Sales Funnels - Basics You Should Know - part 1.
When you are new to affiliate marketing there is a learning curve that you have to get on top of to really progress forward. You start hearing about terms like WordPress, AIOSEO, keywords, Analytics, Pixels, CPC, all types of Links, pop-ups, solo ads, bots and much more. It’s like being dropped in Uzbekistan and being asked to speak Uzbek, the language. But like any new language, you can learn it. It just takes a little time.
One of the terms that you may have heard about is funnels.
Before we go any further, therefore, it would perhaps be useful to explain exactly what a sales funnel is and what you’ll be using it for.
What is a Sales Funnel?
I remember my mother using a funnel to bottle out Ponch de crème (also called eggnog in the US and cremas in Haiti) at Christmas time. You capture all the liquid at the top, for it to drain nicely through the funnel into typically a bottle, placed at the thinner bottom part of the funnel.
Essentially a sales funnel is the attempt, at the broad opening, to attract the attention of customers. As you go down the funnel your marketing strategies are aimed at building interest, increasing engagement, trust and then desire to the point where a customer will be primed and ready to take action to purchase.
So you might start with a simple advert pop-up, Pinterest pin, or a blog post to attract attention.
Let's say you are trying to sell a new social media magic program called SMAP.
So you start by trying to draw potential customers, or leads, in so that they are sufficiently interested in getting more information on SMAP. To do so customers have to leave their email address which you are able to entice them to do by offering a free report, say something like 10 hidden secrets on how to make money with Instagram.
With the customer’s email in hand, you can now send them an offer for a free upcoming SMAP webinar. During the webinar, you talk about how SMAP is one of the best systems ever and then you make an offer on a standard package for the SMAP product. You know to yourself that some customers are prepared to go further. At this point, you offer an upsell which might include a gold package, 1 to 1 coaching by Pat Flynn (guru), a free seat for a Mastermind summit with the top guys in affiliate marketing.
Do you see how the customer is enticed along the journey? How they click to accept the e-book, enter their email, reserve their seat at the webinar, select an offer and then opt-in for the upsell. The customer moves from a new lead along a journey to a loyal customer at the end,
Wealthy Affiliate - A Sales Funnel Example
Sales funnels are all over the web and even without you probably knowing it, you have been in several funnels already. Take Wealthy Affiliate for example
Step 1: You are looking for financial flexibility, passive income, or a change in your lifestyle. You see a post or YouTube video on Wealthy Affiliate which interests you.
Step 2: WA piques your interest and you click on the link
Step 3: You are directed to a sales page where all the benefits of WA are laid out for you.
Step 4 To get you to commit you are offered a free 7-day Premium trial. All you got to do is submit your email to sign up.
Step 5: Before the end of the 7 days you are offered a discount for the first month of membership of Premium
Step 6; You accept the offer and become a Premium member
Step 7: You are offered a discount for an annual plan which saves you over your monthly cost.
Conclusion
There’s a good chance you would have encountered different sales funnels in your travel around the web: and you may even have bought products from others through this method. You might have come across a blog and signed up to the mailing list for instance, and then been told to click on the link therein in order to see a free webinar.
You’ve gone from a ‘cold lead’ (someone on YouTube, targeted based on your video watching choices), to a ‘warm lead’ (someone who has demonstrated an interest) to eventually a ‘qualified lead’.
So the funnel formula works. It's an approach that you should consider to make sales. Just be authentic in your marketing strategy, understand the stages and try to appreciate the psychology of the customer in matching the best offers.
Are you using a sales funnel?
What’s been your experience as a customer going through a funnel?
Have a great day,
Hugh
P.S. In part 2 I will aim to discuss how you can get more out of your sales funnel.
Recent Comments
69
Wow Hugh looks like more additional to learn as i pin most of interesting for me to learn, I don't know yet a sales funnel all about but would love to learn for sure, but the concept seems familiar for I went through and end up signing to here, LOL
Looking forward the Part 2,
joce
What a fantastic run through about the importance of sales funnels and how doing them well can have a huge impact on our online businesses Hugh!
Most (if not all of us here) have surely made purchases on line at some point, and your detailed explanation has made it easier to understand the process we go through in order to make that final decision.
Another keeper here my friend, much appreciated.
You are always more than welcome Jessie. I realize that we cannot assume that we all know or understand important elements in our business. I certainly continue to learn daily.
Being in Sales since the early 1970's, I was aware of many of the tactics used. When I signed up for WA on the freebie method and got approached by the Premium offer I almost said goodbye. The reason being I signed up initially with a upsell affiliate & quit with the first presentation of an upsell 2 days after joining. One of the members I connected with, Knowing that I didn't Drink ( they were affiliating Wine for home delivery). Their evening meetings were Wine tastings and everybody getting a little Tipsy. She advised me to go to YouTube and I came upon one of Roope YT about training. So I joined the free mode and realized that it was the real deal. I signed up for the Premium reluctantly even before I cancelled my other membership.
I am here and happy with the decision. I did things different when I was in sales and did well. The Funnel is a tremendous tool and can serve us well. I think it can be used to advance the conversion time dramatically. I also feel that we have so many advantages over the competition it is not necessary to bribe (so to speak) them into action. I am still new myself and not on the road as yet but will soon be. So I will be giving it my best shot to prove myself correct. If it doesn't work then I will have to change.
Best to You Hugh.
Edward
Thanks Ed for this very up close of your journey into WA and your past experience with marketing. I totally agree when you have a solid product like WA it simply sells itself and there is no need for smoke and mirrors.
Nice response.
Hugh
I'm not there yet Hugh; but I'm getting there slowly. This information is very important; reminiscent of AIDA, but going further. I truly appreciate your effort to help us out; please Hugh, keep it up! Anything you can do to help us newbees out here we'd appreciate it!
Thank you my brother for sharing and caring enough to share this wonderful article. Notes are taken.... and so will it be with action.... taken.
Have a wonderful rest of the week Hugh! Stay cool. :)
Hey Denise the backbone of the sales funnel is actually the AIDA model. So an understanding of this process is a big step in matching the appropriate strategies as the various stages.
I am very humbled by your show of appreciation. With your support, I will try to keep it up.
Hugh
I thought I noticed the old girl; she gets around. :) I took a course in copywriting and "dressed AIDA" in her beautiful clothes so she can lure in her prospects. :)
I am always appreciate of a good friend Hugh! I consider you one. Keep it up for sure. Enjoy the rest of your day/evening. :)
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Thank you, I now know more than I did just moments ago . That is a puzzle piece to be integrated like a little hip pocket bank, an income-outcome.
Obviously I need more info on this, like those zillion piece kind of puzzles.
It's starting to come together and make sense.
Zay