Marketing Funnel Building 101

Basics people, basics!

Welcome to Marketing Funnel Building 101, where we go over the basic tech you need to create an amazing client experience without lifting a finger.

We all know the formal definition of a marketing funnel: it is a marketing model used to illustrate the customer journey from the initial stage of brand awareness to the final stage of conversion (in this case, a purchase). As prospects travel through the "funnel" some stay at the top near brand awareness, some linger in the middle and are slow to filter down but the goal is to get a steady flow of sales moving through the end of the funnel.

In my terms, it is an intentionally planned path for your intended community to learn about you, your business, your offerings - all while building that know, like and trust - to secure sales.

Funnel is a term that is flung around a lot and can feel so overwhelming and complicated but in this article, we will break it down into its main components and I will show you how simple it can be to start mapping out the funnels in your business.

📱Social Media (of your choice)

Regardless of what your niche is, there is a home or watering ground for them on the internet.

• Facebook groups for holistic wellness practitioners

• TikTok for Crafting and Macrame

• Discord channels for D+D Players

• Telegram Groups for Dropshippers

• LinkedIn Blogs for Speakers and Thought Leaders

Whatever it is, you can find your people online and this is the top of your funnel. This is where you build awareness.

Pro tip: One of the top mistakes people make is thinking they have to be on all the platforms their people can be on. This is NOT TRUE. Solution: Pick one social media platform you feel comfortable learning or experimenting with, get good at that one, and once you feel like you have mastered your strategy for that platform, try your hand at another.

Many of us are soloprenures and we need to be deliberate and strategic with our time. We don't show up our best when we are stretched thin.

📄 Page Builder (or Website)

Great! So we have our socials out, we are producing content and people in your community are paying attention. So what next? We need somewhere to send all of these curious eyes.

This is where a page builder comes in. A page builder is a visual tool that allows you to design, customize, and launch web pages. Since these platforms are designed for the average person to use (no coding required), this makes them quick to set up, easy to edit and lessens lead time as no developer is required.

For us, this means sales pages, thank you pages, freebie forms, information pages, event pages, affiliate features, podcasts, blogs and so much more.

This is essential as while social media is great, apparently the average human attention span is worse than a goldfish and we risk getting lost in the daily shuffle. We need to give our online business a home and a place for future clients to come to.

✉️ Email Marketing Platform

So our IG is a go, we have a few pages up on our business, its offers and a sweet 30-minute pre-recorded webinar to give our visitors a quick win in exchange for a name and email address.

We can't just let the progress into the funnel end there right! Now we have to send some emails! Get a rapport going and make sure your new sign-up can see themselves progressing once they stick with us. What if I tell you this can be automated... Using an email marketing platform like Mailerlite or ConvertKit help you not only automate some preplanned emails to keep your new lead in the know with us, but we can now see what State they are from, what timezone, what emails have they opened, what freebies have they opted into and a breakdown of their history with you and your small business. That email address they traded with you for the amazing freebie you provided has so much information that can only be unlocked using one of these platforms.

💳 Payment Processors

This is an easy one lol. Your lead has spent time with you, you've gotten to know them better and they are ready to take the plunge on one of your paid offers.

You know how awkward it would be in the year of our Lord 2025 to tell this person, "Hold on! Let me get you my banking details for a wire."

Not in the time of:

• Apple Pay

• Payoneer

• PayPal

• Stripe

• Square

• Shopify Payments

• Authorize.net

There are probably others I am forgetting at this point... One of these is necessary to function in the digital age of automation and AI and I don't want you to miss out or be held back.

Pro Tip: Do your due diligence. Be sure the platform you choose can connect with and is trusted by your bank, be sure it is compatible with the other software you work with, and read the Terms and Conditions (some payment providers have conditions on niches they prefer not to work with or equality policies that may not align with you).

🖼️ Bonus: Graphic Design Tool (Canva, Adobe, etc.)

So this article is about the basics so I left branding and and graphics out of this one. Also, it isn't essential to make a sale! I have seen people use Google Docs as their freebie (and paid offer) before and they don't have problems! But a cool graphic never hurt! In fact, the right graphic helps you appeal to the right people. Images and colour put your business' personality on display and put an extra layer of pizazz to what you are putting out there. If you are a DIY-er like myself, Canva is an amazing tool and they are constantly rolling out new features that help persons like us.

If you would like a more editorial touch and have a broader budget, Adobe has a seemingly endless suite of graphics, fonts and editing apps that can help you get the look and feel you want.