During the customer journey, the customer goes through three distinct phases, which, together, are typically known as the marketing funnel. The top of the funnel is where the customer first becomes aware of your brand, the middle of the funnel is where they’re learning more and evaluating their options, and the bottom of the funnel is when they are on the verge of making a purchase.
Not all customers make it through all three stages, so your pool of customers gets smaller as you progress down the funnel. But, by the time customers have made it to the bottom of the funnel, they’re serious, qualified prospects who are ready to purchase, as long as you build the right marketing strategy to engage them.
Let’s take a deeper look at what bottom of the funnel marketing is and how to do it well.
What is the Bottom of the Funnel?
When your customers reach the bottom of the funnel, they’ve already had quite a bit of exposure to your brand.
There’s no one way to navigate the customer journey, but here’s one example. Let’s say your brand is a health and wellness app that requires a monthly subscription after a month-long free trial. In the top of the funnel, the customer saw an Instagram post from an influencer they follow that talked about your brand, so they followed your Instagram account. From there, they moved to the middle of the funnel by exploring some video content on your site and downloading your app for a free trial. Now, the goal is to convert them to a paying customer for your app.
At this point, they’ve had time to understand who your brand is and what you can offer. Beyond interacting with your content, they may have researched reviews and evaluated your competitors. They may not have fully committed to choosing your brand, but they don’t have any overwhelming objections, and are ready to make a decision.
All you have to do now is get them across the finish line. And that means hitting them with relevant, personalized messaging that meets them where they are.
Types of Bottom of the Funnel Marketing
At the bottom of the funnel, it’s time to be clear about what you offer and why you’re the best fit for your customer.
Here, you can use a variety of content types, including product demos, videos, product-oriented landing pages, and promotional discounts, across all of your marketing channels.
Some key forms of content to share with your customers at this point include:
Case Studies and Solution Briefs
While middle-of-funnel customers can benefit from this type of content as well, providing clear guidance on how your solution can help customers with their particular problem can be instrumental in finalizing a sale. Showcase written and visual content that spotlights the benefits of your solution in action, so that customers can visualize themselves in that position.
Product Landing Pages
You should develop landing pages both on your website and in your app that showcase your products in detail, including photos, videos, specs, and customer reviews.
Product Demos
If your solution is technical in nature or requires some explanation, develop a demo or introductory video that customers can watch to understand what you can offer in detail.
Competitor Scorecards
By developing visual content that clearly lists the key features that your brand and your competitors have, along with pricing points, you’ll be able to show customers what differentiates your brand and sets you apart.
Customer Testimonials and Reviews
Social proof is a powerful way to gain customers’ trust. You can create videos and written content that features satisfied customers, showcasing what’s special about your brand and products.
Discounts and Promotional Offers
Finally, bottom-funnel customers are ready to receive promotional offers for your brand, including product launch announcements, discount sale codes, and other incentives, such as limited-time free shipping or BOGO deals.
The customer is ready to make a buying decision, so curating the right content for each customer is crucial for influencing them to choose your brand.
Using Cross-Channel Marketing
In bottom-of-the-funnel marketing, it’s important to deliver personalized, cross-channel marketing campaigns that will engage the customer and help them decide to convert to a sale.
By using a cross-channel marketing solution like Iterable, you’ll be able to set up personalized campaigns that are tailored based on your customers’ actions and preferences, so that you’ll be able to deliver the right content at the right point in time.
For example, if a customer was looking at a meditation practice on the free section of your app, you might send them an in-app message, offering them a promotional discount on your premium meditation training course. If they don’t open the in-app message, you can follow up with a push notification for the same offer, then move to SMS and email marketing if they still don’t act on the offer. With every promotional campaign, you can develop relevant, sequenced content that builds on the customer’s previous action or lack of action. You’ll be able to meet them where they are with content that’s relevant to their needs, boosting the likelihood that they’ll decide to convert across one of your marketing channels.
Summary
When a customer is at the bottom of the funnel, they are a qualified buyer with intent to make a purchase—but it’s still critical to convince them that your solution is the right one. Send customers the right content at the right time, spotlighting your brand’s benefits, and offering them special promotions and incentives that will encourage them to make a purchase.
By promoting your content and promotional campaigns within a cross-channel marketing strategy, you can stay in sync with your buyer’s every step, helping you engage and convert them.