The sales funnel represents the path your customers take from the beginning of their shopping experience all the way to the sale. In the age of e-mail, social media, and online advertising, digital plays an essential role in modern marketing strategies. In this three-part series, we will take a look at each stage of the sales funnel and then outline the key digital marketing strategies that can strengthen your funnel.
We begin with the top of the sales funnel, which is reserved for brand awareness efforts. Crazy Egg describes this stage as “more of a courtship,” explaining that the goal is to “woo the prospect into returning to your site and engaging more with your business.” Here are some essential digital marketing strategies that can help you reimagine your approach and “woo” your target audience.
Start with Your Branding
While impulse purchases by new customers are nice, it’s the lasting relationship with your customer that makes the biggest impact—and that all starts with your branding. You want your branding to not just reflect your product and values, but to stand out in a sea of competitors. Review 42 reports that “59% of people choose to spend their money on familiar brands.” Branding doesn’t stop at your logo either. Take a look at our recent article on why strong branding is essential.
Harness the Power of Online Advertising
Startup Bonsai reports that it takes 5-7 interactions for a consumer to remember your brand. One of the most effective methods for getting your brand seen by new customers is online advertising. With the right online advertising strategy, you can get your branding, messaging, and products directly in front of your target audience. Google and Meta both offer intricate advertising platforms that allow you to plug in the location, interests, and other demographics of your audience to ensure you reach the right people.
Influencer marketing is another advertising strategy that can get your brand in front of new eyes. Unlike other advertising methods, influencers in your industry have already built an audience of individuals who are interested in your niche, and they know how to market to that audience in an organic way. Aligning with an on-brand influencer can make a big impact for your business.
Provide Value with Quality Content
When you do advertise your brand, you’ll want to offer some value to consumers who are interested in learning more. A quality website is essential for making a great first impression digitally. Consider including a blog on your website to showcase your expertise and bring value to potential customers throughout their journey.
Digital marketing expert Rob Sanders recommends using your blog to answer common questions shoppers might have. When you educate your audience, they begin to see you as an expert in your niche. It’s important that your content is on-brand as well. A strong content writer will be able to craft insightful articles that are written with the brand voice in mind.
Engage with Your Audience on Social Media
An organic social media presence is essential for reaching today’s consumers. More and more shoppers are using social media to research and interact with brands. When consumers do begin to recognize your brand, you will want to provide them with multiple channels for contacting you or gaining more information.
While a paid social media strategy is recommended as well, an organic presence shows that you care about your audience and wish to keep them informed. If you create content worth sharing, you open your business up to even more visibility in the social media landscape.
Each segment of the sales funnel is essential, but your efforts further down the funnel won’t matter if you’re not building awareness. Use the strategies above to ensure you’re doing all that you can to strengthen the top of your funnel from a digital perspective. No matter which portion of the funnel your business needs work on, we’re here to help.
