The concept of the marketing sales funnel is fundamental to understanding how a customer buying journey works. It visualizes the different stages of a potential buyer’s journey, from initially discovering your brand to ultimately becoming a paying customer.
Let’s dive in deeper and see how understanding the marketing funnel stages, and the role of content in the marketing funnel can help you with your business.
What is the “awareness, consideration, conversion” funnel?
The "awareness, consideration, conversion" funnel, also sometimes called the buyer's journey, is a marketing framework that illustrates the steps potential customers take as they move towards becoming paying customers. It's visualized as a funnel because the number of potential customers typically narrows down as they progress through the stages.
Here’s a breakdown of the three key stages
Awareness: Top of the funnel
This is where potential customers first become aware of your brand or product. They might not be actively looking to buy anything yet, but you want to make them aware of your existence and pique their interest.
Consideration: Middle of the funnel
Now that potential customers are aware of you, they're considering whether your product or service is the right solution for their needs. They're researching different options and comparing features. Here, you need to provide them with valuable information that positions your offering as the best choice.
Conversion: Bottom of the funnel
This is where potential customers become actual customers. They're ready to make a purchase decision, and you need to make the conversion process smooth and enticing.
One note on the difference between consideration vs. awareness: awareness and consideration are distinct stages in the marketing funnel, representing different mindsets of potential customers.
Awareness mindset = "I don't know what I don't know." Customers are not actively looking to buy anything specific. They might be experiencing a general problem or need, but haven't identified solutions yet.
Consideration mindset = "I know I have a problem, and I'm actively researching solutions." Customers are aware of their needs and are now comparing different options to find the best fit.
Does “awareness, consideration, conversion” apply to Facebook ads?
The short answer: yes.
The slightly longer explanation is that Facebook provides a variety of campaign objectives that align perfectly with each stage of the funnel, allowing you to target users with the right message at the right time.
By using Facebook Ads strategically throughout the brand funnel, you can effectively reach new audiences, nurture leads, and ultimately convert them into paying customers.
What about “awareness, consideration, ENGAGEMENT, conversion?”
That's a great question! The concept of "engagement" can definitely be incorporated into the marketing funnel framework, particularly between the awareness and consideration stages.
Here's why engagement is a valuable addition
Stronger Brand Connections: By fostering engagement, you create a two-way street with potential customers. They become more invested in your brand and feel a sense of community.
Valuable Customer Insights: Engagement allows you to gather valuable feedback and understand your audience's needs and preferences better.
Enhanced Consideration: A high level of engagement can nudge potential customers from simply being aware to actively considering your offering.
3 examples of “awareness, consideration, conversion”
To put this into perspective, consider this buying experience you’ve likely been through. Let’s use a fictional clothing retailer as our business. Below are three examples of what they can do in each stage of the marketing funnel to move prospective customers along on their shopper journey.
Awareness
A clothing retailer launches a social media campaign featuring eye-catching photos of celebrities wearing their new summer collection. They use relevant hashtags and partner with fashion influencers to reach a wider audience.
Consideration
The retailer follows up with targeted ads showcasing specific clothing items. They offer detailed product descriptions, highlight unique features (e.g., sustainable materials), and showcase customer reviews.
Conversion
The retailer offers a discount code for first-time buyers and makes the checkout process user-friendly. They provide clear size charts, free shipping options, and easy return policies to encourage conversions.
While this example is a B2C one, it very much applies to B2B. When it comes to the modern B2B marketing funnel, the personalization of a B2C approach is more relevant today than ever before.
The marketing funnel is a great tool in developing an effective marketing strategy. With the right guidance, it can help bring in an abundance of new business and prove to have very high ROI.
Get in touch to talk more about what the marketing funnel can do for you and your business today.