Defining Full-Funnel Marketing (And Why it Works)
Blog
Feb 04
Full-Funnel Marketing
Most people think of marketing as a one-time event: you create a great ad or website, then sit back and wait for the customers to come flooding in.
But that’s not how it works.
Marketing is an ongoing process that should be constantly refined and updated based on feedback from customers and prospects. Successful companies use a “full-funnel” approach to marketing, focusing on attracting new prospective customers while also nurturing current ones.
What Is Full-Funnel Marketing?
Full-funnel marketing is a strategic approach that focuses on creating awareness of a company and its products or services at the top of the funnel, generating interest, and converting leads into customers. Our approach to full-funnel marketing emphasizes five clear phases:
- Awareness: In the awareness stage, we focus on getting our client’s brand in front of as many people as possible through targeted strategies like display advertising, email marketing, search engine optimization (SEO), and social media.
- Interest: Once we have their attention, we aim to get them interested in the client’s product or service.
- Consideration: Consideration is about getting the prospect to take action. This could mean signing up for a free trial, downloading a white paper or e-book, or requesting more information.
- Conversion: In the conversion stage, we focus on converting leads into customers. This usually happens through a sales call or automated marketing campaign.
- Retention: The final stage, retention, is about keeping customers happy and engaged, so they continue to do business with the client. Strategies like a robust onboarding process, customer support, loyalty programs, and ongoing communications can differentiate between a one-time customer and a lifelong advocate.
The full-funnel marketing approach is practical because it considers the different stages of the customer journey. Creating content relevant to each step can guide prospects through the funnel and increase the likelihood of conversion.
Top of Funnel vs. Lower Funnel Marketing
Like an ordinary kitchen funnel, a full-funnel marketing campaign starts wide at the top (to cast a net for as many potential customers as possible). It then funnels down to a smaller group of conversions.
Top funnel marketing focuses on brand awareness and reaching out to new prospects who may not have heard of the company before. The goals at this stage are to build visibility and generate leads. Lower funnel marketing, on the other hand, is all about converting those leads into customers. The goals here are to close deals and increase revenue. A successful full-funnel approach requires a balance of both.
Matching Ads to the Correct Funnel Stage
When building an ad campaign for our clients, we always start by thinking about what stage of the funnel we’re targeting.
For example, if we’re trying to generate awareness for a new product, we might run a display ad campaign or use influencer marketing to get people talking. By matching our ads to the appropriate funnel stage, we can create a more seamless customer journey and increase the likelihood of conversion.
How We Implement a Full Marketing Funnel Strategy
Now that you understand the full marketing funnel let’s look at how we implement it with our clients. The first step is to define the goals of the campaign. Next, we need to create compelling content for our target audience. Finally, we’ll track the results of our efforts and make adjustments as needed. This might involve changing the focus of our content, experimenting with different ad placements, or tweaking our call to action.
No matter what stage of the full-funnel marketing process you’re working on, our team can help you develop a strategy that will drive results. Contact us today.
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