There are many different online variations of the marketing funnel but the basic synopsis is that your target market will typically go through the following stages when converting into a customer: awareness, consideration, conversion, loyalty, and advocacy.
The before and after steps in relation to the actual conversion are just as important as the almighty action as the research involved before committing means that customers are making an informed decision that is right for them, and the post-conversion steps can seal further custom. To aid the conversion process and to streamline each stage of the sales and marketing funnel, ai products for your business are extremely handy and something that you should consider, as AI offers insightful data and useful forecasting tools. Apply this technology to discover what drives results.
Now, let’s take a closer look at the different steps within the marketing funnel.
Awareness
When your customer is in the awareness stage, they might simply be interested in information related to the product or service in question. This is where you need to show them what you offer and how everything works.
Type of content the audience is consuming:
- Social media posts
- Blogs
- Infographics
- Videos (reviews, tutorials, comparisons etc.)
Consideration
In the next step, your target market is considering what they want. They are trying to make sure they’re making the right decision, so they will weigh their different options before committing. At this stage, you want to highlight why what you can do for them is better than your competitors.
Type of media the audience is consuming:
- Comparison guides
- FAQ webpages
- Live chats
- Promos/giveaways
Conversion
This is the one that you need to nail, as it is where a prospective customer takes action. You want to make sure that this part of the process runs as smoothly as possible as if it’s stalled, information is unclear or the process seems unreliable, causing you to lose out.
How to further entice them at this stage:
- Targeted PPC campaigns/remarketing
- Free trials
- Newsletter sign ups
Loyalty
Once the conversion is made, your work doesn’t stop there! You want customer loyalty. You need to make sure that after having used your business once, customers will come back time and time again. You can do this by offering a great aftercare service, staying in touch with users via email, and ensuring they’re happy (without being pushy).
This could entail:
- Encouraging surveys/reviews/customer feedback
- Special offer bundles
- Event invitations
Advocacy
As well as loyalty, you want to ensure that your customer encourages their contacts to try you out too. Word of mouth recommendations are powerful and not something to be overlooked.
Advocacy ideas:
- Referral schemes
- Testimonials
- Social media influencer marketing
So, to wrap it up, you must be aware of every stage of the marketing funnel and how to communicate effectively with your target audience every step of the way. You need to ensure that your business offers the right information and tools to make those all-important sales, grow your customer base, and have them coming back for more every time.
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