We're Throwing Away the Marketing Funnel

If you've taken a marketing class in the last 30 years, you've probably seen the triangle ‘marketing funnel’. It's the model that's still used on marketing class PowerPoints in college and at conference stage presentations. The marketing funnel has a few different visual iterations—the upside down triangle, the newly coined ‘flywheel’, the funnel that actually looks more like an hourglass...

Amid all of these visual representations, the premise is that marketers are all clamoring for the best way to explain the path that encourage customers to take action, whether that’s buying something or giving you their email. 

The Multi-Device Journey

This type of funnel model worked best before the digital transformation that disrupted our buying process and the way that we disperse product information. Traditionally, when customers heard or saw about your product on the TV, they went into their local brick and mortar store and purchased it. That was the entirity of the buyer’s journey! 

Today, buyer’s purchase behavior has changed drastically, thanks to mobile. Consumers typically purchase through multi-device journeys, where they access your content from their phones, desktops and laptops as well as through other channels, like radio, television, and out-of-home advertising. With so many unique avenues to view content, it’s important to create the experience that your buyer can access easily and seamlessly throughout their entire journey. Shawn Schwegman of Demand Jump talked about how imperative this ison the Mobile Matters podcast: 

“For years, I've been hearing mobile first. And the truth is, it's not mobile first. And there isn't a shift from desktop to mobile. It's a tectonic shift to multi-device, meaning customers are still using their desktops and laptops. But in addition to that, they're now using their mobile phones, tablets, wearables. So, you have to be everywhere they are.”

Right Customer, Right Device

If your buyer’s journey takes them from seeing your product while they’re scrolling through Instagram on mobile, to signing up for email coupons on desktop, to your progressive web app to check out and the email follow up, that’s four different places that you should have a consistent online presence. And because only 2 percent of customers typically buy on their first visit to a site, it’s essential to create sites, apps and online experiences that are customized to your brand. And ones that work flawlessly every time your customer is accessing it, no matter the device. 

Let's Get Started

Here’s some first steps that your team can take and run with to help better serve your customers on their multi-device journey. 

1. Brainstorm with your development team or app platform and build with responsive design in mind
2. Create consistent branding that matches the device they’re buying on
3. Apply user experience guidelines to the online presence you create that works for the user, whether they're on an older mobile device or a desktop
4. Use already-captured data where you can to create a more personalized experience
5. Wrap up the customer’s journey with sincere thanks and an offer to review your service/product

Have I convinced you to throw away the marketing funnel? Let us know what tips you’ll be using for your team or if you’re married to the idea of the funnel, I want to hear your ‘WHY”! Give us a shout @Lumavate on Twitter!