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Get the Gunk Out of Your Marketing Funnel

by Grant Chambers
4 min read
Composite illustration of various media channels in a funnel

When you think about a funnel, you think of a tool that’s relatively easy to use, right? You put a large volume of ingredients in, and they come out the other side exactly where you want them to go. Well, what happens when you pour in your ingredients and not all of them make it through? As a matter of fact, your funnel is a little untrustworthy. Sometimes there’s a little gunk on the inside that you didn’t see, creating a clog. Even worse, the funnel is completely backed up, and when you pour your additives in, they spill right out. The same can be said for your marketing funnel. When customers go in and don’t come out on the other side, it may be time to check your funnel for crud. 

What is a Marketing Funnel?

From generating brand awareness to converting customers and encouraging repeat transactions, your marketing funnel is the journey that takes your customers and potential customers from point A to point Z; and, when executed correctly, back again. To determine the effectiveness of your funnel, first you have to identify the elements of it, then create a strategy to optimize each one: 

  • Awareness- Are you leveraging brand awareness channels, and measuring them fairly?
  • Interest – Is your offering easy to understand? Is your website user-friendly?
  • Desire – Are you following up with leads manually and programmatically? Is your customer relationship management (CRM) platform up-to-date? Are you leaning into the benefits of retargeting?
  • Action – Is your landing page running smoothly? Is the conversion form or checkout process as simple as possible?
  • Advocacy – Are you nurturing post-purchase advocacy by requesting reviews and referrals?

Why do I need a healthy marketing funnel?

A healthy funnel simply means that more of your prospects make it from the awareness phase all the way through to action and advocacy. When establishing a marketing strategy, you have to ask yourself how to get your audience interested in your website, then nurture that interest, and turn it into interactions or transactions. Once customers enter your funnel, they should never hit a piece of funnel gunk. Funnel gunk could be a slow website, unoptimized automation, difficult check out process, or missing post-purchase follow up. Every touchpoint should be created with your target audience in mind. 

What are the Symptoms of an Unhealthy Marketing Funnel?

Too many clogs in the funnel will lead to fewer customers who make a purchase or move into post-purchase advocacy. Pushing your product or ideas without proper implementation can lead to an ineffective funnel. When creating your funnel, it’s essential to avoid these mistakes:

  • Not creating your brand and marketing strategy first – Every win rests on a game plan, and if you enter this world without one, you’re just setting yourself up for failure.
  • Diving right into various channels – Having an active social media is great, but without any direction, you’re literally just doing it for the ‘gram…Instagram, that is. Likes are cool, but transactions are cooler.
  • No thoughts, just vibes – Pouring all of your blood, sweat, and tears into a website is sure to give you a beautiful product…but without the proper development set up, it’s a work of art that few people will ever get to see.
  • Forgetting the second “A” in the AIDAA funnel, Advocacy – Not focusing on reviews is how you fail to build an ongoing relationship with your audience. Since existing customers are 67%-70% more likely to make a purchase, it’s worth making an effort. When you don’t focus on the post-purchase relationship, you continually miss opportunities to grow your business.

How do you Establish and Maintain a Healthy Marketing Funnel?

If you want to get the most out of your funnel, you have to remember to build backwards. Figure out your goals first and build a plan from that. Your marketing strategy defines what your funnel will look like. You need a website with the proper infrastructure to generate search results that build trust. When you position yourself as an expert, it helps your audience see you in a better light. A website that educates and is interactive helps convert prospects into patrons. Be sure to communicate with your existing customers. Encouraging reviews encourages re-visits. The best marketing you can get is word-of-mouth and maintaining a relationship with loyal customers- be it through incentivization or simple reminders – motivates them to spread the word about your business.

Lastly, work with a team that can make this journey as smooth as possible. At Workhorse, we put the FUN in funnel. Call us to help you build a strategy that prioritizes the correct elements to help you reach your goals. 

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