{"id":50736,"date":"2019-10-31T18:42:00","date_gmt":"2022-10-18T18:42:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.salesforce.com\/?p=50736"},"modified":"2023-03-27T15:54:34","modified_gmt":"2023-03-27T04:54:34","slug":"marketing-funnels-and-customer-journey-maps-work-harder-together","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.salesforce.com\/au\/blog\/marketing-funnels-and-customer-journey-maps-work-harder-together\/","title":{"rendered":"Marketing Funnels And Customer Journey Maps Work Harder Together"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Marketing funnels and customer journey maps: they are two phrases you will likely come across in any discussions of marketing today. They are similar ideas and sometimes mistaken for being interchangeable. If you\u2019re a marketer looking to get the most out of each concept here are some important differences you need to know. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The marketing funnel really is a funnel<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The marketing or sales funnel is one of the oldest concepts in business. Simply put, it is a model of your company\u2019s marketing and sales processes. Leads begin their journey at the top of the funnel and as they get closer to making a purchase, further down the funnel they go.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

A customer at the top of your marketing funnel knows your business exists, but they haven\u2019t interacted with you much or sought additional information. In the middle is the research and consideration stage. At the bottom of the funnel, customers are informed and they\u2019re ready to make a purchase. Since not everyone who takes an interest in a business will make a purchase, most businesses have more prospects at the top of their funnel \u2014 hence the term.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some businesses like to break their marketing funnel into shorter stages. For instance, they may include two subsections, research and evaluation, in the consideration stage of their funnel. And at the bottom of the funnel, customer retention and advocacy are becoming essential considerations. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Understanding your marketing funnel gives you a way to categorise leads and customers based on their relationship with your business: they\u2019ve just discovered your business, they\u2019re interested in your product or service but not sold yet, or they\u2019re ready to buy. Tracking the position of leads in your funnel helps you know how to keep their interest, answer their questions, and address their concerns, all of which can be instrumental in conversion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Most marketing funnels focus on broad categorisation more than individual touchpoints. That is, the funnel divides leads into several different \u2018baskets\u2019 based on how they\u2019ve interacted with your business, but it doesn\u2019t always take into account the actual touchpoints those leads have encountered. For example, one middle-of-the-funnel (MOFU) lead may have signed up for your email newsletter and interacted with your Facebook page, while another filled out your website\u2019s contact form and visited your blog multiple times. They got to the same point in your funnel via different routes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Simply put, the marketing funnel is the journey from lead to customer \u2013 just a linear version. Its generalised format is useful but limited \u2013 a customer\u2019s real journey is rarely so straightforward and other insights are needed to fill out the picture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The customer journey needs a more detailed map<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The customer journey is the route a customer takes from their first encounter with your brand to their decision to purchase. A customer journey tends to meander, back track, and go in circles. The longer your sales cycle is, the longer your customer\u2019s journey is likely to be<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Unlike the marketing funnel, which focuses on a customer\u2019s stage of interest in your business, the customer journey tracks the individual touchpoints a lead encounters before making a purchase. Every interaction \u2014 from visiting the website to opening an EDM \u2014 is a touchpoint. Many people return to earlier touchpoints as they evaluate a product or service, so the customer journey often loops back on itself instead of progressing in a linear way. The average lead encounters as many as eight touchpoints before they feel ready to make a purchase. But with the right data, the customer journey can reveal important insights about which marketing campaigns are connecting successfully and which aren\u2019t delivering.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you have enough data, you can create a customer journey map<\/a>, a touchpoint-based model of how your average lead interacts with your business before making a purchase. You can even create multiple maps based on distinct audience personas. Bear in mind that different leads approach the buying process in very different ways, so it\u2019s important not to assume that every customer will follow the exact sequence of touchpoints you model. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Creating a partnership out of customer journey maps and marketing funnels<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Customer journey maps and the marketing funnels are similar tools that can be used in complementary ways. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since your marketing funnel helps you keep tabs on how\u00a0leads are interacting with your business<\/a>, use it to understand what kind of information or assistance a lead likely needs at any given time. For instance, a top-of-funnel (TOFU) lead is likely to benefit from reading your business\u2019s FAQ or a blog post that provides educational content on the problems your product or service solves. Leads at the bottom of the funnel (BOFU), on the other hand, may be ready to convert if you send them highly personalised marketing emails<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Paying attention to your marketing funnel also helps you ensure that your marketing strategy is effective at every step of a customer\u2019s journey. For instance, maybe your business needs more marketing material aimed at people who are researching your product. You\u2019re more likely to notice and correct this issue if you understand what prospects need at different stages of the funnel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tracking customer journeys, on the other hand, helps you to get into your leads\u2019 heads. It helps you answer important questions, like:<\/p>\n\n\n\n