4 Steps To Creating A Marketing Funnel

An effective sales and marketing funnel is key to successfully converting leads to customers. A funnel is designed to guide your audience through the sales process using marketing content. While helping to secure sales, it also helps you nurture relationships with customers.

Along with helping you engage with your customer base, a funnel can also help you gain crucial audience data to understand your audience base better. The funnel is certainly vital to the success of your business - using funnel builders will ensure you are able to convert leads into paying customers.

What is a Marketing Funnel?

A marketing funnel is the journey customers take from lead generation to purchase, using marketing material to make that entire process happen.

A marketing funnel can be broken down into three phases as highlighted below:

●      Top of the funnel or TOFU: This is the initial contact - the discovery of your product, service or brand. It is where the customer becomes aware that you may be able to meet their needs.

●      Middle of the funnel or MOFU: Customers who make it to this funnel will begin to do some research. They will look further into your product, service and brand while comparing you to your competitors. It is crucial you create a relationship by interacting and engaging with them.

●      Bottom of the funnel or BOFU: This is where you convert the lead to a customer. If the lead does not finalize the purchase, however, you will need to reassess the MOFU stage and try to entice them in another way.

After the purchase, it is essential to continue customer engagement and build loyal relationships; this could then take you back to the beginning of the funnel. 

Know Your Audience

For your funnel to be effective, you need to know your audience so you are better able to create compelling content that builds connections with customers. To know your audience, you need to first define them and then research them. As you manage your funnel over time, however, you will gain more insight and can adapt your funnel accordingly. 

Produce Quality Content

Once you have defined your audience, you may then begin to create content. While content marketing does require consistency, it is essential not to sacrifice quality. Pay attention to the tone, style and length of your content while ensuring you build in keywords for SEO. If your content is eye-catching, engaging and informative, you will begin to build up a loyal audience.

Use Multiple Channels

Along with producing quality content, you need to ensure your marketing plan is diverse. Using multiple channels will maximize your reach, helping you to engage a variety of customers. When you create a cross-channel marketing campaign however, it is essential to produce a cohesive narrative across all your channels.

Gather Metrics

Since a marketing funnel should always be updated as needed, it is important to monitor your metrics. Gathering data and monitoring customer interaction will ensure a better understanding of your customers, helping you to hold their attention while ensuring that you are spending your time, money and energy at the right places doing the right things.