Marketing Glossary
← Back to glossary

Marketing funnel

What is marketing funnel?

A marketing funnel is a visual representation of the customer journey from initial awareness of a product or service to purchase. It is a way of mapping out the steps a customer takes from the moment they become aware of a product or service to the moment they make a purchase. The funnel typically consists of four stages: awareness, interest, decision, and action.

Why is marketing funnel important?

Marketing funnels are important because they help businesses understand their customers’ journey from awareness to purchase. By tracking the different stages of the funnel, businesses can identify areas of improvement and optimize their marketing strategies to increase conversions. Funnels also provide valuable insights into customer behavior, allowing businesses to better target their marketing efforts and create more effective campaigns.

How can I use marketing funnel?

Here's an example of a typical marketing funnel:

  1. Awareness: This is the stage where a potential customer first becomes aware of your brand or product. This can happen through a variety of channels, such as social media, search engines, or advertising.
  2. Interest: In this stage, the potential customer becomes interested in your product or brand and begins to research and gather information.
  3. Consideration: In this stage, the potential customer is actively evaluating your product or brand, comparing it to others on the market, and determining whether it meets their needs.
  4. Intent: In this stage, the potential customer has made the decision to purchase your product or brand and is now considering the specific actions they need to take to do so.
  5. Purchase: In this stage, the customer makes the purchase and becomes a paying customer.
  6. Loyalty: In this stage, the customer continues to engage with your brand and make repeat purchases, becoming a loyal customer.

Once you understand the different stages of the marketing funnel, you can then create targeted marketing campaigns for each stage, using different channels and strategies to reach customers at each stage. For example, you might use social media to raise awareness and drive traffic to your website, email marketing to keep potential customers interested and engaged, and targeted ads to drive sales and encourage repeat purchases. By using a marketing funnel, you can ensure that your marketing efforts are targeted and effective, helping you to reach your goals and grow your business.

Brief history of marketing funnel

The concept of the marketing funnel has been around since the late 19th century. It was first introduced by Elias St. Elmo Lewis in 1898 as a way to visualize the customer journey from awareness to purchase. The funnel has since evolved to include more stages, such as consideration, conversion, and loyalty. Today, the marketing funnel is used by marketers to understand how customers move through the sales process and how to best target them with the right message at the right time.

Related Terms

Marketing Analytics

Marketing Attribution

Remarketing

Marketing Automation