Comparing a marketing flywheel to a marketing funnel

When it comes to marketing online, there has often been discussions regarding a marketing funnel. But lately, as user behaviour has changed, so to has the marketing rulebook. Instead of a funnel, companies looking to make sales and increase bookings and sign ups online, are instead being advised to consider a marketing flywheel. So what is the difference between these two different marketing strategies? And how can a marketing flywheel help your business? Well, here at Pumpkin Web Design, we are Preston’s leading web design and web marketing professionals. We provide valuable web design, SEO, and marketing solutions to a range of clients, across the North West, including Southport and Wigan, as well as Manchester. As a result, we have produced this guide comparing a marketing flywheel to a marketing funnel.

What is a marketing funnel?

A marketing funnel is described as a tool for understanding user intent and behaviour at certain levels. This includes:

• Awareness at the outer edge of the funnel
• Interest moves users further into the funnel
• Desire again moves users further into the funnel
• Action is the ultimate desired outcome, the end of the funnel

This is based on the understanding that user interest and intent is linear. But what we now know is that this isn’t true at all.

What is a marketing flywheel?

A marketing flywheel is designed like a an actual flywheel, to give energy to the customers intentions and really position them at the heart of the marketing. This stages of this type of marketing strategy include:

• Attracting strangers
• Engaging prospects
• Attaining customers
• Delighting fans

Comparing a marketing flywheel to a marketing funnel

There are some key differences to these two different marketing ideas, and these relate to different key areas, including:

• The role of the user
• The type of marketing content

The role of the user

In the marketing funnel system, the user is perceived to be much more passive, going directly to your website at first, and ready to become interested in your products or services, through marketing. Ultimately, this system is designed to filter users though the funnel, with the aim of increasing conversions.

In the marketing flywheel system the content is expected to attract the user, and actively engage them.  As a result, the user experience is at the heart of the marketing and strategies in place, as a positive user experience is more likely to result in engagement and attainment of customers, instead of simply more marketing. And once your users have become customers, their word of mouth and reviews can be used effectively to attract more strangers, and so the cycle continues. This means that your users are an active part of your marketing cycle, instead of being thought of as passive.

The type of marketing content

So with different perceptions about the role of users, it is understandable that the type of marketing content will change. For a traditional funnel model, marketing content is solely produced to meet the needs of users at different points of the funnel, on their customer journey, and nudge them to move further into the funnel system, at different stages. In contrast, in a flywheeel system, the aim is to create great quality marketing content that can attract, engage and attain, all at once, instead of step by step.

For more information and advice about web marketing, get in touch with the experts today, here at Pumpkin Web Design.