What Is the ‘Messy Middle’ and Why Should Marketers Care About It?

The messy middle can be a challenging phase for marketers who are trying to convert customers into making a purchase.

As described by Google, this is a chaotic loop where buyers carry out most of their journey as they explore different options to find the one that best fulfils their needs.

Understanding this process is key for all marketers as you need to know why customers are reluctant to commit to a purchase so that you can serve them with content that mitigates these concerns. The problem is that customers use lots of different platforms when researching the best product or service for their needs, meaning there’s lots of factors that weigh on their final choice.

Whilst it might seem disheartening for marketers to learn that the amount of control they have over a customer’s purchasing habits is declining, by using the right strategies you can disrupt the messy middle and guide consumers to invest in your offering.

In this blog we’re exploring exactly what the messy middle is, why you need to care about it, and some of the strategies you can explore to navigate this complex phase successfully.

What Is the Messy Middle?

The ‘messy middle’ is a widely used term in marketing as it refers to the intermediate stage in a buyers decision-making process.

In an ideal world, the buying journey is still viewed as being linear, representing something similar to the below where customers move through the following stages: Awareness, Interest, Decision, Action.

It would be great if every single customer fell nearly into this sequence, but the reality is very different.

Once a customer is aware of a product/ service, but before they commit to a purchase, they experience lots of different factors that influence their final decision. For example, they might see something on social media which sways their mind or they might read a negative review on Google which makes them think twice, which is why it all gets a bit chaotic.

Instead of moving nicely through the 4 stages outlined above, they fall into one of two categories: exploration (where they continue to seek more information) or evaluation (comparing prices/ reviews etc). In both scenarios, the cycle is repeated as many times as they deem necessary so that they can finally land on the right decision.

So rather than the ordered sequence seen above (the traditional marketing funnel), the ‘messy middle’ looks more like the illustration below.

This makes the job of a marketer very difficult, but also presents opportunities to be more creative in terms of marketing strategies. By understanding the different factors and emotions customers are experiencing in the ‘messy middle’ and what is causing them to contemplate their decision, companies can use a mix of strategies to address their concerns and reaffirm that they are making the correct choice.

The Importance of the ‘Messy Middle’

Understanding the ‘messy middle’ is key for marketers, as you need to identify why your customers are cautious about committing to a final decision.

These sticking points could be related to:

• Quality
• Price
• Availability
• Speed of delivery
• Reliability

These concerns are the reasons why your customers aren’t flowing through the traditional marketing funnel, and instead, getting caught up in the messy middle – looking for information that confirms or challenges their decision.

The rise of technology has made this process even more difficult as consumers have more options than ever before. They also have access to more information allowing them to look at a plethora of reviews and price comparisons at the click of a button. If they read something negative about your product, regardless of how close they initially were to buying, it can take them right back to square one.

As such, understanding what these concerns are and how you can use this as an opportunity to reassure them that your offering is the right choice, is crucial. This could take the form of content marketing (providing valuable resources that informs/ engages your audience), remarketing efforts (that recapture customers who have visited your site but not converted), and many others which we’re exploring in the next section.

It’s about getting inside the mind of your customers to understand what drives them to making a final decision and what makes them hesitant.

Whilst you can’t take customers out of the messy middle, you can disrupt it, ensuring your products/ services remain front of mind. Let’s take a look at some strategies for achieving this below.

Strategies for Navigating the ‘Messy Middle’

The messy middle might be chaotic, but it’s not all doom and gloom for marketers. There are lots of strategies that you can use to ensure your product or service is the one that captures and engages your target audience.

These strategies are increasingly important due to external factors including the cost of living, economic uncertainty, and the volume of companies now available, as not only do consumers have more choice, they’re also conscious of how much they’re spending. This means marketers are working under increasingly tight budgets whilst still trying to be creative with their marketing efforts.

Use content marketing

The great thing about content marketing is the variety of formats it can take such as blogs, videos, infographics, and case studies to inform and engage your audience about your product or service.

This variety of content gives you lots of opportunities to capture the interest of your audience through a more creative means.

For example instead of relying only on written content, you could create videos which feature testimonials from your previous clients. Alternatively, you could create a podcast that features leaders/ experts in your industry to demonstrate your credibility.

Whatever format you choose, the great thing with content marketing is that you have lots of options to influence the decision-making process of potential buyers. If you’re new to content marketing, experiment with different formats and identify what works best for your audience. You can then double down on this as you’ll understand what works vs what doesn’t.

Whatever content you choose to create, make sure it’s optimised for discovery via search engines. Otherwise, you could be spending a whole load of time and effort creating something that is never going to be found.

We’re digging into this below so keep reading!

Optimise for search engines

Optimising for search engines starts by carrying out keyword research, ensuring there is clear demand for this topic. For example if your business is lawnmowers, search terms could include:

• Types of lawnmowers
• Price of lawnmowers
• Lawnmower repair

With this in mind, create content that includes these keywords as this increases the likelihood of your audience finding your content and clicking through to your website.

You also need to consider search intent which is the reason behind a user’s search query. Understanding this can help you create content that not only ranks well but also meets the needs of your audience.

For example, if someone searches for “types of lawnmowers,” their intent might be informational as they’re looking to learn about the options available. In this case, a detailed guide comparing various lawn mower types, including features and pros and cons would be appropriate. On the other hand, a search query such as “price of lawnmowers” indicates a commercial intent as these users are closer to making a purchase and are looking for pricing information. In this scenario, you could create content such as product comparisons or pricing guides.

Top Tip:

Where possible, optimise your content for featured snippets as this makes your content more visible and increases the likelihood of people clicking through to your site. This is particularly important during the messy middle phase as users are often looking for quick, clear answers. Therefore, providing immediate, direct answers to commonly asked questions is highly effective for mitigating concerns quickly.

Leverage social proof and reviews

There’s nothing quite as powerful as social proof. This could take the form of customers reviews or testimonials which talk about the positive experience they had when using your product or service.

When trying to convince potential customers that your offering is worth investing in, these forms of social proof are invaluable. By featuring real people talking about their real experiences, it reassures buyers that they’re making the right decision as they’re hearing from someone who’s been there and done it.

Instead of hearing it from you (who is obviously going to talk positively about the brand), these reviews come straight from customers who have no bias towards the company. As a result, they’re more genuine and authentic, which leads to a deeper level of trust.

You can also leverage user-generated content to build trust, as again, this is created by your audience with little-to-no involvement from you. Make sure you post this content across multiple channels including your website and social media, providing validation and reassurance from others who have made similar decisions.

Conduct retargeting and personalisation

Retargeting and personalisation efforts allow you to engage customers who are actively researching and evaluating their options before making a purchase.

As customers are generally in two minds before committing to one brand another, making sure you stay front of mind is vital. Retargeting allows you to re-engage users who have previously interacted with your website but have not yet made a purchase.

However, by using cookies or other tracking methods, you can serve targeted ads that remind potential customers of the products or services they viewed. You could provide special offers, discounts, or showcase customer testimonials to reinforce trust.

Going a step further, personalisation allows you to tailor the content based on user behaviour and preferences. It’s important to highlight that personalisation means more than just addressing the customer by name. Today, it involves using analytics to create relevant marketing messages, increasing the likelihood of engagement and conversion.

For instance, using the example of a lawnmower company, if a user has been comparing different types of lawnmowers, personalised emails or ads can highlight the specific models they viewed or suggest complementary products.

This approach not only keeps your brand top-of-mind but also helps to address specific needs and questions, making it easier for users to move towards a purchase decision.

User Experience (UX) and Design

An intuitive user experience (UX) is key for engaging customers in the messy middle of the marketing funnel.

At this stage, users are carrying out comprehensive research and comparing multiple options, so your website and digital platforms need to make this quick and accessible.

An effective UX design should feature a clean, crisp layout, clear calls-to-action, and easy-to-find product information. Furthermore, a responsive design ensures that the experience is consistent across all devices, including mobile, which is increasingly important as we’re all glued to our mobile phones!

Fast loading times and an easy-to-use interface reduce frustration and keep users engaged, helping them to find the answers they need without hassle.

By prioritising a user-friendly design, you not only improve the overall experience for website users, but also increase the likelihood of conversions as users are more likely to trust and engage with a site that meets their informational and navigational needs.

Messy Middle Case Study: Meridian Parks

Meridian Parks have been a client of Discovery Design since 2023 and were looking to expand their growth of their UK holiday parks by driving more sales of their range of holiday homes. Since a holiday home is a pricey purchase, there’s a lengthy consideration period between first looking at a holiday home online, and then deciding to purchase one.

As a result, we used Mid Funnel YouTube campaigns and Custom Intent Display Ads on their account to target the “messy middle”, allowing Meridian Parks to stay in the forefront of the user’s mind and push them to make their decision to purchase.

For transparency, custom intent is where we create custom audiences and plug them into the Display Ads so they know who they target for maximum impact.

What Is the ‘Messy Middle’ and Why Should Marketers Care About It

The ‘Messy Middle’ is an important phase in the customer journey where consumers are deeply immersed in research and evaluation, often feeling overwhelmed by the plethora of options available.

For marketers, understanding and navigating this stage can be the key to converting potential leads into loyal customers. By leveraging insights into consumer behaviour, using targeted content, and providing a seamless user experience, you can effectively influence decision-making and guide customers toward choosing your products or services.

If you’re looking to better understand your customers and optimise their purchasing journey, get in touch with the team at Discovery Design. We can work with you to make strategic decisions that are tailored to your business needs.