What is a Content Marketing Sales Funnel?
Every successful marketer needs to have a good understanding of a marketing sales funnel. It’s pretty simple: the wide, opening at the top of the funnel is the main focal point of attraction (and awareness) for potential customers. As the funnel grows more narrow, the number of people in the funnel gets smaller. At the very end, you’re left with your crucial target audience who are the most likely to convert. Of course, there’s still a chance those at the end won’t be convinced enough to make the final conversion. It’s your job as the marketer to ensure that as many people make it to the final stage of the funnel as possible.
Where Content Comes In
It’s a common misconception that content is only part of the initial stages of a marketing sales funnel. In fact, content can come into play at any stage of the marketing funnel to increase awareness and drive conversions. It’s important to understand how content can be utilized in each stage to widen the more narrow parts of the funnel.
In this post, we’ll break down the five main stages of the marketing sales funnel and how you can create strategies to incorporate thoughtful content into each one.
The 5 Stages & Strategy
1. The Awareness Stage
This phase of the marketing sales funnel is all about generating awareness for your business and what things you provide to customers. This is the widest part of the funnel because efforts here will reach the largest group of people. Remember -- a good portion of the people you reach here won’t continue through your funnel...at least the first time around.
An important part of the awareness stage is understanding that you’re generating awareness for more than just your specific business. You’re also helping people recognize a problem or hole in the market they might not have picked up on before. This awareness, even if it doesn’t lead them to the next stage in your funnel, helps you in the long run -- maybe they’ll remember your name and come back later.
Content for Awareness Stage:
The best types of content for the awareness stage are inbound in nature. This means content that can quickly help customers such as answering a one time search query. Inbound marketing is all about understanding what potential customers want to know, and providing free ways for them to learn about it. This helps boost morale for your company or business because customers learn to trust your content and know that they can come to you if they have more questions.
Ideas for Awareness Stage Content:
Blog posts
Guide Books - free download
YouTube Videos
White Pages - free download
Podcasts
Email newsletters
Webinars - free attendance
2. The Consideration Stage
As you move through the marketing sales funnel to the next stage, customers begin considering your brand or business as a potential way to solve their problems. Keep in mind, they aren’t sold yet! You still have a lot of work to do to get that conversion.
The main goal of the consideration stage is to take members of your target audience who are aware of your business and directly convert them to potential customers. This is when you can start familiarizing them with the services and product your business provides. At this point in the funnel, they know who you are, know you provide quality content, and it's time for you to show them what you can do.
Content for the Consideration Stage:
Content for the consideration stage should be focused on showcasing your products and services. You want this content to highlight how you can solve their potential problems and why you stand out from competitors in your niche. Individuals at this stage of your marketing sales funnel know you provide valuable content, but they don’t necessarily trust your products and services yet.
Something important to remember at the consideration stage is that you aren’t directly trying to sell your products to customers. You simply want them to consider your product as a viable option to solve a problem.
Ideas for Consideration Stage Content:
Case studies
YouTube videos
Guides or How-To content
Product descriptions and imagery
Product reviews from real customers
3. The Conversion Stage
Now that you’re in the conversion stage, it’s time to drive those sales. The individuals in this part of your marketing sales funnel are those most likely to make that ideal conversion. It’s time to do any final convincing to help them cross the finish line!
Content for the Conversion Stage
In this crucial, but narrow part of your marketing sales funnel, you’ll still need to put in hard work to drive conversions. This is a great stage to showcase your products and services in the best light possible. Show potential customers that you are the best option to help solve their problems. Content in the conversion stage should impress! Don’t be afraid to talk yourself up.
Ideas for Conversion Stage Content:
Product reviews from real customers
Customer testimonials
A clean and straightforward sales process (don’t overcomplicate -- this will turn potential customers away in search of more simplicity)
4. The Loyalty Stage
Some marketers may refer to this stage as the “retention” stage. This stage is all about keeping the customers who made a conversion coming back for more. If you’ve constructed the rest of your marketing sales funnel correctly, customers should stay loyal simply because you provided such a quality experience. However, you cannot ignore customers that have already converted to focus efforts on driving new sales. Treat existing customers like they’re part of a family, and you’ll maintain loyalty for years to come.
Content for the Loyalty Stage
The loyalty stage is all about enhancing the experience of your existing customers. A good practice here is to think about products or services you are a repeat customer for. What do they offer that you find helpful? Why do you keep going back to their products and services? Content in this stage should be helpful and supportive.
Ideas for Loyalty Stage Content:
Simple and accessible customer support services - FAQ, chat boxes, etc.
Special offers for existing customers
Free extra month of subscription
Discounts
Free consultations
Simple UX design for website and services
Engaging email copy
5. The Advocacy Stage
After you’ve moved customers through your marketing sales funnel with great content, you find yourself at the final stage - advocacy. Sometimes, marketers don’t pay much attention to the advocacy stage and leave it out of their funnel strategies. However, personally, I believe cutting off the funnel at the loyalty stage ignores a crucial next level of ideal b2c (business to customer) relationships.
You’ve got customers, and that’s great. But you still want to increase your reach to new members of your target audience. While you're still putting in hard work at the awareness stage, another highly effective way of reaching potential customers that are highly likely to convert is by word of mouth!
Word of Mouth Marketing
When existing customers come across a friend, coworker, or family member that has a problem your business can solve, you want them to advocate for your business as a solution. Here are some crazy referral statistics to show just how effective word of mouth can be:
People are 4 times more likely to buy when referred by a friend
77% of consumers are more likely to buy a new product when learning about it from friends or family.
The Word of Mouth Marketing Association reports that every day in the United States, there are approximately 2.4 billion brand-related conversations. People frequently talk about the products and services they enjoy, and the companies who offer them.
It’s clear that word of mouth marketing is one of the most effective marketing techniques out there. Don’t ignore this stage of the funnel!
Content for the Advocacy Stage
Creating content for the advocacy stage is all about taking customer support and the customer experience to the next level. You want your customers to feel valued, special, and like they’re part of an elite group of individuals. Content in this stage builds off existing content from the loyalty stage.
Ideas for Advocacy Stage Content:
CGC - Customer generated content
Ask customers for reviews to be featured on your website
Discounts and special deals for existing customers
Engaging email copy
Referral programs - ex: refer a friend and get $20 towards your next purchase
Conclusion
Creating a successful marketing sales funnel requires thoughtful content at all levels. It’s important to be aware that certain types of content are better at certain stages of the funnel than others. Understand what goes where and how specific content helps and retains customers along the funnel. The easiest way to do this is by simply being understanding and empathetic of your target audience. Focusing on what the customer needs rather than what will make them convert will allow you to be successful in the long run!