Top Funnel Marketing: Converting Visitors into Leads to Fuel Your Sales Cycle

Guest Presenter: Spencer Mercy 00:00:00

• The guest presenter, Spencer Mercy, is the founder and Senior strategist of Brilliant Setups, a third-party professional listed in the Brilliant Directories Marketplace.
• Spencer has previously presented on strategies to help grow membership websites, including introducing upsells into pricing strategies and clarifying the value offered to prospective members.
• A link to Spencer's previous presentation is shared in the chat for viewers to access after the webinar.

About Spencer 00:01:09

• The speaker introduces himself as Spencer Mercy.
• He is the founder and Senior strategist at Brilliant Setups.
• Brilliant Setups specializes in working with the Brilliant Directory platform, focusing on sales and lead generation for brands that utilize the platform.

Case Study 00:01:25

• The International [[Teaching English as a second or foreign language | TEFL]] [[Academy]] [[Costa Rica]] (ITA Costa Rica) offers TEFL accreditation courses for native [[English language | English]] speakers who want to teach and travel around the world.
• ITA Costa Rica's website features a homepage that educates potential students about the brand and offers resources to engage them.
• The homepage includes calls to action for [[Lead magnesium niobate | lead magnets]], information about the location and courses, and testimonials from graduates, building trust and credibility.

BD as the Top Funnel of the Sales Cycle 00:03:15

• Brilliant Directories (BD) is used as a top funnel marketing tool.
• BD is used for lead magnets, content creation, [[Landing page | landing pages]], email capture, company mission statements, and workflow initiation.
• BD is not used for membership signups, searchable directories, member reviews, or payment processing.

What Is a Sales Funnel? 00:04:11

• A sales funnel is a visual representation of the customer journey, outlining the stages a customer goes through from initial awareness to purchase.
• The funnel typically starts with awareness and interest phases, where potential customers are introduced to a product or service through [[Lead magnesium niobate | lead magnets]], free trials, or other marketing efforts.
• The intent phase involves nurturing potential customers by providing them with information and education about the product or service, building their understanding and interest.
• The evaluation and action stages focus on building confidence in the product or service, highlighting its benefits and value proposition, and encouraging customers to take action, such as making a purchase.
• The final stage is the action stage, where customers make a purchase and potentially explore upselling opportunities.

Challenge: More Leads that Close 00:05:16

• The text discusses a challenge faced by the International [[Teaching English as a second or foreign language | TEFL]] [[Academy]] [[Costa Rica]]: generating more qualified leads that align with their target persona.
• The Academy initially used a lead magnet that compared different teaching locations, but it wasn't specific to Costa Rica.
• To address this, they created a new lead magnet specifically focused on Costa Rica and the Academy's courses and products. This lead magnet includes a description of what potential teachers can expect and features brands that have featured content from the Academy.
• The text highlights the use of Brilliant Directories as a top funnel marketing tool, emphasizing its versatility in creating [[Landing page | landing pages]], calls to action, and engaging content.
• The text also mentions the integration of [[Zapier]], [[ActiveCampaign]], and [[HubSpot]] to automate email marketing and manage sales pipelines.
• Zapier is used to capture lead information from the lead magnet and send it to ActiveCampaign for email automation.
• HubSpot is used for managing sales pipelines, open and click rates, and other sales-related activities.

Why BD Is the Top Funnel Content Hub 00:10:00

• Brilliant Directories (BD) can be used as a top funnel content hub.
• BD websites are designed to generate awareness and interest in a product or service.
• BD websites can feature content such as ebooks, infographics, courses, events, blog articles, and other content.
• BD websites can be used to showcase past and upcoming events.
• BD websites can be used to list out courses offered.
• BD websites can be used to showcase blog articles and other content.
• BD websites can be used to create a content hub for the top funnel.

Types of Content to Attract Website Visitors 00:11:35

• [[Lead magnesium niobate | Lead magnets]] can be used to attract website visitors. A lead magnet is an incentive offered in exchange for contact information, such as an email address. The example provided is a downloadable starter kit for a [[Teaching English as a second or foreign language | TEFL]] certification program.
• Lead magnets should be designed to provide value to the potential customer. The starter kit includes information about the program, testimonials, and a form to collect information from potential students. The form includes questions about the potential student's education level, citizenship, and desired program type.
• Lead magnets can be tailored to specific audiences. The example provided includes a form with questions designed to qualify leads for the sales team. The form includes questions about the potential student's education level and citizenship, which are important factors for determining eligibility for the program.
• Surveys can be used to gather information about potential customers and their needs. This information can be used to create high-quality lead magnets that address the specific concerns of the target audience. The example provided is a lead magnet that addresses the questions that potential TEFL teachers have about living and working in [[Costa Rica]].
• There are many tools available to help create lead magnets. These tools can help with tasks such as writing content, designing graphics, and creating PDFs.

Businesses That Can Benefit from This Process 00:20:20

• The use of brilliant directories as a top-of-the-funnel marketing tool is effective for businesses in the travel industry, specifically for ITA Costa Rica.
• This strategy can be applied to various industries, particularly those selling products, courses, and services.
• Brilliant directories provide a platform for businesses to utilize [[Lead magnesium niobate | lead magnets]], calls to action, and visually appealing [[Landing page | landing pages]] to attract potential customers.

Conclusion 00:21:01

• The speaker emphasizes that Brilliant Directories is being used in a unique way, not for a membership site or business directory, but for creating custom forms, landing pages, and compelling content.
• The speaker highlights that Brilliant Directories serves as a content hub, with automations triggered after form submissions.
• The speaker encourages viewers to reach out for further information and directs them to additional resources, including videos on email automation and a sales course.