It’s the battle of the year. The one you’ve all been waiting for.
In the red corner is sales funnel.
In the blue corner it’s quiz funnel.
Who will come out on top?
Ok, so that’s taking it a bit far but sometimes that’s how it feels. It’s a constant tug of war over which is better, which performs the best, and which is right for you.
There are similarities but for me, there’s only ever going to be one winner. Who will it be?
Hmm, I wonder.
What is a sales funnel?
This is one of those phrases that’s bandied around without stopping to think if people actually know what it is. In really simple, no-jargon terms, a sales funnel is a way of attracting people to your business and building a relationship with them until some of them buy from you.
It’s moving someone from a stranger to your bestie. And it’s pretty much all automated, which means it doesn’t absorb too much of your time.
Normally you would have a lead magnet to start with. Think of your typical PDF checklists or a guide that you download or even a webinar. This is what ‘gets people into your world’ (AKA on your email list!)
That’s then followed by a series of emails that build rapport with your new subscriber. Do a good job at this and before you know it, they’ve clicked buy on your bigger ticket product or service.
The reason it’s called a funnel is because you engage with a lot of people at the top of the funnel, and then a smaller amount at the bottom actually buy. Voila. A funnel!
What is a quiz funnel?
But Kylie – how is that different from a quiz funnel
I’m glad you asked you super trooper.
Instead of a boring PDF, a quiz funnel all kicks off with a shiny, exciting quiz.
A quiz sparks curiosity, intrigue and, most importantly, insights. Those insights help you to tailor the emails your participants receive afterwards based on how they answered the quiz. That makes every email feel personal and helpful to them.
That’s the key to building a fruitful relationship – to give real value and to make that person feel they’re more than just a number to you. You make that person feel special like you’re sitting down and writing emails just for them (which, of course, you’re not. But they don’t have to know that!)
What are the pros and cons of a sales funnel using a typical PDF lead magnet?
I’m biased. I love quiz funnels, but there is a time, and a place for a more traditional sales funnel using your usual lead magnets. After all, people continue to use them so they must be seeing results from them, right?
So here are my pros and cons to going old school with your funnel.
Pros of using a typical sales funnel
- Quick and simple to set up. You can introduce new ones and be topical to wider issues and events
- Can be used to offer immediate advice that feeds into your services
- They’re evergreen (well they can be!). They need little updating and can just tick away in the background.
Cons of using a typical sales funnel
- They’re boring, they’ve often been done before and most of the time half the content doesn’t apply to the person downloading it
- Likely to be used once and forgotten about, they aren’t going to be shared by your audience
- They don’t encourage engagement – people download, file and go. Not a great start to a long relationship!
- The conversion rate might be low. People are less interested now in bland PDFs they have to read through!
What are the pros and cons of a quiz funnel?
So now it’s time for quiz funnels, my favourite!
Ready for the pros and cons?
Pros of using a quiz funnel
- It’s exciting, it’s interactive, and it’s shareable!
- Your audience will feel like they gain real value from you
- You’ll end up with lots of shiny data to inform your business going forward and to help you really understand the lovely people you work with
- You can write personalised emails based on how someone answered the questions within your quiz
- You can provide the participant with action steps once they’ve finished the quiz which will help them solve specific problems they’re having
- You can identify who is your ideal client (if you ask the right questions within your quiz) and target those people specifically for your offering.
Cons of using a quiz funnel
- The quiz copy and the tech can be a headache if you haven’t done it before
- They can take some time to set up and get going. They’ve got a lot of parts and it can get complicated quite quickly.
- It can be tricky to pick the right subject and turn it into a quiz concept.
Which one should you choose?
Do I think that you can get results with a typical sales funnel/pdf lead magnet combo? I guess, yes.
Do I think you can get better results with a quiz funnel? 100%.
For most businesses, I’d recommend a quiz every single time. Why? Because they boost your engagement rate and they’re a shortcut to a good relationship because they give insights and valuable information to your audience. They’re genuinely helpful.
Also, the end result is tailored to that person based on their answers. So they’re getting something specific to them rather than just downloading yet another PDF guide they’ve seen 100 times.
No one else will create the quiz that you create and that’s the exciting thing. That’s what I love.
You’re unique, your business is unique so why would you go with a cookie cutter template when you can have a unique, glorious quiz to kick off your funnel?
It’s a no brainer. I haven’t found a sector, product or service that I can’t create a quiz for.
Does it require more effort and creativity? Yes! Does it take longer to set up? You betcha.
But you’ll see the rewards from that in the response rate, your data and ultimately your conversion rate at the end of your funnel.
Put more effort in, get a hell of a lot more out. So to answer the question, which one should you choose – a quiz. Always a quiz!
Is there a difference in cost?
Like anything, you get what you pay for. Within both a sales funnel and a quiz funnel there’s variation in price. This can be affected by the experience of the person you work with, the turnaround time, or what’s included in the package.
So it’s always worth digging into that so you’re comparing apples with apples not oranges.
If we’re talking generally, then, yes, quiz funnels tend to cost a little bit more. There’s more involved – both the tech know-how but also the content writing and even the psychology and rationale behind the quiz. If it does cost more, then it’s worth every penny.
Related content: How much does a sales funnel cost?
While on the surface sales funnels and quiz funnels seem the same, underneath the surface they couldn’t be more different. Quiz funnels are, to me, the best way to grab your audience’s attention and keep it. Helping you to build long lasting relationships that blossom into something great.
Lead magnet sales funnels can be useful, and they’re quick to churn out, but that’s the issue. Because they’re churned out so much they lose their appeal and relevance.
Next time you need to decide between the two, choose the one with magic and sparkle, even if you have to pay a bit more. You won’t regret it.
Want a quiz funnel and an expert to do it all for you?
Sounds good to me!
I am a quiz funnel strategist and take care of everything from tech to copy, emails to landing pages. If this sounds like something you need, then contact me to find out more info!
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