of different options is easier than ever. This is why search engine optimization (SEO) is so important for new and small businesses.

If your brand is unknown or suffers from low awareness, first invest in researching your target markets before you start spending money in launching an awareness campaign or doing SEO, including:

• Needs and purchase occasions
• Category- and product-specific behavior
• Perceived differences between you and your competitors
• Appeal of your value proposition
• Demographic and psychographic characteristics
• Media consumption behavior, including the Internet and social media

Learning how your potential customers make buying decisions will allow you to invest your marketing dollars more effectively.