marketing-funnel-plan

Marketing Funnel Plan Skill

Most marketing plans are a list of tactics with no theory of how they connect. This skill builds the

funnel as a system: each stage has a definition, a metric, a conversion rate, and the tactics that move

people to the next stage — so you can see where the funnel actually leaks and spend there, not everywhere.

Required Inputs

Ask for these only if they aren't already provided:

• Product & motion — what's sold, to whom, and the motion (self-serve, sales-led, PLG hybrid).
• Current numbers — traffic, signups, activation, conversion, retention (whatever exists; estimates are fine).
• Goal — the business outcome and timeframe (e.g. 2× qualified pipeline this quarter).
• Constraints — budget, team, and channels already in play.

Output Format

Funnel Plan: [product]

1. Funnel map — a stage-by-stage table (the spine of the plan):

| Stage | Definition (entry → exit) | Metric | Current | Target | Primary channels/tactics |

|---|---|---|---|---|---|

| Awareness | | reach / visits | | | |

| Acquisition | | signups | | | |

| Activation | | first value moment | | | |

| Revenue | | paid conversion | | | |

| Retention | | active / renewed | | | |

| Referral | | invites / shares | | | |

2. The biggest leak — the stage with the worst conversion vs. benchmark, and why fixing it beats adding top-of-funnel volume.

3. Channel strategy — which channels serve which stage, and the one or two channels to go deep on (not all of them).

4. Measurement — how each stage is tracked, attribution approach (and its limits), and the leading indicator you'll watch weekly.

5. 90-day focus — the 2–3 bets that move the biggest-leak stage, sequenced, with the success metric for each.

Quality Checks

• [ ] Every stage has a definition, a metric, and a numeric conversion target — not just a label
• [ ] The single biggest leak is identified and prioritised over adding more top-of-funnel
• [ ] The plan goes deep on 1–2 channels rather than spreading thin across many
• [ ] A weekly leading indicator is named for the focus stage
• [ ] The 90-day plan is sequenced bets, not an undifferentiated tactic list

Anti-Patterns

• [ ] Do not pour budget into the top of the funnel when the leak is mid-funnel — more visitors through a leaky funnel just wastes more money
• [ ] Do not list every channel — focus beats breadth; name the 1–2 that fit the motion
• [ ] Do not set tactics without a metric and target per stage — unmeasured tactics can't be cut
• [ ] Do not treat attribution as truth — state its limits and lean on leading indicators
• [ ] Do not ignore retention/referral — acquisition-only funnels buy growth they can't keep

Based On

Pirate Metrics (AARRR — Dave McClure) and full-funnel demand-generation practice.