Marketing funnel to sell more: understand the step by step

Rodrigo Sanchez
29/12/2022
Marketing funnel to sell more: understand the step by step Mapping the customer's relationship journey with your company from the first contact to the sale. This is the definition of a marketing funnel. With it, you know if the customer is ready to buy your product, or if you still have a long way to go until the desired sale. Want to know how to implement a marketing funnel and turn followers into loyal customers? Stay with us and check out the step-by-step guide to creating a marketing funnel that converts! Marketing funnel: what is it? Also known as a digital marketing funnel, it is one of the marketing strategies based on customer relationships. In this strategy, each stage of the funnel corresponds to a stage in the customer's purchasing journey. In other words, for each stage of awareness my client has regarding their problem, they will be positioned at a stage in my funnel. The aim is to make this customer move forward in the funnel as they become aware of their problem, that there is a solution and that my product is the best solution on the market. Shall we understand better? Understanding the customer buying journey to sell more Each customer is at a different stage in the buying journey. What does this mean? In practice, everyone has a different level of awareness regarding their product or service. They may already know your brand, be ready to buy, or have never heard of it. And the worst case scenario: they don't yet know they have a problem, so they don't see you as a purchasing option. Ultimately, for each of these customers, you will have a reserved space in your marketing funnel, with specific approaches for each stage. We'll talk about that shortly, for now, let's focus on the customer. Well, now that you know what a marketing funnel is, it's time to learn about the stages of the customer's purchasing journey. Learning and discovery This is where you find that client who doesn't know they have a problem, or worse, lives with the problem and doesn't know that it has a solution. Let's use Joana as an example. She has been suffering from hair loss for months. She heard from a friend that after the age of 40 this is normal and, for that reason, she hasn't even thought about looking for a solution. At this stage of awareness, it is necessary to approach the client with broad content on the topic of interest, such as blog articles and other informative content that raise Joana's awareness of possible problems related to hair loss. Showing opportunities related to the topic of interest is also a great strategy for the client who is at this stage. Problem recognition At this stage, the customer is already more aware of what is bothering them or what could be a good opportunity. So, you start looking for ways to solve this, or how to achieve your goal. If Joana were at this stage, she would already be looking for solutions for hair loss: natural remedies, hormone replacement therapy, buying a shampoo indicated for this type of problem, etc. At this stage, Joana still doesn't know what she needs, but she is sure she has a problem. Consideration of the solution Here, Joana already knows the possible solutions to solve her hair loss problem, and begins to evaluate the alternatives. Try to find out more about the products, the company, its credibility in the market, and anything that might help you make a decision. At this point, she will be comparing her solution with those of her competitor. At this stage, it is important to create a sense of urgency in Joana, because as she has so many options, she may end up getting confused and postponing her purchase decision. Purchase decision Joana has already made up her mind. You will invest in a shampoo that promises to solve the problem forever. Now, she will research which is the best shampoo on the market, the comparison between competitors becomes more detailed. At this point, Joana will evaluate which is the best cost-benefit and what are the differences that the different shampoos on the market offer. It is important to have strategically well-positioned calls to action so that Joana, who may have gone through your funnel, converts with your competitor. Ok, now that you know that each customer has their own moment, let's see how to impact each of them according to the stage of the purchasing journey. What are the stages of the marketing funnel? Top of the funnel At the top of the funnel, customers are at the stage of discovery and learning, remember Joana? She thinks hair loss is a normal part of aging. And for that very reason, he doesn't even look for a solution. For this stage of awareness, you must educate your audience. How? Offering in-depth content: research, infographics, e-books and more comprehensive blog articles. But you're not going to give these materials away for free, okay? Every funnel is based on exchange. Here, we use the reciprocity trigger and offer something that the audience really wants, in exchange for valuable information for your company. For example: if you want to attract patients to your endocrinology clinic. You can offer an e-book about hormonal problems and their effects on hair loss. To make a fair exchange, ask for the person's name, email, gender and age when downloading the material. This way, you better understand who your persona is and how you can guide them through the funnel. Ready! You've just started a relationship with a lead. — Lead? But what is this? A lead is a possible business opportunity for the company, it is Joana who has just provided her contact information in exchange for valuable content. From that moment on, you can communicate with them via email or WhatsApp, providing more information through relevant content, so that they can move on to the other stages of the purchasing journey and get closer to the moment of purchase decision more quickly. Funnel Medium Now that you have Joana's information, you need to show her that your clinic has the best solution for her hair loss problem. So, it's time to qualify your lead. How? With relevant content. At this stage, the content should be more technical and specific. After all, you already know your persona's age and that she is a woman. Therefore, the content must be well segmented. The more you speak your persona's language, the more identification you will generate and the more confidence Joana will have in your solution. After all, you understand what she's going through and are an authority on the subject. Bottom of the Funnel At this stage, your lead already knows what they need to do to solve the problem, they already know the solutions and they already consider your company to solve it. What you need to do is showcase your attributes: benefits of the product or service, technical information, customer testimonials. Anything that can help you make the decision and close the sale, or schedule the appointment, as in Joana's case. What is the literal meaning of the marketing funnel? Why funnel and not pyramid? Because as the customer progresses through the stages, some are left behind. It's like a sieve, which will select only those who are truly interested in solving their problem and who see your product or service as a solution. That’s why it’s so important to offer appropriate content for each stage of the customer’s purchasing journey. This way, you avoid offering your product to people who are not yet aware of the problem, for example. Below you will find the most appropriate content for each stage of your marketing funnel: What is the ideal content for each stage of the marketing funnel? A survey conducted by the Content Marketing Institute in 2018, interviewed around 192 marketing professionals from more than 25 different countries and discovered how professionals in the area are using content to strengthen their marketing funnel: Top of the funnel Learning and discovery Middle of the funnel Problem recognition and solution consideration Bottom of the funnel Evaluation and purchase decision Blog articles 73% 21% 6% Case studies 18% 42% 40% e-books 56% 39% 6% Events 35% 33% 32% Interactive content 46% 46% 8% Podcasts 57% 35% 7% Videos 54% 40% 6% Webinars 36% 47% 17% Guides and manuals 34% 53% 14% Other types of content 36% 37% 27% Okay, now that you understand how the buying journey works of the customer, the stages of the funnel and which content is most effective for each stage, let's see how to set up your marketing funnel? Building your marketing funnel: step by step See below a step-by-step guide to help you create your marketing funnel and sell more: Define your persona Who will buy your product? What problem does your product or service solve? Have you ever wondered? We're back! People don't buy products, they buy solutions. Therefore, defining your persona is the first step in creating your marketing funnel. Learn some questions that help define your persona: Are you a man or a woman? How old are you? Are you married? Do you have children? What is your monthly income? What problems does she face on a daily basis? What are your frustrations? What do you like to do? Identify which stage of the purchasing journey your persona is in Now that you know who your persona is, it's time to identify their purchasing moment. To do this, offer top-of-funnel content to check interest in the topic, such as: blog articles or e-books about the persona's problems or desires. Produce valuable content that addresses your audience's problems. Do you know how you will establish a trustworthy relationship with your audience? Showing that you know everything about your universe. Therefore, knowing your personas in depth is essential to producing valuable content. Talk about your persona's day-to-day problems, show the negative scenarios if they don't solve the problem and that it is possible to solve them. Use the appropriate tone of voice and deliver useful content that makes the persona see sense in continuing this win-win relationship. Create an automated email flow for your marketing funnel We live in the era of marketing 5.0, and if you’re not using email automation yet, you may be falling behind. According to the father of marketing, Philip Kotler, it is time to unite technology and the human factor to delight our customers. Digital marketing tools, such as marketing automation, are an excellent strategy to use in your marketing funnel. To do this, you can use a tool that allows you to send emails automatically. There are several tools on the market, and with them, it is possible to create automated content sending flows according to the stage of the funnel that your client is in, and thus, avoid the risk of trying to sell to a client who does not even know you. Change your strategy if necessary The email open rate is a good metric to know whether your content is pleasing or not. Therefore, it is always good to monitor this indicator. If you notice that your content is not getting engagement, rethink your content strategy. You can review the persona, or do research to better understand how your audience usually interacts with brands. Don't be afraid to start over! The marketing funnel is alive and therefore requires adjustments as consumer needs change. And if you want to sell more, you have to know that it will have to keep up with market changes and sales trends. Don't have a marketing funnel in your company yet? Let GS2 Marketing take care of it for you! GS2: strategic digital marketing for your company to sell more We are a digital marketing agency, specialized in Inbound Marketing, focused on results. Our success strategy is based on designing your persona's purchasing journey. We gather data and analyze our successful clients from different segments to come up with a methodology that will increase your sales. Our agency has the most strategic areas of digital marketing to make your business grow! See here who is already reaping the results of implementing a marketing funnel. GS2 in numbers We are experts in digital marketing consultancy for companies. There are more than 894 email campaigns sent, 136.324 lead conversions performed and 917 automations activated in 2021 alone. Do you want to implement a marketing funnel in your company? Count on GS2 Digital Marketing.

Marketing funnel to sell more: understand the step by step

Mapping the customer's relationship journey with your company from first contact to sale. This is the definition of a marketing funnel.

With it, you know if the customer is ready to buy your product, or if you still have a long way to go until the desired sale.

Want to know how to implement a marketing funnel and turn followers into loyal customers?

Stay with us and check out the step-by-step guide to creating a marketing funnel that converts! 

Marketing funnel: what is it?

Also known as digital marketing funnel, is one of the marketing strategies based on customer relationships. 

In this strategy, each stage of the funnel corresponds to a stage of the customer's purchasing journey. In other words, for each stage of awareness my customer has regarding their problem, they will be positioned in a stage of my funnel.

The aim is to make this customer move forward in the funnel as they become aware of their problem, that there is a solution and that my product is the best solution on the market.

Shall we understand better? 

Understanding the customer's buying journey to sell more

Every customer is at a different stage in the buying journey. What does this mean?

In practice, everyone has a different level of awareness regarding your product or service. They may already know your brand, be about to buy it, or have never heard of it. 

And the worst case scenario: they don't yet know they have a problem, so they don't see you as a purchasing option.

Ultimately, for each of these customers, you will have a space reserved in your marketing funnel, with specific approaches for each stage. We will talk about this shortly, but for now, let’s focus on the customer.

Well, now that you know what it is marketing funnel, it's time to learn about the stages of the customer's purchasing journey.

Learning and discovery

This is where you find that customer who doesn't know they have a problem, or worse, lives with the problem and doesn't know that it has a solution. 

Let's use Joana as an example. She has been suffering from hair loss for months. She heard from a friend that this is normal after the age of 40, and so she hasn't even thought about looking for a solution.

At this stage of awareness, it is necessary to approach the client with broad content on the topic of interest, such as blog articles and other informative content that raise Joana's awareness of possible problems related to hair loss.

Showing opportunities related to the topic of interest is also a great strategy for the client who is at this stage.

problem recognition

At this stage, the client is already more aware of what is bothering them or what could be a good opportunity. So, they start looking for ways to solve it, or how to achieve their goal.

If Joana were at this stage, she would already be looking for solutions for hair loss: natural remedies, hormone replacement therapy, buying a shampoo indicated for this type of problem, etc. 

At this stage, Joana still doesn't know what she needs, but she is sure she has a problem.

Solution consideration

Here, Joana already knows the possible solutions to solve her hair loss problem, and begins to evaluate the alternatives.

She tries to learn more about the products, the company, its credibility in the market, and everything that can help her make a decision. At this point, she will be comparing your solution with those of the competition.

At this stage, it is important to create a sense of urgency in Joana, because as she has so many options, she may end up getting confused and postponing her purchase decision.

Buying decision

Joana has already made up her mind. She is going to invest in a shampoo that promises to solve the problem forever. Now, she is going to research which is the best shampoo on the market, and the comparison between competitors intensifies.

At this point, Joana will evaluate which is the best cost-benefit and what are the differences that the various shampoos on the market offer. It is important to have the call to actions (calls to action) strategically well positioned so that Joana, who may have gone through your funnel, converts with the competitor.

Ok, now that you know that each customer has their own moment, let's see how to impact each of them according to the stage of the purchasing journey.

What are the stages of the marketing funnel?

Hopper top 

At the top of the funnel, customers are in the moment of discovery and learning. Remember Joana? She thinks that hair loss is a normal part of aging. And for that reason, she doesn't even look for a solution.

For this stage of awareness, you must educate your audience. How? By offering in-depth content: research, infographics, e-books, and more comprehensive blog articles.

But you’re not going to offer these materials for free, okay? Every funnel is based on exchange. Here, we use the reciprocity trigger and offer something that the audience really wants, in exchange for valuable information for your company.

For example, if you want to attract patients to your endocrinology clinic, you could offer an e-book about hormonal problems and their effects on hair loss. 

To make a fair exchange, ask for the person’s name, email, gender, and age when they download the material. This way, you better understand who your persona is and how you can lead them through the funnel.

That’s it! You’ve just started a relationship with a lead. 

— Lead? But what is this?

A lead is a potential business opportunity for the company. It is Joana who has just provided her contact information in exchange for valuable content. From that moment on, you can engage with her via email or WhatsApp, providing more information through relevant content, so that she can move on to the other stages of the purchasing journey and get closer to the moment of purchase decision more quickly.

Middle of Funnel 

Now that you have Joana's information, you need to show her that your clinic has the best solution for her hair loss problem.

So, it’s time to qualify your lead. How? With relevant content.

At this stage, the content should be more technical and specific. After all, you already know the age of your persona and that she is a woman. 

Therefore, the content must be well segmented. The more you speak your persona's language, the more identification you will generate and the more confidence Joana will have in your solution.

After all, you understand what she's going through and are an authority on the subject.

Funnel Bottom

At this stage, your lead already knows what they need to do to solve the problem, they already know the solutions and they already consider your company to solve it.

What you need to do is show your attributes: benefits of the product or service, technical information, customer testimonials. Anything that can help you make the decision and close the sale, or schedule the appointment, as in Joana's case.

What is the literal meaning of the marketing funnel?

Why a funnel and not a pyramid? Because as the customer progresses through the stages, some are left behind. 

It's like a sieve, which will select only those who are truly interested in solving their problem and who see your product or service as a solution.

That’s why it’s so important to offer appropriate content for each stage of the customer’s purchasing journey.

This way, you avoid offering your product to people who are not yet aware of the problem, for example.

Below you will find the most appropriate content for each stage of your marketing funnel:

What is the ideal content for each stage of the marketing funnel?

A survey by Content Marketing Institute In 2018, we interviewed around 192 marketing professionals from over 25 different countries and discovered how professionals in the field are using content to strengthen their marketing funnel:

Top of funnel Learning and discovery Middle of funnel Problem recognition and solution consideration Bottom of funnel Evaluation and purchase decision Blog articles 73% 21% 6% Case studies 18% 42% 40% E-books 56% 39% 6% Events 35% 33% 32% Interactive content 46% 46% 8% Podcasts 57% 35% 7% Videos 54% 40% 6% Webinars 36% 47% 17% Guides and manuals 34% 53% 14% Other content types 36% 37% 27%

Well, now that you understand how the customer purchase journey works, the stages of the funnel and which content is most effective for each stage, let's see how to set up your marketing funnel?

Building your marketing funnel: step by step

See below a step-by-step guide to creating your marketing funnel and selling more:

define your persona

Who will buy your product? What problem does your product or service solve? Have you ever asked yourself?

We're back! People don't buy products, they buy solutions. Therefore, defining your persona is the first step in creating your marketing funnel.

Learn some questions that help define your persona:

  • Is it a man or a woman?
  • How old are you?
  • Are you married? Do you have children?
  • What is your monthly income?
  • What problems does she face on a daily basis?
  • What are your frustrations?
  • What do you like to do? 

Identify which stage of the purchasing journey your persona is at

Now that you know who your persona is, it’s time to identify their purchasing moment. 

To do this, offer top-of-funnel content to check interest in the topic, such as: blog articles or e-books about the persona's problems or desires.

Produce valuable content that addresses your audience's problems.

Do you know how you will establish a trustworthy relationship with your audience? By showing that you know everything about their universe. Therefore, knowing your personas in depth is essential to producing valuable content.

Talk about your persona's day-to-day problems, show the negative scenarios if they don't solve the problem and that it is possible to solve them.

Use the appropriate tone of voice and deliver useful content that makes the persona see sense in continuing this win-win relationship.

Create an automated email flow for your marketing funnel

We live in the age of Marketing 5.0, and if you’re not already using email automation, you may be falling behind. 

According to the father of marketing, Philip Kotler, it is time to unite technology and the human factor to delight our customers. 

digital marketing tools, like marketing automation, are an excellent strategy to use in your marketing funnel. To do this, you can use a tool that allows you to send emails automatically.

There are several tools on the market, and with them, it is possible to create automated content sending flows according to the stage of the funnel that your client is in, and thus, avoid the risk of trying to sell to a client who does not even know you.

Change strategy if necessary

The email open rate is a good metric to know whether your content is pleasing or not. Therefore, it is always good to monitor this indicator.

If you notice that your content isn't getting engagement, rethink your content strategy. You can review your persona or conduct research to better understand how your audience usually interacts with brands.

Don't be afraid to start over!

The marketing funnel is alive and therefore requires adjustments as consumer needs change. And if you want to sell more, you have to know that it will have to keep up with market changes and sales trends. 

Don't have one yet marketing funnel in your company?

Let GS2 Marketing take care of it for you!

GS2: strategic digital marketing for your company to sell more

We are a digital marketing agency, specialized in Inbound Marketing, focused on results. 

Our success strategy is based on the design of your persona's purchasing journey. We gather data and analyze our successful clients from different segments to come up with a methodology that will increase your sales. 

Our agency has the most strategic areas of digital marketing to make your business grow! 

Veja here who is already reaping the results of implementing a marketing funnel.

GS2 in numbers

We are experts in digital marketing consulting for companies. We have sent over 894 email campaigns, converted 136.324 leads and activated 917 automations in 2021 alone. 

Want to implement a marketing funnel in your company? Count on GS2 Marketing Digital. 

Access our website and chat with our team!

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