If you’ve got an online biz, you’ve probably heard the phrase “marketing funnel.”
And maybe you’re like…
But trust me when I tell ya… it’s not super complicated. Or even all that hard.
All it really means is collecting an email address and then nurturing a relationship via email – all the way to an eventual sale.
So you can automate a huge part of your biz… and still build an authentic, fruitful connection with your ideal customer or client.
If you want hands-on training, I have an upcoming 2-hour masterclass that literally walks you through each of the steps in developing your own marketing funnel.
It’s called The 3 Biz Keys Masterclass: Secrets to Grow, Scale, and Automate Your Biz with Simple Marketing Funnels.
There are 3 days to choose from:
- Tuesday, April 27th – 10am PDT / 1pm EDT.
- Wednesday, April 28th – 10am PDT / 1pm EDT.
- Monday, May 2nd – 4pm PDT / 7pm EDT.
Ok so let’s talk about what a marketing funnel is…
Marketing Funnel 101
Marketing funnel definition.
Very simply put, a marketing funnel is just an online way to move a prospective client or customer from point A to point B… all the way to an eventual sale…. in an automated way.
See how there are multiple stages? For your funnel to work well – and ultimately lead to the sales you desire – you gotta not just get people onto your email list…
You gotta build a relationship.
Funnels are like dating.
There are stages for dating, just like there are for marketing funnels. So let’s break them down.
Top of funnel.
In dating, the first stage is when you decide, “Ya know what? I’m ready for a new relationship.”
So you start exploring your options – maybe even signing up for a dating app.
When someone joins your email list, it’s their version of “swiping right.” They’re interested and want to learn more about you and what you have to offer.
In marketing terms, this is what we call “top of funnel” (TOF).
Common top of funnel activities for your biz include:
- A freebie – such as a checklist or an ebook or some sort of downloadable guide.
- A free mini-training.
- A multi-day challenge or virtual summit.
The one and ONLY goal at the top of funnel stage is collecting an email address.
That’s why you give away great content for free.
It’s an energy exchange – you give valuable content… they give you something of value too: their email address.
This kicks off a beautiful relationship… but you gotta take care. Don’t go too fast or you risk scaring her away.
Middle of funnel.
The second part of this relationship journey is what we call middle of funnel (MOF).
AKA: nurturing the relationship.
In dating terms, you’ve started the conversation with someone you like…
You’re dating… having fun… getting to know one another.
Middle of the funnel activities are essentially the same sort of thing – but in an automated way. (And usually no macking, sorry. LOL)
You’re sending emails offering value… maybe blog content, tips, quick solutions to common problems, or sharing stories about who you are that she can relate to.
From a tactical perspective, you write maybe 5-7 emails (or whatever you feel your ideal customer or client needs to feel welcomed to your world and valued).
You walk her through a process of getting to know, like, and trust you – which is the foundation for any strong relationship.
The entire purpose of the middle of funnel stage is to decide if you wanna take things further…
As in go all the way… to a sale. *wink*
Middle of funnel is actually incredibly important – and overlooked by many eager marketers.
Most people want to jump right to the ask – as in “let’s work together.”
But if you don’t warm up your email subscriber first, you’re gonna get a hard “no” – which is super hard to come back from.
Bottom of funnel.
In the dating world, bottom of funnel (BOF) is marriage or a long term relationship.
In your biz, bottom of the funnel is most likely some sort of financial transaction.
Whether that’s for this person to buy from you… work with you as a coach or whatever kind of biz you have… or employ your services.
When it comes to what next step you offer her… it pays to know your ideal customer or client and tie your offer into the thing she signed up for.
For example, if she came into your funnel because she wanted 3 quick social media hacks to improve her Instagram presence… you should be priming her for some sort of social media related purchase.
Like an online course… a paid training with you… or maybe a bundle of resources.
It wouldn’t be a smart move to instantly hit her up with an expensive coaching program… or something completely outside of why she signed up.
It sounds nuts but trust me… people do it.
And all those people in your email list are gonna bail if you suddenly act like you don’t know them anymore.
So it pays to keep in mind what you know about your ideal customer or client, including:
- What problem you can help her solve or what desire you can help her achieve.
- Price sensitivity – AKA what’s a no-brainer offer you can put in front of her that will have her whipping out her credit card right away? (Fun fact: once you get that first purchase, it’s easier to get the second… and third… and fourth…)
- What big dream, wish, or goal she has – so you are leading toward that big outcome when she works with you.
Email marketing pro tip: be very very clear about what you want her to do.
Only choose ONE action.
For example, if you have an essential oil bit, don’t send an email that’s like:
- Buy my essential oil products that help you with stress.
- OR – Sign up for my in person workshop in your area.
- OR – Sign up to be part of my team.
Statistics prove that if you offer more than one thing in an email, she will choose nothing.
So keep it simple. Keep it clear. And give her ONE THING – and one thing only – to do.
Now, I know this is a lot to take in… which is why I wanna remind you of that invite to my “3 Biz Keys” masterclass.
Here’s the info again.
3 Biz Keys Masterclass: Secrets to Grow, Scale, and Automate Your Biz with Simple Marketing Funnels
Choose from 3 class dates:
- Tuesday, April 27th – 10am PDT / 1pm EDT.
- Wednesday, April 28th – 10am PDT / 1pm EDT.
- Monday, May 2nd – 4pm PDT / 7pm EDT.
And when you show up LIVE on one of those days – I’ll cover the cost of your ticket. AKA: it’s free for you to attend.
This is a 2 hour workshop – so we’re goin’ DEEP on this.
Make sure you block that time on your calendar. Cause like I said, it’s 2 hours.
We’ll be spending quality time on each of the 3 stages of the marketing funnel / relationship building process. Plus tons of practical hacks you can apply right away for your biz.
So if your biz is important to you—like it’s an actual priority—I highly recommend you rearrange things now to carve out 2 hours in your day to learn something that’s gonna help you grow and scale your biz – for the long term.
I hope this helped you feel more confident than you actually KNOW what a marketing funnel is… and you’re ready to learn how to actually implement it into your own biz – by coming to my masterclass.
I'll see ya online.
XO,
Hayley