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

Do you want to improve your conversion rate, and also sell more digital products? A funnel for marketing can be your best weapon. Here's how it works.

You created a digital product which you are confident that your customers will appreciate. It's packed with actionable advice and knowledge, and has the potential to make the difference in your customer's lives.

Then why doesn't it fly across the (virtual) stores?

Your marketing strategy could be the culprit -in particular if you do not have a plan to get your clients from the point A (discovering your product) from point A (thinking about purchasing it) to point C (becoming happy and loyal customers).

Marketing funnels are where they are useful.

In this post, we'll explain why marketing funnels are a must-have for creators. In addition, we'll discuss the top marketing techniques to employ in each step in the funnel.

Let's first take a step back and answer the question on everyone's minds How do we define what is the definition of a funnel for marketing?

What exactly is a funnel for marketing?

Marketing funnels map the process that a potential client (or "lead") goes through beginning with the business to when they make a purchase.

The place a lead falls in the funnel depends on their familiarity with your product or brand and the degree to which they're close to making a purchasing decision.

Different companies break their marketing funnels down into various steps. The funnel we'll keep easy with three stages of the funnel depicting the buyers' journey from awareness to conclusion.

awareness:They're just starting to discover your brand or product. These leads know they have a pain point, but don't know what alternatives are readily available.

The considerations:These leads are evaluating the various options available. They're trying to figure out whether your solution will address their problem and if they're able to trust the brand.

The decision:These leads are ready to buy They just require an extra push to become customers.

You'll also often see the stages of the funnel divided into TOFU, MOFU, and BOFU, meaning top of funnel and middle of funnel and bottom of funnel. The further down the funnel that a lead falls, the closer they're to being converted.

Now that you know the definition of a funnel What makes it essential for marketing?

Do you really need the funnel for your marketing?

Utilizing a funnel to market will help improve your marketing and efficient.

This is what I am referring to as a creator your time is among your most precious assets.

A majority of small companies are able to spend less than five hours a week in marketing. When you have limited budget and time to focus in marketing your business online it's impossible to speculate on what content might be a hit with your customers.

So, you don't have to make a difficult sell to someone who barely is aware of your company.

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

"We do not go into direct advertising to each person that interacts with our material. Instead, we employ various strategiesthat are both indirect and direct -- to make a compelling case for our product at the right time."

Plus, customers expect relevant content:

90% of consumers are more likely to purchase from brands who offer relevant deals.

63% of users will be more positive of a brand if it provided them with more useful, interesting, or relevant material.

When you show your leads appropriate content when they need it It pays off by focusing on users with specific content that matches where they are at in their buying process can lead to an increase of 72% in the rate of conversion .

Do you want to convert cold leads into customers who pay? Let's look into the top methods to market at every stage of the funnel.

How do you market your digital products at each step of the funnel

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

At this point it's not yet time to even consider buying a product. They're looking to find out more about their issues and solutions available to them.

Offer these prospects the info they're searching for through sharing quality information that addresses their pain points. These valuable pieces of content help promote your company's image and establish yourself as an authority within your field.

Take Ryan of Signature Edits , for example. Signature Edits offers templates, presets as well as training to their group of photographers.

Ryan knows that different photographers face many different issues. That's why he offers two freebies for photographers: an candid pose guide as well as the gratis sample pack of photo editing presets .

When someone downloads one of these lead magnets Ryan sends them follow-up emails to inform them about his company and its products. Offering two lead magnets can help Ryan ensure that follow-ups are much more relevant and targeted.

If, for instance, someone signs up for the presets for photo editing, Ryan knows that editing can be a source of fascination (or even a pain point -to that individual. Armed with this information, Ryan can confidently promote the editing tools to that potential customer.

The creator Minessa Konecky of Direct to Success uses interactive quizzes to bring new leads into her marketing funnel and then provide them with a personalized customer experience.

Utilizing the quiz tool Interact , Minessa created a lead generation quiz for identifying your company's blocker to bring in and discover more about potential leads.

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

Unsuspecting:Small business owners with lots of work to complete and aren't certain what to do with their time every day.

Professional midlife:Entrepreneurs that have gained the knowledge they need to know, however, they aren't sure how to integrate the action elements into a plan.

Perpetual procrastinatorsPeople who understand the steps to take yet aren't able to start independently.

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

Then, once they near the bottom of the funnel, she presents leads to her two main products. She then encourages them to buy one of her items or to join her club, The Squad Academy .

Another thing to consider before moving to the middle of our funnel What is the best way to get these lead magnets to your ideal clients?

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

Here's why: Facebook ads generally have less cost and a higher returns than other channels which makes it among the best social media channels for small-sized businesses.

Furthermore, Facebook has some of the most targeted audience-targeting tools available. Like, Lookalike Audiences can help you find people who are similar to your current clients.

Choose one of your current audiences such as your blog readers or students of online courses, and use Facebook to connect with more users like that one.

To learn more about how Facebook ads can help you improve your marketing efforts take a look at these tools:

OK, with the uppermost part of the funnel covered now that you've covered the top of the funnel,you're ready for the next step: considering.

Consideration: Nurture leads with the use of email marketing

When they are in the process of considering buyers are analyzing and comparing a handful of products. They understand what the issue is, and they know they have a variety of options there to solve it.

Your task is to make people realize that your product is the most effective choice. It's time to nurture those prospects.

I can't stress enough the significance of nurturing leads. In a time when 80% of new leads don't convert into sales, taking care of your leads could mean the difference between skyrocketing revenues and a shaky sales performance.

Still not sure? In the average, leads who have been nurtured are 47% larger purchases and generate 20 percent more the number of sales prospects than those who aren't nurtured.

and a return on investment of $42 per dollar spent , email is one of the cheapest and flexible marketing tools for use, especially for small-sized business owner with the budget to match.

So, now that your prospects have signed up to your list of email addresses now is the time to put your leads into a nurturing sequence.

Email 1.Introduce yourself, and encourage your customers to begin thinking about the problem you're going to resolve for them.

Email 2.Now the prospect you are talking to is thinking about the problem and has some ideas, you can share them with them to help them to take the first step towards getting it solved.

Email 3.It's the time to announce your course. Explain what you offer and the reasons why it is a great solution for them.

E-mail 4.You've made your first presentation, but the potential customer might still have some doubts. Answer some of the key queries they could have about your program.

Email 5:Make one final pitch. Tell them why they must do something now and invite them to get in touch with you with any questions.

Each email is designed to serve a particular function. When we reach emails four and five, leads are in the decision stage, and the actual selling doesn't occur until the final email. You want to gently guide your leads to convert -and not force them to the deep end.

The middle of your funnel can also be a great opportunity to promote social proof with your leads.

Coined by Dr. Robert Cialdini in his well-known publication Influence , the concept behind social proof is that "we consider a behaviour to be acceptable in a context if people around us are doing the same behavior".

Also, if prospects see that those who similar to them are purchasing and experiencing results using your products, they'll be enticed to join in the excitement.

For marketers, leveraging social proof means including customer reviews and testimonials all through the funnel of marketing, but especially during the consideration period. Here's why:

90% of consumers review online and read customer testimonials or reviews prior to making a purchase.

Eighty percent of people trust online reviews more than personal suggestions.

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

Okay, you've have made it to the contemplation phase, and now the purchase is so close you can feel it. We're going to cross the finish line.

Choice: Convert leads using the use of retargeting as well as special deals

The final stage of decision-making is the last stage of your marketing funnel. At this point, your marketing should make converting an easy task for your target audience.

But how do you get your athletes to cross the finishing line?

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

Have you ever looked at shoes on an online retailer, then clicked over to Facebook only to find identical shoes being advertised in your newsfeed? That's retargeting.

That specific type of retargeting works via Facebook Pixel. Facebook Pixel , "a piece of code on your website that helps you analyze, improve and create audiences for your ad campaigns". It allows you to target BOFU leads who have seen your site's content and been engaged with your content.

This is how Facebook Pixel works: Facebook Pixel is working:

You add the pixel to the code of your site.

The pixel monitors which items people are looking at.

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

Visitors click the ads, go back to the website, where they can complete their purchase.

In terms of the content for those advertising retargeting, the final moment is when you can increase the urgency and emphasize any promotions that you can offer.

Obe Fitness did the latter by serving this retargeted ad on my Facebook feed:

I've visited Obe Fitness' site before, and even started filling out their signup form. Since I was near to converting, they retargeted me with a discount offer and CTA to sign-up.

When it comes to bringing the urgency of a sale, an offer that is limited in time could encourage customers to buy -- and buy now. Eighty-nine percent of Americans think that an offer of exclusivity would encourage them to shop with a brand, while 48% of them say that an exclusive offer would make customers buy earlier.

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

Make a promotion that runs for a limited time and then put the countdown on your product page. This could lead to a rise of 147% in sales .

If you're offering a limited-time sale Make it clear to your leads in the middle of your funnel. It might just be the motivation they need to make their purchase.

It is important to focus on customer retention over acquisition.

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

52% buyers make it a point to go the extra mile to shop at the brands they trust.

Repeat customers have nine times greater likely convert over a new customer.

In fact, many marketers view preservation and advocacy being the 4th step in the funnel of marketing. Customers have an excellent experience, and they help spread their word about your brand or product. Those referrals come into your funnel for marketing, and so on.

Add a funnel to your marketing toolkit

Each product, business and customer is unique. There's not a universal strategy for marketing that will magically make your conversions increase and your funnel grow overnight.

But when you make sure that the funnel for marketing is top of mind, it will help you gain a better understanding of the buyer's journey from awareness to the purchase. Once you are aware of this, you will be able to get the right messaging to your prospects when they need it.

In case you're wondering, here's the best marketing techniques for each stage of the funnel to market:

Awareness:Focus on providing high-quality content that addresses your audience's problems and sets you up as an expert in your space. Lead magnets and Facebook advertisements are a great way to go in this phase.

Take into consideration:Nurture your leads with an email sequence and social evidence. Let them know that your service meets their needs.

Choice:Go for the hard sell. Retargeting, discounts as well as a sense of urgency to push your prospects over the finishing line.

The bottom line is Remember the journey of a customer throughout the way, and you'll soon be on your way to building a funnel for marketing that can make the sales of your business skyrocket.