The Traditional Marketing Funnel is Dead (And No, I’m Not Being Dramatic)

The way we consume content, the way we make decisions, the knowledge we have access to – it’s all changed.

And with that, as marketers (or even just business owners), we need to change the way we think about marketing.

The Traditional Funnel (R.I.P.)

Let’s zoom out briefly and look at what the traditional marketing funnel was. I’m going to keep it simple with just three stages:

• Awareness: This is where someone first becomes aware of your product or service. It might be through a social ad, a magazine article, a recommendation – this is your first touchpoint.
• Consideration: The person is now thinking about your offer. This is where marketing tools like reviews, case studies, and helpful website content come into play.
• Conversion: The final decision. Think PowerPoint decks (or “slide decks” if you’re younger than me), proposals, or closing conversations.

Nice and neat, right?

Well, not anymore.

Welcome to the Messy Middle

The traditional funnel is broken – replaced by what Google coined the “messy middle” back in 2020.

Since then, it’s only got messier.

The customer journey is no longer linear. In fact, it couldn’t be less linear.

Think about how we all consume content or do our research now. TikTok reviews from strangers, Reddit threads, Google searches, podcast episodes, voice notes from mates, ChatGPT queries – it’s all happening at once, and in no particular order.

And the result? The consumer is in control, not your marketing department.

(You can read Google’s research on the Messy Middle here

So What Does This Mean for Businesses?

Firstly, I’m not saying we should scrap everything and ignore the old funnel completely. We still need content that serves each part of the journey – awareness, consideration, and conversion.

But trying to track exactly where someone is in that journey? Almost impossible.

Someone might see a short clip on LinkedIn, hear your podcast a week later, and only then go check your website three months down the line. It’s not neat. And it’s definitely not trackable in a spreadsheet.

You Need More Touchpoints Than Ever

Here’s the shift:

• Meet people where they are.
• Be useful when they’re ready.
• Show up consistently.

That means:

• Social posts should be social – not salesy.
• Podcasts are essential – long-form content builds trust.
• Business owners need to get in front of the camera – “people buy from people” has never been more true.

And while I’m not saying ignore your KPIs altogether, I am saying: stop obsessing over attribution reports.

You’ll drive yourself mad trying to prove exactly which touchpoint led to a sale. Instead, focus your energy on creating content that actually helps and resonates.

Nurturing Has Never Been More Important

Only around 5 percent of leads are ever ready to buy on the spot.

The rest need time. That might be two days. It might be six months.

So be ready to stay top-of-mind without being pushy. Be visible without shouting. Be helpful without constantly selling.

Final Thought

The goal is still the same – take someone from awareness to conversion.

But the route? It’s no longer a straight line. It’s more like a squiggly mess of interactions across multiple platforms over an undefined amount of time.

So be ready to meet the customer wherever they are.

And that could be anywhere.