The marketing funnel has been around since 1898 when Elias St. Elmo Lewis first developed it. In that original marketing funnel, he found that the customer goes through four different stages with a business: awareness, interest, desire, and action (AIDA). This can be applied to almost any business or service, and the reason it’s so popular is that it works.
That original model has developed over the years and many businesses have customized it to fit their specific needs. Having a marketing funnel for your business means that you know who your ideal audience is, how to get their attention, and what you need to do to turn your audience members into loyal, paying customers. The bottom line is that your customer embarks on their journey with your business from the moment they become aware that you exist, and your job is to make it a pleasant journey that they’ll want to continue on.
This is why creating a marketing funnel that fits your business is so important. And the best way to do this is to create multiple channels that give your customer the best possible experience from the beginning of their journey to the end. When you stay consistent with your marketing funnel in every aspect of your business, your customers will experience that journey you strive to give them no matter how they found you.
At Scroll, we specialize in four different areas of your business: SEO, social media, Facebook advertising, and web design. And while each of these plays a different role in your business, it’s important to have a clear marketing funnel for each of these channels. Here’s a breakdown of how to develop different funnels that convert.
Search Engine Optimization & Website Design
SEO is one of the most effective ways to reach new audiences organically. When writing your copy and optimizing your site for search engines, think about the customer you’re reaching through SEO.
When customers find you this way, they’re likely searching Google for something specific. For example, let’s say you’re a real estate agent in Utah. When a person is looking for someone to represent them in the buying or selling process, they’ll google “real estate agents in Utah.” With good SEO, your name will come up and the process will begin. They’ll become aware of you, you’ll spark their interest with positive reviews and a great website, after researching they’ll desire to work with you, then they’ll take action and hire you.
Website design and SEO go hand in hand when it comes to the customer journey. You want your potential customer to have a good experience when they first visit your website so they stick around and ultimately hire you or make a purchase, and a positive experience starts with good design. If your design is lacking or your site isn’t simple to navigate, your potential customer will go elsewhere and the marketing funnel will be cut short after the awareness stage.
Social Media & Facebook Advertising
Having a good presence on social media can impact your customer’s journey in a positive way as well. In today’s business world, it’s almost expected that companies should be active on social media. And if they’re not, people are less likely to discover that they exist.
Creating a presence on social media is a great way to spread awareness about your business or service. Once people become aware of you through social media, they’ll follow, engage, then develop a desire to work with or buy from you, and these members of your audience will turn into loyal customers.
Another great way to use social media to your advantage is to run paid ads on Facebook. Facebook allows you to target very specific groups of people, so no matter who your audience is, you can guarantee that you’ll reach them this way as long as your ads are set up correctly. Once Facebook finds these audience members, their journey with your brand will start and you can take them through the marketing funnel.
Developing marketing funnels for your small business can take time, especially when you’re thinking through multiple different channels and avenues. But when you take it seriously, the reward and growth will be worth every effort you put in.
Contact us today if you’re ready to build a successful marketing funnel for your business.