What are funnels for marketing? (A guide for creators) |

Want to boost your conversion rate and sell additional digital items? A marketing funnel is a great tool. This is how it works.

You created a digital product you're confident your target audience will appreciate. It's packed with actionable advice as well as expertise. It could make a an impact on your customer's lives.

So why isn't it flying across on the (virtual) stores?

The marketing strategy you employ could be the culprit -particularly if you don't know how to move your clients from the point A (discovering your products) from point A (thinking about purchasing it) up to point C (becoming loyal and delighted customers).

Marketing funnels are where they come in.

In this piece, we'll explain how marketing funnels are an absolute must-have for creators. We'll also discuss the most effective marketing strategies to use at each stage in the funnel.

But first, let's take a step back and address the issue that's on everyone's minds: What exactly is a marketing funnel?

What exactly is a funnel for marketing?

Marketing funnels map the process that a potential customer (or "lead") is on starting with the business to when they purchase.

The place a lead falls in the funnel depends on how familiar they are with your product or brand and how close they are to making a purchasing decision.

Different marketers break their marketing funnels down into various steps. We're going to keep it simple with a three-stage funnel that maps the buyer's journey from awareness to the final decision.

awareness:They're just starting to learn about your company or brand. The leads are aware of an issue however, they don't know which options are out there.

Take into consideration:These leads are evaluating the various options available. They're trying to figure out the best solution for their issue, and whether they can trust your brand.

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

There are also a lot of stages of the funnel divided into TOFU, MOFU, and BOFU. These are the top of funnel and middle of funnel and the bottom of funnel. The further down the funnel leads are and the nearer they are to converting.

If you now know what a funnel does and what it is, how can you tell it's an essential part of your marketing strategy?

Do you really need a marketing funnel?

Utilizing a funnel to market can help you increase the effectiveness of your marketing and efficient.

This is what I am referring to as a creator your time is one of the most valuable resources you have.

The majority of small businesses spend less than 5 hours a week on marketing. When you have limited budget and time to focus on marketing your online business, you can't afford to make a guess as to what content is likely to appeal to your target audience.

So, you don't end up pitching a hard sale to someone who knows your name.

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

"We aren't directly offering a product to everyone who interacts with our content. Instead, we employ a variety of strategies -- both direct and indirect -- to make a case for the offer at the right time."

Plus, customers expect relevant content:

90% of consumers are more likely to shop with brands who offer relevant deals.

Sixty-three percent of customers will be more positive of a company if they offered them more relevant, interesting, or relevant material.

When you show your leads appropriate content in the appropriate time It pays off targeting users with relevant content relevant to where they are in the buying process could result in 72% higher conversion rates .

Are you ready to convert more cold leads to paying customers? Let's look into the top marketing tactics for each stage in the funnel.

How can you promote your digital goods at every phase of your funnel

Awareness: Draw leads in with lead magnets and social media ads

At this point it's not yet time to even contemplate making a purchase. They're just looking for about their problems and what solutions might be available to the problem.

Offer these prospects the info they're looking for by sharing quality information that addresses their pain areas. This valuable content helps introduce your brand to the world and establish you as an expert in your area of expertise.

Take Ryan of Signature Edits  as an example. Signature Edits offers presets, templates, and even training programs for their intended group of photographers.

Ryan knows that different photographers run into different pain points, so he offers two leads for photographers: an candid posing guide and a gratis sample pack of photo editing presets .

Once someone has downloaded one of the lead magnets, Ryan forwards follow-up emails to inform them about his brand and products. Offering two lead magnets will help Ryan make those follow-ups much more relevant and targeted.

In the case of a person who decides to join the editing tools for photos, Ryan knows that editing could be an area of interest and perhaps a source of painthe person. With that info on hand, Ryan can confidently promote his editing products to that person.

Author Minessa Konecky of Direct to Success makes use of interactive games to draw new customers into her funnel for marketing and then provide them with a personalized experience for customers.

Using an online quiz program called Interact , Minessa created an interactive lead generation test to assist you in finding your business blocker to bring in as well as learn about the potential leads.

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

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

Professional midlifeEntrepreneurs that have gained the knowledge they require to know, but haven't figured out how to connect the action things into a strategic.

Perpetual Procrastinators:People who understand the things they must do, but can't get started by themselves.

Based on which group the lead belongs to, Minessa moves them through the funnel through giving away three mini-courses.

Then, once they near the top of her funnel, she introduces leads to her two primary items and invites them purchase her products or sign up for her program, The Squad Academy .

A final thing to remember prior to moving on to the middle of our funnel: How do you get these lead magnets placed in front of your prospective customers?

Advertising on social media is an effective way to promote your lead magnets -- especially on Facebook.

Here's why: Facebook ads generally have an lower price and better return on investment than other channels, so it's one of the most effective social media platforms available to small companies.

Plus, Facebook has some of the best targeted audience targeting features out there. As an example, Lookalike Audiences can help you find people who are who are similar to your existing customers.

You take one of your current audiences for example, blog users or students in online courses and then tell Facebook to search for more similar to that audience.

Learn more about how Facebook advertisements can assist you to improve your marketing efforts Check out these sources:

If you've got the uppermost part of the funnel covered now that you've covered the top of the funnel,you're prepared for the next phase: evaluating.

Be aware of the need to nurture leads through emails for marketing

At the point of consideration, prospective customers are researching and comparing a handful of products. They are aware of what their issue is, and they know there are a myriad of solutions available to address it.

It is your job to help them understand that your service is the best option. It's time to nurture those leads.

I truly cannot overstate the significance of nurturing leads. In a world where 80percent of all new leads never result in sales, nurturing your leads could be the difference between rocketing revenue and dismal sales numbers.

Not you are convinced? On average, nurtured leads make more purchases by 47% and generate a 20% increase in sales opportunities than non-nurtured leads.

And with an ROI of $42 for every dollar spent , email is one of the most affordable and scalable marketing tools available for use, especially when you're a small-business manager with the funds enough.

Now that your prospects have signed up to your email list now is the time to put the leads in a nurture sequence.

Email 1:Introduce yourself and convince your readers to think about the problem you're going to address for them.

Email 2:Now you know that your potential client is thinking about the problem, share some valuable insights with them in order to assist them begin the process of getting it solved.

Email 3:It's the time to announce your course. Outline what your course offers and how it can be a great solution for them.

E-mail 4:You've completed your initial pitch, but your potential customer might still have some concerns. Respond to some of the important questions they might have about your program.

5. Email:Make one final pitch. Explain to them the reasons they should take action now, and encourage them to contact us with any concerns.

Each email is designed to serve a particular reason. Once we get into the emails 4 and 5, the lead is in the decision stage, and the selling process doesn't begin until the fifth and final email. Your goal is to gently lead your leads to convert -and not force them to the middle of the ocean.

The middle of the funnel is also an excellent time to share social proof to your prospects.

It was invented by Dr. Robert Cialdini in his well-known book Influence , the concept behind social proof is that "we view a behavior as more correct in a given situation to the degree that there are others who perform it".

In other words, when customers see that people who are similar to them are purchasing and getting results with the product you offer, they'll desire to get in on the excitement.

Marketing professionals should make use of social proof is about including reviews and feedback throughout the sales funnel but especially during the consideration stage. Here's why:

95 percent of customers review online and read customer testimonials or reviews when they're considering a purchase.

Eighty percent of people consider online reviews to be in the same way as personal advice.

72% of customers say that positive testimonials and reviews boost their confidence in the business more.

You've made it through the consideration stage, and the sale is close enough that you could feel it. Let's cross that finish line.

The decision: Convert leads through Retargeting and promotions

The final stage of decision-making is the final stretch of your funnel to market. This is the point where your marketing should make converting the target market a simple task.

But how do you get them over the finish line?

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

Have you ever been looking at a pair of sneakers on an online retailer, then clicked over to Facebook, just to see identical shoes being advertised in your newsfeed? That's retargeting.

That specific type of retargeting operates through the Facebook Pixel , "a piece of code for your website that lets you measure, optimize and develop audiences for your ad campaigns". It helps you retarget those who've already been to your site and are have been engaged by your posts.

This is how Facebook Pixel works: Facebook Pixel works:

The pixel is added to the code of your site.

The pixel monitors which items visitors are interested in.

You use the pixel to retarget and target these users through Facebook advertisements.

Visitors click the ads, return to your website, where they can complete the purchase.

Concerning the content of those retargeting ads, the decision phase is the right time to intensify urgency and draw attention to any special offers.

Obe Fitness did the latter by displaying this retargeted advert on my Facebook feed:

I've visited Obe Fitness' site before and have even begun filling out their signup form. Knowing I was close to making the switch, they targeted me with a coupon offer and CTA to sign up.

When it comes to bringing urgency, offers that are limited time will make people more inclined to purchase -in the present. Eighty-nine percent of Americans believe that an exclusive offer would make them likely to shop for a particular brand. 48% say the exclusive deal will make buyers buy more quickly.

Here are a few ways to include that urgency in your BOFU marketing

Create a deal that lasts for a specific period of time, then add a countdown timer on the product's page. It might even lead to a boost of 147% on the number of conversions .

In the end, if you're running a special-occasion sale Make it clear to the leads at the bottom of your funnel. It might just be the push they need to make the purchase.

You need to prioritize customer retention, not just acquisition.

It can cost up to seven times more to acquire a new customer than keeping an existing customer.

52% of consumers will go out of their way to shop at brands they're loyal to.

Customers who have been customers for a long time are nearly nine-times more likely to convert than a first-time shopper.

Many marketers consider retention and advocacy as the fourth phase of their marketing funnel. If your customers are pleased with their experience, and they help spread their news about your brand or product. Those referrals enter your marketing funnel, which continues.

Include a funnel in your marketing toolkit

Every business, product and customer is unique. There's no one-size-fits-all marketing hack that can magically cause your conversions spike and the funnel to overflow in a flash.

However, if you keep the marketing funnel top of mind, you can gain a better understanding of the buyer's journey from awareness through the purchase. And when you understand this, you will be able to get the correct message to your prospects when they need it.

In case you're wondering, here's the top marketing tactics to use at each step of the funnel for marketing:

Be aware:Focus on providing high-quality information that addresses your customers' pain points and establishes you as an expert within your field. Lead magnets as well as Facebook ads are great for this point.

Take into consideration:Nurture your leads with an email sequence and social proof. Help them feel confident that your product fulfills their requirements.

Choice:Go for the hard sell. Make use of retargeting, special offers, and a sense of urgency to propel your leads over the finishing line.

Let's get to the point Remember the journey of a customer throughout the way, and you'll be well on your way to building an effective marketing funnel that will make your sales increase.