Creating funnel stages. #YOLO

We recently introduced a new stage in our marketing funnel --- partly for making things simpler, and partly for overcomplicating things, because why not --- and it has made a impact on how we approach our leads --- the MUL, or the Marketing Unqualified Lead.

The traditional funnel --- leads > MQL > SQL, it’s a familiar path, and it’s been the norm for ages. But something didn’t quite sit right with me. I couldn’t help but feel that there was a group of contacts who deserved recognition for their micro-conversion efforts, even if they hadn’t reached the MQL status.

We had these contacts who were actively engaging with our content by downloading ebooks or attending webinars. They were showing interest, taking those baby steps towards becoming prospects. But categorizing them as “leads” just didn’t do them justice. They were more advanced than that, yet not quite at the level of an MQL. It was like they were caught in limbo, and it bothered me.

So --- a brand new lifecycle stage called the “Marketing Unqualified Lead” or MUL was born. Is it a bit extra? Absolutely. We kind of overcomplicated the funnel for no reason, but hey, it worked!

The MUL stage is all about recognizing those contacts who have taken those micro-conversions seriously. They’re not just leads anymore. They’ve shown potential, and we believe in nurturing them further. By creating this stage, we were able to identify contacts who were sales-ready, those who were just lurking around, and those who had the potential to become something more in the future.

Now, I won’t pretend that adding the MUL stage didn’t make things more complicated. It did, and we had to adjust our processes accordingly. But we now have a clearer understanding of where our contacts stand in their journey, and it has helped us tailor our outreach efforts more effectively.