Full-funnel marketing is a strategy in which businesses market their products and services down the entire length of the sales cycle. The funnel here refers to the marketing funnel, which outlines a customer’s journey, i.e., the buying process of the target audience.
In full-funnel marketing, the business attempts to understand the customers’ buying behavior and run campaigns to convert the leads into sales. There are several stages to the funnel, and the marketing method focuses on each stage to attract new customers and keep the existing ones.
The customer journey is mapped out to help the business understand how the target audience interacts with their product or service. The process of this map is called ‘funneling.’ This helps companies find the right way to get more customers on board by understanding where they are in the marketing funnel at any given time.
Social media platforms are some of the popular mediums where companies implement this strategy in their campaigns. You can easily find such ad campaigns on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.
Stages of full-funnel marketing
Imagine a funnel. There are three main levels to a full-funnel. Each stage has its own dedicated marketing techniques and target audience. You need to keep this in mind when you fine-tune your funnel to be more effective.
● Awareness (The upper-funnel) – Make the target audience aware of your product and attract their interest.
● Consideration (The mid-funnel) – Get people to prefer your brand over the competition.
● Purchase (The lower-funnel) – Encourage the customer to make the purchase.
These are the three stages to promote your brand; let’s get to know each stage a little better.
Awareness
Marketing at the upper stage of the funnel aims to create brand recognition with potential customers. Since we are talking about potential customers, the upper funnel deals with a plethora of customers. This form of marketing is common during the first phase of a product launch or service offer.
It helps customers form associations between your brand and the products they are looking to purchase. Marketers often use TV commercials, promotional materials in-store, banner ads online, and other marketing techniques to promote their company’s brand name.
Consideration
Coming to the consideration stage, you will be dealing with the customers you were able to grab the attention of in the first stage. The mid-stage of a full-funnel marketing strategy targets a small subset of the awareness stage audience with a more specific call-to-action.
It aims to differentiate your brand from other brands in the industry. One way is running ads that remind potential customers about your brand when they are searching for something similar. So, let the customers know what makes you stand out.
Purchase
The final stage of the funnel is when people are actually making a purchase. It’s vital for marketers to implement an effective strategy to convince consumers to buy from their company and not a competitor. This way, you ultimately create a loyal customer base that will constantly come back to your business for more.
Creating a customer experience throughout the entire funnel is key to full-funnel marketing. During this stage, it’s important for full-funnel marketers to measure their effectiveness by using analytics tools that will help them understand whether they are moving people through the funnel successfully or not.
What is a full-funnel marketing approach?
The full-funnel marketing approach directs you to focus on all the stages as the customer can enter the funnel at any stage. Every customer is different and has different buying patterns. Some can go from the awareness to the purchase stage directly, and some might lose interest in the conversion stage without making the purchase.
The funnel allows marketers to understand how their customers are being acquired so they can adjust their strategies accordingly.
A full-funnel marketing method targets prospective consumers based on where they are in the funnel. Because customers need a different approach at each stage of the funnel (and, as a result, varied messaging, creatives, etc., are used), it’s critical to change your marketing approach as needed.
Tips for creating a successful full-funnel marketing strategy
All types of businesses use this marketing method to help their bottom line. Full-funnel marketers are focused on creating a strategy that will drive all three stages of the funnel. Before we jump to the tips, let’s take the example of Footer, a Taiwanese clothing company that was heavily benefited because of this strategy. Inspired by full-funnel marketing, they used Facebook ads intend to increase their sales. They were able to register a 6.2X hike in their sales among the 35-44 age group.
This is one of the many examples and if you want to see such remarkable results for your business, take note of the following tips. The key points in implementing a full-funnel marketing strategy will help you flourish your sales like anything.
Don’t put all the eggs in one basket.
Not putting all your eggs in one basket is the fundamentals of full-funnel marketing, as it deals with customers with different preferences and buying patterns. So you should not be focusing on only one stage. It’s essential to keep a check on every level so that you can grab a sale opportunity regardless of the level.
Reach out to the customers in the conversion stage
In the conversion stage, you have an audience that is aware of your product and is interested in buying it. They are interested but have not made a final decision to make the purchase. It’s beneficial to reach out to them as they are more likely to buy your product than the customers in the awareness stage.
Focus on your existing customers
Keeping the existing customers invested in your products is as challenging as attracting new ones. So you cannot take them for granted. Once they have purchased your product, practically, they are a lead again. Concentrate on making them come to you again.
Authentic and creative content
Creative and authentic content can make a world of difference. People tend to click on relatable content. So put some creativity into your ads; you never know what’s going to work.