What is a marketing funnel?
A marketing funnel is a model of the steps people take from first learning about a business to buying from it. It's wide at the top, where many people become aware, and narrows as fewer reach each later stage.
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The stages of the funnel
The funnel is usually split into three parts. The top covers awareness, the middle covers consideration, and the bottom covers the decision to buy. Some versions add stages for retention and advocacy after the sale.
Names and numbers of stages differ between teams. What matters is that each stage has a clear purpose and a way to measure it.
How marketers use it
The funnel helps match content, channels, and offers to where a person is in their decision. It also shows where people drop out, so you know which stage to fix.
Compare the conversion rate between each stage to find the biggest gap.
Limits of the model
Real buyers rarely move in a straight line. They may research, leave, return, and compare many times, so treat the funnel as a useful simplification and not an exact map.
Common questions
What are the stages of a marketing funnel?
The common three are top, middle, and bottom of the funnel, which map to awareness, consideration, and decision. Some models add retention and advocacy.
Why is it called a funnel?
Because it narrows. Many people enter at the top, and fewer remain at each later stage as they decide the offer isn't for them.
What is the difference between a marketing funnel and a sales funnel?
The marketing funnel usually covers awareness through lead generation, while the sales funnel covers the steps after a lead is passed to sales. Many teams treat them as one connected process.
How do you measure a marketing funnel?
Count the people at each stage and calculate the conversion rate from one stage to the next. Compare results over time and across channels.
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