How to Build Digital Marketing Funnels that Actually Convert

If you are a modern marketer, chances are you are unavoidably familiar with the concept of digital marketing funnels. As you know, a funnel is more than just a marketing buzzword. Digital marketing funnels are crucial to making sure your campaigns are relevant and effective. In this post, we will discuss how to build digital marketing funnels that convert.

What are digital marketing funnels?

A digital marketing funnel is a framework to help define, understand, and follow your customer’s buying journey. It is all about understanding your customers’ needs at any given time. Generally speaking, marketing aims to get the right message to the right audience at the right time. Marketing funnels help us to do this, thus helping influence buying decisions.

The traditional marketing funnel

In the past, a marketing funnel was thought of as a linear journey that buyers predictably passed through one stage at a time. The traditional digital marketing funnel looked like this:

Essentially, the funnel represents your target audience. It represents customers from the first time they hear about your brand until they purchase your product or service. It’s important to remember that leads in each stage of the buyer’s journey are different. You shouldn’t present a customer in the awareness stage an ad intent to convert them. Instead, serve them content that introduces them to the brand and serves to educates them.

The modern digital marketing funnel

The traditional marketing funnel has gradually evolved. Customers now have so much access to information. Through the internet, they can research and compare brands. And, they can read customer reviews and evaluate alternatives. This gives the modern shopper much more control over the buying experience than they previously had.
Now, the decision-making process is a more circular journey. So, McKinsey & Company separate the funnel into four primary phases:

• Initial consideration
• Active evaluation, or the process of researching potential purchases
• Closure, when consumers buy products or services
• Postpurchase, when customers experience goods or services

Customers can move through these stages in loops. For example, after a customer purchases a product, there is another consideration phase. Did the customer like your product or service? Have they tried another brand that they prefer? Are they considering trying a different brand? The active evaluation is constant, and markers need to keep up if they want to stay competitive.

Customers can enter the new digital marketing funnel at any stage

Customers can enter the journey at any stage of the funnel. They are no longer acquired at the awareness phase and led through a series of predictable and linear steps. For example, have you left any products in an online shopping cart and received a cart abandonment email? Or, maybe you have Googled customer reviews from the aisle of a brick-and-mortar shop. These are great examples of how customers can break the traditional sales funnel pattern.

Building digital marketing funnels that convert

Now that we have covered the basics let us talk about some tips you can use to build funnels that convert.

1.First, pair the marketing platform with the customer intent

It is not enough to make sure your content matches your customer’s intent. Yes, it is important to make sure that if your customer is in the initial consideration phase, you go with an educational awareness message. But, it is equally as important to make sure you use the right marketing platform.
For example, Instagram and Facebook can be a great tool for brand awareness. Display ads are another good tactic for brand awareness. Don’t assume that everyone is ready to be served a CPC ad. Reserve paid search marketing for customers who are actively looking for you or a product category that your brand is in.

2.Then, pair the marketing message with the marketing platform

Make sure you alter your content appropriately for each marketing platform. For example, we can generalize that social media is a good tool for brand awareness. However, be sure to consider how you’d change the content for Instagram, Facebook, or Pinterest.
The behavior, intent, and content that works best on each platform are different. So, it is important to change your ad creative for each platform.

3.Be ready with the information your customers need

Choosing a company that can help you connect with your audience is important. A marketing solutions provider like Routee can help you control your marketing messages all from one place. We’ll help you set up the communication channels you need to meet your customers where and when it matters most.

4.Use CRM data to make sure your content is relevant

Use customer data to identify where they are in the decision-making process. The content you have already served them and how they interacted with that content is important to consider. And, you should base this on previous experiences with your brand, like if they’ve purchased your products or services.
Again, partnering with the right marketing solutions provider is key. So, a good provider will have an easy-to-use API that will help you manage your leads. From here, you’ll be able to segment lists and create automated campaigns that move your customers to the next stage in the buying process.

5.Analyze, refine, and repeat

Pay attention to your analytics. The digital marketing funnel is complex. The more you understand what works and what doesn’t work, the more you will be able to predict your customer needs. Make sure to always use metrics that are specific and measurable to track your progress.

Are you ready to build marketing funnels that convert?

Routee is your go-to source for all the tools you need to build an efficient marketing funnel.
Routee’s SMS, e-mail, voice, and automated marketing solutions make it easy to connect with your customers wherever they are in the digital marketing funnel.