And just like all processes, there are stages and phases. With a digital marketing funnel every step is as crucial as the next. Think strategy, one that represents a complete journey of the customer persona of a brand, highlighting the steps, from the moment they become aware of the product, to the final moment they choose to bag it. The purpose of a digital marketing funnel is to send qualified traffic to the top, and then nurture them with content marketing and other forms of the complete framework to convert them into customers.
It’s all about your audience and knowing them intrinsically: what makes them tick, what are their goals and aspirations? The classic mistake is to make the assumption that everybody is a potential audience for your brand, and that you can sell to everyone. Stop there and take a step back – this mindset will waste time, energy and resources.
Why do you need a digital marketing funnel?
Some suffer a loss with paid campaigns on social media, whereas others achieve three or four times return on investment. So what’s the magical ingredient to achieve marketing greatness? The answer is: there isn’t one. Sorry. Throwing money at paid ads or any other form of marketing will not generate results, unless you start with a strong foundation.
Digital marketing funnels help you understand your target audience. This means you open up multiple opportunities to connect with your prospective customer, at their preferred time, on their preferred platform, impressing them with your core message and conversing directly with them. Boom!
Content can now be personalised based on your stage of the journey. We all love to feel like we’re being spoken to directly, and not en masse. A proper digital marketing funnel can help you to amplify this personalisation, creating incredible content or copywriting focused on your specific audience. Now you can distribute a focused budget towards various digital marketing channels, tracking and following your return on investment for every cent spent.
Digital Marketing Funnel 101: The six stages
Awareness
This is where customers haven’t realised their need or problem yet. This is where one on one guidance is necessary to show, reassure and convince the customer that there is a solution to the hurdle that they are faced with.
Interest
With this step your customer will have come to the realization that there is something that needs solving, and that there is an interest in purchasing a product or utilising a service. Cue social channels!
Desire
At this stage the customer cultivated the desire to purchase a product or utilise a service, but there is still some leg work. The customer will compare your product or services with other options and compile it on a short list for them to make a decision. With that, it’s important for you to come before your audience at the right time, staying ahead of the competition.
Decision
Paid ads bring forward excellent opportunities at this stage. Something to consider here is to add some of your competitors keywords to target the customers who have their sights set on these brands too.
Post action
Once a sale has been made and there is trust that has built up between the customer and your brand it becomes essential for you to show that you value them. Like? Direct emails, verifying the transaction made and delivering extra information about the product and how to use it. You can also offer complimentary products and services at this stage.
Retention
It costs more to get more new customers onboard than it is it to keep them. Having an email list is crucial at this stage, which you can use to send discounts and deals to lure them back if you need to. Getting them back to the buying stage and decreasing the ‘churn rate’.