The Small Business Marketing Funnel
When it comes to small business marketing, it’s important to consider the journey your customers will be on to make a purchase from your business. The marketing funnel described below gives a general direction of how your customers travel from beginning to end.
AWARENESS: In this first stage, people are newly aware of your small business. This is the prime stage where you can provide free resources—this could include free guides, advice, or content that would help your customer and is relevant to your business—to help build trust and establish a relationship.
CONSIDERATION: This is the time to deepen your relationship with prospects and address how your small business can help solve their problems. You shouldn’t be selling just yet, rather you should be sending them targeted content that will help lead them into the next stage.
CONVERSION: This stage is where a prospect finally becomes a customer! You close the deal by talking about the benefits of your product or service— it’s also a great stage to offer promotions or discounts. It’s important that you don’t come off as too pushy—we all don’t like that one salesperson who tries a little too hard—and make sure the message comes across as genuine.
DELIVERY: You’ve got the customer but it’s not over yet. It’s important to continue to deliver value even after they make a purchase. This helps keep your small business top of mind and make it more likely for a repeat purchase. Consider providing customer service support, exclusive content, or discounts to future purchases.
LOYALTY: This is the ultimate stage that helps feed the top of the funnel and creates a steady flow of new prospects. As a small business owner, don’t forget to empower your customers to promote you. Whether it’s through setting up a referral program or asking for reviews, it’s critical to utilize word-of-mouth marketing.