You’ll often hear marketers talk about funnels and how you need content for each stage of the funnel.

I hate the term funnel, so I prefer to talk about the customer journey or the marketing and sales process. And I like to keep mine simple - attract, nurture, convert.

If you want your marketing to be effective, you need to consider each stage of your customer journey from their very first interaction with you to the moment they buy and beyond.

Once you know what you’re selling and who you want to sell it to, you need to get on the radar of your ideal clients. You need to let them know you exist, and there are two ways to do this: approach them directly or attract them to you.

I recommend a combination of both: be proactive in starting conversations with people who are likely to need what you offer, but also create content that will help them find you.

Fortunately, there are plenty of options for both, and you don’t need to do all of them. Pick a couple of activities and do them consistently well, rather than trying to do a bit of everything and stretching yourself too thin.

Cold calling: A lot of people don’t feel comfortable cold-calling, but if you do, it can be a good way to speak directly to the people who need what you offer. Do some research to make sure you’re speaking to the right people and practice what you’re going to say before you pick up the phone.

Email outreach: If cold-calling feels too daunting, you might prefer emailing people who fit your ideal client profile. You don’t have to pitch in the first contact - you’re just trying to start a conversation. Make it about them rather than just talking about yourself.

Direct messaging: As with email, you don’t have to pitch your products or services in the first message. Start a conversation that focuses on them or offer something that is going to be useful or interesting to them.

Direct mail: If you have a little bit of budget, direct mail can be a great way of getting in front of your ideal clients, especially if you include something with your letter. This could be a free gift, sample, book, brochure, branded product or something useful.

Advertising or sponsorship: There are loads of advertising opportunities both online and off. You can run paid Google Ads, social media ads, or banner ads. You can sponsor newsletters or write guest blogs. Or you can advertise in magazines or newspapers, on local radio and even on TV. Choose places your ideal clients are likely to see your ads, not just the channel with the biggest audience.

Flyers or leaflets: If you work in a specific geographical location, flyers through doors can be an effective way of getting noticed. Alternatively, you could hand flyers or leaflets out in the street or at an event. Or you could work with a partner who has a similar audience to you. If they deliver physical products, you could include your leaflets in their packages.

In-person events: People are more likely to remember you if they have met you in person, so getting out to industry events, networking events, conferences or exhibitions can be an excellent way of making yourself known in the local business community.

Search engine optimisation (SEO): SEO is not the best route for everyone, as some search terms are just so competitive that small businesses can’t compete. But if people are likely to be searching for your products or services, it can be a good way to get found.

Answer engine optimisation (AEO): AEO focuses on getting cited by LLMs or in AI overviews. Again, if you sell something a lot of people would be actively searching for, this could be a good way to get found.

Social media posts: The good thing about social media is most platforms are free to use. The downside is they are flooded with content so it’s hard to stand out. Choose the one your ideal audience is most likely to be using (or the one you feel most comfortable with) and focus on doing it well, rather than trying to be on multiple platforms.

Blogging: Despite what many people would have you believe, blogging is not “dead” (as evidenced by the fact you’re reading this blog post). Blogs can be useful for SEO and AEO and also for sharing on social media to attract new visitors to your website.

Podcasting: Podcasts are extremely popular, with research suggesting that more than 584 million people listened to podcasts in 2025. However, it is a competitive market, and it can take a long time to build up an audience and see a return so be prepared to give it time.

Video: Platforms such as YouTube and TikTok are dedicated to video, and most other social media platforms support it. You can share video on Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn. Even Substack - which was originally a platform for writers - encourages video sharing and has a live video feature. Statistics from Wyzowl show that over three-quarters (78%) of online consumers prefer to learn about a product or service via a short video.

Lead magnets: A lead magnet is something you give away (or sometimes charge a very small fee for) to attract your ideal clients. It could be a PDF guide, checklist, book, quiz, course or webinar. Lead magnets are often used to get email subscribers.

Once you have the attention of your potential clients, you’ll want to keep it. Sometimes people will be ready to buy from you right now, and you simply need something to nudge them over the line. Other times, you might need to nurture them for a while, staying front of mind or building trust and credibility.

This part of your marketing process will depend on what type of marketing you’re doing at the “attract” stage.

Personalised follow-ups: If you’re using networking to get in front of your ideal clients, it’s important you follow up. You can do that via email or by connecting on social media and sending a message. But following up shouldn’t be left purely for in-person connections. If someone connects with you on social media or comments on one of your posts, send a personalised message and start a conversation.

Nurture sequences: If you’re using a lead magnet or webinar to attract your ideal clients, create a nurture sequence (a series of emails that help build trust). They’ve signed up for your lead magnet or webinar for a reason, so don’t let the conversation fizzle out. Give them additional content, show them how you can help, and let them know how to get your help.

Email newsletters: I’m a huge advocate of email newsletters. I think they are a brilliant way to stay in touch with past, present and future clients. If you don’t have an email list, you’re missing an opportunity to build trust and credibility with people who are actually interested in hearing from you. My book, How to Build an Email Community, covers this in detail, and you can get your free copy here.

Ongoing content: If you’re using social media, blogs, podcasts or video to get the attention of your ideal client, be consistent. You don’t have to post new stuff every day, but you’ll want to keep people engaged. Make it something people want more of. One video or one podcast episode isn’t going to do much - create a library of bingeable content.

Low-commitment products: Nobody wants to make a bad buying decision, which is why some people are hesitant about buying even if they really need what you offer. Remove the risk with low-commitment products, such as free trials or demos, initial consultations, introductory offers, low-cost products (such as books), or try-before-you-buy deals.

Case studies and reviews: Case studies and reviews can be a fantastic marketing tool as they help us build trust and credibility. We can talk about how good our products or services are, but people are more likely to believe it if others are talking about it too.

Online communities: Platforms such as Discord or Slack allow you to set up private communities where you can interact with your members. I use beehiiv for this publication, which also allows you to create a community (only available on the paid versions).

You can join my community for free here (available on desktop and as a mobile app) and get even more free content about marketing for small businesses.

This is the step a lot of small businesses struggle with. They do a great job of building an audience and giving them content, but they are reluctant to ask for the sale. It’s not true that we don’t like being sold to. We just don’t like feeling pressured or misled or rushed into a decision we aren’t comfortable with.

If you create a customer journey that gives clients the information and reassurance they need at each stage, you won’t make them feel pressured or misled or rushed.

Let people know what you sell: I’ve included promotional content at the end of this article. It’s not intrusive or pushy. It’s simply there to provide you with more information on how you can get support with your marketing if you need it. Make sure you tell people about what you offer when and where it’s relevant.

Clear call to actions: Add clear call to actions where they are relevant. Sometimes the call to action might be to subscribe to your email list or request a free trial. Sometimes it might be to book a call or even make a purchase. Don’t leave people guessing - tell them what to do next.

Promo posts: As well as sharing content that will attract the attention of your ideal clients and content that will nurture them, you should also add promotional content into the mix. This free 30-minute video shows you how to create a good mix of content for social media.

Landing pages: When your ideal clients are ready to buy, you’ll want to guide them to a sales page (aka landing page) that gives them all the key information they might need (benefits, costs, timescales, process, etc.) and makes it clear what the next steps are (book a call, request a quote, make a purchase, etc.).

Sales brochures: As with a landing page, the goal of a sales brochure is to give the reader all the information they need to feel confident buying from you.

Launch events: If you’re launching a new product or service, you might find it beneficial to host a launch event. This could be online or in-person (or a hybrid), and you could offer attendees incentives, discounts or special rates if they make a commitment or purchase at the event.

Marketing doesn’t end after a sale is made. It’s often easier to retain existing clients than it is to attract new ones, so don’t let relationships fizzle out.

Follow-ups: Follow up with your clients after they have made a purchase and check they are happy with the service they received.

Upsells or add-ons: Just because someone has purchased from you, it doesn’t mean they are aware of your other products or services. Let them know what else you offer and how you can help them further.

Review requests: Testimonials and reviews are fantastic marketing tools, so make sure you have a process in place to ask for them.

Refer a friend: Don’t be shy about asking for recommendations or referrals. You could even offer referral incentives such as a free gift or voucher, loyalty points or something else (depending on what your business does).

Stay in touch: Don’t lose touch with your clients after the initial follow-up. Make a note to check in with them every couple of weeks or months. Invite them to subscribe to your email newsletter so you stay front of mind.

The type of marketing you do and the way your process works will depend on the type of products or services you offer and the clients you work with.

You don’t have to be everywhere doing everything. You simply need to figure out how to get in front of the right people and then create a process that guides them towards making an enquiry or purchase.

How long this takes will depend on each individual client. I’ve had clients who have signed up to my mentoring programme after seeing one social media post and exchanging a couple of messages with me. I’ve also had clients who have been on my email list for years before buying from me. And of course there will always be people who never buy.

The important thing is making sure you are visible when your ideal customers are ready to take the next step and making it easy for them to take action.

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