What is a marketing funnel? (A guide for creators) |

Want to boost your conversion rate and sell more digital products? A funnel for marketing could be your secret weapon. This is how it works.

You've created a digital item you're confident your target audience will appreciate. The product is packed with practical guidance and knowledge, and could make a the difference in your customer's lives.

So why isn't it flying off the (virtual) shelf?

Your marketing strategy may be at fault -in particular if you do not know how to move your clients to go from point A (discovering the value of your product) from point A (thinking about purchasing it) until point C (becoming happy and loyal customers).

This is where funnels for marketing can help.

In this post we'll discuss the reasons why funnels for marketing are a must-have for creators. We'll also discuss the top marketing techniques to employ in each step within the funnel.

First, let's look back to answer the question that is to everyone's heart what is an effective marketing funnel?

What is a marketing funnel?

The marketing funnel maps out the process that a potential customer (or "lead") is on beginning with the business to when they purchase.

How a lead will be placed at the end of the funnel will depend on their level of familiarity with your company or its products and the degree to which they're close to making a decision.

Different companies break their marketing funnels into different phases. This one will be simple by using a funnel with three stages depicting the customer's journey from awareness until conclusion.

Sensitivity:They're just starting to find your brand or products. They know that they've got an issue, but don't know what solutions are available.

The considerations:These leads are evaluating different solutions. They're trying to figure out if your product will solve the issue and whether they can trust your brand.

Choice:These leads are ready to purchase -- they just need more push to convert into customers.

It is also common to see the stages of the marketing funnel broken down into MOFU, TOFU and BOFU. These are the top of funnel and middle of funnel and bottom of funnel. The higher up the funnel that a lead falls further down, the more close they're to being converted.

If you now know the definition of a funnel What makes it essential for marketing?

What are the reasons you require a marketing funnel?

Using a marketing funnel helps you to make your marketing more effective and effective.

Here's what I mean When you are a creator, your time is one of the most valuable resources you have.

Most small-scale businesses are able to spend less than 5 hours each week in marketing. When you have limited time and resources to spend on marketing your online business You can't afford to make a guess as to what content is likely to resonate with your audience.

So, you don't have to make a difficult pitch to someone who recognizes your brand.

Brian Clark, digital marketing expert and the founder of Copyblogger, explains: Copyblogger, explains :

"We don't dive into directly advertising to each person who engages with our content. Instead, we use different strategiesthat are both indirect and direct -- to make a compelling case for our product whenever the moment is right."

Plus, customers expect relevant content:

90% of shoppers tend to purchase from brands that provide relevant offers.

Sixty-three percent of consumers will be more positive of a brand if it offered them more relevant and interesting content.

When you show your leads the right messaging at the right time and at the right time, you'll see results: Targeting users with content relevant to where they are in the purchasing process may result in an increase of 72% in conversion rates .

Ready to turn more cold leads to paying customers? We'll look at the most effective methods to market at every stage in the funnel.

How can you promote your digital goods at every stage of the funnel

Attract leads through lead magnets, as well as with advertising on social media.

In the awareness stage, people aren't ready to even think about purchasing a product. They're just looking for more about their issues and what solutions might be out there for them.

Give these leads the information they're looking for by sharing high-quality information that addresses their pain issues. This valuable content helps introduce your brand to the world and establish you as an expert in your niche.

Take Ryan of Signature Edits  as an example. Signature Edits has presets, templates, and even training programs for their intended photography enthusiasts.

Ryan is aware that different photographers run into various issues, which is why he offers two leads that include a candid pose guide as well as the Free sample of presets for editing photos .

After someone downloads one of the lead magnets, Ryan will send them follow-up messages informing them of the brand's products and services. By offering two different lead magnets helps Ryan ensure that follow-ups are more specific and pertinent.

In the case of a person who signs up for the editing tools for photos, Ryan knows that editing can be a source of fascination (or perhaps a source of painto that individual. With that info on hand, Ryan can confidently promote his editing software to the lead.

Creator Minessa Konecky of Direct to Success makes use of interactive games to draw new customers to her sales funnel and offer them a personalized customer experience.

Utilizing the the quiz software Interact , Minessa created a lead generation quiz to assist you in finding your business blocker to help you attract and learn more about prospects for new prospects.

When someone has completed her test, Minessa segments them into the following three categories:

Unsuspecting:Small business owners with many things to accomplish and who aren't sure how to spend their time each day.

Professional midlifeEntrepreneurs that have gained the knowledge they should know however, they aren't sure how to integrate the action items into a strategy.

Perpetual procrastinatorsPeople who are aware of what they need to do however, they are unable to get it done by themselves.

Based on the group that each lead is a part of, Minessa moves them through the funnel through giving away three mini-courses.

When they reach the top of the funnel, she introduces leads to her two main products. She then encourages them to purchase one of her products or sign up for her program, The Squad Academy .

Another thing to consider before we move on to the middle of the funnel What is the best way to ensure that these lead magnets get to your ideal customers?

Ads on social media are an effective way to promote your lead magnets specifically on Facebook.

This is why: Facebook ads generally have an lower price and better ROI than other channels, which makes it among the top social media platforms available to small businesses.

Furthermore, Facebook has some of the best targeted audience targeting tools available. For example, Lookalike Audiences help you target people similar to your current customers.

Take one of your current audiences such as your blog readers or online course students, and use Facebook to connect with more users who are similar to your audience.

To learn more about how Facebook ads can help fill your marketing funnel Check out these sources:

If you've got the top of the funnel in place, with the funnel's top covered,you're now ready to move on to the next step: considering.

Take into consideration: Nurture leads using email marketing

In the consideration stage, prospective customers are researching and comparing a handful of products. They understand what the issue is, and are aware that there are a myriad of solutions available to address it.

Your job is to make them realize that your product is the best option. It's time to nurture those prospects.

I truly cannot overstate the significance of nurturing leads. In a time when the majority of leads do not translate into sales, nurturing your leads may make the difference between soaring revenue and dismal sales numbers.

Not convinced? On average, nurtured leads have greater purchases of 47% and generate 20 percent more sales opportunities than non-nurtured leads.

and a return on investment of $42 for every one dollar invested  Email is among of the cheapest and scalable marketing tools available for use, especially when you're a small-business manager with the funds enough.

So, now that your prospects have signed up to your mailing list and you're ready to add your leads into a nurturing sequence.

Email 1.Introduce yourself and convince your subscribers to start thinking about the challenge you're trying to solve for them.

Email 2:Now the prospect you are talking to is thinking about their issue Share some useful insights for them so that they can take the first steps toward finding a solution.

Email 3:It's time to introduce your class. Outline what your course offers and how it can be the perfect solution for them.

E-mail 4:You've completed your initial proposal, but your prospective client may have reservations. Be prepared to answer some of the most important questions they might have about your course.

email 5:Make one final pitch. Explain to them the reasons they should take action now, and encourage them to contact you for any further questions.

Every email has a distinct reason. After we've gotten into email four and five the lead is in the process of making a decision, but the selling process doesn't begin until the final email. You want to gently guide your leads to convert -and not force them to the middle of the ocean.

The middle part of the funnel is a good time to share social proof with your leads.

The concept was coined by Dr. Robert Cialdini in his famous work Influence , the idea behind social proof is that "we believe a particular behavior to be more correct in a given circumstance if we see others performing the behavior".

That is, if customers see that people who are just like them are seeing results from your products, they'll want to be part of this action.

Marketing professionals should make use of social proof can mean including reviews and feedback throughout the marketing funnel, particularly during the decision stage. Here's why:

92% of customers look up testimonials and reviews before making buying.

Eighty percent of consumers believe in online reviews more than personal recommendations.

72% of customers believe that testimonials and reviews boost their confidence in an organization more.

Okay, you've have made it to the contemplation stage, and the sale is so close you can feel it. Let's get to the end of that line.

Decision: Convert leads with retargeting and special promotions

The stage where you decide to make a decision is the end of your funnel to market. In this stage, your marketing efforts should result in conversion the target market a simple task.

But how do you get them over the final hurdle?

One of the most powerful BOFU tools for marketing is retargeting.

Have you ever been looking at a pair of sneakers at an online store and then hopped over to Facebook, just to see those same shoes advertised on your newsfeed? That's retargeting.

That specific type of retargeting works via Facebook Pixel. Facebook Pixel , "a piece of code for your website that allows you to measure, optimize and create audiences for your ad campaigns". It helps you retarget people who've been to your site and are engaged with your content.

Here's how the Facebook Pixel is working:

The pixel is added to your web page's code.

The pixel monitors which items people are looking at.

Pixels are used for remarketing and targeting the users via Facebook advertisements.

Visitors click the ads, return to your landing page, and complete their purchase.

As far as the content for those retargeting ads, the decision phase is the right time to intensify urgency and draw attention to any promotions that you can offer.

Obe Fitness did this through serving this retargeted advertisement to my Facebook feed:

I've been to Obe Fitness' site before and have even begun filling out their signup form. Knowing I was close to converting, they retargeted me with a discount code and a CTA to sign-up.

If you want to create urgency, offers that are limited time can make customers more likely to buy -- and buy now. 89% of Americans believe that an exclusive offer would increase their likelihood of shopping at a specific brand, whereas 48% say an exclusive offer would make buyers buy more quickly.

Here are some ways to include that urgency in your BOFU marketing

Make a promotion that runs for a limited time you can then include an countdown timer to the product's page. It might even lead to a boost of 147% on conversions .

All in all, if you're offering a sale that is limited in time, make that clear to those who are at the bottom the funnel. This could be just the motivation they need to make their purchase.

You need to prioritize customer retention, not just acquisition.

It may cost up to seven times greater to attract a new customer than for keeping one you already have.

52% buyers go over and above to purchase from the brands they trust.

Customers who have been customers for a long time have 9 times higher likely convert over a new customer.

Many marketers view loyalty and retention as the 4th phase of their marketing funnel. Your customers have a stellar experience, they spread the news about your brand or product, those referrals come into your funnel for marketing, and so on.

Include a funnel in your marketing toolbox

Each product, business and target audience are different. There's not a universal strategy for marketing that can magically cause your conversions increase and your funnel overflow overnight.

However, if you make sure that the funnel for marketing is top of mind, you can gain a better understanding of the buyer's journey from awareness to purchase. When you know that, you can get your message right at your potential customers at the right time.

To recap, here are the top marketing tactics that can be used at every stage of the funnel to market:

Be aware:Focus on providing high-quality material that addresses the needs of your target audience's problems and sets you up as an expert within your industry. Lead magnets and Facebook ads are great at this stage.

Consideration:Nurture your leads with an email sequence and social evidence. Make sure they feel secure that the product you offer meets their needs.

Choice:Go for the hard pitch. Make use of retargeting, special offers, and a sense of urgency to get your prospects over the finishing line.

Let's get to the point: Keep the customer journey throughout your way and you'll soon be on the way to creating a marketing funnel that makes the sales of your business skyrocket.