Advertising is a lot like online dating.

It all starts with a great first impression. That little spark that builds over a glass of wine (or three). A flirty look or two.

If that first date goes well, you might meet up again. If you’re both feeling it, you’ll get to know each other better - and eventually after some time, make it official.

But just as the majority of us wouldn’t start planning our wedding, matching pillows and a future life together with someone we’ve met that night in a bar, we also don’t often buy from brands the very first time we see them.

Timing your advertising right can make all the difference to your brand’s sales. And just as a successful date can lead to a long-term relationship (or at least a night of passion!), it’s all about building up to the good stuff.

Here we explain exactly how you can segment your advertising into the top, middle and bottom stages of the marketing funnel to nail your brand’s dating game.

Let the profile swiping commence…

Top of the Funnel Advertising: AKA The First Date

Imagine you’ve just been targeted by a skincare brand you’ve never heard of promising to reverse your skin’s ageing by 10 years AND keep you wrinkle-free until you’re 75. Would you buy from them straight away? It’s unlikely. They’re promising something that sounds too good to be true - and for a first impression, it’s a pretty forward one.

Your top of the funnel ads are your metaphorical first date - the first time that someone has ever seen your brand.

Now is not the time to be pushy and show your potential match that weird birthmark on your back or tell them about your secret doll collection. At this stage, you’re not selling anything. You’re just talking to your audience and testing the waters.

Brand awareness and high brand visibility for a low cost are your aims. Keep your content light, entertaining and above all, engaging. Just as you might have to date a lot of people to find the one person who you’ll get serious with, these brand awareness ads should be kept broad and appeal to a wider audience.

Show your brand’s USPs and address a problem they might be facing and how your product alleviates it. If social media advertising is your main driver of traffic, then don’t be afraid to jump on relevant trends or particular marketing calendar dates to bring your brand to people’s attention.

Whilst most businesses only focus on the bottom of the funnel, these earlier stages are vital for platforms like Meta, TikTok and Snapchat to paint a better picture of who is most likely to convert. Without these early touchpoints, it’ll be a lot harder to sell to your target audience later on.

This top of the funnel stage will not be a fast track to sales, but it’s a surefire way to build your brand for a much cheaper cost.

Top of the Funnel Ad Content Ideas:

• Brand story videos / “who we are” content
• Social media trends with your brand’s unique twist
• USP spotlights
• Mission statement and goals
• Influencer content
• CTAs focused around “Learn More”, not just “Shop Now”

Middle of the Funnel Advertising: AKA The Second/Third Date

Now that your customers recognise your brand, you need to show them why they should buy from you. Your middle of the funnel advertising is the ‘getting to know you’ stage.

Detailed reviews, user-generated content (UGC) and engaging blog content all work to build confidence in your brand and show how you stand out against competitors. Comparison charts or graphs work well to show that they’re making an informed purchase decision.

Address any particular concerns that they might have about shopping with you. Do you offer free returns, for example? Do you offer size guides or have a 24/7 customer support team for any questions? Have you won any awards or accolades that back up your product’s claims?

Collection ads work well here to show a variety of products and help customers drill down to the products that are most appealing to them. Avoid going too product specific at this point - instead keep your customer’s options open and show exactly how your products and brand could benefit them.

Middle of the Funnel Ad Content Ideas:

• Behind the scenes videos
• “What we do” content
• How-to guides or educational pieces linking to blog content
• Awards / industry certifications
• Statistics about your product or its results
• Comparison charts or tables showcasing you versus competitors
• User-generated content (styling videos, reviews)
• Collection/carousel ads to show broader product range

Bottom of the Funnel Advertising: AKA The Grand Finale

The bottom of the funnel is the moment you’ve all been waiting for. The grand finale when two become one (customer and brand, that is) and you finally get those all-important sales in.

At this point, your customers have been accustomed to seeing your brand’s content and should have a good idea of what you sell and whether they’re interested in buying or not.

Here is where you need to retarget your most engaged customers with an offer they can’t refuse. Bring out the big guns. Free shipping, a BOGOF discount, or a sign-up offer all work to get those customers who’ve had their eye on you for a while across the line.

Dynamic ads work better here, as social platforms will pull through content and products directly tailored to that particular customer that they’ve clicked on previously or are likely to be most interested in. These ads might be less USP specific, and more about putting your offers front and centre.

Bottom of the Funnel Ad Content Ideas:

• Specific product videos with a special discount
• FOMO based discounts - time-sensitive, “Buy NOW” incentives
• Discount codes
• Sign-up offers
• Shipping offers

Rather than targeting people who have never heard of your brand before, this funnel will be nicely focused on those who are most likely to convert. Remove any final bottlenecks and remind them how easy it is for them to shop with you, and don’t forget to include a direct CTA to prompt them to shop.

Now it’s finally time for you to relax, congratulate yourself on your impressive marketing funnel and watch those sales roll in.

Dating? You’ve completed it, mate.

Time to maximise your paid media marketing funnel? As Google Premier Partners and Meta Partners, it’s our job to get you there. Speak to our paid media team about strategising for success today.

‍