Marketing funnels are essential to successfully achieving business objectives. They are especially important when it comes to learning how to improve your marketing strategies without having to hire SEO services. That is why it is so crucial for all business owners, including small business owners like you, to understand what marketing funnels are and how they operate. Read our marketing funnel guide below to learn all you need to know.
What Is A Marketing Funnel?
Marketing funnels are models used in business marketing that track the consumer journey through their buying process. These models start from the second a consumer interacts with your brand in any way. They follow customers all throughout the buying process, until a purchase is made. Or, they follow them up until the consumer loses interest and cuts ties with your business should they not make a purchase. You absolutely need to know this marketing funnel definition before you ever attempt to use any marketing funnels at your company.
Nonlinear Models
Nonlinear marketing funnels are becoming increasingly more common. The buying process is much more complicated than it once was. This complicated new marketing process has a number of different contributors. The rise in different types of digital marketing, ecommerce, social media marketing and more have had a considerable impact on the marketing funnel changes. There is much more market data than ever before. That gives us a further insight into the realization that the linear marketing funnels may not be quite as accurate. This is important to know if you want to begin using sales funnels at your new business. It will help you create a marketing funnel that works for your business in particular.
Customer Experience Models
Marketing funnels are now frequently being flipped inside out to become customer experience funnels. Traditional sales funnel models track a customer’s journey through making a purchase from the business’s point of view. New customer experience marketing funnels are created entirely from the customer’s point of view. These types of funnel strategies have become increasingly more popular among new business owners. This is certainly something to keep in mind when you are deciding on how to go about incorporating marketing funnels into your business strategies.
B2B VS. B2C Models
B2B marketing funnels differ from M2C marketing funnels. Business to business sales processes are entirely different from the marketing strategies for business to consumer sales, which often include customer referral programs. That is why they require different types of marketing funnels strategies altogether. Obviously, you will want to keep this in mind for your own use. When creating a sales funnel for your business, make sure you are researching the right B2C or B2B marketing funnels for inspiration.
Traditional Stages
There are typically five traditional marketing funnel stages. Typically, consumers enter the funnel at the awareness stage, when they first come to know the brand. Then, they progress through the opinion, consideration and preference stages. Ultimately, the customer winds up their sales process journey, hopefully, at the last stage of the marketing funnel by making a purchase. Of course, not all consumers become customers. Some may exit the sales funnel before a purchase is ever made. It is important to remember these five parts of the marketing funnel when creating your own for business.
If you are a business owner, marketing funnels need to become one of your favorite business marketing tools. They are highly effective ways to track the customer journey through the sales process, or track your business operations through the buying process. But first, you need to know all about them before you can implement these marketing strategies at your business. Use this post as your marketing funnel guide. You will definitely be glad you did.