The Marketing Funnel: Attracting Customers Down, Elevating Engagement Up

What distinguishes the world's top brands from the rest isn't just their products or services – it's the profound engagement they cultivate with their audiences. These brands forge relationships that transcend transactions; they become aspirational and personal. Fans of these powerhouses aren't merely customers – they are fully engaged, fierce advocates whose personal philosophies align seamlessly with the brands they champion.

In a world where up to 90% of the buyer's journey is complete before a prospect reaches out to a salesperson, the most effective marketers understand the critical importance of engaging with prospects throughout the entire marketing funnel – from top to bottom. It's not merely about guiding customers through a purchase; it's about elevating their levels of engagement at each step of the journey.

The Driving Force of Engagement

Engagement isn't just another marketing buzzword – it's the driving force behind all meaningful interpersonal interactions. It's the catalyst that transforms passive, one-off customers into loyal, activated fans. At the core of lasting growth lies this deep connection fostered through engagement. But, measuring and improving engagement has often proven elusive. Until now.

Descending the Funnel: From Awareness to Purchase

In the dynamic world of marketing, we often find ourselves navigating the twists and turns of the traditional marketing funnel. Picture the classic journey from awareness to advocacy, where potential customers are drawn in through campaigns, research, and captivating events. As they traverse down this funnel, progressing through stages of interest, consideration, intent, purchase, loyalty, the ultimate destination is the advocacy – the point where transactions are sealed, and customers are then recommending your product or service to others.

Then the funnel resets for the next cycle.

Ascending the Levels: From Disengagement to Literate Thinking

Now, let's weave the Seven Levels of Engagement created by Amanda Slavin into this descent. Begin with disengagement, where potential customers may show a lack of interest or avoidance. As we ascend through the levels, sparking curiosity, igniting interest, and resolving any confusion, we guide our audience upwards through the levels of engagement.

Now let’s look at the first 3 levels, which correlates with Awareness, Interest, Consideration in a traditional marketing funnel.

Level 1: Disengagement Becomes Curiosity Awareness

Transform disinterest into curiosity, guiding your audience from idle observers to those actively listening and taking an interest in your message.

Action: Identify who your customer is and how you talk to them.

Level 2: Unsystematic Engagement Sparks Interest

Overcome confusion and inadequacy, leading your audience from unsystematic engagement to genuine interest, ensuring they don't give up quickly.

Action: Ensure you are using the right language that is easy to understand once you know who you are talking to.

Level 3: Frustrated Engagement Leads to Consideration

Address distractions and frustrations, shifting your audience from frustrated engagement to active consideration, ensuring a smooth journey through the decision-making process.

Action: Make sure you are not creating more distractions for your customer.

Receive (Intent): Passive Participation Transforms into Intent

The passive receiving of information evolves into an active intent to purchase. Customers, once disinterested, now actively show interest in our products or services. The marketing funnel begins to intersect seamlessly with the upward progression of engagement.

The next two levels of engagement correlate with Intent and Purchase within the traditional marketing funnel.

Level 4: Structure-Dependent Engagement Elevates Evaluation Intent

Active responses and participation become the norm, propelling them towards making informed decisions.

Action: Ask your customer to do something that will build your relationship with them.

Level 5: Self-Regulated Interest Flourishes Post-Purchase

With genuine excitement, customers continue their journey, post-purchase. They decide the worth and relevance of your products or services based on their self-interest. We continue to provide value, sustaining their self-regulated interest.

Action: Identify interests that are valuable to your customer and ensure that those interests align with your Seventh Level message.

The next two levels are the final stages of the marketing funnel and the seven levels of engagement, Loyalty and Advocacy.

Level 6: Critical Engagement: Transformative Engagement Unfolds Loyalty

The transformative engagement of critical engagement begins to unfold. Customers, having made a purchase, now set goals and make personal changes. Our offerings aren't just products; they're catalysts for personal transformations.

Action: Share your core values so that others are inspired and more connected to your brand.

Level 7: Literate Thinking Seals the Bond Advocacy

Finally, as customers reflect on their experiences, aligning with their prior knowledge and personal values, we reach the pinnacle – literate thinking. This is the stage where loyalty and action stem not from external incentives but from a deep connection with our brand.

Action: Create opportunities to stand for what your brand believes in and ask others to join.

Conclusion: Guiding Upwards in the Dance of Engagement

Conventional marketing success is usually boiled down to numbers. Everyone loves metrics, but truthfully, unless you understand the different types of engagement, most numbers aren’t going to tell you a whole lot about your efforts to inspire.

As we navigate the descent of the marketing funnel, let's not forget our mission – to guide our audience upwards through the levels of engagement. Elevate engagement, inspire transformations, and foster connections that withstand the test of time. In the dynamic dance of marketing, where the funnel descends, our audience ascends into loyal brand ambassadors.

The Seventh Level Framework, created by Amanda Slavin, is the leading framework for analyzing and elevating audience engagement. It provides you with the language you need to define and understand engagement, as well as a springboard for elevating connections up the ladder of distinct engagement levels.