ATF, ToFu, MoFu, BoFu, BTF
In previous writings, I have discussed the five funnel frictions, the good fractions, and the solutions. [[ProfitXL to Profipoly: Solving the Four Funnel Frictions, Solving eCommerce’s Fifth Funnel Friction: Identifying Unknown Shoppers, and Email 2.0: The Fulcrum for Fixing Five Funnel Frictions]
The frictions and fixes can be better represented in the form of the traditional marketing funnel – ToFu, MoFu and BoFu (top, middle and bottom of funnel). To these three stages, I have added two more which are outside of the funnel: ATF (above the funnel) and BTF (below the funnel).
ATF (Above the Funnel) – Adtech AdWaste to Near-Zero Acquisition Cost: This is the initial engagement phase where potential customers first encounter a brand. By curtailing AdWaste because of wrong acquisition and reacquisition, marketing initiatives can reach an unprecedented level of efficiency and cost-effectiveness.
ToFu (Top of Funnel) – Identity Gap to Anon-to-Known: At this stage, marketers face the challenge of transitioning anonymous site visitors into identified contacts. The primary goal here is to incentivise visitors to share their email ID and mobile number, thereby ensuring digital reachability and facilitating their progression to the next funnel stage.
MoFu (Middle of Funnel) – Attention Recession to Inbox Commerce: This phase is about retaining customer interest and engagement through the amplified potential of Email 2.0, leveraging tools like Microns, Email Shops, and Engaging Footers. Search functions, recommendations, cart management, and even payments can all be accomplished in-channel, increasing transaction completion probability. Furthermore, Atomic Rewards can help gather zero-party data voluntarily provided by customers.
BoFu (Bottom of Funnel) – Red Journeys to Green Journeys: This is the phase for those customers who land on a website or app with a potential buying intention. It is crucial to ensure their customer journey is seamless and frictionless, minimising drop-offs and optimising conversions. Here, the potency of Martech 2.0 and the Large Customer Model with Digital Twins prove indispensable to predict the next best actions. Velvet Rope Marketing, targeted at the most profitable customers, can maximise their lifetime value via exclusive offers and personalised experiences – further boosting profitability.
BTF (Below the Funnel) – Dormancy and Churn to Reactivation Progency: This final stage concentrates on retaining customers after their initial purchase. The objective here is to re-engage and reactivate those customers who have fallen into dormancy, thus promoting repeat purchase and enhancing customer loyalty. This approach steers marketers away from the prevalent practice of retargeting and reacquiring customers through expensive adtech expenditure. Partnering with a Progency serves as an effective means to keep marketers focused on nurturing active and transacting Best Customers.
Instead of merely considering topline growth or the size of the marketing budget, Earned Growth should serve as the primary performance indicator for a marketer’s success. As Earned Growth surges, marketers will move past their eFolly and ensure their brand evolves into a profipoly.
