The Problem With Most “Funnels”...

Is that they feel overwhelming to build…

The very word seems to imply you need an engineering degree.

I mean, what exactly is a “funnel” anyway?

If you’re like most creators, coaches, and consultants, you already feel like the weight of the world is on your shoulders.

Not to mention…

All of the conflicting advice about what you *need* in order to successfully scale your business.

It’s a recipe for information overload and analysis paralysis.

So let’s take it slow, and go back to the basics.

Today I’m going to show you a proven framework for outlining your funnel.

But First… What’s a Funnel? 🤔

A marketing funnel is a model of your customer journey.

It represents the plan you want potential customers to go through after becoming aware of your business/service/product.

Most people associate a funnel with some sort of image like this:

In this model, there more people are at the top of the funnel, and they progressively get “funneled” towards your offer.

And while this model is useful when it comes to:

• Building awareness through your content
• Creating a content strategy
• Writing persuasive copy

It’s not really an actionable plan for scaling your business.

Instead, I like to think of a funnel as a plan.

Or better yet, a campaign.

Something like this:

This is a funnel focused on attracting new clients with a free online course.

And it’s an example of how savvy marketers think about funnel building.

It’s not just about content, it’s about creating the actual marketing strategy that grows your business.

That’s why you’ll often hear funnel used interchangeably with “plan” or “campaign”.

But how do you build one?

What are the ingredients to building a successful marketing campaign?

That’s where the 3ATM Framework comes in:

The 3ATM Framework:

These are the essential 5 elements of a successful campaign.

And while they aren’t in chronological order, each element needs to be in place.

Let’s start with the First A,

1.ACQUISITION

Also called the front end.

Acquisition is the part of the campaign focused on increasing the number of new customers.

Specifically, the goal is to:

• Generate brand awareness
• Build trust, authority, credibility
• Provide value-in-advance of the sale
• Convert traffic into leads

You’re NOT trying to make big $$$ with the front end.

Just think about lead generation.

In order to get new leads, you’ll need that trusty thing called a lead magnet.

The trick to building a killer lead magnet is to “splinter” off a piece of your main offer.

Let me explain…

If you’re selling freelance website design services, splinter off one aspect of the service and give it away for free.

Something like a short PDF, or a checklist.

Think of a process that you would do with your client—only instead of doing it for them, just give them the framework you use to get results.

In the example funnel above, the free 5-day course is the lead magnet:

2. ARTICULATION

How you articulate your message.

How you demonstrate benefits.

How you help your customers visualize their future transformation.

And the tone you use, are all part of effective copywriting.

It’s the oil that makes the engine run.

It’s involved in almost every aspect of the funnel.

For example, when you’re writing a landing page for your lead magnet, you’ll need:

• Headline
• Subhead
• 1 Persuasive paragraph
• 3 benefit bullet points
• A call to action (download now, get instant access, sign up TODAY)

As a small business owner, it’s in your best interest to always be learning about copywriting.

You can also hire a freelancer if writing ain’t your cup of tea.

Or, if you fancy yourself an early adopter, you can use AI to help you write effective copy.

(Not sure how to prompt AI to help you write copy? Reply to this email and I can share my process for using AI in my marketing)

3. AUTOMATION

If copywriting is the oil that makes the engine run…

…then automation is the nuts and bolts that hold the engine together.

When it comes to building campaigns, you generally want them to be as “evergreen” as possible.

This means you want to be able to let it run in the background so you can focus on creating content, coaching, consulting, or doing the thing you do best.

The name of the game is Email Marketing.

And it takes customers from one stage of the funnel to the next.

Here are some different email sequences you can use:

• Welcome sequence
• Product launch sequence
• Nurture sequence
• Webinar /show-up sequence
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4. TRAFFIC

Think of traffic like water.

Where organic traffic (social media, blog posts, etc..) is rain. You never know when it’s going to come, and you can’t control it.

And paid traffic is like a fire hose. You control how much traffic you drive to your offer. You decide where it goes. You control when it flows. And you decide when it stops.

The only way to test your funnel is to run traffic through it.

Start with the organic/free traffic first, and when you’re ready to start scaling, turn on that fire hose and run traffic through your funnel.

5. MONETIZATION

Also called the back end. This is where the 💰is made.

The goal is to:

• Convert leads into buyers
• Increase the average value of each order
• Increase the frequency of orders
• Increase retention

Your offers are:

• High-Ticket
• Time-consuming
• Complex

In the example campaign, the sales page after the free course does the job of selling a high-ticket course, or service.

While the sales page they see before the free course is more of an upsell or a cross-sell.

Not sure what those are?

Just think of buying food at McDonalds. After you purchase your Big Mac Trio on the self-checkout screen, they ask you if you’d like to add a $2 apple pie to your order.

Or a $1 ice cream scoop.

Those are easy ways to increase the average order value and boost revenue for your business.

Scale Your Small Business with the 3ATM Framework

Savvy marketers are always testing. That’s because your marketing is part science and part art.

The science comes from the framework. And the art comes from what you decide to build with it.

Get started on your funnel today, and you’ll be that much closer to scaling your business.

Thanks So Much for Reading!

Want me to cover something in an upcoming newsletter? Just hit reply and let me know! ✌️

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Keep Learning,

Nico

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