The marketing funnel - sometimes called the sales funnel, the purchase funnel, or the buyer’s journey, - is a fundamental concept in marketing for understanding the step by step process that consumers go through to make a purchasing decision.

The marketing funnel varies slightly depending on who you ask, with some steps added over time to include post-purchase steps. In some industries, the buying process is shorter than others, and so consumers move through steps more quickly. But the same basic model still exists.

For the next eight weeks, we will break down the marketing funnel step-by-step, elaborating on what each step in the process means and how marketers can use tried and true strategies to help move customers on the path to conversion.

To start, here is a quick overview of the marketing funnel we will be using.