How to Set Up a Basic Sales Funnel for Beginners

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You’ve got a great product or service. You’re posting online, building your brand, and trying to attract customers. But something’s missing — people are interested, but not buying.

That’s where a sales funnel comes in.

A sales funnel is the path people take from discovering your business to making a purchase. And the good news? You don’t need complicated tools or a marketing team to set up a basic funnel that works.

Let’s build one step by step.

What Is a Sales Funnel?

Think of a funnel in three parts:

  1. Top of Funnel (TOFU): Attract people who don’t know you yet
  2. Middle of Funnel (MOFU): Build trust and educate them
  3. Bottom of Funnel (BOFU): Convert them into paying customers

Each step gently moves your audience closer to saying “yes” to your offer.

Step 1: Create Awareness (Top of Funnel)

Your first job is to get in front of people who need what you offer — even if they don’t know it yet.

Where to do it:

  • Social media (Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn, etc.)
  • SEO (blog posts or YouTube videos)
  • Online communities (Facebook Groups, Reddit)
  • Collaborations with other creators or brands

What to share:

  • Tips, tutorials, or value posts
  • Personal stories or behind-the-scenes
  • Entertaining or relatable content
  • Content that solves a small problem for free

Goal: Make people stop scrolling and say, “This is for me.”

Step 2: Capture Interest and Leads (Middle of Funnel)

Once someone knows you exist, the next step is to build a connection — and collect their contact info if possible.

How to do it:

  • Offer a freebie (lead magnet) in exchange for their email
  • Use a landing page with a clear promise (e.g. “Free checklist for new entrepreneurs”)
  • Invite them to follow you, DM you, or reply to your stories
  • Host a live session or challenge to build deeper connection

Great tools for this step:

  • MailerLite, ConvertKit, or Brevo (email marketing)
  • Canva to design your freebie
  • Carrd or Systeme.io for simple landing pages

Goal: Get them into your world — your email list, your DMs, your ecosystem.

Step 3: Nurture With Value and Trust

This is where most beginners stop — but it’s where the magic happens.

You’ve captured their attention. Now you nurture the relationship with:

  • Emails that educate, inspire, and build trust
  • Stories that show results, experiences, or personality
  • Tips that solve mini problems
  • Behind-the-scenes or real-time updates

Think: you’re helping them believe your offer is the solution they need — without pressure.

Simple email sequence structure:

  1. Welcome + what to expect
  2. Value email (tip, resource, story)
  3. Testimonial or social proof
  4. Offer + how it helps
  5. Reminder or bonus

Step 4: Make the Offer (Bottom of Funnel)

Now that they trust you, invite them to buy.

How to do it:

  • Send a clear sales email (or post)
  • Add a CTA (call to action) in your content
  • Offer a limited-time bonus or discount
  • Answer objections in your messaging
  • Make it super easy to buy (one link, simple checkout)

Tools that help:

  • Payment links (Stripe, PayPal, Gumroad)
  • WhatsApp Business or Instagram DMs
  • Link-in-bio tools like Stan Store or Linktree

Don’t be afraid to repeat your offer — people need to see it multiple times before they act.

Step 5: Follow Up After the Sale

The funnel doesn’t stop after the sale.

Happy customers = more sales, referrals, and trust.

After someone buys:

  • Thank them personally
  • Send a follow-up email with next steps or bonus content
  • Ask for feedback or a review
  • Offer something else (next-level product or referral bonus)

Turn buyers into repeat customers or brand advocates.

A Simple Sales Funnel Example:

Let’s say you’re a virtual assistant offering admin support.

Top of Funnel: You post tips on Instagram about time-saving tools.
Middle of Funnel: You offer a free “Productivity Toolkit” in exchange for email.
Nurture: You send 3–5 emails with helpful tips + client success stories.
Bottom of Funnel: You offer a discounted 1-hour trial session.
After Sale: You follow up with a thank-you, a testimonial request, and offer monthly packages.

Simple, effective, and repeatable.

Final Tip: Start Small, Then Optimize

You don’t need a fancy funnel with 10 steps. Start with:

  • One platform
  • One freebie
  • One offer
  • One email sequence

Test it. Improve it. Grow from there.

Sales funnels aren’t about being salesy — they’re about guiding people to the right solution, at the right time.

Next, I’ll generate a realistic image to match this article — and then we’ll move into Article 30: How to Use Testimonials to Build Trust and Drive Sales. Let’s go!

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