M&M #012: Top of the Funnel to Ya! & Stop Being Efficient
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🎩 Marketing ➔ Top of the Funnel to Ya! 👋
”Started from the bottom now we here.” - Drake
Today, we're gonna do the opposite of what drake did and start at the top!
Last Monday I introduced the idea of the marketing funnel, the three fundamental stages, and why it’s important to set this up in your business. In this week’s funnel-focused mini-series we’re going to explore what a good top of funnel marketing strategy can look like.
Stage 1: Awareness
Purpose: To have your target audience (aka ideal future customers) become aware that they have a need or a want, and recognize that you and your products/services exist.
The top of a funnel is a wide net - calculated - but wide.
This is where we are marketing to our audience to drum up leads.
The more quality leads, the more potential for new customers.
Plain n simple.
Some associated top-of-funnel (aka TOFU) buzzwords that you’ve probably heard before:
Lead Generation
Demand Generation
Brand awareness
Lead Magnets
Stat: 87% of buyers do research before the purchase *via RetailDive
So with that, plus the fact that people are online so freakin much, it’s important that you show up where you’re target audience lives…
Figuratively of course. 😆
Consider:
What apps do they use?
What forums/newsletters do they read?
What music/podcasts do they listen to?
This is where you want to be applying your digital TOFU marketing efforts:
Blogs Posts (good SEO helps a lot here)
Social Media posts & engagement
Checklists / Infographics / freemium tools
Digital Ads
Reddit & Twitter conversations
Marketing is not about beating people over the head with old-school pushy tactics. It doesn’t work. It’s tacky. You’ll drive people away. [Tweet this]
It’s not about beating people over the head with your old-school pushy tactics. It doesn’t work. It’s tacky. You’ll drive people away. Remember, we’re not trying to close deals here! We’re introducing ourselves and providing insight and value in our own unique way. That’s it.
Action Item:
👉 Where does your audience hang out online?
👉 What content formats are both consumed by your audience and achievable by you?
👉 Come up with a routine that supports critical top-of-funnel initiatives.
It’s okay if you don’t nail it right away…
Be ready to trial and error, adapt with the times, and remain consistent.
A good top of funnel strategy will set you up for some bright horizons ahead. ☀️
🛑 Mindset ➔ Stop Being Efficient
Being busy doesn't make you productive.
Being productive doesn't make you effective.
Being effective doesn't make you busy.
Look, I'll be the first to admit that I obsess over this.
So much so in fact, that my business could've already been bigger, badder, and better - but it's not.
If you're working your a$$ off but it's not quite paying off, consider this...
I used to pat myself on the back over the all-consuming desire to be efficient in my business.
I also use the word 'effective' a lot too. And like a noobie, I've been guilty of using these words interchangeably - news flash - they're not that same thing. 🤦♂️
As Tim Ferriss says in The 4-Hour Work Week,
"Being efficient without regard to effectiveness is the default mode of the universe."
He goes on to say that...
Effectiveness is doing the things that get you closer to your goals.
Efficiency is performing tasks in the most economical manner possible.
There is also an element of the 'what you're doing' vs the 'how you're doing it'.
Effectiveness = the impact of what you're doing
Efficiency = the way you go about doing
Another HUGE point to recognize is...
Effective work is worthless when it doesn't align with what you aim to accomplish. [Tweet this!]
You can be super efficient with cold calling... You've got a system. You've got the scripts. The best Bluetooth headset. But if cold calling rarely leads to new customers, then it's not very effective is it?
Inversely, you can be super effective at growing your Twitter account, but if the primary goal is to keep customers longer then your effectiveness is aimed at the wrong goal.
Action Item:
Answer the following Q's
What's your big driving goal?
ex: increase customer LTV from 3months to 6months
What are the shorter bite-sized that'll get you there?
ex: better customer support, 3month customer bonus email series, etc...
👉 Prioritize actions that would be most effective in getting you there.
👉 Only then, can you optimize your impact by becoming efficient at those actions.
Until next time ✌️
Ev