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 […]
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:
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:
That means:
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.
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