What is a funnel and why I care about to get more leads to sell my product?

Think of a physical funnel in your kitchen (the kind you use to pour oil or liquid into a bottle). It has a wide top to catch everything without spilling, and a narrow bottom to direct it exactly where it needs to go.

A Marketing Funnel works the same way for your business.

Here is the breakdown of what it is, why it is the standard for selling online, and why "leads" are the fuel for your engine.

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1. What is a Funnel?

A funnel is a map of the journey a stranger takes to become a customer. It is shaped like a "V" because you will always have more people looking at your product than buying it.

• Top of Funnel (Awareness): Lots of people see your ad or social media post. They are just browsing.
• Middle of Funnel (Interest/Leads): Some of those people are interested. They click, read, or give you their email.
• Bottom of Funnel (Sales): A small percentage of those people actually pull out their credit card and buy.

Visualizing the Funnel:

Wide Top: 1,000 people see your Instagram post. Middle: 100 people click the link and sign up for your newsletter (These are Leads). Narrow Bottom: 3 people buy your product (These are Customers).

2. Why do you need "Leads"? (Why not just sell immediately?)

You might ask, "Why don't I just show my product to 1,000 people and ask them to buy right now?"

The honest answer: Because most people aren't ready yet.

If you try to sell to a stranger immediately, it is like asking someone to marry you on the first date. It’s too much, too fast.

Here is why you need to capture leads first:

• The "Rule of 7": Marketing psychology suggests a customer needs to see your brand or product roughly 7 times before they trust you enough to buy. If you don't get their contact info (making them a "lead"), you can't talk to them those 7 times.
• You Own the Relationship: If you rely only on social media, the algorithm might change, and you lose your audience. If you have a list of email leads, you "own" that list. You can email them anytime for free.
• Higher Price, More Trust: If you sell cheap gum, you don't need a funnel. But if you sell a $100 product, a course, or consulting, people need time to think. A lead allows you to send them helpful emails (nurturing) until they are ready to say "yes."

3. The Financial Benefit

Focusing on leads saves you money.

Without a Funnel: You pay Facebook $100 to show your ad. People look, leave, and forget you. You have to pay another $100 to show them the ad again.

With a Funnel: You pay Facebook $100 to show your ad. You offer something free (like a guide or a discount code) in exchange for their email. Now you have 50 leads. You can email those 50 people every week for free until they buy.

Summary

• The Funnel is the system that filters people from "Strangers" to "Buyers."
• A Lead is someone who raised their hand and said, "I'm interested, tell me more."
• The Goal is to stop chasing strangers and start building relationships with leads.

Sources

• https://backlinko.com/marketing-funnel
• https://contentsquare.com/guides/marketing-funnel
• https://neilpatel.com/blog/how-marketing-funnels-work
• https://www.investopedia.com/terms/s/sales-lead.asp
• https://www.semrush.com/blog/marketing-funnel
• https://leadsatscale.com/insights/why-is-lead-generation-important