Four Myths About Automated Funnels (and why you probably don’t need one)
Here’s an unpopular opinion: solo, service-based and creative entrepreneurs working one-on-one with clients don’t need an automated funnel.
But here’s the thing – if your offer is working with clients one-on-one, the time, money and energy that it takes to build an automated funnel would be better spent investing in building relationships or other marketing channels that will probably bring you a lot more clients.
Here are four myths about automated funnels that I wish would go away:
Myth #1: A funnel is going to fix your marketing challenges
How many times has someone confided in me that they don’t have a funnel - it’s on the should list, but it never seems to get done. And because of this, the confession is usually steeped in guilt and shame. The funnel is considered a magical unicorn that is going to fix all your marketing challenges.
Unfortunately, that’s not the case. If marketing is tricky or overwhelming, then it’s probably not a marketing problem at all. Taking a step back and looking at your business foundations, including your business model and offers, is probably going to help you a lot more than investing time, energy and money in an automated funnel.
Myth #2: Automated funnels are “set it and forget it”
One of the reasons why I think the idea of an automated funnel appeals to solo entrepreneurs is the promise that it will do all the hard work for you, cutting down or completely eliminating marketing from your to-do list.
However, that is far from the truth and in fact, it may add more tasks to your to-do list as funnels often require a high volume of content that needs to be written, produced, edited and loaded onto various platforms.
Not to mention that in order to effective, ad campaigns should be continuously monitored and adjusted to make the most of your spend and see the ROI.
Myth #3: A funnel is the only way to grow your business
Automated funnels are often heralded as the silver bullet that’s going to grow or scale your business. And that might be true, if it’s the right kind of marketing for your business. But if you’re in a service-based business that works one-on-one with clients, then chances are it isn’t going to give you the results that you want.
Instead, take a step back and look at your current clients. Where did they find you? What was the sales process like from discovering you to booking a service? That will give you a lot more useful information on how to grow your business then simply jumping into creating an automated funnel.
Myth #4: All entrepreneurs need a funnel
This is simply not true. First and foremost because there is absolutely no one-size fits all solution for every entrepreneur out there; the best business and marketing strategy for you, is the one that is built with your unique goals and needs in mind.
Secondly, because there are truly only a few business model types that would really benefit from an automated funnel. If you’re a solo, creative or service-based business that is built on relationships, then taking the relationship out of your marketing is absolutely not going to work.
The best, most effective marketing strategies start with your unique business foundation. I can help you create a simple strategy that will help you get clients and make money, without burning out.
