Marketing Funnel Improvement

“Go simple” is my core belief for building a business. And for good reason — When you have simple operations, every aspect of your business becomes infinitely easier to manage (and scale, without sacrificing your free time). But sometimes I forget to take my own advice. And recently, on a call with my friend Olly Richards (founder of a $10M+ education business), I got a wake-up call. I was telling him all about the complicated funnels I had dreamed up for my newest course, The Creator MBA. - 3 different entry points - 7 different pathways - 10 different offers In other words, everything I’ve preached against. And, hilariously enough, my epiphany came when I literally couldn’t explain what I was trying to do to Olly. So he stopped me with a suggestion: “Why not start simple, so you can move faster and experiment with less friction?” It’s the exact same advice I’ve given to countless others. But I was so caught up with maximizing results, that I mixed up my focus with tunnel vision. So, I started over. And I ended up with... - One entrance point - One lead magnet - One sequence - One offer Simple as can be. With minimal variables, you limit the number of problems that can possibly happen. And when issues *do* crop up, you know exactly where to find (and fix) them. That’s why simple wins. A full breakdown of our conversation here: https://lnkd.in/e5DQ3vZi What's an over-complication you've made?

StepLadder grew 11X in 1 year by 𝘢𝘥𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 friction to their funnel. Here's how... With degrees from Wharton, Stanford and Oxford, plus 20 years in business and a previous startup, Matthew Addison and Lucy Mullins, did not lack brains or experience. Still, their startup was not growing, and nothing seemed to work. Their company Circles powered by StepLadder helps people save, together, to reach their financial goals faster. “𝗡𝗼𝗽𝗮𝗱𝗼𝗻 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗱 𝘂𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘄𝗲 𝗵𝗮𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗼𝗰𝘂𝘀" "The first thing we did in the SYSTM program was find our 'rate-limiting step,'  so we would know where to focus for the greatest impact,” Addison explained. “We realised our bottleneck was in the middle of the funnel. “Getting signups was easy, the hard part was getting people to actually commit and save money each month.” “We tried simplifying the flows, testing motivational emails, nothing worked." 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗶𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗽𝗶𝗲𝗰𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝘂𝘇𝘇𝗹𝗲 “Nopadon kept asking us 'what was holding them back?’ We couldn't improve activation until we understood why people weren't saving in the first place. Deleting form fields and turning buttons green wasn’t working.” "We interviewed customers and uncovered many blockers." "At each stage of the process, our customers had specific doubts and questions. We actually had good answers for all these questions, but we weren’t providing them.” "We started testing changes based on what we were hearing from customers." 𝗙𝗿𝗶𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗳𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗱 - 𝟭𝟬𝗫 𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 “To fix this, we actually added friction to the funnel. We added steps and questions to address customer doubts. Noom does this too, their signup is like 20 screens long, but those questions answer doubts and build intent.” “Our flows got longer, but they got better. Conversion to active eventually increased from 3% to 30%. That’s not a typo.” And o͟u͟r͟ ͟L͟T͟V͟/͟C͟A͟C͟ ͟g͟r͟e͟w͟ ͟f͟r͟o͟m͟ ͟0͟.͟4͟X͟ ͟t͟o͟ ͟5͟.͟5͟X͟, which is the difference between not having a business and having one in today’s funding environment. (The arrow on the graph shows when they joined the SYSTM programme) 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝗳𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗿 “There was no single magic change. We got these results from maybe 20 or 30 changes. But we tested hundreds. For us it was really about the pace of experimentation." It was also about courage. “Many of our biggest wins came from things we'd been afraid to try. We didn’t want to make flows longer, it felt like a bad idea." 𝗠𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘄 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗟𝘂𝗰𝘆’𝘀 𝗔𝗱𝘃𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗳𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀: “Now, when founders ask me for advice, I tell them three things: 1. Interview your customers 2. Run as many experiments as you can 3. As soon as you’re ready, apply to SYSTM." "I wish we’d applied a year earlier, that would have saved us $1M and a lot of aggravation." We’re now accepting applications for our Feb cohort https://lnkd.in/e8tysm7P

You’re posting on social media..but you’re not getting any inbound business from it. Then this post is for you. ↓ Every successful online builder is actively building an email list. Justin Welsh Simon Squibb Codie Sanchez Matt Gray Tim Denning Nick Huber Alex Hormozi etc, etc…. Why? NO ONE wants to be controlled by algorithms on social media = people want ownership AND Because email marketing is up to 40x more effective than social media when it comes to turning leads into customers. ✅ By owning an email list, you control how you reach your audience. ❌ Social media? Not so much. Social media algorithms are constantly changing, and you don't control those platforms. And don’t get me wrong, social media is a must to enable people to FIND you. But to convert people to clients: an email list is much more effective. With email, you’ve got a direct line to your people. You can nurture those relationships without relying on third-party platforms. No middleman, no algorithm changes. You’re talking straight with them. If you’re not building an email list, you’re missing out on one of the most effective ways to monetize your audience, and build a business. So, how do you go from having followers to building a loyal email list and turning them into paying customers? Here are a few actionable tips to get you started ↓ 1️⃣ Create Irresistible Lead Magnets Offer something of value in exchange for their email address. It can be a: - free guide - checklist - webinar - exclusive content …make sure it speaks directly to your audience’s pain points or desires. 2️⃣ Launch a newsletter on Beehiiv You can literally start one today. 3️⃣ Use Social Media to Promote Your Email List Don’t just share your lead magnet once → talk about it OFTEN. Tell your followers what they’re missing if they’re not on your list. Add some urgency or offer a bonus to get them to subscribe. Make it a part of your system. 4️⃣ Nurture with Consistent, Valuable Content Once they’re on your list, don’t just sell. Give them content they can actually use. And LEARN from. The more value you provide, the more trust you’ll build, and the more likely they are to buy from you down the line. Show people you understand them. Make yourself the go-to. Many people think they should do the opposite: Keep things behind a wall until people buy. ❌ That won’t build your business and it won’t build your email list. ✅ Share loads of value, and you will get more customers. 👉 Treat your emails list like an a$$et Treat your email list like the valuable asset it is. Ask for input. Encourage people to reach out. Make an effort to understand and respect people’s time. Don’t write super long essays (no on has time). Write newsletter editions people can skim read. Show up regularly in their inbox. Want examples how? 👉 Go here (it's free): https://lnkd.in/dUPYinYi

I just deleted 147 cold emails without reading them. Here’s what they all got wrong: Every morning, my inbox looks the same. A flood of pitches from people trying to sell me something. Most days, I just mass delete them. But this morning, I decided to actually read through them first. Within 5 minutes, I spotted a pattern. Everyone was making the exact same mistake. They were all trying to close the deal. ALL IN THE FIRST MESSAGE 🥵 Let me show you what I mean (with two small examples): APPROACH A: "The Wall of Text" Send 100 cold emails with full pitch, calendar link, and case studies. • 3 people open • 0 responses • 0 intros This looks exactly like the 147 emails I just deleted "Hi [Name], I noticed your company is scaling fast! We help companies like yours optimize their marketing stack through our proprietary AI technology. Our clients see 300% ROI within 90 days. Here's my Calendly link to book a 15-min chat: [LINK]. Looking forward to connecting! Best, [Name]" BORING!!! APPROACH B: "Micro Conversations" Same 100 prospects, broken down into micro-convo's. Email 1: "Do you know [mutual connection]?" • Send 100 • ~40 open • ~20 respond Email 2: "They mentioned you're scaling your marketing team. I'd love to connect about [specific thing]." • Send to 20 who responded • ~15 continue engaging Email 3: "Would you mind if they made an intro?" • Ask 15 engaged prospects • ~10 intros Final score: • Approach A: No intros • Approach B: 10 intros How to Apply These Lessons (Tactical Summary): 1. Focus on Micro-Conversations: Break your cold outreach into smaller, manageable steps. Build rapport before making any asks. 2. Personalize Everything: Reference mutual connections, specific company milestones, or shared interests in every message. 3. Play the Long Game: Aim for replies in the first message.. not conversions. If you’ve been struggling with cold outreach, you might just need a new approach. Give this one a try and lmk how it goes.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗕𝗶𝗴𝗴𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗪𝗶𝗻𝘀 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗙𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗕𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗰𝘆 Everyone loves to talk about the “viral moment.” The one ad campaign that blew up. The one post that got millions of views. The one hack that doubled traffic overnight. But here’s the truth: Most brands don’t grow because of a single big win. They grow because of the boring, unglamorous, repeatable stuff. → Posting when nobody’s engaging yet. → Running A/B tests that barely move the needle. → Sending newsletters week after week—even when open rates look flat. → Showing up for your audience before they’re even ready to buy. That’s what compounds. That’s what builds trust. That’s what makes people remember you when it matters. In my own experience, the best results didn’t come from flashy campaigns— but from sticking to the fundamentals, over and over again. The boring work is what creates the “overnight success” everyone sees later. So if your marketing feels a little repetitive… you’re probably on the right track. LinkedIn LinkedIn for Marketing LinkedIn for Learning

This may be the only Marketing Strategy you need. Forget cold outreach. Here’s how clients come to you. For years, I thought getting high-paying clients meant endless cold DMs, job board applications, and chasing people who didn’t even know me. But then I flipped the script. I stopped pitching. I started positioning. When you position yourself as the go-to expert, leads come to you—already interested, already convinced, and ready to pay. Become the Problem-Solver, Not the Seller Clients don’t pay for services—they pay for solutions. Instead of posting random tips, I started creating content that: ✔ Identified their pain points (e.g., "Struggling to convert content into sales? Here’s why.") ✔ Gave them a quick win (e.g., “This 1 post format landed my client $10K in 7 days”) ✔ Showed them what they were missing (without giving everything away) 📝 Example Post That Got Me a Client: "Your content gets likes, but no sales? Here’s the ‘Invisible Funnel’ technique that turns followers into paying clients." 💡 Why it worked: The post called out a specific problem, teased a solution, and made them curious to reach out. Question: What is the #1 Thing you help your clients do?

Gangster outbound idea from an AE in Sales Assembly's peer group that cut through the outbound noise (and led to a ton of responses) with something dead simple: - They pulled up the prospect’s website. - Recorded their screen. - Spoke directly to a new initiative or signal. - Offered one clear, tactical idea. - Thirty seconds. No polish. No fluff. Response rate? Off the charts. So, why did this work? Well, first of all, because most outbound sucks. It feels manufactured. This doesn’t. It’s specific. It’s low effort. It looks like it was made for me...because it was. No generic “I saw you raised funding.” No gimmicky GIFs. Just: “I did the homework. Here’s the connection. Let’s talk.” So, how do you do this? Easy peasy: 1. Start with your top 20 accounts. 2. Use Loom or Zoom. Doesn’t matter. 3. Open the prospect’s homepage or press release. 4. Call out one relevant shift (new product, hiring signal, expansion). 5. Connect that to what your product actually solves. Keep it under 45 seconds. 6. Subject line: “[Company] + [Trigger] = quick idea” 7. CTA: “If this tracks, let’s talk. If not, no sweat.” That's it. This obviously ain't about being fancy. It’s about being relevant. Polished content gets ignored. Unpolished insight gets replies.

We grew an email list from 0 to 500K subscribers in just 10 months. If I were starting from scratch today, here's exactly how I'd do it again: 1) Nail the Lead Magnet: The fastest way to grow your email list is by offering something valuable in exchange for an email. Think of it like this: people won't give up their email for nothing. Create something they can't ignore: a discount, exclusive content, or a tool they can’t find elsewhere. For us, offering free travel guides was a game-changer. 2) Optimize for Opt-Ins Everywhere: Your website, blog, and even social media accounts should work like opt-in machines. For example: - Add pop-ups and fly outs on key pages. - Place CTAs above the fold. - Use scroll-triggered modals when visitors are engaged. We tested endlessly, and this attention to detail paid off big. 3) Tap Into Paid Growth Early: Ads get a bad rep, but when done right, they’re a growth accelerant. We launched targeted ads promoting our lead magnet and built a funnel that turned traffic into email signups. Paid campaigns helped us scale fast while testing which offers resonated with our audience. 4) Partner with the Right People: Collaborations can grow your list faster than any single effort. Whether it’s co-branded giveaways, email swaps, or shoutouts, find brands or creators that share your target audience. A well-executed partnership will unlock exponential growth. One really unique thing we did: We bought a bunch of viral social accounts and rebranded them for our business. This was huge in kickstarting massive and sustainable growth. And we fast-tracked the social proof we needed to build trust and scale quickly. 5) Focus on Quality, Not Just Quantity: A big list is meaningless without engagement. From Day 1, we focused on high-value emails to ensure subscribers opened, clicked, and stayed. Here’s a pro tip: Consistency wins. Sending emails weekly or bi-weekly keeps your list warm and engaged. 6) Build a Content Machine: Pair email growth with an organic content strategy that feeds your funnel. Blog posts, social media, and SEO aren’t just good for traffic—they create trust. The more valuable content you share, the more people will want to hear from you. 7) Leverage Cheap Marketing Channels in Ways Others Haven’t: This is going to ruffle some feathers but we absolutely dominated cold email for user acquisition. To the tune of 6 figure subscriber acquisition. No one was doing cold email for B2C the way we did it. This proved to be the most scalable yet cheapest acquisition channel we had. — To recap: - Offer something valuable for free to grow your list. - Use every channel—paid and organic—to drive opt-ins. - Build relationships with partners who already have your audience. The result? A system that scales. Your list is the one asset you fully own—start building it ASAP!

Insurance agents under 35 years old, you should be spending more time marketing than learning how to “sell.” In 2025, the insurance agents winning aren’t the best closers. They’re the best marketers. Not pitching. Not cold calling. Not memorizing objection scripts. MARKETING. I talk to 100+ independent agents and agency owners every month. And here’s what I’ve seen: Young agents are still being told to: • Hammer the phones • Memorize psychological closing scripts • “Overcome objections” with clever wordplay • Join $2K sales training masterminds run by people who haven’t even built a $1M+ insurance agency Meanwhile, the ones actually winning are: ✅ Building niche landing pages that generate inbound ✅ Earning trust before the first call even happens ✅ Posting content weekly and creating their own demand ✅ Closing $25K, $50K, even $100K+ in premium without sending a single cold message Here's the truth no one wants to admit: If you’ve done your marketing right If your content is niche-focused If your videos show your face, your voice, your value You don’t need psychological closers. You don’t need objection handling frameworks. You don’t need to “create urgency.” They already trust you. They already want to work with you. You’re not convincing them you’re confirming it. If you’re a young agent, hear me: Forget ABC.... “Always Be Closing.” "Always Be Marketing"....ABM Because if they don’t know you exist, it doesn’t matter how good your pitch is.

I gained 14,000 followers on Instagram in just 90 days.   But the real win? Those followers turned into warm leads in my DMs. Here’s exactly how I did it, without chasing trends or relying on perfect design: Step 1: I built a funnel, not just a feed My content strategy followed a simple structure: TOFU, MOFU, and BOFU. Because followers alone don’t grow your business. Movement through the funnel does. → TOFU (Top of Funnel)  Goal: Reach new people  Content: Carousels, infographics, reels  Purpose: Awareness  Example: “10 content ideas for October” → MOFU (Middle of Funnel)  Goal: Nurture the audience  Content: Case studies, storytelling, value posts  Purpose: Build trust  Example: “How I helped X brand get 10K reach in 7 days” → BOFU (Bottom of Funnel)  Goal: Convert followers into clients  Content: Testimonials, offers, behind the scenes  Purpose: Invite action  Example: “DM STRATEGY to get my content plan” Step 2: I posted with intention Each post had a goal. I didn’t show up randomly. I showed up strategically. Step 3: I made my content savable Every post gave value people could return to. Frameworks, checklists, insights. This kept my audience engaged and coming back. Step 4: I focused on consistency over aesthetics I posted 5 times a week Replied to every comment Shared insights that helped, even when the design wasn’t perfect Step 5: I tracked what worked I reviewed every 30 days I doubled down on what brought profile visits and DMs I ignored what didn’t lead to action You don’t need a prettier feed. You need a better system. If this helped you rethink your content strategy, hit “save” so you can come back to it later.