Understanding the Marketing Journey: A Delicious Analogy

Think of the marketing funnel as the path people take when interacting with your brand – from first encounter to, hopefully, becoming loyal customers. Your goal is to guide them toward a desired action, much like placing signposts and rest stops along a route to ensure they reach their destination.

Traditional funnel analogies can be dull, so imagine an ice cream cone instead! This tasty treat perfectly illustrates the different stages of engaging your audience. Let’s explore the Ice Cream Cone Marketing Funnel!

Even though funnels seem stable, users can easily slip through the cracks and stray from the path in the dynamic world of marketing. They might even stumble upon your competitors!

This article will explore the various marketing funnel stages and how to effectively steer users towards their desired outcome (a positive one, unlike the movie Final Destination!).

Surprisingly, this movie only scored a 33% on Rotten Tomatoes!

The Top: Enticing Your Audience

At the top of our ice cream cone funnel, it’s all about attraction. The sprinkles, whipped cream, and chocolate syrup are there to entice and engage users.

In marketing, this translates to offering valuable and engaging free content. The format can vary depending on your industry, with examples like:

• Captivating marketing videos
• Informative ebooks and practical how-to articles
• Eye-catching quote images, similar to Pinterest
• Engaging listicles

However, simply creating content isn’t enough. Just like a delicious ice cream cone hidden from view, your content needs visibility to be enjoyed.

To showcase your top-funnel content, utilize these strategies:

• Social Media Engagement: Build a strong social media presence and share your exceptional content across platforms.
• SEO and PPC: Drive traffic to your content through organic search engine optimization (SEO) and targeted paid Google searches using compelling and clickable headlines.

Once users are engaging with your top-funnel content, the next step is guiding them further down the funnel. We want them to savor that entire ice cream cone!

Exchanging Value: Content for Information

In the digital world, nothing is truly free. Users understand that accessing high-quality content often involves sharing some information.

example from spoongraphics

When offering valuable resources, request contact information (usually an email address) in exchange for access. Create dedicated landing pages for your most valuable content to facilitate this exchange.

On the landing page, provide a concise overview of what users can expect from the content:

• Free Art Vectors: Specify the type of art, file format, and licensing details.
• Ebooks: Summarize the ebook’s key topics and learning points.

example from QuickSprout

Another effective technique, often used for longer blog posts, is offering 95% of the content for free and providing bonus content as an incentive to join your mailing list. For instance, a post titled “10 Quick and Easy Paleo Recipes” could offer 3 additional recipes via email in exchange for subscribing.

A Winning Example: Engaging Content that Converts

Here’s a personal example of exceptional top-funnel content that convinced me to spend money – a testament to its effectiveness, considering I’m incredibly frugal.

The example involves a YouTuber known as ComicBookGirl19. As a self-proclaimed geek, I enjoy watching Game of Thrones videos on YouTube.

my YouTube watch history reveals my true level of geekdom

I came across ComicBookGirl19’s videos and was thoroughly impressed. She produces high-quality content, has a likeable on-screen presence, and clearly demonstrates her passion for Game of Thrones.

Note: This video contains mature themes and language.

Intrigued, I continued watching her videos. In one, she mentioned creating special, extended videos exploring the history of different Game of Thrones houses, available for purchase on Vimeo for $2.

Based on her previous content, I knew her work was worth the price and immediately purchased access to the new video.

Even more impressive, she later made those videos – which must have taken countless hours to create – onto YouTube for free after several months.

Before this, I had never paid for user-generated online videos. Now, I’m much more open to the idea. Additionally, I’ve recommended ComicBookGirl19’s videos to friends who have also been impressed.

While her marketing funnel is shorter than those for traditional products or services, it perfectly demonstrates how offering high-quality free content can lead to conversions.

The Middle: Nurturing Leads with Targeted Content

The middle of the funnel focuses on nurturing the leads captured from your top-funnel efforts. This nurturing often occurs through email marketing, using the contact information collected earlier to deliver targeted content.

Think of it as guiding users to explore the different flavors of the ice cream cone – building a stronger connection through tailored information.

Gradually introduce targeted content related to your product or service during this stage. Buying guides are a great example. The key is to provide valuable information without being overly promotional.

For example, imagine selling coffee grinders:

A top-funnel topic could be comparing light and dark roast coffee. In the middle funnel, you might create content explaining why freshly ground coffee surpasses pre-ground coffee. This highlights the benefits of a coffee grinder without directly pitching your product.

The middle funnel is also a good time to subtly introduce user testimonials and user-generated content, reminding users about your brand’s strengths without being pushy.

The Bottom: Time to Convert

At the bottom of the funnel, it’s time to shift gears towards making a sale. User behavior changes when they’re ready to buy:

• High-Intent Keywords: They use keywords indicating strong purchase intent. Focus on targeted PPC ads providing comprehensive product information and pricing, like Shopping Ads and other formats with visuals.
• Direct Contact: Users might contact you directly. Implement click-to-call buttons in mobile ads (with call tracking) and prominently display your phone number on your website.

Your sales team plays a crucial role at the bottom of the funnel. They may have assisted with research for middle-funnel content, but now they take the lead by engaging directly with promising leads.

Lead tracking software, such as Salesforce, allows you to see which offers users have interacted with and where they are in their journey.

If users have engaged with high-value content, reach out and promote your product or service. Bottom-funnel actions include:

• Product Demos
• Free Trials
• Comprehensive Assessments
• Special Promotional Offers

Success! Conversions and Beyond

Ideally, your bottom-funnel strategies will lead to conversions. However, the journey doesn’t end there. Customer retention and encouraging advocacy are equally important.

“Guys, you won’t believe this amazing tree I found!”

Word-of-mouth marketing is powerful, with 92% of consumers trusting recommendations from people they know. Implement a referral program to incentivize existing customers to refer new users.

Continue providing value and exceptional customer service to foster lasting relationships. By following these steps, you’ll create a successful marketing funnel that keeps users engaged from the first taste to the very last lick of the cone.