Marketing Funnel Improvement

Most email problems aren’t creative problems. They’re funnel diagnosis problems. Marketers obsess over the CTA. But performance usually breaks long before the click. If you don’t measure the entire email funnel, you’ll fix the wrong thing. Here’s the real email funnel: 1. Sent → Delivered If it’s not delivered, nothing else matters. Measure: bounce rate, block rate, domain/IP reputation. If you have inbox placement issues, stop rewriting copy. 2. Delivered → Opened Low opens? It’s either inbox placement or subject line resonance. Measure: spam placement rate, inbox placement, open trends by segment. Don’t debate emojis if you’re in spam. 3. Opened → Clicked Now it’s messaging. Measure: CTR, unique clicks, engagement by segment. This is copy, design, clarity. 4. Clicked → Page Visited Measure: link health, load speed, tracking integrity. Broken links quietly destroy revenue. 5. Visited → Conversion Now it’s offer, UX, pricing, trust. Every stage compounds. If you have deliverability problems and you’re debating button color, you’re solving stage 3 while stage 1 is broken. Great email marketers diagnose before they optimize. Where’s your leak?

Growth funnels have 7 key problems: 1. Silo Syndrome Growth funnels often operate like silos, disconnected and self-contained. The isolation of each step fragments the customer journey. The result is disjointed experiences that can hinder growth. A clear example is when marketing pulls in leads, but hands them off to sales without a seamless transition. This creates a gap where potential customers can fall through. 2. Scalability Ceiling Scalability ceilings hit like a ton of bricks. As your audience grows, the cost per acquisition creeps up—sometimes exponentially. Take the example of Wish. Initially, user acquisition was organic and viral. However, as the platform matured, it had to invest heavily in advertising and incentives to keep the growth curve from flattening. 3. Linear Thinking Funnel logic is straight-lined; customer behavior isn't. It's messy. People don't just march forward — they meander, pause, backtrack. The gaming world knows this well. A player might install a game on a whim, forget it, then binge post-update. Funnels miss this chaos; growth loops capture it and allow the potential for compounding growth. 4. Resource Sinkholes Funnels can demand an unsustainable amount of resources for customer acquisition. You just continue to feed the top of the funnel. Companies can hemorrhage cash with little return. Take Blue Apron, for example. They spent nearly $400 on customer acquisition for a product that nets less than half that in a year. And what’s the result? A stunning 72% churn rate after six months. 5. Optimization Myopia Conversion rate optimization can lead to shortsightedness, focusing too narrowly on the numbers game and missing the broader picture. An e-commerce site might boost immediate sales through aggressive retargeting, but if customers feel hounded, they won't return. Balancing the pursuit of conversions with long-term loop health is critical. 6. Retention Neglect Retention often gets the cold shoulder in growth funnels, overshadowed by the glitz of acquisition. Yet, it's the bedrock of sustainable growth. The stats are loud and clear: a 5% increase in customer retention correlates with up to a 25% increase in profit. It's about creating an experience that keeps customers coming back. 7. Inflexibility Funnels struggle to adapt to the evolution of the market as a whole. This makes it hard for businesses to pivot when a new trend emerges. For instance, when streaming services began to gain popularity, a traditional funnel approach in cable television companies didn’t allow for a quick pivot to streaming models. A loop-based approach would continuously monitor user behavior and market trends, allowing for a seamless transition to include streaming services in their offerings. Bottom line: Growth isn't a funnel; it's a cycle. Build a loop, not a funnel.

Early at Facebook, one of our most important growth features was the contact importer. Upload your email contacts, find your friends. Teams were measured on contacts imported. Millions every week. Dashboards green. Everyone happy. One problem: nobody was tracking what happened next. When we finally instrumented the full flow — contact imported → invitation sent → signup → active user — we found massive drop-offs at stages nobody was watching. We'd been celebrating the sound of water entering a bucket full of holes. This is the most common mistake in digital marketing. Companies obsess over the top of the funnel while the bottom leaks. I've seen it everywhere. At eBay, we measured "completed registration" when we should have measured "actually bought something." At Facebook, we found a single broken step in a 10-step email flow that was silently losing users — fixing it gave us a tens of percents improvement. In 2024, my own team wasn't tracking chargebacks on Quest headsets. Twenty years in and I'm still learning. Three things: 1. Your conversion metric is probably wrong. If it doesn't measure actual value, you're optimising a vanity number. 2. The bottom of the funnel matters more than the top. At Facebook, churn and resurrections were each double the size of acquisitions. Most companies have this backwards. 3. The journey from click to conversion should be as short as possible — but no shorter. I've written a whole article about this.

B2B buyers hate talking to salespeople. Gartner shows this trend getting worse every year. The solution? Companies need to invest in creating a new Buyer Enablement Playbook (here's what it could look like): BACKGROUND: Buyers engage with sales ONLY after 80% of buying process is over. By the time they talk to a rep, it is too late to influence them. Instead, buyers are speaking with 2-3 vendors up front, and leaving the 20+ other vendors out of the process entirely. The only way for companies to stay in the game is to influence the buying process, which is not *traditionally* the job of sales. Here are 5 ways this change in buyer behavior needs to cause a reset in GTM teams and Buyer Led Sales tool stacks: 1. Are GTM Teams Missing a Buyer Enablement Playbook? At any given point, only a handful of buyers in your TAM are looking for new vendors. Through intent data and website visitor ID tools, we can identify who’s in market. However, instead of handing these over to sales - companies could set up a buyer analyst team that assists buyers identify the vendor with best fit (even if it meant directing them to competitors). The top 1% sales reps already do this.   2. Where are the Buyer Enablement Teams ? : We already have plenty of teams that help sales sell better (AEs, Sales Ops, Sales Enablement). Where are the teams that intercept the buying process to enable the buyers to "buy" better - Buyer Ops, Buyer Enablement? Here is a quick search for US titles : - Sales Enablement : 10,000 - Buyer Enablement : 50 - Sales Ops : 53,000 - Buyer Ops : 800 We are missing buyer enablement teams. 3. Which team should Buyer Enablement report into? Buyer enablement teams could report into Product Marketing or marketing but ideally not Sales. BE teams can consist of in-house analysts available as a resource to enterprise buyers on demand. They can offer content or advisory with topics such as “industry & vendor landscape”. Think of a buyer analyst as a customer success rep but for top of the funnel and with great understanding of the industry landscape. 4. Exec presence : VP of Buyer Enablement: We need a VP of Buyer Enablement reporting to the C-suite to give the buyers a voice in the exec team, to ensure that some GTM resources go into enabling buyers to buy better and not just to enable sales to sell better. 5. We need more Buyer Ops Tool Stack: As buyers continue to change the way they buy, valuations of peer review sites such as G2 or Trustradius have steadily risen. Gartner has acquired several assets in this space (Peer Insights, Capterra). We need a lot more buyer enablement tool stacks to identify and assist buyers with their research. Several new billion $ companies will emerge in this space to assist the buying process beyond just reviews. What do you think? Will we see more Buyer Enablement teams in 2024? It's time for the sales process catch up with the buying process.

“Pretend you’re a baker and have to explain everything, like how bread rises to a high schooler” shared a CMO from a $325mil software company. When I stopped laughing, I realized the serious genius in this spicy recommendation. Rather than stew over the lack of understanding in the C-suite of how marketing works and what marketers do, I’ve jumped directly to the acceptance stage. There’s simply no time for denial, anger, bargaining, or depression. We knead an educational recipe for the C-suite, so why not bake this analogy to its fullest?   First, here’s a basic recap on how bread rises. Yeast, a tiny living organism, eats the sugar, producing gas, causing the dough to puff up like a balloon! An adolescent might relabel the fermentation process unforgettably as “yeast farts.” Stay with me. Why B2B marketing is like making bread and yeast farts. 1. Ingredients Selection (Strategy Development): Just as you choose specific ingredients for the type of bread you want to make, in B2B marketing, you start by understanding your market, defining your target, and developing a strategy. "Flour" is your product, "water" your market research, and "yeast" your creative ideas. Get this combo wrong, and your strategy falls flat. 2. Mixing the Dough (Creating Campaigns): Once you have your ingredients, you mix them to form dough. In marketing, this is like creating campaigns—bringing together messaging, content, and channels. Your specific mix determines the overall consistency and effectiveness of your marketing efforts. 3. Fermentation (Building Brand Awareness + Engagement): In bread-making, yeast farts. In B2B marketing, this step is akin to brand awareness and engagement. As your campaign gains traction, customers become aware and engage with your brand. Warning: this stage smells suspicious in the boardroom! 4. Proofing (Nurturing Leads): After fermentation, bread dough is left to proof, allowing it to rise further. In marketing, this is like lead nurturing. You can’t rush bread breaking or efforts to close the sale. Instead, you let it develop, ensuring that prospects are fully engaged and ready. This stage is critical for converting interested prospects into loyal customers. 5. Baking (Closing the Sale): Finally, the dough goes into the oven and transforms into bread. In marketing, this is the sales process where leads convert into paying customers. The heat (or pressure) applied at this stage needs to be just right—too much, and the bread burns (you lose the sale); too little, and it stays undercooked (the sale doesn’t close). 6. Cooling and Serving (Customer Retention and Advocacy): After the bread is baked, it needs to cool. In marketing, this is where you focus on customer retention and turning satisfied customers into advocates. Ideally, this is when you make your customers hunger for more (renew, upsell, cross-sell) and generate referrals. All analogies are imperfect. But this one is tasty. What’s your favorite marketing analogy?

VP Growth: Meta just wants you to use their in-platform attribution.  CMO: [slacks the below summary and link to the Meta paper debunking that myth]  VP Growth: [5 min later] We need to change the way we measure asap. – Summary & Takeaways: - Meta's latest paper on measuring ad effectiveness Incrementality as north star. Incrementality = driving a purchase from someone who would not have already purchased - If ad dollar is not incremental, it's wasting money—paying for a transaction that would have already happened - To maximize incrementality, use more than simple attribution tools - Need statistical modeling (MMM) and incrementality experiments - Those 3 things (attribution + statistical modeling + incrementality experiments) are the ideal triumvirate of measurement tools to maximize actual revenue and profit growth from ads - Expect conflicting results. This is a consistent learning journey, not one-and-done where conflicts cause us to throw babies out with bathwater. Commitment to consistent testing where learning and calibrating are expected - Use marginal return as the guide—constantly measure how much more revenue you get or lose when adding or subtracting dollars from a strategy, tactic, or channel - For diminishing lower-funnel returns, adding broader reach (e.g., non-purchase conversion campaigns) drives more incremental purchases at higher marginal return ($1.50+ revenue per $1 spent vs. <$1.50) Actions: - Start using MMM and incrementality experiments. Bad setups (wrong geos, insufficient time/spend) can be damaging. This is a learning journey - Test incremental attribution—don't be surprised if ROAS is lower. Doesn't necessarily mean 'it doesn't work', could mean previous attribution inflated ROAS by claiming credit for transactions that would have happened anyway - Measure impact using marginal return. Pulse spend up/down to understand revenue response. Results evolve over time/season/stage - Over-invest in measurement tools—tiny % of ad budgets but dramatically reduces money you light on fire -- Full paper: https://lnkd.in/gXDejV-G

Over the past 15 years, I’ve had the privilege of leading global digital and performance marketing teams. Along the way, I’ve seen top global B2B companies stumble when it comes to executing their marketing strategies. Here are the top 10 mistakes I’ve seen—and my tips for turning them into opportunities for growth. 1. Mistake: Skipping Buyer Personas Without clear personas, your messaging will miss the mark. Tip: Invest in detailed persona research to tailor your strategies. 2. Mistake: Neglecting a Robust Content Strategy Content is king, but too often, companies either produce sporadic content or miss the mark entirely. Tip: Develop a content strategy that aligns with each stage of the buyer’s journey. 3. Mistake: Disconnected Sales & Marketing Teams When sales and marketing operate in silos, the customer experience suffers. Tip: Foster a culture of collaboration with shared goals, regular communication, and joint planning sessions. 4. Mistake: Relying on Gut Over Data Marketing should be driven by insights, not instincts. Ignoring data can lead to missed opportunities and wasted budget. Tip: Let analytics guide your decisions and optimize in real time. 5. Mistake: Treating SEO as an Afterthought SEO is often overlooked or undervalued, leading to poor organic visibility. Tip: Make SEO a foundational element of your strategy. Focus on keyword research, on-page optimization, and building authoritative content that drives traffic over time. 6. Mistake: Poor Lead Nurturing Capturing leads is just the start; nurturing is key. Tip: Use personalized, automated workflows to guide leads through the funnel. 7. Mistake: Inefficient Paid Media Spend Overspending or under-optimizing paid campaigns wastes resources. Tip: Focus on high-performing channels and regularly adjust your strategy. 8. Mistake: Overlooking Mobile Optimization With more decision-makers using mobile devices, a non-optimized experience can be a deal-breaker. Tip: Ensure that your website, emails, and content are fully mobile-responsive. 9. Mistake: Underutilizing Social Proof In B2B, trust is everything. Yet, many companies fail to leverage testimonials, case studies, and reviews. Tip: Actively gather and display social proof across all touchpoints. 10. Mistake: “Set and Forget” Marketing The digital landscape changes fast; staying static won’t work. Tip: Continuously audit and refine your campaigns for better results. Avoiding these common pitfalls isn’t just about fixing mistakes—it’s about unlocking the full potential of your digital and performance marketing efforts. By being proactive and strategic, B2B companies can not only avoid these traps but turn them into stepping stones for success. #DigitalMarketing #B2BMarketing #PerformanceMarketing #Strategy #GrowthHacking #SEO #ContentMarketing #LeadGeneration

I gained 14,000 followers on Instagram in just 90 days.   But the real win? Those followers turned into warm leads in my DMs. Here’s exactly how I did it, without chasing trends or relying on perfect design: Step 1: I built a funnel, not just a feed My content strategy followed a simple structure: TOFU, MOFU, and BOFU. Because followers alone don’t grow your business. Movement through the funnel does. → TOFU (Top of Funnel)  Goal: Reach new people  Content: Carousels, infographics, reels  Purpose: Awareness  Example: “10 content ideas for October” → MOFU (Middle of Funnel)  Goal: Nurture the audience  Content: Case studies, storytelling, value posts  Purpose: Build trust  Example: “How I helped X brand get 10K reach in 7 days” → BOFU (Bottom of Funnel)  Goal: Convert followers into clients  Content: Testimonials, offers, behind the scenes  Purpose: Invite action  Example: “DM STRATEGY to get my content plan” Step 2: I posted with intention Each post had a goal. I didn’t show up randomly. I showed up strategically. Step 3: I made my content savable Every post gave value people could return to. Frameworks, checklists, insights. This kept my audience engaged and coming back. Step 4: I focused on consistency over aesthetics I posted 5 times a week Replied to every comment Shared insights that helped, even when the design wasn’t perfect Step 5: I tracked what worked I reviewed every 30 days I doubled down on what brought profile visits and DMs I ignored what didn’t lead to action You don’t need a prettier feed. You need a better system. If this helped you rethink your content strategy, hit “save” so you can come back to it later.

If I were a CMO of $50M ARR SAAS business trying to hit 2025 targets I would turn my marketing org inside out by re-structuring the team. The old way: most marketing teams are structured vertically by channel— you have someone for paid you have someone for SEO you have someone for social you have someone for events But buyers don’t think in channels. They think about problems they need to solve. This org structure is broken. It leads to disjointed handoffs, misaligned KPIs, and a lack of ownership over revenue. Here’s what happens: The ads team wants to get a great ROAS, and doesn’t want to share credit with the SDR org. The content team is focused on engagement metrics, not pipeline acceleration. The events team is optimizing for booth scans, not revenue influence. No one admits to multi-channel attribution The result: marketing celebrates success in their vertical while sales struggles to hit quota. The new way: Move from channel-based silos → to a funnel-stage structure. 💡Idea: Turn your marketing organization from vertical into horizontal. Here's how I would do it: 1/ TOFU (Top of Funnel) Squad: - Team → Owns awareness and audience growth on Cold Leads - Content, brand, paid, SEO, social → all focused on capturing attention and demand - Title: AI Awareness Marketer (I like Cold Marketer but I don’t think that will fly) - Goal: Maximize problem & market awareness. 2/ MOFU (Middle of Funnel) Squad: - Team → Owns signal-stacking plays on Warm Leads - Marketing-led outbound with Automated Email, LinkedIn, targeted micro campaigns - Title: GTM Engineer (Probably better than Warm Marketer) - Goal: Turn interest into website visits omni-channel 3/ BOFU (Bottom of Funnel) Squad: - Team → Owns conversion & pipeline acceleration on Hot Leads Directing SDR teams where to focus, live chat conversations - Title: Demand Marketer (c’mon Hot Marketer would be a killer title) Goal: Book meetings that are qualified pipeline - Proof: Gong saw a 3X increase in pipeline velocity by aligning content, sales enablement, and demand gen under one mid-funnel team. I don't think this shift is theoretical. It’s happening. Mostly in startups though for now. Companies that win in the next 5 years won’t be the ones with the best ad strategy. They’ll be the ones who own the entire buyer journey, not just parts of it. Warmly, Max

Your feedback process should act as a funnel, catching data from all the various sources and bringing it into a centralized location. As you get feedback from various sources, it’s helpful to be consistent in what you collect. Capturing data in a handful of key areas is particularly useful, including: >Touchpoint. What was the touchpoint, or where was the customer in their journey? For example, this could be after a repair, or an interaction with customer service. >Objective. What was the customer’s objective? For example, they wanted to get their cable working again. >Experience. What was the actual experience? The cable got repaired but it happened outside the promised window of time. >Emotional impact. What was the emotional impact of this experience? The range you establish could be very satisfied to very unsatisfied, on a scale. I’ve seen alternatives such as very happy to very frustrated. What words best capture emotion in your setting? These factors give you a solid foundation for comparing both structured and unstructured feedback. UL, a global company that provides product testing and certification, made a push to more completely capture the on-the-fly feedback their employees were hearing. They created a simple feedback form inside their CRM system. The link can be accessed quickly by any employee, anytime. For example, they can easily pull up the form from their phone and enter the customer’s feedback. Nate Brown, who spearheaded the effort, said at the time, “This is a complete game-changer in how UL understands customers.” Find more examples here: https://lnkd.in/e-t5Zs2b #customerfeedback #customerexperience #customerservice