Sales Funnel (The Only “Thing” You Must Do 100% Right)
Putting sweat and blood into your blog just to hear crickets? Well, this is why…
If you want your blog to be successful, you must understand the sales funnel. (This is where it all comes together.)
Let me explain…
Look at the image above. What do you see?
This is a real-world funnel. It’s just a tube (pipe) that is wide at the top and narrow at the bottom (with a gradual transition).
But wait, what’s so special about it?
This analogy is helpful because your blog is just that — a sales funnel.
Your sales funnel converts an uninterested reader into a buyer.
Think of it once again. You send a reader to your blog post (via paid ads or other free methods), but this person is only mildly interested in what you have to say (almost ready to close the browser tab)…
(No way they will buy anything from you at this point.)
But then… They skim through the subheadings, glance at the photos, read a bullet point here and there… And the article seems pretty informative. Finally, they decide to read the first sentence.
In a blink of an eye…
They are down the slippery slide, unable to stop before reading the entire post.
The last point in your post (funnel) is a call to action (CTA). CTA is a proposition you make to your reader (you ask them to do something for you).
The reader now thinks, “Hmm, this post is very helpful, and the author seems credible based on what I see on the About page.”
(In other words, they realized they could benefit even more from your blog in the future.)
This is the moment when the reader gives something back to you (e.g., signs up for the email newsletter, requests a free brochure, or even orders the product directly).
The trust bond has now been established between you and your reader. (You have their email now with their permission to write them when you have something they can benefit from.)
Remember, the bigger the ask, the more trust you have to build with readers (the more you have to give to them upfront).
This logic is at the core of every sales funnel. All money-making blogs do precisely what I described here.
Keep this in mind, and your blog can do wonders; forget it, and no one will ever buy.
Simple as that…
But why NOT offer first-time readers to buy immediately (why is this hard to do)?
This is now very important.
I will talk about it in my next post...
FAQs
What is sales funnel?
It’s a mechanism that you use to convert mildly interested readers that come to your blog almost accidentally into loyal readers (that buy from you). Simply put, it’s everything that brings the reader one step closer to buying your product.
How many sales funnels should I have?
Your sales funnel consists of many small parts that work together. For instance, a super-informative post that offers a newsletter or a free course in exchange for the reader’s email. You combine this with an email campaign that runs automatically and allows readers to buy a product/service you offer (+ offers additional info about the topic).
What’s the best sales funnel?
There is not a single correct answer. If you follow this text end-to-end, you should be on a pretty good path to having a killer sales funnel.
But what if I am not a marketing savvy person?
You don’t have to be. It’s already an awesome start that you are reading this text since it covers 95% of what you need to start making money. Just keep learning and the sky is the limit.
Did you find this post useful?