Learning Customer Engagement from the Digital Marketing World

In the fast-evolving marketing world, customer engagement isn’t just a box to check. It’s the key to success. Whether traditional or digital-first, businesses need strategies that get their message across and connect deeply with their audiences. Enter The Lifecycle Funnel, a Marketing and Engagement Funnel model created by Robert Garcia, a veteran with over 20 years of experience in both traditional and digital marketing.

Robert developed this approach after years of studying how people discover what they need, even when they don’t realize they need it. We can adapt it for traditional engagement as a “Lifecycle Funnel.” It takes insights from the digital marketing funnel and applies them universally, bridging the gap between digital and traditional engagement strategies. Whether you’re selling software or offering professional services, its principles can resonate along your sales channels.

What Is The Lifecycle Funnel?

The Lifecycle Funnel is a customer engagement model that maps out the decision-making stages with adaptability. It helps businesses meet customers where they are, addressing their needs at different steps of their sales journey.  The great thing about this funnel is that it does not assume customer steps are linear.

This isn’t a rigid framework. It’s like a map that recognizes how real people, online or in the physical world, explore their options and make decisions. Designed to help improve funnel models like AIDA and ToFu/MoFu/BoFu by embracing the nonlinear and often messy way customers interact with brands today.  They don’t always follow a path down a funnel. They circle back, start from the beginning, or jump straight to acquisition without asking questions, then find themselves asking many questions. 

Here’s the seven-stage breakdown:

1. Ignorance/Innocence: Your audience doesn’t yet know they need you or that you exist.
2. Awareness/Discovery: They stumble upon your brand or solution, often by chance or curiosity.
3. Interest/Desire: They dig a little deeper, seeking out information to satisfy their curiosity.
4. Consideration: At this stage, they’re evaluating their options and looking for reasons to trust you.
5. Action/Purpose: Here’s where they convert, whether that’s buying a product or agreeing to a meeting.
6. Loyalty: The post-conversion phase, in which ongoing value cements your relationship.
7. Advocacy: When they’re so impressed, they tell others about you without being asked.

How The Lifecycle Funnel Came to Be

The original concept is based on Robert’s digital and traditional marketing work. Initially called The SEO Lifecycle Funnel, Robert designed it to address how people search online, from problem to solution. But its principles transcend digital marketing.

As Robert puts it:

“I created The SEO Lifecycle Funnel as a way of thinking about customer engagement that doesn’t just capture attention but helps to build trust. Over the years, I’ve studied how people move from problem to solution, then back again, often searching for answers they don’t even know they need..”

The Lifecycle Funnel, as adapted here, serves as a universal model for connecting with customers at every stage of their sales journey.

From Digital Insights to Traditional Engagement: A Universal Model

While The Lifecycle Funnel originated in the digital world, its application goes far beyond online marketing. It’s a universal tool for understanding customer intent and fostering engagement, whether you’re connecting through email, social media, or a handshake at a trade show.

Here’s how different industries can apply this model:

• An Oil Executive at a Trade Conference
  At the Ignorance stage, many smaller distributors don’t even realize they could engage with this executive’s services. An effective Awareness strategy might involve hosting a workshop or creating handouts that introduce the value of direct partnerships. By the Interest and Consideration stages, a detailed conversation or follow-up email with real-world examples of success stories could build trust and spark Purpose. This approach shifts the focus from generic pitching to meaningful connection.
• A Civil Engineering Firm Targeting City Water Managers
  Municipal staff managing water supply may not be actively searching for innovative solutions. Still, they will likely notice a case study or presentation highlighting how a similar city solved a major infrastructure challenge. As they move from Awareness to Interest, that firm could use personalized outreach, like a webinar invitation or consultation offer, to guide them toward engagement. The Loyalty and Advocacy stages come into play when those managers champion the firm to their peers after experiencing value firsthand.
• A Fashion House Connecting with Independent Buyers
  Smaller boutique owners often don’t realize that major fashion houses offer partnership programs designed for them. Using The Lifecycle Funnel, these brands could build Awareness through targeted outreach, like curated mailers or exclusive webinars showcasing their offerings. At the Interest stage, fashion houses could share success stories from other boutiques to build credibility. By the Action stage, they can simplify the onboarding process with clear, step-by-step guides.
• Aluminum Suppliers Reaching Home Builders
  Contractors working in smaller divisions often miss out on the efficiencies large aluminum suppliers offer. Suppliers could highlight industry pain points at the Ignorance stage, like cost overruns or supply shortages, and position themselves as problem-solvers. Interest and Desire could be nurtured with resources like pricing calculators or case studies. To foster Loyalty, ongoing support and dedicated account managers ensure a strong partnership.

These examples show how understanding the decision-making stages can help you meet people where they are rather than expecting them to act immediately.

How to Apply The Lifecycle Funnel to Your Engagement Strategy

The Lifecycle Funnel helps businesses align their marketing efforts with the real-world behavior of their audiences. Here’s how to use it effectively:

1. Ignorance/Innocence: Start by creating awareness with campaigns that highlight your value. Use educational content or engaging visuals to grab attention.
2. Awareness/Discovery: Showcase how your products or services solve specific problems. Think targeted ads, trade show booths, or introductory emails.
3. Interest/Desire: Dive deeper into personalized communications. Send testimonials, host webinars, or offer demos tailored to your audience’s needs.
4. Consideration: Provide resources that help prospects make informed decisions, like detailed proposals or side-by-side comparisons.
5. Action/Purpose: Streamline conversions with clear calls to action and simple processes. Remove any barriers that might stall progress.
6. Loyalty: Nurture relationships through regular check-ins, exclusive offers, and value-added services.
7. Advocacy: Encourage satisfied customers to spread the word with referral programs, testimonials, or co-branded marketing initiatives.

A Better Way to Engage

The Lifecycle Funnel is more than just a marketing model; it’s a shift in customer engagement. Drawing from principles established by marketing legends like David Ogilvy and Bill Bernbach, it incorporates the flexibility and nuance of modern customer behavior.

For businesses ready to extend their engagement strategies, The Lifecycle Funnel offers a roadmap for getting attention and earning loyalty and advocacy. Whether speaking to a room full of contractors or contacting boutique owners online, its principles ensure you connect in ways that matter.

Published by Iris S.