Marketing funnel framework maps five stages from awareness to loyalty

Madhav Mistry revealed an in depth advertising and marketing funnel framework on LinkedIn outlining how firms ought to drive consciousness, conversion, and loyalty in what he calls the AI period. The submit, shared on January 29, 2025, acquired 581 reactions and 111 reposts from advertising and marketing professionals.

The framework divides the client journey into 5 distinct levels: consciousness, consideration, intent, conversion, and loyalty. Every stage specifies targets, key efficiency indicators, methods, and ways that entrepreneurs ought to deploy. In response to the submit, firms should execute throughout all levels fairly than focusing solely on top-of-funnel actions.

Consciousness stage focuses on content material visibility metrics

The primary stage targets making content material seen and discoverable in search and AI solutions, in line with the framework. Targets embody reaching impressions and driving natural visitors progress.

Key efficiency indicators for consciousness embody impressions and attain in AI-powered platforms like AEO (Reply Engine Optimization) and GEO (Generative Engine Optimization), together with monitoring non-branded content material and measuring short-term worth for attain, in line with the submit.

Techniques listed for this stage embody creating how-to guides and explainers, producing objects for Q&A areas, creating guides and webinars, and constructing funnel web optimization content material with academic belongings. The framework positions consciousness as the inspiration that feeds subsequent levels.

Consideration stage educates potential consumers

Stage two shifts focus to educating and nurturing potential consumers. In response to Mistry’s framework, the purpose facilities on saving time to scroll and informing guests, with snippet appearances tracked as a key metric.

The submit specifies ways together with academic content material, guides, webinars, Q&A engagement, and mid-funnel asset creation. Methods emphasize constructing authority by way of constant presence throughout platforms the place prospects analysis options.

Key efficiency indicators at consideration embody session time, scroll depth, repeat visits, and deeper engagement metrics past easy impressions. The framework suggests this stage separates critical prospects from informal browsers.

Intent stage captures analysis habits

The third stage addresses prospects actively evaluating options. In response to the framework, targets middle on capturing high-intent visitors prospects.

Key efficiency indicators embody demo requests and trial sign-ups, kind completions, and branded search quantity. The framework identifies these metrics as indicators that prospects have moved past analysis into energetic consideration.

Techniques specified for the intent stage embody optimizing bottom-funnel pages, showcasing opinions and testimonials, including ROI calculators and interactive instruments, utilizing structured FAQs to reply queries, and strengthening branded search pathways. The submit emphasizes that intent indicators require instant response mechanisms.

Conversion transforms analysis into income

Stage 4 focuses on turning analysis into gross sales. The purpose shifts to turning intent into income by way of optimized conversion paths, in line with the submit.

Metrics at this stage embody conversion fee, income per lead/order worth, and buyer acquisition value. The framework treats conversion because the important transition from prospect to buyer.

Methods listed embody personalizing CTAs with AI insights, testing web page variants for conversions, utilizing urgency with time-bound gives, constructing onboarding flows with bonuses, and simplifying buy friction. In response to the framework, conversion optimization requires steady testing and refinement.

Loyalty stage retains and grows prospects

The ultimate stage concentrates on retention and progress. Targets embody retaining prospects and rising advocacy, with the framework positioning loyalty as important for sustainable income.

Key efficiency indicators on the loyalty stage embody retention and repeat buy fee, referral program participation, buyer lifetime worth, and web promoter rating. In response to the submit, these metrics decide long-term enterprise viability.

Methods specified embody creating loyalty rewards and upsell flows, utilizing predictive AI to flag churn danger, automating re-engagement for lapsed prospects, constructing communities round product success, and inspiring referrals plus UGC creation. The framework treats loyalty as an ongoing funding fairly than a hard and fast marketing campaign.

The submit emphasizes that the funnel represents a sequence fairly than a shortcut. In response to Mistry, the method transforms by way of distinct phases: getting found by the proper viewers, turning visibility into curiosity, remodeling curiosity into motion, changing motion into income, and cultivating prospects into loyal advocates.

The LinkedIn submit attracted 16 feedback from advertising and marketing professionals, revealing completely different views on the funnel mannequin. Matthew Kerry, who connects shoppers with audiences, commented on the absence of conventional media. “The dearth of conventional media on this funnel looks like an oversight. Digital often is the future, however not recognizing the digital fatigue of individuals eager to unplug is an actual race to the underside,” Kerry wrote.

Chetan Muley, Head of Technique at OMD Malaysia, identified one other hole. His remark famous the “full absence of offline channels in opposition to all levels.”

Pieter Willems, who lectures in World Advertising at UCLL, questioned the framework’s basis. “Any laborious knowledge to justify this? I might be shocked that social media provides, web optimization weblog posts & Influencer partnerships are one of the best ways to drive consciousness? What about mass conventional media communication. Research have confirmed that the digital revolution appears to have made most of those conventional media simpler, not much less. TV, press, OOH and r…,” Willems wrote.

Sunitha Anuraj, Director of Advertising & Consumer Technique, supplied a distinct perspective centered on implementation. “We frequently see shoppers focus closely on acquisition however overlook retention. Actual progress comes from optimizing the complete funnel from consciousness to constructing lasting buyer loyalty,” in line with her remark.

Advertising funnel fashions face business scrutiny

The standard linear funnel strategy has come underneath rising examination. Industry leaders revealed in May 2025 how streaming, scrolling, searching and shopping reshape consumer journeys for entrepreneurs throughout Google’s NewFronts presentation. That session launched the “4S behaviors” framework as a substitute for conventional funnel pondering.

In response to knowledge shared throughout that presentation, roughly 80% of shoppers skip paths on their technique to buy. Katie Klein, Chief Funding Officer at Omnicom USA, acknowledged that entrepreneurs have to “fully rethink the way you considered the standard funnel.”

The challenges prolong past theoretical frameworks. Amazon’s advertising revenue reached $15.7 billion in Q2 2025, pushed by what the corporate describes as full-funnel promoting. That strategy targets shoppers at each stage of the acquisition journey, from preliminary consciousness by way of last conversion and retention.

Conversion tracking tools now present detailed insights into buyer journeys throughout a number of promoting touchpoints. Amazon’s Conversion Path Reporting, introduced in January 2025, tracks buyer interactions throughout a 30-day window prior to buy.

The measurement facet has additionally superior. Customer lifetime value predictions acquired new instruments when Meta launched LTVision in January 2025. The open-source Python library helps companies perceive and predict buyer worth for extra worthwhile progress.

5-stage mannequin emphasizes sequential development

Advertising XYZ’s framework distinguishes itself by way of its emphasis on sequence over shortcuts. The submit states that breaking even one layer causes your entire system to stall. Lacking one stage slows progress, whereas mastering all levels compounds momentum, in line with the content material.

The framework’s construction divides levels into three funding classes. Excessive time funding applies to consciousness and curiosity. Reasonable funding characterizes consideration. Low funding marks conversion. Lengthy-term funding defines retention.

Every stage connects to the following by way of what the submit describes as a metamorphosis course of. Consciousness should flip into curiosity. Curiosity should remodel into motion. Motion should convert into income. Income should domesticate into advocacy.

The metrics offered for every stage deal with completely different elements of buyer habits. Early levels observe attain and engagement. Center levels measure exploration and dedication. Later levels consider transaction and relationship depth.

Time funding patterns fluctuate throughout levels

The framework assigns time necessities primarily based on stage place and targets. Consciousness requires excessive time funding as a result of reaching new individuals and driving preliminary discovery calls for sustained effort, in line with the submit.

Curiosity maintains excessive time funding as sparking curiosity and inspiring engagement continues useful resource calls for. The shift to reasonable funding at consideration displays the narrowed viewers. These exploring options have already handed by way of two levels.

Conversion drops to low time funding. In response to the framework, this stage strikes leads into prospects by way of focused gives. The lowered time requirement stems from working with a certified, viewers.

Retention shifts to long-term funding fairly than excessive, reasonable, or low categorization. Holding prospects engaged and returning represents an ongoing course of fairly than a hard and fast marketing campaign.

Advertising ways align with stage targets

Every stage employs distinct ways matched to targets. Consciousness makes use of social media adverts, web optimization weblog posts, and influencer partnerships to maximise attain. These ways prioritize publicity over engagement depth.

Curiosity ways shift to electronic mail newsletters, ebooks or webinars, and retargeting adverts. These strategies goal to keep up contact and supply worth to those that have proven preliminary curiosity.

Consideration ways embody free trials, product demos, and case research. In response to the framework, this stage educates consumers and helps them discover options. The ways present hands-on expertise or detailed proof.

Conversion employs limited-time offers, gross sales calls, and low cost gives. These ways create urgency and take away last obstacles to buy.

Retention makes use of loyalty packages, customized follow-ups, and referral rewards. The ways deal with sustaining relationships and incentivizing repeat habits.

Metrics replicate stage-specific targets

The framework assigns completely different metrics to every stage primarily based on targets. Consciousness tracks web site visitors, impressions, and social attain. These metrics measure how many individuals encounter the model.

Curiosity metrics embody electronic mail sign-ups, content material downloads, and new followers. These measurements point out who has moved past passive publicity to energetic engagement.

Consideration metrics cowl demo requests, trial sign-ups, and time on web site. These indicators present critical exploration and analysis habits.

Conversion metrics deal with conversion fee, income generated, and order worth. The measurements straight hook up with transaction completion.

Retention metrics embody repeat purchases and buyer lifetime worth. These measurements assess the continuing relationship high quality and long-term worth era.

Framework positions funnel as enterprise system

Mistry’s submit frames the funnel as an entire enterprise system fairly than remoted advertising and marketing actions. In response to the content material, the levels work collectively to remodel strangers into loyal advocates.

The submit describes the development by way of energetic verbs: get found, flip visibility, remodel curiosity, convert motion, domesticate prospects. This language emphasizes motion and alter fairly than static classes.

The sequential nature receives repeated emphasis. The submit states that skipping steps prevents progress. Every stage builds on the earlier one, creating what the content material describes as compounding momentum.

The framework concludes with a reminder that features three components: sequence, skip steps, and progress stalls. This abstract reinforces the linear development mannequin and warns in opposition to incomplete implementation.

Trade context reveals measurement focus

The advertising and marketing business has elevated deal with funnel measurement and attribution. Brand Lift Studies measure moments alongside the buyer journey, together with model consciousness, advert recall, consideration, favorability, and buy intent.

Advertisers utilizing YouTube video adverts can arrange these research on Google Advertisements or DV360. The research isolate a randomized management group that was not proven the advert and an uncovered group that noticed the advert.

Customer lifetime value calculations have change into commonplace follow. LTV displays the whole income a buyer generates all through their relationship with an organization. The metric helps companies assess long-term worth and prioritize methods for buying and retaining prospects.

Advertising professionals use LTV for a number of functions: figuring out most buyer acquisition prices, allocating advertising and marketing budgets effectively, prioritizing retention campaigns, forecasting future income, evaluating marketing campaign effectiveness, setting pricing methods, segmenting markets, and guiding product improvement.

Framework displays broader advertising and marketing discussions

The five-stage funnel framework joins ongoing business discussions about buyer journey fashions. Conventional linear funnels face questions on their accuracy in representing fashionable shopper habits.

Some advertising and marketing professionals argue that digital channels have made conventional media simpler. Others level to shopper habits that skips levels or strikes non-linearly by way of buy processes.

The talk extends to tactical decisions. Social media adverts, web optimization content material, and influencer partnerships dominate many digital-first methods. Conventional channels like TV, press, and out of doors promoting preserve supporters who cite analysis on their effectiveness.

Retention has gained elevated consideration. Many entrepreneurs focus closely on acquisition whereas overlooking buyer retention. The shift towards measuring buyer lifetime worth displays rising recognition of retention’s significance.

Timeline

Abstract

Who: Madhav Mistry, a advertising and marketing strategist, revealed the framework on LinkedIn by way of an account related to Advertising XYZ, which has 27,670 followers. Advertising professionals together with Matthew Kerry, Chetan Muley, Pieter Willems, Sunitha Anuraj, and others commented on the submit.

What: A five-stage advertising and marketing funnel framework dividing buyer acquisition into consciousness, curiosity, consideration, conversion, and retention. Every stage specifies ways, metrics, and time funding necessities. The framework emphasizes sequential development and warns that skipping levels stalls progress.

When: The submit appeared on LinkedIn on January 29, 2025. The submit acquired 827 reactions and 207 reposts, with 16 feedback from business professionals.

The place: The content material was revealed on LinkedIn and shared by way of Advertising XYZ’s profile. The framework builds on business discussions occurring throughout digital advertising and marketing platforms and conferences, together with Google’s NewFronts presentation in Could 2025.

Why: The framework addresses how companies ought to construction their buyer acquisition and retention efforts. It issues to the advertising and marketing neighborhood as a result of Mistry claims 90% of manufacturers fail to maneuver past consciousness, treating advertising and marketing as broadcast fairly than conversion. The talk in feedback reveals disagreement about digital-only ways versus together with conventional media channels. The emphasis on retention displays business recognition of buyer lifetime worth’s significance past preliminary acquisition. The framework arrives as conventional linear funnel fashions face scrutiny from business leaders.