The 5 Stages of Customer Awareness: Master the Customer Journey from Awareness to Purchase

Let's be real, most marketers treat funnels like a one-size-fits-all hoodie. They slap on some catchy headlines, throw in a countdown timer, blast some ads, and pray to the conversion gods. Then they scratch their heads when their conversion rates flat line and their ad budget goes up in flames.

But here’s the truth… A funnel that actually converts isn't about you. It's about your customer and where they're at in their decision-making journey. It’s so simple a toddler can understand it. If you're not tailoring your message to match each stage of this journey, you're basically leaving stacks of cash on the table: Every. Single. Day.

So, today I thought I’d share a preview of one of the many sections of the book I’m currently writing. Yes, I'm writing a book! I feel like I’m coming out of the ghostwriters’ closet — ABOUT TIME! 

But not just any book: A literal freaking Marketing Bible. No fluff, just pure strategy that works. It breaks down everything from funnels, acquisition, and ads to retention, killer offers, email sequences that don't suck, and examples from the trenches. This blog post? It's straight from the chapter where I dissect the 5 Stages of Customer Awareness and how they shape the customer's path to purchase.

Let's dive in!

Customer Journey Stages By Mechi Mansilla

Stages of Customer Awareness: 1. Unaware

This is marketing on hard mode because these folks don't even know they have a problem. Picture this: you sell a magnesium spray that helps people sleep like babies. Your unaware customer is that person who drags themselves out of bed, gulps three espressos before lunch, and blames it up to “just being stressed” or “not being a morning person.”

They've normalized feeling like garbage. They haven't connected the dots that their zombie-like existence is fixable, and they have zero clue your product could be their knight in shining armor. Likewise, they don't need your sales pitch: they need content that entertains, hits home, and plants a tiny seed of “hmm, that sounds like me.” Maybe it's a personal story that makes them nod along. 

Maybe it's a relatable meme. Or a TikTok that says, “If you wake up feeling like you've been hit by a sleep train, perhaps it's not you: it's your magnesium levels talking." Your only job here is to create that lightbulb moment and spark just enough curiosity to make them stop scrolling. That's it.

Stages of Customer Awareness: 2. Problem Aware

Now they're catching on that something's off. They're furiously Googling things like “Why do I wake up feeling like I've been in a fight with my mattress?” or “How to sleep deeper without popping pills.” They haven't found the solution yet, but they can feel the sandpaper of sleep issues rubbing against their life. Your job? Validate what they're experiencing and help them name the beast.

You might say, "One of the most overlooked causes of that 3 PM energy crash and morning brain fog is a magnesium deficiency. Most people don't realize they're not getting enough from their sad desk lunches and dinner deliveries." Now you're not just pointing out the problem:you're introducing an angle they hadn't considered. That's when the trust seed starts to sprout.

Stages of Customer Awareness: 3. Solution Aware

At this stage, they're actively hunting for fixes. They know their sleep is broken, and they're aware there are tools to fix it: magnesium, melatonin, CBD, meditation apps, cold showers, counting sheep, you name it. This is where most brands fall into the trap of shouting louder instead of speaking smarter.

Instead of rattling off generic benefits like a bored tour guide, show them why your solution works better than the rest of the sleep-fixing circus. “Melatonin might help you face-plant into your pillow faster, but it doesn't keep you in dreamland–and for some people, it leaves them feeling like they're swimming through pudding the next day. Our magnesium supplement supports deep sleep by telling your nervous system to chill out, with zero morning-after regrets.” 

Use comparisons, real results, and squash objections before they even form. You're no longer just warming them up. You're making their choice a no-brainer.

Stages of Customer Awareness: 4. Product Aware

They know you exist. They've seen your ad or stalked your website. Maybe they've binged your Instagram Stories or reluctantly surrendered their email address. They're circling your product like a cautious cat, interested but not quite convinced. This is your moment to make converting easier than ordering late-night tacos. Remove friction. Pile on proof. Show them they aren't the first person to hesitate, and that people just like them got results that made them FINALLY GET SOME SLEEP.

"92% of customers say they fall asleep faster than a toddler after a day at the beach and wake up actually feeling human after using our magnesium spray for a week. If it doesn't work for you, we'll give you your money back, no questions asked." That's all they need. At this point, they're mentally tallying reasons to click "buy" or bounce. Your job is to stack the yes column so high they can't see the no.

Stages of Customer Awareness: 5. Most Aware

This is your dream customer. They've done their homework, they're ready to commit, and they just need the button. No distractions. No long-winded explanations. No last-second doubts: “Order now and score 20% off. Ships today. Better sleep starts tomorrow.”

At this stage of the journey, your job is beautifully simple: get out of their way. Give them a checkout experience smoother than their future sleep. And if you want to boost that average order value? Offer a bundle or upgrade that makes perfect sense with what they came for.

Want to learn more about how to stop them from clicking away instead of making that order? Make sure your CRO is on check. Click here to get my FREE CRO checklist.

The Bottom Line

If your funnel speaks to everyone the same way, you're actually converting no one. The customer journey from awareness to purchase isn't just marketing theory from some dusty textbook. It's the secret sauce to writing copy that hits different, launching campaigns that actually work, and building marketing systems that don't rely on crossing your fingers or gimmicks.

Your funnel should feel like that friend who always shows up at the perfect time, reads the room like a pro, and knows exactly what to say. Not too pushy, not too vague:just the right message at exactly the right moment.

This post is just a tiny taste of what I do for my clients every day.

If you're tired of throwing spaghetti at the wall with your marketing, burning through ad spend, or launching offers into the void, let's fix that. Whether your audience is completely oblivious to your existence or hovering with their credit card already in hand, I'll help you take them from “She doesn't even go here!” to "shut up and take my money”. 

Book a call if you're ready for a funnel that actually converts and a customer journey that feels like magic (but is actually powered by damn good strategy). No cookie-cutter templates. No fluffy buzzwords. Just results that make your accountant do a double-take.

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