Forget everything you know about the marketing funnel.
Today, people are no longer following a linear path from awareness to consideration to purchase. They are narrowing and broadening their consideration set in unique and unpredictable moments. People turn to their devices to get immediate answers. And every time they do, they are expressing intent and reshaping the traditional marketing funnel along the way.
So how has the marketing funnel changed exactly? In the last six months, Google looked at thousands of users’ clickstream data as part of an opt-in panel. And we found that no two customer journeys are exactly alike. In fact, even within the same category, journeys take multiple shapes.
Researching the best brands — and beyond
For some people, research is paramount — and their journey widens and narrows as they not only consider multiple brands but entire categories. Jill turns to search to first learn about hypoallergenic makeup. And though she eventually narrows her search to a brand, her journey doesn’t stop there. It widens and narrows a few times, as she considers a few other brands before ultimately heading in-store to purchase. – read more
