Sep 1, 2024

How to Create a Facebook Sales Funnel for Your Startup

Let’s get one thing straight—Facebook isn’t just for cat videos and family reunions anymore. It’s a the backbone for building a sales funnel that can turn curious scrollers into loyal customers. But only if you know how to work it. Spoiler alert: we’re about to show you exactly how.

Before we dive into the details, here are some recent insights:Facebook now has a whopping 3.07 billion active users monthly. That’s 37.90% of the world’s population and a staggering 60.91% of internet users. Imagine that! And while Gen Z might not be the biggest fans of Facebook, guess where their parents (you know, the ones with the money) are? That’s right—they’re on Facebook. So, even if your main target audience is Gen Z, you can still use Facebook to drive sales by reaching those who influence their purchasing decisions.

Now, how can you tap into this massive audience? A strategic combination of organic content and Facebook ads is your ticket. But to really make this work, you need a Facebook sales funnel. Without it, your conversions are scattered, your targeting is too broad (remember, targeting everyone means targeting no one), and you might be delivering the right information at the wrong stage of the buyer’s journey. Not exactly a recipe for success.

So, what’s a Facebook sales funnel? It’s a path that guides Facebook users toward a specific action—making a purchase. Unlike traditional sales funnels, this one is laser-focused on converting Facebook users. The funnel is divided into three parts: Top of the Funnel (TOFU), Middle of the Funnel (MOFU), and Bottom of the Funnel (BOFU). Let’s break down each stage.

Image by Rebel Republique

1. Top of the Funnel (TOFU): Warming Up Your Audience

The Top of the Funnel, or TOFU, is where the journey begins. Think of it as the “Awareness” stage. At this point, your audience doesn’t know your product or service exists. But they do know they have a problem that needs solving. This is where you come in—not as a pushy salesperson, but as a helpful guide.

Your goal at the TOFU stage is to introduce your brand and start building a connection. How? By providing valuable, educational, and engaging content that addresses the pain points your audience is facing. This could be in the form of blog posts, tips shared on your Facebook page, or eye-catching ads that grab attention and build brand awareness.

Pro Tip: Avoid being overly salesy at this stage. People aren’t ready to buy yet—they’re just starting to explore. Instead, focus on being helpful. Think of it like making a new friend; you wouldn’t ask them for a favor right away. You’d get to know them first.

2. Middle of the Funnel (MOFU): Nurturing and Building Interest

Once your audience knows who you are, it’s time to move them to the Middle of the Funnel (MOFU), also known as the “Consideration” stage. Here, your job is to deepen the relationship and nurture the growing interest in your brand. You’ve caught their attention—now you need to keep it.

The MOFU stage is about getting your audience to consider making a purchase. You do this by providing more in-depth content that showcases your expertise and the unique value of your product or service. Think lead magnets like free eBooks, whitepapers, or webinars. In exchange for their contact information (hello, future marketing opportunities!), you’re giving them something they find valuable.

Pro Tip: This is where lead ads stand out. By offering a freebie in exchange for an email address, you’re not just getting a lead—you’re starting a conversation. Use the contact details you gather to further nurture these leads through email campaigns and retargeting ads. The key here is consistency and relevance—keep providing value, and they’ll keep moving down the funnel.

3. Bottom of the Funnel (BOFU): Driving Conversions

Welcome to the Bottom of the Funnel (BOFU), where the magic happens. This is the “Conversion” stage, and your goal here is simple: get your prospects to take action. Whether that’s making a purchase, signing up for a service, or visiting your store, here you want to seal the deal.

By now, your audience knows who you are, understands what you offer, and is considering how your product or service can solve their problem. So now you can approach them with compelling offers such as limited-time discounts, exclusive deals, or free trials. These incentives are designed to tip them over the edge from “thinking about it” to “let’s do this.”

Pro Tip: Positive buying experiences at this stage can turn your customers into loyal brand advocates. And guess what? They’ll start the cycle all over again, bringing in new referrals to fill the top of your funnel. The better the experience, the more likely they are to share your brand with others.

Now, to the more interesting part that we know you’ve been waiting for: building your own sales funnels. 

Steps on How to Build Your Own Facebook Sales Funnel for a Startup

Image by Liza Summer
Step 1: Create Segmented Content

To start, you need a variety of content types at your disposal. Whether it’s an epic blog post, an engaging video, a visually stunning infographic, or a value-packed eBook, your content must be high-quality, relevant, and tailored to the specific needs of your audience. Different people are at different stages of the buying journey—some are just researching, while others are ready to make a purchase. Your content should cater to all these levels, ensuring you’ve got something that resonates with each segment.

And here’s the kicker: make sure this content lives on your website. Why? Because when it’s time to retarget these leads and pull them deeper into your funnel, you’ll want them to revisit your site where all the magic happens.

Step 2: Promote Content to Your Warm Audience

Now that you’ve got your content lined up, it’s time to promote it to those who are already somewhat familiar with your brand—your “warm” audience. These are people who’ve interacted with your content before, whether they’re existing Facebook fans or visitors from your website’s retargeting list. Focus on understanding which pieces of content lead to the most engagement and, ultimately, the most conversions. If your warm audience loves it, your cold audience will too.

Step 3: Target Lookalike Audiences

Once you’ve nailed down what works for your warm audience, it’s time to expand your reach. This is where Facebook’s Lookalike Audiences, a game-changing feature that lets you target people who resemble your current customers, site visitors, or Page fans, comes into play. Facebook’s Lookalike Audiences, are cold prospects with similar interests and behaviors as your warm audience as such you can use them as prime candidates for conversion. By creating this category of audience in Facebook Ads Manager, you are essentially tapping into a new pool of potential leads who are likely to warm up quickly to your brand.

Step 4: Promote Your Best Content

You’ve identified your outstanding content—the pieces that resonated most with your warm audience. Now, take that content and promote it to your Lookalike Audiences. The goal here is to move these cold leads further down your sales funnel, transforming them into warm leads who are aware of your brand and interested in what you have to offer.

Step 5: Effective Remarketing

Here’s the deal—most people won’t convert the first time they see your content. That’s where remarketing comes in. By repeatedly exposing your cold audience to your brand through targeted ads, you can gradually warm them up and move them closer to making a purchase. Facebook is the perfect platform for this, allowing you to stay top-of-mind without being intrusive.

Step 6: Using the Facebook Pixel

To get the most out of your remarketing efforts, you’ll want to use the Facebook Pixel. This handy tool tracks visitors to your website and allows you to retarget them with specific ads designed to bring them back to complete a purchase. Setting up the Pixel on your site is straightforward and a must-do for any serious Facebook marketer or startup.

Step 7: Remarketing with a Video

One of the most effective ways to warm up your leads is through video remarketing. If someone has already engaged with your content—like watching a video or reading a blog post—nudge them with a follow-up video ad. This helps build a deeper connection by putting a face to your brand and encouraging them to explore more. It’s not about pushing for a sale right away but about nurturing the relationship.

Step 8: Remarketing Again

Even after a few touchpoints, not everyone will convert. That’s okay—just means you need to keep the conversation going. Create another remarketing ad aimed at those who didn’t convert, offering them an incentive to join your email list or check out an additional resource. Once they’re on your list, you can continue nurturing them through email until they’re ready to buy.

Step 9: Warming Up Your Leads Even More

So, you’ve got some leads on your email list, but not everyone is opening your emails. Time to step it up. Create an ad that highlights the full benefits of your product or service, addressing any objections they might have. Testimonials, detailed product features, or endorsements from trusted figures can help build credibility and push them closer to conversion.

Step 10: The Hard Sell

Now comes the final push—the hard sell. This is where you directly target those who have engaged with your content, used a free trial, or downloaded your eBook but haven’t yet made a purchase. A personalized video ad works wonders here, directly addressing why they should buy now. By this point, they’re familiar with your brand, warmed up, and ready to take the plunge.

And, that’s all you need.

But remember, creating a Facebook sales funnel isn’t just about setting up some ads and hoping for the best. It’s about strategically guiding your audience from “Who are you?” to “Shut up and take my money!” You’ve got this—just remember to stay bold, stay real, and keep pushing the envelope. Your startup deserves nothing less.