In brief: The marketing funnel describes, in simplified terms, the declining number of people between first contact, consideration and purchase. The actual journey can loop back, branch out and involve multiple roles.
How I use Marketing funnel in practice
A model describing stages from initial awareness through consideration, conversion and continued relationship.
What to watch out for
I use Marketing funnel to support a specific decision rather than as a label or a standalone metric. I begin by identifying the audience, the situation and the result that needs to change. I then establish what evidence is available, who will act on the finding and what practical next step should follow. I record the baseline, measurement date and limits of interpretation, so that a real improvement can later be separated from changes in tools, sampling, implementation or the wording of a query. This keeps the work connected to the customer journey and to the commercial context, rather than turning it into a presentation number.
Questions to guide the decision
- What specific decision should this clarify?
- What evidence supports the conclusion, and what remains a hypothesis?
- What will we do differently as a result?
- Who owns the change and when will we assess its impact?