When marketing your business, it is important to create content for every phase of your customer’s journey with your brand. From initial awareness, to gaining their trust, to taking action, to completing a sale, and finally creating a repeat customer who is loyal to your business.

As we look ahead to 2021, we wanted to offer you some simple tactics you can use at each phase of your customer’s journey to help them move through your marketing funnel. More importantly, using these tactics will build engagement and earn your ideal customer’s trust over time.

The Phases of Your Marketing Funnel

First, let’s look at a marketing funnel in three phases: the top of the funnel, the middle of the funnel, and the bottom of the funnel. You want to think about touchpoints you have with perspective customers throughout each of these phases, and move them from the top of the funnel to the bottom of the funnel.

Top of the Funnel – Discovery

When it comes to the top of the funnel you want to think of this as the first time a potential customer discovers you. Oftentimes this happens through blog content, SEO, social media posts, podcast interviews etc. This is why it is so important to continually create “evergreen content” that will always be relevant to your audience. You never know who could find your blog post months after you have written it. Once you’re comfortable creating content that reaches your ideal audience, you may want to consider a few paid ads to promote it accordingly.

Middle of the Funnel – Consideration

Once they’ve discovered you, it’s time to think about creating more messaging that will earn their trust. Help your audience to learn more about your products or services and why you may be a better fit compared to others out there. This is where you can create free downloads and other resources such as eBooks, white papers, guides, you may even consider sending them a quiz or a link to a webinar or free course. The goal here is to get their information so that you can follow up with them in other ways.

Bottom of the Funnel – Purchase

The bottom of the funnel is when the prospective client or customer is ready to make a purchase or hire you. They have enough information about your products and services and are ready to take that final step with you. This is where past client stories and testimonials can boost your potential customer’s confidence in working with you. You can also set up a consultation call, create demos, give them free trials, or send promotional discount codes.

Tip: Consumers are savvy, and they are used to consuming information in multiple places. As you build out your funnel and move people through it, make sure you’re looking at your analytics and know where your audience is spending the most time. Identify the key social platforms and other channels such as email that are working better for you and focus your energy there. By creating the right content that reaches your audience at the right time, you will be able to move people through your marketing funnel, but better yet, you will be able to create life-long customers.

For assistance creating a marketing funnel for your business, reach out to the team at Ellen Grace Marketing today!