Lead Generation Funnel Tips

Do you want to learn how to set up a lead generation funnel the right way? This blog post can help. Getting potential customers to notice your business isn’t about luck. You need a solid lead generation strategy to make this happen. A lead generation funnel is a core part of this strategy, engaging your audience and driving them to convert into leads. If you’re struggling to build this funnel on your own, don’t worry. We’ve created a super simple step-by-step tutorial on how to create an engaging lead generation funnel and optimize it for maximum conversions.

What Is a Lead Generation Funnel?

A lead generation funnel serves as a vehicle to turn your target audience into new leads. It’s a core part of any digital marketing strategy and when done right, helps you capture quality leads who are interested in your business. Sometimes, your audience isn’t ready to buy from your business, but they may be willing to learn more about what you have to offer. This type of funnel is usually a supporting element in your overall sales pipeline (also known as a sales or lead funnel), capturing capture these curious visitors and adds them to your email list. This is where you get to engage with them further, through personalized email campaigns, and get them to convert into paying customers.

Important Elements of a Lead Generation Funnel

To build an effective lead gen funnel, you’ll need the following:

1. Lead Magnet: This is your initial offer to attract potential customers.
2. Email Marketing Service: You need to send your leads to an email marketing platform, where you’ll continue to engage them until they’re ready to convert.
3. Landing Page: Your landing page needs to be clear and focused on directing your visitors to take action.
4. Opt-in (or Lead Capture) Form: This is where your leads submit their information in exchange for a lead magnet.
5. Confirmation Page: This page appears after a visitor has submitted their information. It lets them know their submission was successful and lets them know what to expect next.
6. Download Page: If your lead magnet is a downloadable item, this page is where your visitors can access their files.

Every component in your lead generation funnel plays an important role in capturing leads and moving them through their journey. You need to make sure every element is well-crafted and seamlessly integrated with one another.

How to Set Up a Lead Generation Funnel (Step-By-Step)

This section walks you through the key steps to building an engaging lead gen funnel. Let’s dive in.

Step 1: Download & Install Thrive Architect

Thrive Suite is the best landing page plugin for WordPress users. This plugin provides you with a large selection of customizable page templates and a drag-and-drop editor to tailor them to match your branding. Thrive Architect was built with ease of use and convenience in mind, making it an ideal option for both beginners and advanced WordPress users.

Step 2: Create Your Lead Magnet

The content and messaging in your lead gen funnel are focused on getting your potential leads to opt-in and get your lead magnet. If you haven’t got an offer to promote, you’ll need to create one first. Your lead magnet should target a specific stage of your overarching sales funnel.

Sales Funnel Stage Breakdown:

• Brand Awareness stage (TOFU): Your audience has just discovered your business and wants to learn more. Ideal lead magnets for this first stage include: eBooks, checklists, industry reports, and high-quality blog posts.
• Consideration stage (MOFU): Your audience is aware of their problem or need, and are still trying to work out if you can help them. Use a lead magnet here to nurture their interest and build credibility. Suggested lead magnets include webinars, case studies, free trials, or templates.
• Conversion stage (BOFU): At this stage, your qualified leads are ready to buy and need a push in that direction. Good lead magnets (or incentives) for this stage are discounts, product demos, and free consultations.

For an effective lead generation strategy, you must create your offers and funnels with a specific funnel stage in mind. This will also help form a successful sales process because you’re targeting the right people.

Step 3: Create and Customize Your Landing Page

In the WordPress dashboard, click “Add New” and select “Page”. Name your page and click the green “Launch Thrive Architect” button. Thrive Architect will provide you with four options: Normal Page, Blank Page with Header and Footer, Completely Blank Page, and Pre-built Landing Pages. We recommend choosing the “Pre-built Landing Page” option. In the Landing Page Library, browse through our template sets and select the one you like the most. Each set comes with page templates that serve specific purposes. In the left sidebar, click “Lead Generation” and load the template. Customize the template by replacing the placeholder text and images with your own content. Don’t forget to save your landing page design.

Step 4: Create a Confirmation Page

Create another page in the WordPress dashboard and Launch Thrive Architect. Select “Pre-Built Landing Page”. For consistency, we recommend using page templates from the same set. Search for the “Confirmation Page” template and select it. Customize the template by replacing the placeholder text and images with your own content. Save your page.

Step 5: Create a Thank You/Download Page

Create another page in WordPress, launch Thrive Architect, and select the “Thank You” page template from your landing page set of choice. Customize the template by replacing the placeholder text and images with your own content. Save your page.

Step 6: Configure Your Email Provider

Configure your email provider so that a confirmation email is sent and when clicking on the link in the email, your subscribers are redirected to the download page. Be sure to create a follow-up email sequence to engage your new leads and build a relationship with them. This strategy is a key part of the lead nurturing process.

Step 7: Connect Your Email Marketing Service to Your Landing Page

Connect your email service through API. Go to your Lead Generation landing page and click on the opt-in form. In the sidebar, click on “Connect form with service” and follow the set-up wizard. You’ll be able to configure the fields you want to show and select the action after opt-in. This action will redirect to the URL of your confirmation page. Your whole funnel is set up and working!

Bonus: Segment Your Leads with a Quiz Lead Magnet

If you’re looking for a creative way to engage your audience and get a deeper look into their interests, you should consider using a quiz as a lead magnet. Quizzes help you gain personalized insights from your audience, allowing you to categorize your leads into different segments. Thrive Quiz Builder is an excellent choice for creating online quizzes to engage your audience and boost your lead generation efforts.

Start Generating Leads Today

And there you have it! With this tutorial, you can easily build an engaging lead generation funnel to grow your email list and, eventually, generate sales. And you can do it all by yourself — no need for an expert sales team or marketing team. Thrive Architect is a powerful funnel-building tool and provides you with everything you need to create stunning landing pages. But if you want to take your funnels to the next level and boost your conversion rates, you need Thrive Suite.