WHAT IS A CONTENT FUNNEL? (AND WHY YOU NEED ONE)

Unless you live under a rock, you’ve probably heard the term sales funnel. After all, every online marketing guru tells you that you need one.

A content funnel though? WTF is that?

Well you’ve probably not heard of it because I totally made it up!

But it’s totally going to be your new best marketing friend.

If you have a back catalogue of great, evergreen content and you are getting frustrated with the need to constantly create new stuff to keep your subscribers engaged – then this is for you.

WHAT IS A CONTENT FUNNEL?

A content funnel is an automated series of emails that you send after your new subscriber has completed their initial welcome series or sales funnel.

It contains your best, evergreen content or past-hit emails which you send out every week for as long as you have good content for.

In a nutshell, it’s a way to serve your new subscribers with the best of the best so that they don’t miss out on a thing.

WHAT DO I PUT IN MY CONTENT FUNNEL EMAILS?

The focus is on the most relevant content, structured in a logical order to get your subscriber from where they are now to a place where they are feeling confident to buy from you.

Emails can include:

–        Links to popular blog posts with an intro

–        Blog posts copied and pasted into the email so it’s stand alone

–        Links to videos or Facebook lives you have done

–        Answers to FAQ’s

–        Quick tips or actions your subscriber can take today to get a quick win

–        Motivational or encouragement emails at common sticking points

–        Emails that you have sent in the past that have been popular

–        Social media posts that have had good engagement

DO I USE CALLS TO ACTION?

Yes, but don’t go for the hard sell.

Instead, this is about getting them used to engaging with you.

Mix it up with:

–        Clicking through to your website

–        Following or viewing something on your socials

–        Joining your Facebook group

–        Getting on the waitlist for your program

–        Booking a discovery call

–        Replying to a question

–        Buying your thing

If you are using a content funnel for e-commerce, you could feature a few products at the end of each.

HOW MANY EMAILS DO I NEED?

8 is a good place to start but aim for at least 12.

Once you have collated all your existing content and put it in a logical order you could be surprised at how much content you have to send.

HOW OFTEN DO I SEND A CONTENT FUNNEL EMAIL?

Weekly is ideal.

This gives enough space for someone to read & absorb but not enough that they begin to lose traction.

Remember these are sent within the first few months of them joining your list – so it’s when they are most interested in the topic.

DO I SEND MY NORMAL EMAIL NEWSLETTERS TO THEM AS WELL?

Not usually.

Instead, wait until they have completed the funnel and then tag them to receive your newsletters.

Only your existing subscribers and those who “graduate” from this funnel will receive them.

This takes a lot of pressure off sending as often.

And, bonus, at any time you send something else you think would work really well in the content funnel. Just add it in!

WHAT ABOUT WHEN I AM RUNNING A PROMOTION OR AM LAUNCHING? 

If you have a special promotion that you want everyone to know about or you are going in to launch you can pause the funnel, send them the other emails and then resume afterwards (adding anyone who signed up to your list during launch activities).

I’M IN. HOW DO I GET STARTED?

First go through your existing content, emails and socials to pick posts you think would do really well as introductory content. As you find good content:

–        Make a list including the source and the link

–        Copy and paste into a Word or Google Doc

Then begin sorting into order. Start with the educational/helpful content and put them in a step by step path. Once you have that, get all the extra motivational or quick content and break up the heavier info with these.

Finally, set it all up in your system and set the trigger for when they complete the initial welcome.

And, BAM, you’re done!

A few hours of work and your new subscribers are looked after in a completely service-led way for months.

How good would that feel?