How to Build a Lead Funnel That Converts for Your Small Business
If you want to grow your small business, you need a steady stream of leads. But how do you attract and nurture prospects who are interested in your products or services? How do you guide them through the buyer’s journey and turn them into loyal customers?
The answer is a lead funnel (much like an email funnel, but different).
If you run a small business, you need a lead funnel to turn strangers into customers. It’s the process of finding and moving your audience from being unfamiliar with your brand to trusting your branding. A lead funnel is a strategy that guides your prospects through four stages: awareness, interest, consideration, and qualification.
Stage 1: Brand Awareness
The first stage is awareness. This is where you introduce your brand and offer to your target audience. You can use various channels such as social media, blogs, podcasts, videos, webinars, or ads to reach them. The aim is to get their attention and make them curious about what you have to offer.
Pro Marketing Tips for Brand Awareness
- Content Marketing. Create valuable content that educates, entertains, or inspires your audience.
- Optimize. Use analytics to measure the performance of your content and optimize it.
- User-Generated Content. Encourage user-generated content (UGC) from your existing customers or fans.
- Influencer Marketing. Collaborate with influencers or partners who share your target audience and values.
- Memorable Brand Identity. Your brand identity should be consistent across all your touchpoints and channels, and resonate with your audience.
Stage 2: Interest
The second stage is interest. This is where you collect their contact information and permission to follow up with them. You can use landing pages, forms, quizzes, surveys, or chatbots to capture their details. The aim is to offer them something valuable in exchange for their information, such as a free ebook, report, checklist, trial, or consultation.
Resources to Help Build Interest
- Nuture & Sell to Leads with Email Marketing. Read How to Get Started in Email Marketing for a Small Business.
- Build engagement with your content. Read How to Get Started in Content Marketing for a Small Business.
- Expand your Landing Pages. Read How to Use Landing Pages in Addition to your Homepage.
Stage 3: Brand Consideration
The third stage is consideration. This is where you educate your prospects about your product or service and how it can help them solve their problems or achieve their goals. You can use email marketing, newsletters, case studies, testimonials, demos, or webinars to nurture them. The aim is to build trust and credibility and show them why you are the best choice for them.
In addition to your unpaid marketing efforts, this is where advertising can accelerate your lead funnel processes.
- Visit the Help Hub for topics such as:
Stage 4: Qualification
The fourth stage is qualification. This is where you assess if your prospects are ready and able to buy from you. You can use phone calls, meetings, proposals, or contracts to close the deal. This is where your lead funnel turns into a sales funnel (what’s the difference?). The aim is to identify their needs, budget, authority, and timeline and overcome any objections or concerns they may have.
A lead funnel is a powerful tool for small businesses to generate more leads and sales. By following these four stages, you can create a systematic and effective process that converts your prospects into loyal customers.
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