# Demand Lifecycle

> Use this skill for the demand lifecycle model — how B2B buyers move from unaware to in-market and what paid media's job is at each stage.

- Skill: `swan-gtm/demand-lifecycle` (Agent Skill)
- Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add swan-gtm/demand-lifecycle`
- Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/swan-gtm/demand-lifecycle/raw
- Safety review: pending
- Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex
- Category: AI & ML
- Author: swan-gtm (https://skillmd.com/u/swan-gtm)
- Updated: 2026-09-17
- Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/swan-gtm/demand-lifecycle

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# The Demand Lifecycle

## Overview

The Demand Lifecycle is a comprehensive framework for planning and executing B2B go-to-market programs across the entire buyer journey - not just up to conversion.

## Why the 5-Stage Demand Engine?

The 5-Stage Demand Engine replaces traditional TOFU/MOFU/BOFU because the traditional funnel only plans up to conversion, but in B2B reaching all points in the buyer's journey matters. The 5-Stage Demand Engine plans across all lifecycle stages past initial conversion.

## The 5-Stage Demand Engine

### 1. Create (Build brand affinity & trust)

**Outcome:** Build brand affinity & trust

**Awareness Level:** Unaware, Problem Aware

**Offers:** Educational content & thought leadership

**Tactics:** Boosting content with sponsored paid social ads

**KPIs:** Cost per consumption, blended cost per opportunity

### 2. Capture (Convert interest from in-market buyers)

**Outcome:** Convert interest from in-market buyers

**Awareness Level:** Solution Aware, Product Aware

**Offers:** Demo requests, free trials

**Tactics:** Bidding on high intent keywords, paid listings, retargeting

**KPIs:** Pipe-to-spend, direct cost per opportunity, ROI

### 3. Accelerate (Sales Led) / Activate (Product Led)

**Outcome:** Help sales close deals faster / get free users to convert

**Awareness Level:** Product Aware, Offer Aware

**Offers:** Testimonials, case studies, events, webinars

**Tactics:** Sponsored paid social ads

**KPIs:** Pipeline velocity, paid signups

### 4. Revive (Restart closed lost opportunities)

**Outcome:** Restart closed lost opportunities

**Awareness Level:** Offer Aware

**Offers:** Incentivized demo requests, guided trials

**Tactics:** LinkedIn conversation ads

**KPIs:** SQOs created, blended cpSQO

### 5. Expand (Drive revenue from existing customers)

**Outcome:** Drive revenue from existing customers

**Awareness Level:** Most Aware

**Offers:** Referral program, Certification program

**Tactics:** Sponsored newsletters/partnerships

**KPIs:** Influenced SQOs created, Expansion revenue

## Eugene Schwartz's Stages of Awareness

This is the foundation that determines which stage a prospect belongs to. The process a customer goes through before purchase:

- **Unaware**: No clue they even have a problem. Example: blissfully mismanaging customer relationships with no system.
- **Problem Aware**: Know they have a problem but not sure how to solve it. Example: realize managing customer relationships is important but don't know how.
- **Solution Aware**: Need help deciding on the right solution. Example: should I use Google Sheets, a filing cabinet, or a CRM?
- **Product Aware**: Know of your brand/product but not sure if you're the best option. Example: comparing Salesforce vs HubSpot vs Pipedrive.
- **Offer Aware**: Know of your brand and exactly how you can help but need nudging. Example: pricing discounts, better contract terms, customer references.
- **Most Aware**: Existing customers, familiar with your brand and working with you. Example: referral program.

### How Awareness Maps to the 5-Stage Demand Engine

- Create --> Unaware + Problem Aware
- Capture --> Solution Aware + Product Aware
- Accelerate/Activate --> Offer Aware (need to get them over the finish line)
- Revive --> Offer Aware (previously evaluated, fell through the cracks)
- Expand --> Most Aware (existing customers)

## Budget by Stage

Strategy is a series of strategic bets. Work from the bottom of the 5-Stage Demand Engine up for quickest ROI (Expand --> Create).

### Stage Investment Characteristics

| Stage | Budget Required (Audience Size) | Estimated ROI Timeline | Estimated Difficulty |
|-------|----------------------------------|------------------------|----------------------|
| Create | High | > 90 days | High - requires strong content strategy and unique POV |
| Capture | Moderate | < 45 days | High - usually stiff competition & expensive costs |
| Accelerate/Activate | Low | Varies based on sales cycle | Low - familiar with your product and considering it |
| Revive | Low | < 45 days | Low - familiar with your brand and expressed interest in the past |
| Expand | Low | < 60 days | Medium - existing customers, hard to scale due to small audience sizes |

### Illustrative Budget Allocation

**Product-led startup** (early stage, large TAM, ~$30k/month budget)
- Focus: Create & Capture (scale net-new and brand)
- Allocation: $15,000 Create (Problem Aware) + $10,000 Capture (Solution Aware) + $5,000 Capture (Product Aware)

**Sales-led startup** (growth stage, small TAM, ~$30k/month budget)
- Focus: Create, Capture & Accelerate (ABM, penetrate top accounts)
- Allocation: $20,000 Create (Problem Aware) + $5,000 Capture (Product Aware) + $5,000 Accelerate (Offer Aware)

Product-led companies typically spread budget across Create and Capture. Sales-led companies with a small TAM should invest more heavily in Create (brand/thought leadership) and Accelerate (helping sales close deals). These are starting points - adjust allocations based on performance and business priorities as your data improves.

## Key Principles

- You don't have to build a full-funnel strategy at once
- Build bottom-up for quickest ROI: expand --> revive --> accelerate/activate --> capture --> create
- The target audience's awareness level determines the stage
- No one knows for certain where someone is in their buyer's journey - use best judgment

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> By Ivan Falco - Frontal