Blog

What’s a Funnel?

A funnel is simply the journey someone takes from first noticing you to taking a next step with you.

Here’s a very everyday example.

You’re scrolling Facebook and come across someone whose posts you quite like. You follow them. Over time, their posts interest you more, so you click through to their website and join their email list, maybe for a free guide or some useful tips they share.

From the emails they send, they mention a course that feels relevant to you. You’re already familiar with them, you trust what they share, so you decide to buy.

That whole journey, from scrolling, to following, to joining a list, to buying, is a simple funnel from start to finish.

Another example.

You’re walking past a shop and spot a gorgeous jumper in the window. You buy it. Inside the bag is a business card with a QR code that says sign up to our mailing list, so you do.

Months later, you’re still wearing that jumper and loving it. An email lands in your inbox, 20% off all jumpers for Black Friday. You had completely forgotten about the shop, but now you’re reminded. You head back to the website and buy another jumper.

That’s also a funnel.

No pressure. No hard selling. Just a natural journey over time.

What else are funnels used for?

Funnels don’t stop at freebies or email sign ups. They are used anywhere you want to guide someone from interest to action, in a clear, intentional way.

For example, you might already have email subscribers and want to sell a course.

They click a link in your email and land on the course sales page. While they’re there, they’re shown an optional extra, maybe a workbook or a book that goes perfectly with the course.

Some people want it and buy both.
Some don’t and just buy the course.

Either way, payment is taken, they land on a thank you page, and from there they’re automatically guided into the next steps.

That’s still a funnel.

Where automations fit in

Once someone takes an action, like signing up, buying, or booking, they often go into an automation.

Automations are what make funnels work quietly in the background.

They can:

Send confirmation and welcome emails
Deliver downloads or course access
Share next steps or helpful information
Onboard someone into a membership
Follow up after a purchase
Move people into the right place without you doing it manually

You don’t need complicated automations to have a funnel. Even a single welcome email counts.

If you want to go deeper into this side of things, I explain automations properly here:
(link to automation blog)

Funnels are not about forcing sales

This part matters.

A funnel isn’t about pushing people to buy things they don’t want. It’s about making the journey clear and easy for people who already like what you do.

Good funnels:

Reduce confusion
Save time
Help people find what’s right for them
Make sure no one falls through the cracks

They work because they follow natural human behaviour, curiosity, trust, timing, and reminders.

Simple funnels are usually the best place to start

Most people think funnels have to be complicated. They don’t.

A simple funnel might be:

A social post
A free download
A few helpful emails
One clear offer

That’s enough.

You can always add layers later, extra emails, optional add ons, different paths depending on what someone clicks. But starting simple makes everything easier to manage, easier to understand, and easier to fix if something isn’t working.

At their core, funnels are just about guiding people from one step to the next, without relying on memory, manual chasing, or constant posting.