Conversion Funnel

When it comes to social media, 'conversion funnel' is a fancy and somewhat new label for a basic marketing concept. As with any well-known concept, marketers and agencies have stretched 'conversion funnel' into a catchphrase to make it sound more important and to give it more of an air of authority.

What 'conversion funnel' means in plain English is this: It is the step-by-step process that helps some users (not all users) go from the very first time they see or hear about a brand, product, or service to the time when they take some kind of measurable action that represents a very reliable sign of interest, intent, or commitment (we call those signs 'conversions'). In online marketing, the term 'conversion' usually means that a person has made a purchase, but for some brands, 'conversion' can also mean that a person has done other things that show they are very engaged, invested, or interested in a brand (e.g., signing up for a newsletter, filling out a form, and making all sorts of nice promises that they will abide by what they said in the form).