Don’t Just Post—Build a Social Media Marketing Funnel
We know, we know, building a social media marketing funnel sounds like a slew of corporate buzzwords for mega companies with teams of analysts and bottomless budgets. But once you understand it, you'll start to see it everywhere—in the content of brands you follow religiously, the businesses that seem to nail every post, and those accounts that somehow turn casual scrollers into never-straying customers.
If you’ve been posting consistently, killing the trends, and doing everything the ‘content creation experts’ say to do, but are still struggling to see it translate to sales…
Here’s what we want you to try → Start with the FUNNEL, not the feed.
So what’s a social media marketing funnel, anyway?
It’s not some fancy template or complicated system. It’s one piece of a bigger picture: your multi-channel marketing strategy. It all comes down to one core goal: meeting people where they are in their buying journey and guiding them to a clear "yes."
On its own, a social media funnel is the path someone takes from first discovering your content → to engaging with it → to buying from you → to becoming a loyal fan. And yes, it can all happen right there on the platform! Think: Instagram DMs, ManyChat, Story links, product tags, in-app checkout links, and more.
But the real momentum happens when your social media funnel plugs into your broader marketing goals.
You're never thinking about one viral post or one campaign that goes off—you're thinking about the complete experience your audience has with your brand:
Top of funnel (TOFU): "Wait, who is this?" (Awareness)
Middle of funnel (MOFU): "Okay, I'm intrigued. Tell me more." (Consideration and trust-building)
Bottom of funnel (BOFU): "Alright, I'm convinced. Where do I buy?" (Decision and conversion)
Post-purchase: "I love this! What else do you have?" (Retention and advocacy)
Your content helps move people from one stage to the next. And while some of that movement might happen entirely on social, a full-funnel marketing approach also connects the dots:
→ from Instagram post to email opt-in
→ from Story to DM convo to checkout
→ from Reel to nurture sequence to offer
Social content isn’t just a place to "build brand awareness” (though it does that). It's not just for "engagement" (though that happens too). When you understand multi-channel marketing funnels, you realize social content can guide people through every stage of deciding to buy from you.
And with global sales through social media platforms expected to top $1.2 trillion in 2025, we think it’s time you master how to do it.
The 4 Content Types That Make Your Social Media Marketing Funnel Work
Your posts might be getting hearts and fire emojis, but without a funnel behind them, they're not building toward anything. You're showing up, but you're not guiding anyone anywhere. You’re filling your feed, but it’s not functioning.
No more of that! You’ve got communities to build! Passion to pursue! Money to make!
So, let’s walk through the 4 stages of your funnel and some content marketing planning for each ↓
1. Top of Funnel: Attract → Make Them Stop Scrolling
The Job: Get noticed by people who've never heard of you before or aren’t super familiar with your brand.
The Content: This is where storytelling, mission-driven content, memes & trends, and that "OMG, you get me!" energy live. You're meeting people for the first time here, so make it count.
Content Creation Strategy for your Top of Funnel:
2. Middle of Funnel: Nurture → Teach Them How You Think
The Job: Build trust and show your expertise without giving everything away for free.
The Content: This is where you teach people how you think, showcase how your solution works, and deliver real value.
Content Creation Strategy for your Middle of Funnel:
3. Bottom of Funnel: Convert → Make the Ask Crystal Clear
The Job: Turn warm leads into paying customers, clients, or subscribers.
The Content: Offer awareness posts where your call-to-action is loud and clear. No beating around the bush here!
Content Creation Strategy for your Bottom of Funnel:
Customer testimonials/stories with clear next steps
4. Retention & Re-Engagement: Delight → Keep Them Coming Back
The Job: Turn one-time customers into your repeat buyers, brand advocates, and community members.
The Content: Exclusive insights, customer-only perks, and content that makes people feel like VIPs.
Content Creation Strategy for Retention & Re-engagement:
Customer spotlights and transformation stories
Community-building content and challenges
"What's next" content that keeps them engaged
Loyalty program highlights and member perks
A Friendly Reminder From Your Favorite Content Marketing Agency: Not Every Post Needs to Do It All
You don’t need to make every single post attract, nurture, convert, AND delight all at once. It might feel like you’re doing the most, but too often it does nothing particularly well and exhausts everyone involved (you AND your audience).
Posting gets infinitely easier when you're not trying to cram your entire brand story, three CTAs, and a product review into every single caption.
Trust the process. Trust the funnel. Let each post do what it does best.
We’re Pros at Thinking Beyond the Feed (and now you are too)!
We won’t lie, we dramatically clutch our laptops when we’re called social media managers.
Because really? We’re content marketing experts who happen to be obsessed with social media. And we don’t just create content—we create movement. We think in funnels. In buying journeys. In full-blown brand worlds.
And now you do too. Filling up a content calendar? No, you’re offering an experience. Chasing likes? More like guiding people from “who are you?” to “I’m all in.”
You’re building something that lasts. Something that works together.
Welcome to the era of thinking beyond the feed. We're so glad you've made it to the right side of content marketing!
Psssst! Want to do this together? Many of our clients start by handing off social media, and within a few months, we’ve got our hands in every part of their multi-channel marketing.
After that first DM-to-sale moment? You’ll be hooked. ;)
→ [Start With Social] | [Launch With Us] | [Book a Free Discovery Call]
