Beginner's Guide to Marketing Funnels: Everything You Need to Know

If you've ever done marketing campaigns, you've probably heard of marketing funnels – they're like maps of how customers go from hearing about your stuff to buying it.

People who do marketing are getting more into funnels – and for good reasons, which I'll explain more about later. But there's a problem: there's a lot of mixed-up info about this, and that's not helpful.

So, in this guide, we're going to fix that. We'll cover:

• What marketing funnels are and the different kinds
• Who benefits most from using them
• Tips to make your funnels work really well
• Step-by-step help to make your own funnel

We'll use a tool called GetResponse Conversion Funnels to show how easy this can be. You can learn more about that on this blog.

Okay, let's start with the basics.

Table of Contents: Beginner's Guide to Marketing Funnels

What's a marketing funnel?

Different kinds of funnels

Why using marketing funnels is great

Businesses that benefit the most

Smart ways to do marketing funnels

Making your own funnel – best steps

Create your own funnel today

What's a marketing funnel?

A marketing funnel is like a system that guides people from being interested in what you offer to actually buying it. It's like a path they follow, step by step.

Sometimes people call it a "sales funnel," "lead funnel," or other names like that. And why "funnel"? Imagine a funnel you use in the kitchen – it's wide at the top and narrow at the bottom. Same idea here.

Imagine you're selling a course on writing, online:

• First, lots of people know about your course. You're using ads to reach them. This is the top of your funnel, the widest part.
• Some of these people click your ad and check out your webpage. Now your audience is smaller, like the funnel.
• On the webpage, you offer a free thing, like a book on writing tips. Some people like it and give their email to get it. Your funnel narrows more.
• You send emails to the folks who got your book. Last email asks if they want the paid course.
• Some people don't like the offer, but some buy the course. That's the end of the funnel.

Fun fact: Funnels aren't just online. When you buy coffee from a big café or a house from a real estate agent, they're using funnels too. It's just a different type.

So that's the scoop on marketing funnels!

Types of Funnels

Marketing funnels cover different ways to reach people, and there are various types you might come across:

• Lead Magnet Funnels: These attract people with something free, like an ebook, to get their contact info.
• List Building Funnels: These focus on collecting contacts for future marketing.
• Webinar Funnels: They're for promoting and getting people to sign up for online events.
• Social Media Marketing Funnels: These use social media to attract and engage potential customers.
• Video Sales Funnels: They lead people to buy through videos that explain and convince.
• Email Funnels: These use emails to move people toward buying or other actions.

Different funnels have different goals. They can be for selling things, getting contacts, promoting events, and more. You can even use funnels to gather survey answers or sign-ups for demos.

Why Funnels Are Helpful

Funnels are becoming more popular because they help marketers see what steps customers take before buying. They organize campaigns and guide people toward actions.

For instance, let's talk about Alex Terrier, a jazz musician and teacher. He used a funnel to get lots of people to sign up for his courses.

Funnels help in many ways. They:

Keep Things Organized: They show what needs to happen before people buy. 

Use Proven Models: Like the AIDA model – Attention, Interest, Desire, Action – to guide customers.

Use the Right Tactics: Funnels suggest what tools and strategies to use in each stage.

For every stage of the customer's journey, marketers pick tools and strategies that make sense. They track different things to see how the funnel's doing.

Technology Makes Funnels Better

Technology has boosted funnel popularity. Before, making each part of a funnel was like a separate project:

• Run Ads: Advertise on social media.
• Create Pages: Make special webpages.
• Send Emails: Set up automatic emails.
• Offer More: Have deals or upsells.
• And More: Other tasks.

Nowadays, you can link these things together easily using APIs or integrations. Tools like GetResponse Conversion Funnel have everything you need in one place.

So, that's why marketers love funnels – they help businesses grow in smart, organized ways!

Benefits of Using this Approach

• Saves Integration Time: You don't need to spend time connecting different tools to build your marketing funnel – it's already done for you automatically.
• All-in-One Solution: No need to pay for separate tools like landing page builders, email marketing, social media ad creators, and more. Everything is built into your GetResponse account.
• Integrated Payment and Tracking: You can sell and track your sales results right from one dashboard, thanks to built-in payment processing and tracking features.

Which Businesses Benefit?

All kinds of businesses benefit from marketing funnels because they help turn potential customers into actual buyers. Here are a couple of examples:

Local Business - Wedding Planning:

Top of Funnel: Generate traffic using Facebook ads to a specific page.
Middle of Funnel: Offer a wedding prep tips newsletter to get leads.
Bottom of Funnel: Share an upsell offer for your planning services.

Coaching Business:

Top of Funnel: Use social media ads for a lead magnet, like an ebook.
Middle of Funnel: Send autoresponder emails with more tips.
Bottom of Funnel: Present paid courses or a membership program.

Ecommerce Business - Sweets Shop:

Top of Funnel: Offer a cookbook as a lead magnet on a landing page.
Middle of Funnel: Nurture with cooking tips and recipes.
Bottom of Funnel: Drive subscribers to your sales page for purchases.

These Examples in Action

Local Business - Wedding Planning: Help engaged couples through each step, from tips to full planning services.

Coaching Business: Guide entrepreneurs from free content to paid courses, sharing expertise.

In the video below, Sean Smith guides you on how to use a sales funnel to sell your online coaching course.

Ecommerce Business - Sweets Shop: Share recipes and then offer your sweet treats, boosting sales.

Marketing Funnel Strategies

Funnels make you think about your customers' journey and their changing needs. This framework is useful and effective for building successful campaigns.

To guide your subscribers through your funnel, check out our email marketing funnel infographic. It helps remember the different stages and needs of your audience. Bookmark it for future reference when building or improving your marketing funnels.

Awareness Stage

Your audience might not know about your brand and what you offer. You need to change that in a smart way.

Here's how:

• Focus on lead generation, which means getting people interested.
• Create a landing page where you offer something valuable.
• Use Facebook or Google ads, banners on your website, emails, or partnerships to bring people to your page.
• Make sure you're targeting the right people who might actually buy from you.
• Choose a lead magnet that suits your audience's interests.
• Also, try showing your ads to people who've already shown interest. It works well!

Consideration Stage

Awesome job! Some of your landing page visitors are now on your email list.

Now, it's time to show them why your offer is perfect for their needs.

Here's how:

• Send a series of emails that talk about different aspects of what they're interested in.
• Highlight what's great about your offer and why it's the best.
• Let them interact with your products. For example, if you sell a video course, let them watch some sample videos or take a quiz.
• If it's an ebook, give them a sneak peek of the first chapters.
• Show how your products can fit into their lives.

Try email automation – it's like magic! Send emails based on what your subscribers do. These "triggered" emails work really well.

Action Stage

Time to turn those email subscribers into actual customers.

Now, your emails should motivate them to take action and buy.

Here's how:

    Tell them why they shouldn't wait anymore.
    Use testimonials, reviews, and stories to build trust.
    If your product saves money or helps with their career, show them the benefits.
    If your product is limited or has special offers, make that clear.
    If you offer a money-back guarantee or free trials, tell them about it.

Making the Funnel Smooth

Want to make things even better? Download our free guide with tips from our study with Demand Metric.

Download the guide

Creating a Marketing Funnel – Best Practices

Creating a marketing funnel doesn't have to be super complicated, but it does take some time. Making it effective takes both practice and time. That's why we've gathered these best practices. They'll help you start strong and keep improving.

Drive Targeted Traffic

Remember, it's not just about any traffic – it's about the right traffic. Focus on finding people who are likely to buy. Use smart strategies like setting up social media ads for specific audiences and learning from user behavior. If some groups aren't converting, adjust your approach for them.

To learn more about driving traffic to your landing pages read our guide.

Optimize for All Devices

Make sure your website, landing pages, and emails work well on all devices. If they don't, consider if you really want to target mobile users. Look at the conversion rates. If they're low for mobile users, decide if it's worth keeping them in your targeting.

To dive deeper into making your content work well on mobile devices, you might find it helpful to explore our guides on designing responsive landing pages and creating effective email designs.

Choose the Right Lead Magnet

Different people are attracted to different things. Check out lead magnet ideas and see what fits your audience. Test your instincts – maybe a checklist works better than an ebook. Sometimes, it's about quick benefits rather than huge resources.

Nurture Your Leads

Don't rush for a sale right away. Use the right content at the right time. For some, you can hint at buying; for others, nurture them with more information.

Set Clear Objectives and Metrics

Focus on the metrics that really matter. Vanity metrics are nice, but actionable metrics – those that show real progress – are key. Know what you want to achieve and track the right things.

Experiment and Improve Conversion Rates

Even if you know your audience, try different approaches. Test ideas with A/B tests. Try changing more than just button colors. Tweak your copy, signup form placement, social proof, videos, and more. These changes can boost your conversion rates and grow your business.

Remember, optimizing your funnels is a journey. Here are two pro tips from Pam Neely to help you along the way.

"When you're doing A/B tests, think about how the changes you make affect your final conversion results.

For example, you improved a landing page to achieve a 40% conversion rate, while the old version was only at 10%. The new page seems like a big win, right?

Well, not always.

The old page converted at 10%, with each lead worth $100. The new page with a 40% conversion rate makes leads worth only $10 each. So, the seemingly better page might not be that great after all.

Here's a simple example to help you understand. Let's say you have a funnel, and you want to improve one part of it. If that part is easier to improve, go for it first. Why? Because small improvements in the easiest part can have a bigger impact overall.

Think of it like fixing a link in a chain – go for the one that's easiest to fix. Even if all parts of your funnel aren't equally easy to improve, focusing on the easier parts can make a big difference.

If you're interested in optimizing your funnels, these resources can help:

• Lowering Facebook ad costs and improving ROI
• Creating effective squeeze pages
• Guide to successful email drip campaigns
• Building effective sales pages

Now that you've got the basics, you're ready to start building your marketing funnels. With ready-made templates, this process is quick. So, how will you use this knowledge? Let me know in the comments below!