The dark funnel is a term used to describe the part of the buyer journey that occurs before a potential customer engages with a company’s marketing or sales channels. This phase is often invisible to marketers, as it takes place before buyers have provided any contact information or taken any other measurable actions.
However, understanding the dark funnel is important for B2B marketers, as it represents a significant opportunity to reach potential customers before they’re ready to buy. Here are some of the reasons why the dark funnel is important, and how it can affect your marketing strategy:
- Uncovering Hidden Opportunities
The dark funnel represents a large pool of potential customers who are actively researching and evaluating solutions before they make a purchase. By understanding the dark funnel, you can identify these potential customers and target them with relevant content and messaging.
- Reevaluating Attribution Models
Traditional attribution models often focus on the last touchpoint before a sale, but this can be misleading in the context of the dark funnel. Since a significant portion of the buyer journey takes place before buyers engage with your brand, it’s important to adopt a multi-touch attribution approach that considers the impact of all touchpoints.
- Leveraging Intent Data
Intent data can provide insights into the interests, pain points, and preferences of potential customers in the dark funnel. By leveraging intent data, you can tailor your messaging and content to resonate with these buyers and increase the likelihood of conversion.
- Holistic Marketing Strategies
A holistic marketing strategy focuses on delivering value across all touchpoints and channels. This is important in the context of the dark funnel, as it ensures that potential customers have a consistent and positive experience with your brand, regardless of where they are in the buyer journey.
In summary, the dark funnel is an important part of the buyer journey that can be a valuable source of new leads and customers. By understanding the dark funnel and adapting your marketing strategy accordingly, you can effectively engage potential customers throughout their entire journey, even when they’re in the dark.
Here are some additional tips for marketing in the dark funnel:
- Create valuable content that addresses the needs of potential customers in the dark funnel. This could include whitepapers, case studies, blog posts, or infographics.
- Optimize your website for search engines so that potential customers can find your content when they’re searching for information.
- Use social media to connect with potential customers and share valuable content.
- Attend industry events and conferences to network with potential customers.
- Partner with other businesses in your industry to reach a wider audience.
By following these tips, you can reach potential customers in the dark funnel and increase your chances of converting them into leads and customers.
Disclaimer note:
The opinions expressed in this post are those of the author. They do not purport to reflect the opinions or views of ThinkLogic Media Group or any company and their associates.
You can follow me on my socials:
Medium https://medium.com/@dexterwrites2022
Facebook (A spark of B2B) https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100089042254709
Twitter (aSparkofB2B) https://twitter.com/aSparkofB2B
LinkedIn (a-spark-of-b2b) https://www.linkedin.com/company/a-spark-of-b2b
#B2B
#B2BSales
#Sales
#B2BMarketing
