The goal of every marketing strategy is to generate sales. Each advertising effort is dispatched with the sole reason for change which could be anything from clicking on a page to purchasing an item.
A digital marketing funnel is the most common and proven way of attempting to change those individuals from the crowd into a customer and afterward persuade them to keep on buying items. The marketing funnel is an essential model that addresses the whole purchasing excursion of the personas, from the second they know your image until the time they become clients or customers.
This idea is generally utilized among sales reps yet has likewise turned into a major asset for the accomplishment of promoting activities.
Digital Marketing Funnel & AIDAA Model
The marketing funnel and the AIDAA model both serve as frameworks for guiding potential customers through the buying process. While they share similarities, the marketing funnel, and AIDAA are not the same thing. To know more read marketing models & frameworks.
The marketing funnel is a broad framework that describes the journey a potential customer goes through from the initial awareness of a product or service to the final purchase. The marketing funnel typically includes several stages such as awareness, interest, consideration, conversion, and retention.
The AIDAA model, on the other hand, is an extension of the traditional AIDA model, which stands for Attention, Interest, Desire, and Action, and it includes an additional stage, which is Advocacy. The AIDAA model is used to guide customers through the buying process and beyond.
While both the marketing funnel and AIDAA serve as frameworks for guiding potential customers through the buying process, they are not mutually exclusive, and businesses can use both frameworks together to create a comprehensive marketing plan that addresses all stages of the buying process, from initial awareness to post-purchase advocacy.
An effective marketing funnel must include stages right from attracting the suspects to converting them to leads and then nurturing them into customers, while it must also cater to retaining those customers.
We are not diving into B2C or B2B approaches in detail, instead, we will stick to the marketing activities one needs to digitally take into account.
The above AIDAA-based marketing funnel recognizes the intellectual stages an individual goes through during the purchasing cycle of an item or administration. It's a purchasing funnel where buyers go forward and backward at each stage, to help them in making the last buy.
It's as of now, not a physical relationship absolutely between the purchaser and the brand as it used to be since online media has stretched out to accomplish the various objectives of the funnel through data added by different clients by means of informal communities and networks.
Brands utilize the marketing funnel to decide the manner in which they should make and circulate promoting messages to their interest group at each phase of the purchaser's excursion.
Now let us see what goes with each stage of the funnel:
Awareness :
This is the stage where businesses create awareness of their brand without being pushy and analyze the segment of the audience. This is the stage where a lot of creative content is marketed in order to attract customers or prospects. They are considered suspects at this stage.
Content Marketing plays a key role at this stage along with the platform used to create awareness. Re-evaluation of both content and medium is necessary, use of appropriate KPIs like CTR is required to measure the success of this stage. For relevant metrics check our post on Marketing Metrics.
A few ways in which businesses create awareness :
Sponsored social media posts
SEO
Guest posting or guest podcasting
eBooks and whitepapers
Independent research
Webinars
Videos
Infographics
In-person events
For instance, You want customers to find your website when they search for information relevant to your brand online. So it is worth putting time into executing SEO best practices so you show up in web search tool results pages.
Counting the right data when your organization shows up on SERPs is critical.
Interest :
In this stage, it is known that the suspect has shown interest and turned into a lead who is attracted to the brand or its idea and wants to know more about it. However, they are still not prepared to make a purchase. It would be crucial for any business to build a relationship with the leads and understand their end goals. This can be done through content like feelers that foster the brand voice along with determining the lead's intent and end goals. Also keeping a close watch on what interests them in the content, and which links they click will help in building the relationship. Answering their queries and concerns will establish the brand as an expert in the field and assist in the smooth transition to the next stage.
Following are a few ways in which this can be achieved :
Email campaigns
Blog posts
Lead magnets
Chatbots
Social media accounts
Free trials
Retargeting campaigns
For instance, blog posts flash intriguing items that grandstand the ability of the brand in a connecting way. A decent method to maintain and expand on their advantage is to get them to buy your pamphlet and later send them applicable items via email.
Desire :
At this stage of the funnel, the lead has intentions to make a purchase but is not 100% sure. This is when the lead turns into a prospect, as they think of the budget, impact of buying, and post-buying effects. This is when the business showcases the prospects, and the benefits of making the purchase by highlighting the positive outcomes of the buy compared to not buying. This is the stage when a Marketing Qualified Lead (MQL) turns into a Sales Qualified Lead (SQL) depending on their interest.
Following are some content types that can be used to escalate the desire:
Testimonials
Pricing pages
Case studies
Discount codes
Customer reviews and product recommendations
Live demos or tutorial webinars
Consultations
Product comparisons
For instance, hearing directly from your existing customers can be incredibly persuasive when buyers are still considering whether you are right for them.
Action :
This is the stage where the lead actually makes a purchase. The business must make sure that the lead is provided with enough materials to fit into the customer category. It should not be only about closing a deal. If the business wants to make progress then at this stage it must provide enough support to the customer in understanding the usage of the product or service they have bought or any kind of post-buying assistance. At this stage, the sales team is in action and the processes henceforth fall under BOFU (Bottom of the Funnel).
Following are a couple of tests :
Insider or client achievement tips
Uncommon offers
Item execution or preparing online classes
Packaged bundles
Follow-up email crusades
A Call to Action (CTA) that is well composed, outwardly engaging, and stands apart on your site page is the way to getting clients to at last change over. This could be through pursuing a free preliminary, booking a demo, or guaranteeing a markdown.
Retention :
Brand royalty goes in hand with customer loyalty. At this stage, content must add value to the customer beyond just sales. The focus must be on long-term relationships. Referrals and word-of-mouth are influenced at this stage.
Following are a few ways :
Referral programs
Upsell campaigns
Re-engagement email campaigns
Product-specific webinars and tutorials
Live demonstrations
Types of Marketing Funnels
There are several types of marketing funnels that marketers can use to guide consumers through the buying process. Here are some of the most common types of marketing funnels:
Lead Generation Funnel: This type of funnel is designed to generate leads by capturing the contact information of potential customers. It typically involves offering a lead magnet, such as an eBook or a webinar, in exchange for a user's email address.
Tripwire Funnel: This funnel aims to convert leads into paying customers by offering them a low-priced, high-value product, also known as a tripwire. The goal is to get the customer to make a small commitment, which makes them more likely to make a larger purchase later on.
Sales Funnel: The sales funnel is designed to guide customers through the entire buying process, from awareness to conversion. It typically includes multiple steps, such as lead capture, lead nurturing, and a sales page, and aims to convert prospects into paying customers.
Membership Funnel: This type of funnel is designed to turn customers into members by offering a subscription-based product or service. It typically includes a free trial or a low-priced offer, followed by a series of upsells and cross-sells.
Launch Funnel: This type of funnel is designed to generate buzz and excitement around a new product or service launch. It typically includes a series of pre-launch content, such as webinars or social media teasers, followed by a launch event and a limited-time offer.
Each type of funnel serves a specific purpose and is designed to meet the needs of different types of businesses and customers. By understanding the different types of marketing funnels, marketers can choose the right funnel for their business and create effective marketing campaigns that drive results.
Types of Digital Marketing Funnels
There are several types of digital marketing funnels that businesses can use to guide customers through the buying process online. Here are some of the most common types of digital marketing funnels:
Email Marketing Funnel: This type of funnel is designed to build a relationship with prospects and customers through email marketing campaigns. It typically includes lead capture, lead nurturing, and sales conversion emails that are sent to subscribers over a period of time.
Social Media Marketing Funnel: This type of funnel is designed to attract prospects and customers through social media platforms. It typically involves creating social media content, engaging with followers, and driving traffic to a landing page or sales page.
Content Marketing Funnel: This type of funnel is designed to attract prospects and customers through valuable content, such as blog posts, videos, or podcasts. It typically includes lead capture and lead nurturing strategies, such as offering a lead magnet or email newsletter.
Search Engine Marketing Funnel: This type of funnel is designed to attract prospects and customers through search engines, such as Google. It typically involves creating targeted ads, optimizing landing pages, and using retargeting campaigns to convert leads into customers.
Affiliate Marketing Funnel: This type of funnel is designed to generate sales through partnerships with affiliates who promote a business's products or services. It typically includes offering commission-based incentives to affiliates and providing them with marketing materials to promote the product.
Each type of digital marketing funnel is designed to meet the needs of different types of businesses and customers. By understanding the different types of digital marketing funnels, businesses can choose the right funnel for their digital marketing strategy and create effective campaigns that drive results.
Anatomy of Digital Marketing Funnel
Funnel concepts are so crucial in any Digital Marketing Strategy. Now based on funnel segment positions we can classify the users into TOFU, MOFU, and BOFU.
TOFU: Top of the Funnel Users
This stage is where problem/need recognition happens. Businesses can attract users if they have identified user needs and are able to provide a solution that can add value to the customer. At times users may not know the solution to the problem when businesses can tap into this area.
MOFU: Middle of the Funnel Users
This stage involves information search and careful evaluation. When a business approaches a user with various solutions, the user performs a lot of information searches to identify the right solution. Once the user has identified the solution for their problem/need, they will tend to evaluate these solutions with alternatives in the market. This is when businesses can create content appealing to the user in making a purchase decision. Usually, this journey begins with engagement to nurturing to turning strong prospects or Sales Qualified Leads (SQL).
BOFU: Bottom of the Funnel Users
This stage involves some action i.e. a purchase decision. After a lot of scrutiny, a user moves to the purchase decision stage. Businesses can provide additional content that will make the users feel confident in making the purchase. At this stage, negative reviews and comments from other customers can prove to be a setback for the purchase. Businesses have to take measures to improve on these comments and feedback so that they don’t lose loyal customers.
Post-Purchase:
The post-purchase stage represents the retention stage, where businesses focus on retaining customers and creating long-term relationships. Post-purchase tactics include email marketing, loyalty programs, and personalized content to keep customers engaged and encourage repeat purchases.
Analytics and Optimization:
Analyzing the results of each stage of the funnel and optimizing the strategy is an important part of the digital marketing funnel. Businesses use tools such as Google Analytics, A/B testing, and customer feedback to identify areas for improvement and adjust their strategy accordingly.
If you have found this information valuable, don't forget to read other articles related to digital marketing.
