With the holidays already upon us, it’s more important than ever to determine how your business will engage and nurture new prospects. Used correctly, social media sales funnels can effectively increase revenue before the end of the year. In addition, they can transform one-time customers into repeat buyers and lifelong fans.
Here, we’ll break down the three key components of a traditional sales funnel and why they’re crucial to your business’ holiday marketing success.
What is a Sales Funnel and Why Do I Need One?
As a small business owner or entrepreneur, you’ve likely heard the term “sales funnel” thrown around a lot. In simplest terms, a sales funnel is a framework that represents the journey your prospective customer takes –– from awareness of their problem to purchasing a solution that solves that problem.
Businesses can use this detailed process to turn prospective customers into paying customers. Funnels also help you understand your buyer’s mindset at every phase of the journey.
The most common social media sales funnel consists of the following three key stages:
- Awareness: Also referred to as the top of the funnel (or “ToFu”). This is the uppermost stage where a large number of people might become aware of your brand, products, or services. People are typically looking for high-level resources and answers that help direct them to a solution.
- Evaluation: Once you’ve hooked a prospective client, they move on to the evaluation stage of the marketing funnel (also known as the middle of the funnel or “MoFu”). The main goal of this stage is to nurture the lead. Consider running social media ads to prospects that have already engaged with your brand. Highlight reviews and testimonials or link to a free digital lead magnet such as a downloadable checklist, tip sheet, eBook, or case study to help further establish trust and credibility.
- Conversion: The bottom of the funnel (aka, “BoFu”) is where the magic happens. At this point in the funnel, you have done such a great job of nurturing your lead that they are compelled to take action and make a purchase. Consider pushing discounts and coupons or presenting a demo with a limited time offer at this stage of the funnel.
How to Use a Sales Funnel to Drive Holiday Traffic
Not sure where to begin with your holiday sales funnel? Here’s a step-by-step example for social media.
Step #1 → Warm-up audiences with an awareness post. Create an informative blog article, infographic, or piece of content that solves customer pain points.
Step #2 → Create an engaging social media ad that entices prospects to download a free holiday gift idea list or some other type of lead magnet. Target audiences that have interacted with your brand in the past. From the social media ad, send customers to a dedicated landing page that asks them to enter basic details, like name, email, phone number, and zip code.
Step #3 → Develop and send 2-3 informative emails with special offers (coupons, free consult) to everyone who downloaded your lead magnet. Tell them more about your mission, educate them on how your product can benefit them, and encourage them to check in with you on social media for news and updates.
3 Tips for Keeping Your Funnel Profitable After the Holidays
Don’t let your leads go cold once a holiday promotion comes to an end. As a small business owner, it’s your job to engage with prospects and clients to understand their wants and needs better.
Here are 3 tips for ensuring sales funnel success all year long:
- Create a poll to identify or re-identify customer goals, so you know what kind of holiday promotions and specials to prepare for the following year.
- Leverage new customers by requesting Google or Yelp reviews and gathering user-generated content (UGC) for social media.
- Introduce a rewards and referral program to build a closer relationship with your new customers and increase their lifetime value.
Ready to optimize your social media plans for the 2020 holiday season? We specialize in developing effective, long-term marketing strategies for small businesses. Contact us today to learn more about how we can work together!
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