The sales funnel is a marketing strategy that is transferred to digital marketing because it is much easier to recognize users and follow them up to make the sale.
Let’s see: What are sales funnels for? To channel liquids in an organized and measured way.
In the same way, a digital marketing funnel serves to channel customers.
The objective of a sales funnel is to detect the user base at different purchase levels and provide them with the information or attention that is appropriate to what they are looking for, in order to move it to the next level and make the purchase … and even go further: build loyalty and make them an ambassador for your brand, product or service.
Stages of the sales funnel
Many people enter the widest part of the funnel. Not all of these people will be your customers. At first, you are interested in branding, generating traffic, that they come and know your brand, product or service.
You will see that it does not matter if you offer tangibles or intangibles, the process is similar: Initially many interested people, and little by little they are decanting and filtering.
Finally, in comparison, there will be few who make the purchase, but they will be quality leads that if they are served well will not only make a conversion, but will make buybacks and recommend you.
On the contrary, if you neglect your clients, they can become a nuisance. That is why it is important to know the limits in the capacity of attention, stock and terms of service. Remember that you always offer experiences, even when selling tangible goods.
The sales funnel and digital marketing, step by step
Attention
At this stage, you cast the hook, someone will fall. Obviously, you do not throw it into a wide universe, you have predefined your target audience, your user persona and your buyer persona.
However, you are in the exploratory stage, as are the potential leads who are getting to know your brand, product or service. Your ideal client is just exploring and considering different options. It does not do a strict search, but an exploration.
The digital marketing strategy includes a mix of SEO and SEM (Google Ads, Facebook Ads and Instagram Ads) with the aim of attracting the attention of prospects, branding and generating traffic to your website, blog and e-commerce.
Interest
Once you have brought users to your website, blog or e-commerce, you have to do the next step: Refine your audience.
At this point, the users who are most related to what you offer will stay on the website and continue to explore, interact with your posts and learn about what you offer.
That is why it is important to continue capturing data, putting together a customers’ empathy map and returning that information transformed into products and services that you offer, adapted to their tastes and needs.
Desire
You are one step away from completing the conversion / sale! At this level, you awaken the desire, feed the need, remind or suggest that what you offer is what you seek.
Take advantage of tools like the Facebook pixel to capture data and segment more specifically. Do remarketing, retargeting and e-mail marketing to those who have given you their data, visited your virtual store or e-commerce or carried out searches associated with what you offer.
Do not lower your guard, you are just one step away from finalizing the sale.
Action
Far fewer people have reached this point than in the first step, but they are quality prospects, real stakeholders.
Your possible customer just need a push, a call to action, an invitation, an attraction to finalize the purchase. You have to give it differentiating elements, added value, momentum and reasons to close the cycle.
Phase 2: The cycle does not end with the sale
Once you have completed the sale through the action, what is known as post-sale remains, which is the customer / user service cycle, regardless of whether they contact you or not.
After-sales involves customer service and experience, which in turn means four types of customers:
Punctual customer
This is the customer who is only going to make a specific purchase. This customer must be worked through remarketing to invite him to make a second purchase through complementary products and cross-selling. A good way to capture it is by applying remarketing and email marketing campaigns.
Recurring customer
The recurring customer is one that has been captured through remarketing and email marketing campaigns. This customer seeks to complement a purchase that he has already made, usually because a promotion has been suggested.
Keep in mind that the loyal customer is not only looking for you by the nature of what you offer, but by the experience itself, the promotions or that your offer goes to a very specific niche in the market.
Evangelizing customer
This client is the best because he/she has fallen in love with your brand, product or service and not only does he buy from you frequently, but he has you on his top of mind and recommends you.
You must take great care of the evangelizing client and create marketing strategies that allow them to feel special, create a bond and give them rewards.
Developing a digital marketing strategy that allows not only to generate sales but also to maintain a constant flow of loyal customers and evangelists is essential. Keep in mind that capturing a new customer is much more expensive than keeping one.
Best of all, everything can be measured in digital marketing and actions can be improved in real time!
Let us be your ally in the design and execution of effective digital marketing strategies! Contact us and grow your business.
