The Art of Crafting Engaging Marketing Funnels

When we talk about marketing funnels, many people think about software—automated sequences, email marketing tools, and fancy platforms. But the truth is, sales funnels have been around far longer than the digital tools we use to manage them today. They aren’t a new concept despite the “buzz” you’ve likely heard around them.  And, in fact, if you have sold ANYTHING, you already have a funnel.

Some of the most successful business owners I know still rely on simple, traditional systems—like a “tickler system” that reminds them to follow up with prospects. They’ve been using these for years, long before the internet transformed how we manage customer relationships.

The essence of a marketing funnel isn’t about technology; it’s about process. A funnel is a strategic journey that guides prospects from first discovering your business to ultimately becoming loyal customers. This process has been around for centuries, and while automation can enhance its efficiency and make sure that prospects don’t fall through the cracks, technology doesn’t replace the underlying strategy.

Common Misconceptions About Marketing Funnels

A major misconception is that when people hear the term “funnel,” they assume it’s synonymous with automation software. This thinking is so pervasive because marketing automation tools have grown in popularity, but automation itself is not the funnel. The funnel is a systematic method for leading a prospect from one stage to the next, and to an eventual sale/conversion.

Another common misunderstanding involves the automated “tripwire” funnel. You’ve likely seen these—offer something cheap to hook a prospect, then immediately present upsells and downsells, tempting them with bigger offers … they decline the bigger offer then you give them a smaller one. While this kind of funnel works well for some businesses in some situations, it’s far from the only approach. More importantly, it’s not the best method for every business.

If you’ve ever tried setting up a tripwire funnel and felt like you were trying to ram a square peg into a round hole, it’s likely because it’s not quite the right type of funnel for your unique business.

Service-based businesses, or those in more niche B2P (business-to-professional) industries, might find that a tripwire funnel isn’t appropriate at all. In fact, the constant push to sell more can feel off-putting to a B2B or B2P audience. 

So what should you do if this kind of funnel doesn’t work for your business?

The Right Funnel for Your Business

Just as no two businesses are identical, the same goes for funnels. The key is to find the type of funnel that works best for your particular business model and audience.

If the traditional automated funnel doesn’t align with your needs, focusing on microconversions could be the solution with a Microconversion Funnel.

A microconversion is a small but important action a prospect takes along the journey from being a stranger to becoming a customer.

Unlike the big ask (like “buy now!”), microconversions are more about gradual, small steps that move a prospect closer to your ultimate goal—whether that’s making a purchase, scheduling a call, or signing up for your service.

A Microconversion Funnel is a strategic process that guides prospects through a series of small, incremental steps—each one designed to deepen engagement and gradually move them toward your ultimate goal, whether that’s making a purchase, scheduling a consultation, or signing up for your service.

This is especially important for businesses where trust-building is essential. Pushing for a sale too soon can turn potential clients away. Microconversions allow you to build a relationship slowly, creating value at every step.

How to Set Up a Microconversion Funnel

Setting up a microconversion funnel involves leading a prospect through smaller, manageable steps that guide them toward becoming a customer. 

Here’s how you can set up your own microconversion funnel, step by step:

Before diving into specific actions that your audience might take, it’s important to start by mapping out all of the potential ways someone could first interact with your business. 

The goal is to recognize every possible first touchpoint, and then strategically choose ONE of those initial interaction points to focus your initial efforts. 

This approach ensures that you’re building a funnel tailored to your business model and audience, rather than forcing a pre-defined set of steps.

Step 1: Identifying Initial Entry Points

Grab pen and paper, or a Word or Google doc, or the Notes app on your phone. Think about all the ways someone might first come into contact with your business and write them down. These are your entry points, the very first stage in your microconversion funnel. 

Some possibilities include:

• Organic search results: Someone finds your business through a search engine like Google.
• Walking past your storefront: If you have a brick and mortar store, the entry point may be foot traffic that walks past your store. You sign or the doors may be what prospects first see.
• Display window: Also brick and mortar, the foot traffic may see your products displayed in a store window, which is what first catches their eye.
• Social media interaction: They come across your post, ad, or comment on platforms like Facebook, LinkedIn, TikTok or Instagram.
• Referral from a colleague or friend: Word-of-mouth recommendations still hold a lot of power (a lot!)
• Offline event or networking: Maybe you met them at a conference, local event, or a business networking group.
• Podcast or video content: They listened to your podcast or watched your video on YouTube or another platform.
• Direct website visit: They land on your site directly, either by typing in your URL or from seeing your brand somewhere else.
• Paid online ads: A click-through from a pay-per-click ad, whether on Google, Facebook, or another platform
• Paid local ads: physical display ads that you are running in your local community, including billboards or yard signs. This could also be your business name on the back of the jersey for the little league team.
• Email or newsletter: They have a friend or colleague who forwarded your email to them (since if they’re on the list, they’ve already experienced their entry point).

Most businesses typically have anywhere from 10 to 15 different entry points where prospects might first interact with their brand. If you find that you’ve only listed a couple, it’s worth rethinking your list to ensure you’re capturing all possible entry touchpoints, from organic search to social media, referrals, and more

Now that you’ve identified all of the potential ways someone can discover your business, your next step is to prioritize. Which of these touchpoints is most likely to lead to an engaged prospect?  

Step 2: Prioritizing Your First Interaction Point

Choosing your first interaction point is crucial because it sets the tone for the rest of your funnel. Don’t worry … it makes sense to eventually do them all, but you need to start with one … so how can you decide?

Here are a few ways to decide which one should take priority:

1. Where is your target audience most active? Consider where your ideal customers tend to spend their time. For some, it’s social media; for others, it might be search engines or networking events.
2. Which interaction is easiest to capture? If your audience is likely to click on a link from an organic search or sign up for a webinar, these could be simpler starting points than waiting for a referral.
3. Which interaction aligns best with your current resources? If you’re already heavily invested in content marketing or SEO, it might make sense to focus on that channel as your starting point.
4. What is the most direct path to value? Choose a starting point that delivers immediate value to your prospects, whether that’s through a free resource, informative blog post, or valuable insight.

By weighing these factors, you can identify the best place to start your funnel. It’s important to focus on one key interaction point for the first phase, as trying to capture all entry points at once can dilute your efforts.

Step 3 Mapping Out Potential Microconversions

Once you’ve determined your entry point, the next step is to map out the microconversions—those small actions your prospect might take as they move through the funnel. 

Think of each microconversion as a tiny step toward deeper engagement. For your one entry point, you want to write down EVERY step that a prospect most likely takes between your entry point and their first paid sale.  What you’re doing is capturing all of the microconversions along the way, in order.

Here’s a comprehensive list of potential microconversions you can choose from, depending on your starting entry point. Start your ordered list with the ones that prospects are ALREADY doing.

1. Visiting a webpage or blog post: This is often the very first microconversion—such as clicking on a link in a social media post and getting a prospect to spend time on your content.
2. Clicking “Read More” on a blog post or article: This small but important action keeps them engaged on your website, signaling interest in more of your content. It’s also a strong signal of user intent in SEO, as they’re actively seeking more information.
3. Exploring multiple pages on your website: The longer they stay and the more pages they visit, the more engaged they become.
4. Signing up for a newsletter: This conversion gives you direct access to continue nurturing the prospect over time.
5. Downloading a resource (eBook, guide, checklist, etc.): Offering something valuable for free is a great way to build trust and start a relationship.
6. Watching a video or listening to a podcast: Engaging with multimedia content shows they’re interested in learning more about you in different formats.
7. Reading a case study or testimonial: Seeing proof of your expertise through customer stories helps move them closer to trusting you.
8. Following you on social media: This keeps them in your ecosystem, allowing you to continue delivering value through posts, stories, and ads.
9. Sharing your content with their network: If they share your blog post, video, or resource, this is a high-value microconversion—spreading your message to a wider audience.
10. Filling out a contact form: Showing a deeper interest by asking for more information or wanting to learn more about your services.
11. Attending a webinar or event: This action represents a significant step, as they’re investing time to engage with you in real-time.
12. Scheduling a consultation or demo: This is one of the final microconversions in the funnel, as the prospect is now seriously considering your services.

Step 4: Building Your Microconversion Sequence

With your list of current microconversions in front of you, the next step is to select additional ones to weave into your ordered list that make the most sense for your business and audience. 

Here’s how to approach this:

1. Start Small: Choose an entry point and the simplest next action (like “Read More” or “Visit a Webpage”) that keeps them engaged.
2. Sequence Gradually: Your goal is to slowly move prospects through the funnel, step by step. Each microconversion should feel like a natural progression from the last.
3. Consider User Intent: At each stage, think about what your prospect is trying to achieve. If they’re reading an article about a problem, the next logical step might be to download a resource that helps solve it, not jumping straight to a sale.
4. Track the Journey: As you map out the sequence, be sure to track these actions. Identifying where prospects drop off helps you refine and improve the funnel over time. This tracking is where software can help, but you can also get creative with ways to track in-person interactions.

By carefully mapping and prioritizing microconversions, you create a funnel that works with your audience’s natural behavior, instead of forcing them into an arbitrary sequence. The result? A smoother, more engaging funnel that builds trust and leads to higher conversions.

Step 5: Creating Engagement Triggers to Start the Funnel

Instead of thinking solely in terms of “lead magnets,” which traditionally refers to digital incentives that capture a prospect’s contact information, it’s more useful to consider Engagement Triggers. 

These are touchpoints or interactions that prompt a prospect to take a small step forward in their relationship with your business—whether they’re online or offline. While lead magnets focus on gathering leads (and you will likely still get there somewhere along your microconversion funnel), engagement triggers include both digital and in-person actions that might not result in immediate contact information but still move the prospect deeper into your funnel.

Here’s a broader list of Engagement Triggers for both digital and brick-and-mortar environments:

• Reading a blog post: Encouraging prospects to engage with valuable, educational content on your website.
• Downloading a free resource (eBook, checklist, guide): Offering something helpful in exchange for their contact details – a traditional lead magnet.
• Clicking “Read More” on an article: Engaging deeper with your content signals interest.
• Watching a video or demo: Providing insight into your business, products, or services via video content.
• Signing up for a newsletter or loyalty program: Whether online or in-store, this gives you a chance to nurture the relationship further via email, mail, phone or text.
• Participating in a survey or quiz: Offering interactive content that gets them involved.
• Attending a webinar, workshop, or in-store event: Inviting them to learn more in a group setting.
• Redeeming a coupon or special offer: Offering a small discount or promotion, which could be digital or handed out in-store.
• Requesting more information from a staff member: An in-store conversation that educates and builds rapport.
• Picking up a brochure, business card, or flyer: This simple action creates a tangible connection, especially in physical locations.
• Scanning a QR code at your store: Bridging the gap between the physical and digital, inviting them to explore online content.
• Making a small purchase or trial: Offering low-commitment ways to test your product or service, whether in-store or online.

These triggers are designed to gently encourage engagement, building trust and interest over time, and eventually guiding the prospect closer to becoming a loyal customer

Step 6: Setting Up the Lead Capture Process

Once a prospect enters your funnel, it’s essential to nurture the relationship through ongoing communication. Here’s how you can do that effectively:

1. Email Sequences: Create an email sequence that continues to provide value. Each email should educate, engage, and slowly nudge the prospect toward making a bigger commitment. Think of this as a conversation—you’re not asking for the sale immediately; you’re offering more information and insight.
2. Personalized Content: Depending on what action the prospect took (such as downloading a specific guide or attending a webinar), segment them into different lists and offer tailored content. This personalization can significantly increase engagement.
3. Timely Follow-Ups: Automate follow-ups for key actions like filling out a form or signing up for a consultation. These follow-ups should be polite, helpful, and aimed at deepening the relationship.

The Role of Automation in a Microconversion Funnel

Does software still play a part in a microconversion funnel? Of course it can.

Automation can support your microconversion funnel, but it should never replace the personal touch. Automated emails, follow-ups, and reminders are helpful tools, but don’t forget the importance of human interaction, especially in B2P relationships. Striking the right balance between automation and personalized engagement is crucial for building trust and long-term relationships with prospects.

Building a Microconveresion Funnel That Works for You

Creating an engaging marketing funnel isn’t about having the latest software or automation tool. It’s about understanding your audience, identifying microconversions that guide them smoothly through the buying journey, and nurturing those relationships with thoughtful communication. Funnels are about people—not just processes or technology.

If you’re ready to build a customized microconversion funnel that drives real results, schedule a 360° Marketing Assessment with me to help you craft a tailored strategy that fits your unique business needs.