How to Reach Customers through the Marketing Funnel
The marketing funnel is another way to consider the initial start of the customer journey, in that it focuses in on where a customer is in their overall buying process. The funnel, whose symbol is an inverted triangle, is broken into three distinct phases – top of the funnel, middle funnel, and bottom funnel.
At the top of the funnel, there is a greater volume of people, as you have more prospects who have the opportunity to drive further into the funnel. However, know that there is less value because they have yet to commit a purchase to your brand.
As they continue down the funnel, the volume of people reduces the closer they get to completing a purchase, yet the value of these consumers is greater.
In marketing, there is a saying that it is often less expensive to keep a customer than to acquire a new one. Consider that as you understand the inverted matrix of volume of customer prospects compared to the value of customers with the funnel.
Top of the Funnel
This is what we call the Discovery Zone. Consumers who are at the top of the funnel are in a stage of learning more about your brand as a whole as well as the products and/or services you offer. You can reach prospects through a variety of channels that give you the opportunity to share the mission and values of your brand. Consider social media, videos, podcasts, and display advertisements for various ways to engage top of the funnel so they want to learn more about you.
You can even break this funnel into two segments of prospects:
Prospects who have never heard of your company and are completely unaware of your products/services – For this group, focus on the audience’s interests and address their overall pain points that your business solves
Prospects who are aware of your brand but have limited knowledge or haven’t committed to making a purchase – For this group, focus on the specific problem that your product/service solves, share the benefits, and position yourself against your main competitors. This will be important as they go deeper into the funnel for the next phase.
At this stage, whatever you do, make sure that you give easy ways to access your website or social media profile quickly to keep bringing them further down the funnel.
Middle of the Funnel
This stage is considered the Awareness or Consideration phase. Prospects in this stage decide how your product fits into their lifestyle and if they want to purchase from you. The best ways to reach them is to offer a trial or demonstration of your product or service. Product videos are a great way to showcase your product in use, so people are able to envision themselves using your product. For service-based businesses, video reels that showcase your expertise are perfect for this stage.
To reach those in the middle funnel, position your brand as the best solution against anything out in the market today. Focus on your products’ highest values and biggest benefits. If you have conducted studies or tests against competitive solutions, share the positive findings for the middle funnel prospects. Also, if your business has won any recent awards, this will be a great opportunity to boast.
Remember, that in this stage, it is still pre-purchase and prospects are trying to compare multiple products or brands to identify which one suits them best. Make sure that you put your best foot forward and leave them with something to remember you by.
Bottom of the Funnel
This stage is the Purchase phase. This is where you convert prospects into customers. In order to do so, reach them with sales pages, a seamless checkout experience, testimonials, and reviews. During this stage, the focus should be on make the purchase process as painless as possible. Drive excitement to finalize the order and find unique ways to reduce the chance of buyer’s remorse.
The post-purchase experience is just as important as the purchase experience. Encourage customers to return to complete another purchase. Offer personalized deals and gather their feedback for improvement opportunities through customer surveys.
One of the best things you can do for your business is now that you have converted a prospect into a customer, work just as hard to convert the same customer into a repeat buyer and brand advocate. Brand advocates enjoy your product so much that they share the word of their positive experience with you.
Putting it all Together
Now, that you understand the three phases of the marketing funnel, break down your marketing efforts to reach customers at each stage. Remember, make top of the funnel awareness plays so prospects learn about your brand, then help them consider you against your competitors and substitutes in your market in the middle of the funnel, and lastly, help encourage their purchase with reviews and testimonials. As they reach the bottom of the funnel, make their purchase process a smooth one and empower them further to want to not only come back, but also spread the word of how amazing your brand is!