In my last post, I demonstrated how to research for your Network Marketing business niche Once you’ve decided on a profitable niche, the next step to take is to create your Marketing Funnel Plan.
Multi million dollar earners in Internet marketing and in Traditional Business have been using a marketing (or sales) funnel plan for many years, to design and build their business. I doubt that a house has ever been built without a detailed plan, drawn up by an architect.
However, not so many network marketers were using a Marketing plan until Mike Klingler developed his training course called “Marketing Funnel Mastery”. I took his course last year, and it’s made a huge difference to my business. Having a plan has given me clarity about all the components of my marketing funnels, what to do for each component, and when to create it or outsource it.
I remember when I first started network marketing, and I was told to draw up a plan for my business. When I asked how, I was told to write down how much money I wanted to earn in a certain period of time, and how many people I would need to sponsor, to reach that goal. I agree, it’s good to have goals. But…. goals are VERY DIFFERENT from a detailed marketing plan.
For those who haven’t been fortunate enough to see Mike Klingler’s videos, I’ll explain a little bit here…
Your Entire Business is a Marketing Funnel
As your prospects and customers are directed through your funnel, you will present them with Free content, value and offer your products and services, and your business opportunity.
Those people who make it furthest through your Funnel are your most Loyal Customers who have paid you the most and therefore, have received the most value from you.
Your Marketing Funnel Plan will be a Highly Organized and Detailed Structure Outlining some of these components:
- Exactly WHAT you will offer for Free, to visitors at your websites, to generate leads,
- Exactly HOW you will offer that Free Gift, and
- Exactly WHERE your prospects will be directed, AFTER becoming your lead.
So, the plan will allow you to maximize your cash flow through a sequential, congruent sales process.
There is a FRONT End and a BACK End to the funnel.
- The Front End is where a visitor to your website first “Opts In” to your Free Gift (the gift inspires them to opt in). They become your Lead once they opt in to your offer. Once opted in, you should offer to sell them something to offset your time and costs.
- The Back End is further along the funnel, where you follow up with your prospects, offering them more valuable free content AND selling them your products, services and/or your business opportunity.
- In the Back End of your marketing funnel, you use emails, blog posts, video, training tutorials, consultations, services, or phone calls, whatever you decide.
- And, you generate more sales with your affiliate programs, network marketing opportunity, and other high value products and services.
It’s very important to draw up your Marketing Funnel Plan and create your marketing funnel (or at least part of it), BEFORE doing any marketing. Of course, it’s never too late to do it now, if you’ve already started! I wish so much, that I’d developed a plan before I started, and I would’ve saved myself thousands of dollars and years of my time.
What do you think about having a Marketing Funnel Plan for your business? Do you think it’s a good idea?
I’ve created an inexpensive package for anyone who would like personal assistance in creating their own Marketing Funnel Plan. If you have one or two friends who would like to create their plan along with you, I can organize something for group sessions and charge accordingly. Let me know.
Click here for the Marketing Funnel Plan Consultation Package
{ 35 comments… read them below or add one }
Hi Julieanne,
The beauty of marketing funnels is in multiple contact points between you and your lead. Research conclusively points to customers noticing an ad after 7 or more repetitions, and funnels take full advantage of this basic principle, without coming across as being too pushy or spammy.
Also, the cheapest customers are always the ones you already have.
Yasser
Yasser Khan recently posted..Not Enough To Go Around Think Again
Hi Yasser, thanks for your additional tips for readers, appreciate you coming over! Have a terrific week! Julieanne
Hi Julieanne, I just love following your posts. This one is incredible. Without a sales funnel, we stay stagnant. This post came at such a timely basis for me because I’m in the middle of creating one.
I have been dealing with clients, but I have been working on my own product, and that is taking some time to do. Once it is done, I’m following the steps above.
It is so important that people out there learn about this and you put it so simply to understand. So many are “stuck” on the social media that they don’t realize the importance of a sales funnel.
Thanks again,
Donna Merrill
Hi Donna, yeah, I agree, there are lots of people now who are concentrating on social media and blogs and all the marketing, but they haven’t planned how they’re going to make sales. I did the same thing – started from the “wrong” end.
Have a terrific day! regards from Julieanne
Julieanne this is great article! I’m a huge fan of strategic planning and you’ve done an excellent job of laying out the steps in your post. I can certainly relate to the type of direction you mentioned – when I was in direct sales, even as an employee of the company, we were basically told to make the numbers however you can. I think it’s so important for people looking to go into this business to take a good look at the type of training and support available because it can substantially shorten your learning curve and certainly make the journey more fun and profitable!
marquita herald recently posted..Why You Need to Keep Those Monkeys off Your Back
Hi Marquita, great advice for people looking to join a business – to look at the type of training and support available. Thanks for coming over and for your feedback, I really appreciate it! Regards from Julieanne
Hi Julieanne,
I do think that it’s important to have a marketing plan and funnel for any business and yes, I do have them. I also think that it is equally important to review them each month and make adjustments when and where needed. Having them enables the vision and goal clarification and keeping them up enables the flexibility needed to meet the market. Too many businesses either don’t have them or throw them on the shelf and forget about them. Thanks for this post.
Linnea recently posted..Facebook “Send”
Hi Linnea, yes, it’s very important to review marketing funnel plans, and to test each component, to make sure it’s working as you want it to.
Thanks for coming over Linnea. regards from Julieanne
Julieanne,
I LOVE IT!
So many people focus on the “Feel Good” mentality of I will have it tomorrow and never build an actual build anything nor have a clear direction on what to do to set it all up.
Personally, it took me FOREVER to figure this out on my own.
So many people forget that the purpose of a funnel is to sell something. Thinking otherwise is not only a waste of time, but also of money and effort.
Anything that can help to show you how to create a funnel is a worthy investment.
Thanks for the heads up!
-D
Hi Dereck, you’re welcome, thanks for coming over. Regards from Julieanne
Hi there Julieanne,
Great article! It was super easy to read and to understand. I’ve come across quite a few articles that talk about how marketing funnels work but yours is the most simple to read and it has enough information to teach the newbie how the process works. Not to much info where they would feel like information overload, but not too little info where they would be raising one eyebrow either.
Great stuff! Looking forward to visiting your blog again to see what other value you have to offer your visitors!
-Jaclyn Castro
thanks for your feedback Jaclyn, I really appreciate it! regards from Julieanne
Perfect direction you’ve given us here, Julianne.
It really IS so important to have a pre-construed marketing funnel plan for both network and internet marketing. Too many people I’ve worked with do a WHOLE LOT of work, and it leads to nowhere. Then they’re surprised that for all their work, then end up with nothing.
Thanks for the well-conceived post, Julianne. It really gives structure to things.
David Merrill recently posted..Can You Really Profit From Internet Marketing
Thanks David, great to see you here again! regards from Julieanne
Hi Julieanne
Thanks for this great post.
I like you post and i need to get into it as soon as i can
I would need some help so when my cash flow is
ready i will connect with you for some help.
Regards
Theuns
Theuns recently posted..Gratitude- The Power Behind Gratitude
Hi Julieanne,
Your marketing posts are always pure gold.
I had a little chuckle when I read what you were told to do when you got started in this industry, as it’s pretty similar to what I was told. It’s network marketing and yet a lot of people come into this industry and the importance of marketing is never even discussed.
For anyone else reading this post, seriously consider taking up Julieanne’s consulting offer as she knows what she is doing. Not to mention she knows how to rank for some pretty competitive keywords!
Michaelé Harrington recently posted..Alpha Influence Leadership Program Review
Thanks so much for your praise Michaele, I appreciate it VERY much! Glad to see you back also, love to see your smiley face, and I can tell you’re so much happier.
bye for now, Julieanne
Julieanne,
My business partner (my wife) and I have been talking about this very subject. We have the components but not in any order to slide customers through from the top to come out the bottom raving clients. So, this is a timely find for me. I’m going to confer with the “boss” (you know how that goes) to see what our next step should be.
Thanks,
RICK
Rick Lelchuk recently posted..New USDA “My Plate” Assures Obesity Epidemic Alive and Well
Hi Rick, I feel much better now I have a plan for my funnel, and I keep coming up with ideas now, for more funnels. It’s easy once you’ve done one. Hope you’re able to inspire the “boss” to get your plan in place Rick! Have a great weekend, Julieanne
Hallo Julieanne,
First I find your name interesting due to the fact it looks like a Dutch name. I am Dutch but live in Belgium. But to come back to my comment the following, a lot is said about funnels and plans, but how many people are following their plans and goalsettings, In my surroundings a few, people are eager to receive asap money for their work but did they work by jumping from one company to an other, NO. Is this fear , procrastination or what??
Interesting topic, keep up the good work, and thanks for sharing,
cheers…. Mario…
Hi Mario, my husband was born in the Netherlands, and came out to Australia when he was 6 yrs old (right after the 2nd WW). Nice to meet you Mario, we went to Holland a few years ago, and almost crossed border to Belgium, wld love to visit there next time, it looks beautiful!
In regard to your pondering, it’s probably a combination of all different things, mostly mindset I’m sure:-)
Thanks for coming and have a fantastic weekend! bye from Julieanne
Julieanne,
I like the “funnel Plan”. It is a very good analogy for business. You haver some very good information here.
Thank you for sharing.
thanks for your comment Gary
Hi Julieanne!
I enjoyed reading your post and how clearly you laid out the marketing funnel. I’m always surprised that people tend to ignore the planning stages for their online business… it needs to be treated like every other business. Without planning stages and knowing where we’re going in business, how can it be possible to see what we’re achieving and to get there easily. The added value of business planning is being able to measure what we’re doing so we can make the necessary changes pointing to success! To draw up a marketing funnel plan we need more than just goals and a vision and you’ve given some strong points to begin a proper plan. I believe the funnel also gives marketers an opportunity to be really creative and to offer something unique that no one else is offering.
Hi Loren, sounds like you planned your marketing funnel from the beginning, I certainly wish I’d known about it from the start. So pleased I know how to do it now though! bye for now, Julieanne
Hi Julieanne,
This is a very informative article about marketing funnels. The main purpose fulfillment is your statement, “I wish so much, that I’d developed a plan before I started, and I would’ve saved myself thousands of dollars and years of my time.” I can relate to that! It is essential to set up a marketing funnel and have a plan. There has been an extensive amount of research done on marketing funnels and quite frankly if a marketer is not taking this approach there is no way he/she has a chance to stand out and monetize. Offering lots of bonuses and goodies along the way provides a much better chance of building your subscription list. Using this article as a lead to your consulting services is very effective. Thank you!
Raena Lynn
Raena Lynn@YourKeywords recently posted..Social Media Explosion
thanks for your feedback Raena Lynn, it’s a bit of a challenge to get new people to see the benefits of starting off with a marketing plan. Perhaps we need a little experience before we see “the light”?
Julieanne, I have come across this article at a very opportune time as I am just embarking on my first online network marketing experience.
Of course, just like most people, I have not got a written plan and you have encouraged me to make that step a priority.
Trevor Barrett recently posted..iWowWe Video Platform
Hi Trevor, glad to know I’ve inspired you to create a plan, you’ll thank me for it later:-) bye for now, Julieanne
Great post, Julieanne! I think it’s great what you are doing helping people with their funnel. Unfortunately, I’ve seen some of the gurus talk about a marketing funnel without really explaining it. This is why I think that it is important to know not just the concept, but some of the building blocks as well.
Steve Nicholas recently posted..Borders and Times
Hello Steve, thank you. It’s something that’s really important and often overlooked. regards from Julieanne
Hi Julieanne,
In this post you explain the marketing funnel very well and the importance of offering something of value giving potential clients an opportunity to get to know you. I do enjoy reading your tips and advice. All the best Rosemary
Rosemary O’Shaughnessy recently posted..Penultimate – An iPad App That Replaces Pen and Paper !!! While Working On The Go
testing the commenting system
Hey Julieanne,
Awesome writeup. You’ve laid out everything so nicely in this post. To be very honest, I haven’t followed any marketing funnel plans for my business till date, and surely I’ve had my share of failures as well. I do understand that it’s important to have a strategy before starting out, this is the key to finding success.
Thanks for such an information-rich post. Will definitely think about how I can incorporate funnel plans in my work.
Sarah Reece recently posted..Bluehost
Hi Sarah, I think it’s much easier to run a business with a detailed plan. I didn’t have one when I first started either, and wish I did.
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