Ben Hunt's Marketing Ladder

Ben Hunt's ladder, or "ladder of recognition" - this is the name of a marketing model that divides the audience into segments according to the degree of readiness to buy your product, that is, according to the level of awareness of their problem.

The ladder consists of six steps, at the zero client knows nothing about the problem that the product can solve. Gradually, the potential buyer climbs the steps up: he realizes his pain, and at the same time learns about the product or service that can eliminate it. The ladder ends with the purchase of the product.

A business, knowing the specifics of each stage, can take a client from the zero step to the coveted fifth.

The author of the method is marketer Ben Hunt. He is the author of the Awareness Ladder model, which is based on the principles of marketing by Eugene Schwartz. Schwartz's theory is that the characteristics of any product can be turned into consumer benefits.

Ben Hunt's Laws

Before applying Hunt's theory, you need to learn about the laws on which the method is built.

Here are the basic rules:

• Every client starts their journey from stage zero, when they don’t feel a problem and don’t feel the need for the product. 
• All intermediate stages, from the first to the fourth, are informational, since the client is looking for a solution. 
• Any customer makes a purchase only at the fifth stage, when he is convinced that the product will satisfy his needs. 
• Before making a purchase, the client must go through all the steps without “skipping” over individual stages.

Hunt admits that the client can go through several stages in one touch. But in any case, the sequence of steps is not broken. At each stage, it is necessary to give the client arguments that will push him to move to the next level.

The difference between the Hunt ladder and the sales funnel

The Hunt ladder resembles a sales funnel. It also consists of several stages of interaction with the client and ends with a deal. In the Hunt ladder, the deal stage is the highest step.

The sales funnel begins when a potential buyer first encounters a company's product, for example, through advertising.

The Hunt Ladder suggests engaging with customers earlier, before they have even realized the problem and learned about the product that can solve it. This allows you to expand your audience as much as possible and, as a result, bring in as many buyers as possible.

This way you can win the fight for the consumer from competitors who “catch” him only on the higher rungs of the ladder.

Hunt Ladder Steps and How to Use It

The “ladder of recognition” model suggests that from ignorance to purchase, the buyer necessarily goes through six steps:

1) Zero - "there is no problem". The buyer is not yet aware of the potential problem, he has not encountered it himself and has not heard about it from others. Accordingly, he is not yet looking for a solution - the issue is indifferent to him. At this stage, a purchase is extremely unlikely.

The marketer's task: to make the problem relevant, to convince the client that he needs this particular product. At this stage, it is pointless to form a sales proposal, it is too early to sell anything - the client needs information. You need to attract the consumer brightly, using his eyes. Colorful images, short videos will point out the problem or, at least, make you think about the possibility of its occurrence in the future.

What tools to use. At this stage, standard methods like contextual advertising or SEO will not work. It is important to determine the characteristics of a suitable target audience. Then you need to find this audience in the places where it is present. It is necessary to place information materials on those sites that the target audience reads. You can publish case studies, opinion articles, interviews with experts.

2) The first is “there is a problem.” The client has already heard about the potential difficulty, but does not yet understand how significant it is for him, and is not sure that something needs to be done about this issue.

The marketer's task: to show that there is a solution. The consumer needs statistical data. He has a problem, but he needs reassurance that there is a solution and a hint on where to find it. Reviews and comments from other people who have encountered the same problem can help him with this.

What tools to use. Here you can use the same tools as at stage zero. For example, publications in the media, social networks and on various thematic resources. But the sites can be selected more precisely, taking into account the characteristics of a specific segment. In the materials, it is important to analyze the problem in detail and focus on its consequences.

3) The second is "looking for a way out". Analyzes all options, compares them with each other. In this case, a variety of methods can be considered. Here is an example - in order to lose weight, you can go on a diet, go to the gym or have an operation.

The marketer's job is to inform potential customers that you have a solution that will fill their need. At this stage, it is not necessary to talk about the product in detail, it is enough to mention it. Hunt says: the main thing is that people remember your offer and start looking for information about it themselves.

What tools to use. Here you can effectively use content marketing and SEO. You can post materials in the media and social networks describing different ways to solve the problem. And also publish materials on your own website: comparison articles, ratings, reviews, instructions, videos.

4) The third is “found a solution”. The user found an option that suits him, but he has no information about the advantages of the solution found.

The marketer's task: to use all the tools for disseminating information about the brand and products. The client will read reviews, enter queries in search engines, register on thematic sites, subscribe to mailings and participate in forums. This is a good opportunity to present high-quality review and maximally informative content. Do not force the sale.

What tools to use. Landing pages work well at this level. You can optimize them for queries like "how did the product help ...", "product reviews", "how does the product differ from similar ones" and the like.

Another useful tool is crowd marketing. You can create discussions on social networks and forums, make publications on review sites. Using external links, you can lead users to suitable landing pages on your site. You can motivate customers to create reviews on external sites to increase the number of product mentions.

5) The fourth is “I know, but I doubt it.” The buyer understands the benefits of the product, but he is not yet fully convinced of the need to buy. Example: a client has chosen a good gym near his home, but he is put off by the price or opening hours, and he is wondering whether it is worth buying this membership.

The marketer's task is to present the product in the best light. This step is very important, because the client analyzes all the collected information.

What tools to use. At this stage, a wide range of tools are used - external content marketing, crowd marketing, targeted advertising, SMM, email newsletters, landing pages on your website. To attract the attention of users, you can use product photos, video reviews, cases, reviews and customer letters of gratitude.

6) Fifth — “buy”. The user is convinced that he has made the right choice and is waiting for the right moment to conclude a deal. It is curious that all price promotions related to discounts and gifts work well only at this stage. If such a client receives an SMS “today and tomorrow — 30% discount on a gym membership”, then the person is highly likely to buy it.

The marketer's task: to create a unique selling proposition. Marketers need to actively talk about the advantages of their product over competitors' products, about discounts and promotions, free gifts, delivery. You need to convince that your company is more profitable and better. You can also offer a product that will perfectly complement the client's purchase and increase your average bill.

What tools to use. Contextual and targeted advertising, selling email newsletters work well at this level. Any ad or material should lead to landing pages where the user can buy the product or place an order.

The time it takes to walk the stairs can vary from one day to several months. It depends on the customer's psychology, as well as the cost and seriousness of the purchase. In a few hours, you can run up the stairs, choosing a pair of winter sneakers. If we are talking about buying a car, then the movement can take a year.

Remember that a marketer must understand where the potential buyer is and lead him up the ladder. There is no point in selling "head-on" to the lower levels. You need to warm up the audience, and not impose a product on them that they do not know about.

Hunt's Audience Types

According to Hunt's theory, all potential clients can be divided into three groups:

• Cold audience - people at stage 0. They do not yet realize the problem and do not know about their need. Detailed materials describing the problem are needed. 
• Warm audience — people at 1, 2, 3 or 4 steps. These are those who are already interested in buying to some degree. They are aware of the problem and are looking for a solution. You need to review the solution options and provide arguments for why your product is worth choosing.
• Hot audience — people at step 5. Those who are ready to make a purchase and are looking for the most advantageous offer. They need short materials with a laconic USP and a bright call to action.

It is necessary to gradually and systematically warm up the audience, moving people from one level to another.

The Essentials of Ben Hunt's Staircase

The steps of the recognition ladder are an effective marketing tool. It is important to follow the sequence of steps described in the article, not to skip them, even if you really want to, to analyze the behavior and steps of the consumer and give him what he wants.

Let's systematize everything that really needs to be understood from the theory:

• The ideal client is one who moves from 0 to 5 on the Hunt ladder with the help of your marketing tools. These clients tend to become lifelong clients.
• A client can appear at any part of the ladder, be prepared to work with every type of client that comes to you. 
• Content marketing, SEO promotion, SMM promotion works up to the third step of Hunt's ladder.
• The main tools of modern marketers, including setting up online advertising, work for those clients who are at the 4th-5th level.
• Ideally, you should build such an interaction with your target audience that the client goes through all 6 steps with you.

With the right steps, people will not only become real clients of the brand, but will also feel trust in it, note the quality and professionalism, recommend it to friends, leave positive reviews on the site. Internet marketing will help attract users, and the six steps of Hunt's recognition ladder will lead them to purchase.