These days, capturing our audience’s attention is a major challenge. It is not enough simply to have a good product or service. The key will be for it to reach potential customers, for them to become aware of it, for it to spark their interest, and for them to end up buying it. To achieve this, there is no doubt that, You need a strategy. And when it comes to strategy, knowing how to create a sales funnel will be vital to developing it. Start optimising your efforts and maximise your sales!
What is a sales funnel?
Let’s start at the beginning: what do we mean by a marketing and sales funnel? A sales funnel is a visual representation the journey a customer takes from first becoming aware of a product or service until they make a purchase. It is a tool that helps businesses understand how to guide potential customers through the different stages of the sales process, identifying where they may be missing out on conversion opportunities (in fact, it is also known as a conversion funnel).
At the top – the widest part – a large number of interested people enter. As these people progress through the different stages, the number decreases, but the quality increases. Each stage of the funnel is designed to guide the user, providing them with relevant information and persuading them to take the next step, until they reach the ultimate goal: conversion.
It is not just a theoretical concept; it is a strategic roadmap which allows you to:
- Identifying bottlenecks: Where are your potential customers «slipping through the net»?
- Optimise the route: What content or message works best at each stage?
- Predicting results: How many leads do I need at the top of the funnel to achieve X sales?
- Scaling up your business: To replicate a successful and predictable sales process.
These will be the cornerstones of any an effective digital marketing and sales strategy.
Stages of the funnel sales
Although the names may vary, the key stages of an e-commerce sales funnel remain the same.
1. TOFU (Top of the Funnel) – Awareness / Attraction
- Objective: To capture the attention of as wide an audience as possible who do not yet realise they have a problem or that you have the solution.
- Customer actions: Discover your brand, read a blog, see an advert, come across your website by chance.
- Marketing Strategies:
- Content: Blog articles, social media posts, infographics, short videos, podcasts. The focus is on education, not direct sales.
- SEO: Search engine optimisation to ensure your site appears when people search for general information.
- Advertising: Brand awareness adverts.
2. MOFU (Middle of the Funnel) – Consideration / Interest
- Objective: To nurture the leads generated during the TOFU phase, encouraging them to see your solution as the ideal one for their problem. We must demonstrate your authority and value.
- Customer actions: Downloading an ebook, subscribing to your newsletter, attending a webinar, viewing a case study. Generating clicks within the funnels will be key to ensuring success.
- Marketing Strategies:
- Content: Ebooks, downloadable guides, webinars, case studies, product comparisons, detailed tutorials.
- Email Marketing: Automated email sequences (lead nurturing) featuring valuable content.
- Retargeting: Adverts aimed at people who have already interacted with your brand.
3. BOFU (Bottom of the Funnel) – Decision / Conversion
- Objective: Convert the qualified lead into a customer. Convince them that your product or service is the best option. Customer actions: Request a demo, ask for a free trial, add to basket, complete the purchase.
- Marketing Strategies:
- Content: Product/service demos, free trials, free consultations, testimonials, personalised offers and discounts.
- Sales Pages (Landing Pages): Highly optimised for conversion.
- Advertising: Conversion ads featuring direct offers that may be of interest to you.
4. Customer Loyalty (After-Sales)
- Objective: To retain customers, encourage repeat purchases and turn them into brand advocates.
- Marketing Strategies:
- Email marketing: newsletters, exclusive offers for customers, loyalty schemes.
- Customer Support: Excellent after-sales service.
- Communities: User groups, forums.
- Upselling/Cross-selling: Offering complementary or higher-value products.
How to create a sales funnel Step by step?
Following on from all of the above, you might be wondering: how do I create a sales funnel for my business? Below, I’ll show you the steps you need to follow to get the best results from your conversion funnel.
- Define your ideal customer: Who are you targeting? What are their problems, needs, desires and objections, and where do they look for information? Without this, your sales funnel will be a shot in the dark.
- Analyse their behaviour: What steps would they take from the moment they discover you until they make a purchase? Make a note of their questions and pain points at each stage.
- Create content for each stage:
- TOFU: High-impact, informative, non-intrusive content. Blog posts, infographics.
- MOFU: Content that educates readers on how to solve their problems and positions your brand as an expert. E-books, webinars.
- BOFU: Persuasive content that addresses objections and encourages purchase. Demos, testimonials, offers.
- Choose your distribution channels: Where is your audience? Google, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, email? Use the right channels to deliver your content at each stage.
- Define your “lead magnet”: In the MOFU stage, you need something of value to offer in exchange for the user’s contact details (usually their email address). An e-book, a template, a free webinar.
- Set up your email marketing system: Once you’ve got their email address, email marketing is your ally in nurturing leads and moving them through the funnel. Create automated sequences for each stage.
- Create your landing pages: You’ll need landing pages optimised for lead generation, where you offer the lead magnet, and sales landing pages for the BOFU phase.
- Measure, Analyse and Optimise: The funnel should not be static. Use tools such as Google Analytics or your CRM. A key part of the overall strategy will be to monitor results, identify areas for improvement, carry out A/B testing and, based on all this, refine your actions and messaging.
B2B sales funnel
In the B2B sector, the conversion funnel is similar, but there are a few specific features to bear in mind:
- Longer sales cycle: Decisions tend to be more complex and involve more stakeholders. This is not your typical e-commerce scenario; the decision-making process is usually longer, and the final decision may even have to go through several stages within each company. As a result, the B2B sales funnel will take longer to complete.
- Focus on the relationship: The MOFU stage is crucial for building trust and authority, taking the B2B sales experience to new heights. Content such as white papers, detailed case studies, free consultancy services and personalised demonstrations is highly valued. You must become a leading authority in your sector.
- LinkedIn as a key channel: Companies generally use this social media platform as a showcase. It is essential for the TOFU and MOFU stages, alongside SEO for searches relating to business solutions, to generate B2B sales.
Example of a sales funnel
Given the sheer number of companies all around us, it’s tricky to single out a sales funnel as an example, but let’s give it a go!
Netflix
Netflix is a master at building a sales funnel in digital marketing that converts into regular subscribers. It starts by capturing people’s attention through advertising via an omnichannel strategy (influencers, YouTube, TikTok, etc.), as well as through its presence in the media and at the events it sponsors. And, of course, the famous “word of mouth”.
Their value proposition is clear: here you can enjoy unlimited entertainment content, and you can try it out for 7 days.
With the Capturing the user’s attention and the hands-on trial enable the user to experience the value as we were saying. A straightforward user experience (registration, payment methods, etc.) is a key differentiator.
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Instagram sales funnel
Instagram, with its visual in nature and involving rapid interaction, requires a specific approach to the social media sales funnel:
- TOFU (Awareness):
- Reels/Stories: Entertaining and educational content (e.g. «3 tips for improving the working environment»).
- Feed posts: Infographics, inspirational quotes, educational carousels.
- Hashtags and Collaborations: To reach new audiences.
- CTA: «Follow us for more», «Save this Reel».
- MOFU (Consideration):
- Interactive Stories: Polls («What is your biggest challenge with X?»), questions and answers.
- IG Lives/Webinars: Live sessions exploring a topic in depth.
- Problem/Solution Posts: Where your product or service is the answer.
- DM (Direct Messages): Encourage conversation to gauge interest.
- CTA: «Link in bio to download the guide», «Register for the webinar», «Send us a DM with your question».
- BOFU (Decision):
- Product/Service Publications: Focusing on benefits and testimonials.
- Deal Reels/Stories: Quick demos, limited-time discounts.
- CTA: «Buy now (link in bio/product sticker)», «Request your free demo (link in bio)’.
- Product/Service Publications: Focusing on benefits and testimonials.
- Customer loyalty:
- Exclusive content: Reels or Stories for customers only, surveys to improve the product/service.
- Community: Private groups; actively reply to comments and DMs.
- Retargeting adverts: For upselling or cross-selling
In short, building a sales funnel is a a continuous process of learning and optimisation. It’s not a magic formula, but rather about understanding your audience, to deliver value at every stage and measure performance continuously. Follow these steps and you’ll see how your marketing efforts translate into conversions and sustained growth for your business.
