If it feels like the \u201cB2B marketing funnel\u201d concept has been around forever, you\u2019re not far off.<\/p>\n\n
In 1898, advertising pioneer Elias St. Elmo Lewis created the AIDA model<\/a>, laying the foundation for the funnel we marketers use every day. While the idea of selling something to someone is as old as humanity, the modern funnel framework helps standardize \u2014 and improve \u2014 a buyer\u2019s experience.<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n What does it take to build a funnel? And how do you know it\u2019s working? Let\u2019s join other marketing experts and find out.<\/p>\n Table of Contents<\/strong><\/p>\n What is the B2B marketing funnel?<\/a> <\/a> <\/p>\n The B2B marketing funnel is a framework that charts the journey a business-to-business buyer takes to purchase a product or service. It gives marketers a structure on how they understand their audiences\u2019 needs and then position content and experiences to meet those needs.<\/p>\n Typically, selling to businesses usually takes much more time, requires more complexity, and involves more buyers and sellers than consumers require. You might see more of a funnel take shape with larger consumer purchases, like cars or housing. But, people aren\u2019t often meeting in committees for weeks to buy paper towels or ground beef.<\/p>\n In a B2B selling process, you\u2019re managing more user needs and touch points. That\u2019s where the marketing funnel framework<\/a> helps standardize a company\u2019s approach.<\/p>\n It defines specific stages and the activities that nurture potential buyers at each stage. Over time, data and feedback help you optimize your funnel to deliver more compelling buying experiences \u2014 and help close more deals.<\/p>\n <\/a> <\/p>\n The B2B buying committee grew to an average of 11 members in 2024 \u2014 with some as large as 20 buyers or more. (The Drum<\/a>) Using social media DMs (direct messages) for customer service. 90% of marketers report their experiences are at least somewhat personalized, with moderate or serious increases in sales coming from personalization. (HubSpot<\/a>) <\/a> <\/p>\n The stage names may be different, but the intent is the same: to lay out a path for a prospect to go from unknown to sold. Let\u2019s see what\u2019s happening each step of the way.<\/p>\n I\u2019ve asked several marketers to weigh in here and share marketers\u2019 most common pitfalls in funnel design and deployment.<\/p>\n You may see this stage called \u201ctop-of-funnel,\u201d \u201cTOFU,\u201d or \u201cawareness,\u201d but it\u2019s all the same thing. This stage marks the beginning of your prospect\u2019s journey with your company\u2019s marketing.<\/p>\n The goal of TOFU is to help the lead realize they have a problem and start looking into solving that problem.<\/p>\n For instance, managing content teams usually means managing a bunch of hyperlinks and floating deadlines. Perhaps you\u2019ve used a spreadsheet or a super-long Google Doc to do that. Marketing content should show that this pain exists and explain why you can fix it for these stressed-out content teams.<\/p>\n Remember: In a B2B marketing funnel, you have several buyers working in concert within a company. You need a few different appeals to reach buyers, living the pain, managing the pain, and deciding on spending money to solve the pain.<\/p>\n At the middle of the funnel (MOFU), leads are evaluating different vendors, comparing solutions, and seeking educational content. They want to know their options and figure out the best one for their business.<\/p>\n The goal of MOFU is to stand out from the competition as the best option for your buyer<\/em>. That doesn\u2019t mean just saying you\u2019re \u201cthe best.\u201d Rather, it\u2019s about showing that you\u2019re able, willing, and qualified to solve their problem.<\/p>\n Eugene Mischenko<\/a>, President of the E-Commerce & Digital Marketing Association<\/a>, feels that MOFU content often misses that problem-solving mark.<\/p>\n \u201cOne common mistake is failing to provide targeted, value-driven content that aligns with the prospect’s needs and decision-making criteria,\u201d said Mischenko.<\/p>\n Mischenko notes that marketers either bombard prospects with overly promotional content or neglect them altogether, assuming the initial lead magnet or sales pitch is enough to push them down the funnel.<\/p>\n \u201cThis can create a disconnect and leave prospects without the information they need to make an informed decision,\u201d Mischenko says.<\/p>\n It\u2019s that balance between too much and too little that Mischenko cautions marketers to assess deeply.<\/p>\n \u201cThe key to addressing the challenges of the middle funnel is understanding that this stage requires education, trust-building, and alignment with the prospect’s needs,\u201d he said. \u201cProviding tailored, insightful content and maintaining consistent, non-intrusive communication are essential to moving prospects toward a confident purchasing decision.\u201d<\/p>\n Sai Sathish<\/a>, a B2B marketing leader at ConsaInsights<\/a>, shares a similar sentiment.<\/p>\n \u201cThe key is understanding that B2B buyers need evidence-based reassurance and personalized support during evaluation. Success comes from mapping content and interactions to specific buyer concerns, maintaining consistent engagement without overwhelming prospects, and providing clear value demonstrations aligned with their business objectives.\u201d<\/p>\n Sathish notes that making it an educational process leads to better outcomes: \u201cBy focusing on educational content that addresses specific pain points and offering tools that help prospects build internal business cases, marketers can transform the evaluation stage from a bottleneck into a powerful conversion driver.\u201d<\/p>\n At the bottom of the funnel (BOFU), leads are narrowing their options and are looking for proof they\u2019re making the right choice. Your marketing content should provide them with satisfaction in their selection and help them make any final decisions internally.<\/p>\n Noel Griffith<\/a>, CMO of SupplyGem<\/a>, says that marketers can get ahead of themselves at this stage and to stay vigilant on prospects\u2019 needs.<\/p>\n \u201cMany marketers assume that once a lead reaches this point, the heavy lifting is done, and they focus solely on closing the sale. The mistake lies in neglecting to address lingering objections or failing to provide the final reassurance prospects need to commit,\u201d said Griffith.<\/p>\n Griffith says the decision stage isn\u2018t just about pushing for the close \u2014 it\u2019s about providing clarity and trust. \u201cBy addressing objections head-on and offering personalized support, you can turn hesitations into commitments and drive stronger results at the end of the funnel,\u201d Griffith says.<\/p>\n Offering clarity helps you convert leads and equip sales to close the deal and turn prospects into customers.<\/p>\n Sales usually handles closing deals and handling negotiations, contracts, and procurement. But, marketers can support this process and provide content to nurture the relationship once the deal is done through:<\/p>\n Onboarding materials to start the relationship on the right foot. While customers might not go through the marketing funnel again, you can transform them into brand advocates who help champion your product to others.<\/p>\n <\/a> <\/p>\n Ready to get your marketing funnel up and running? Let\u2019s walk through the steps you need to get started.<\/p>\n If you don\u2019t know who wants to buy your product or service, how are you going to market to them? A well-constructed marketing funnel can attract all kinds of people, but if you\u2019re grabbing the wrong crowd, you\u2019re wasting time and money.<\/p>\n Start by defining your buyer persona<\/a>. It\u2019s different from a B2C persona, where you\u2019re researching demographic data like age and income level or interests. But, understanding your buyer at the company level becomes key to making it work:<\/p>\n What industry are they in? And how much revenue are they generating? Chat with sales and customer support team members, too. Find out what common objections and questions pop up during the sales cycle. That information verifies your persona development.<\/p>\n With a buying audience in hand, you then need to outline the process that buyer undergoes during their buying journey. The key stages in this process become the map to form your funnel.<\/p>\n Most often, you\u2019ll find this journey breaks down into TOFU, MOFU, and BOFU. From there, define how you\u2019ll know when a lead moves into each funnel segment. For example, a lead that downloads a research report and visits your pricing page is likely ready to move to BOFU and a sales conversation. These \u201cmarketing-qualified leads<\/a>\u201d (MQLs) are a big part of measuring funnel success.<\/p>\n The average B2B buyer engages with 3-7 pieces of marketing content<\/a> before even talking to the sales team. You need to get these buyers the right information at the right time to make an impact.<\/p>\n What does that look like in the marketing funnel? Typically, content breaks down like:<\/p>\n TOFU<\/strong> \u2014 Blog posts, LinkedIn thought leadership, videos focused on awareness (who we are and what we do). <\/p>\n MOFU<\/strong> \u2014 Webinars, case studies, whitepapers, comparison guides, and emails. <\/p>\n BOFU<\/strong> \u2014 Pricing pages, testimonials, and interactive elements like ROI calculators. <\/p>\n Timing matters. If your buyer is just starting their journey, they probably won\u2019t sit through an hour-long webinar on part of your solution. Be thoughtful about when you deliver these items; don\u2019t overwhelm them, but don\u2019t ghost them, either.<\/p>\n Pro tip:<\/strong>\u00a0We call that process “defining your content cadence.\u201d Check out our post on the content cadence<\/a> to set up yours.<\/p>\n You can have the best blog post ever. But, if it\u2019s not front and center for your buyer, it\u2019s useless. You need a strategy to distribute your content appropriately.<\/p>\n Part of this process is defining your marketing channels<\/a>. Our recent research shows that short-form video channels like Reels and YouTube Shorts, influencer marketing, and SEO remain the top targeted channels. B2B marketers are also focused on their websites, blog channels, and email newsletters.<\/p>\n Also, assess your split between organic and paid<\/a> opportunities. SEO drives organic search traffic, but with AI changing how Google and other search engines distribute content, it\u2019s worth thinking about paid advertising \u2014 especially for TOFU content. Google Ads and LinkedIn Ads are two great spots for B2B marketers to start.<\/p>\n Will these strategies work? How will you know? Before you fire off your first content piece, prepare to monitor your funnel.<\/p>\n A customer relationship management (CRM) tool<\/a> can help you track leads in your funnel and see where they might get stuck. Any tool should give you key metrics like traffic, lead conversion rates, and cost per acquisition (CPA).<\/p>\n Consider how you can use automation to help you do this more effectively. For example, you can schedule a sequence of emails to send to a prospect when they give you an email address. Don\u2019t bombard them (I\u2019ve seen sequences reach into the dozens<\/em> of emails), but give them enough useful information to decide on moving to the next step.<\/p>\n Pro tip:<\/strong>\u00a0HubSpot\u2019s free lead management and tracking software<\/a> helps you organize, prioritize, and engage prospects from one place.<\/p>\n Hopefully, you had helpful conversations with sales on what pain points and objections buyers raise. But, alignment doesn\u2019t end there \u2014 in fact, it\u2019s only begun.<\/p>\n Marketing should deliver high-quality leads, and sales should close deals. Aligning each department\u2019s goals, strategies, and tactics can lead to 24% faster growth rates and 27% faster profit growth<\/a> while strengthening your teams. How do you align?<\/p>\n Collaborate on defining MQLs and sales-qualified leads (SQLs), so everyone agrees when a lead is warm and ready. Communicate on where the lead flow is getting stuck and think through options. For example, sales might get colder leads than expected. Marketing can create more MOFU content to share success stories and get prospects more engaged for sales.<\/p>\n You\u2019ll take the best first guess when you build your funnel. But, times change, buyers change, and assumptions will be wrong. You\u2019ll need to iterate over time, using data and feedback to refine your stages, content, and distribution methods.<\/p>\n Optimize conversion rates by split-testing your landing pages<\/a>, emails, and calls to action. Survey your lost leads<\/a> to see why they didn\u2019t buy and what you could do better. <\/p>\n For instance, say your webinar series isn\u2019t leading to enough product demo requests. Maybe your webinar isn\u2019t compelling enough. Or, perhaps there\u2019s not enough follow-up happening with attendees. Approach this process like a scientist: hypothesize, test, and iterate.<\/p>\n Pro tip:<\/strong> HubSpot can help you track this information and make informed decisions on optimizing. See our latest video on a common challenge: driving leads with blogs<\/a>.<\/p>\n
\n B2B Marketing Funnel Stats<\/a>
\n B2B Marketing Funnel Stages<\/a>
\n How to Create a B2B Marketing Funnel<\/a>
\n B2B Marketing Funnel Example<\/a> <\/p>\nWhat is the B2B marketing funnel?<\/h2>\n
B2B Marketing Funnel Stats<\/h2>\n
\n Over 43% of marketers noted that focusing on the customer and their experience with your brand became more important this past year. (HubSpot<\/a>)
\n 34% of marketers say that Millennials (age 28-43) are the most difficult audience to reach with marketing content. Right behind them is Gen Z. (HubSpot<\/a>)
\n Top marketing trends teams are currently exploring (HubSpot<\/a>) <\/p>\n
\n Creating content that reflects your brand\u2019s values (e.g., social responsibility)
\n User-generated content.
\n Brand content bylined by or featuring industry experts (e.g., blogs, videos, media with first-hand expertise from your brand). <\/p>\n
\n Email marketing remains the highest-performing channel for 42% of B2B marketers, just behind in-person events and webinars. (Content Marketing Institute<\/a>)
\n Email marketing reigns supreme, with 34% of marketers using it in their strategies. (HubSpot<\/a>)
\n Website\/blog\/SEO (search engine optimization) is returning the biggest ROI for more marketers. (HubSpot<\/a>)
\n 67% of B2B marketing teams say they make top-of-funnel content the most often. (Databox<\/a>)
\n 65% of B2B buyers say short-form content like blog posts and infographics is the most engaging. (DemandGen Report<\/a>)
\n 56% of marketers say their biggest hurdles in measuring content success are the difficulty attributing ROI to content efforts and accurately tracking customer journeys. (Content Marketing Institute<\/a>) <\/p>\nB2B Marketing Funnel Stages<\/h2>\n
Top of the Funnel (Awareness Stage)<\/h3>\n
Middle of the Funnel (Consideration Stage)<\/h3>\n
Bottom of the Funnel (Decision Stage)<\/h3>\n
Purchase and Retention<\/h3>\n
\n Quarterly best practices webinars to help customers optimize their usage.
\n Case studies on premium features to enable sales to upsell customers. <\/p>\nHow to Create a B2B Marketing Funnel<\/h2>\n
Step 1: Learn about your buyer and their journey.<\/h3>\n
\n What are their pain points? What\u2019s hurting their business?
\n What challenges can you solve directly?
\n Who makes the final decision? And who informs that decision? <\/p>\nStep 2: Create your funnel.<\/h3>\n
Step 3: Make the right content.<\/h3>\n
Step 4: Craft your distribution strategy.<\/h3>\n
Step 5: Set up lead tracking and automation.<\/h3>\n
Step 6: Align marketing and sales.<\/h3>\n
\n Share data using CRM dashboards where everyone can see lead interactions.
\n Check in every 2-4 weeks to refine your processes. Meet often earlier and scale back as your funnel takes hold. <\/p>\nStep 7: Optimize your funnel.<\/h3>\n
\n Identify drop-off points where your leads disengage and leave your funnel. <\/p>\n