Lesson 2.2

Do you need a funnel?

Now that you know what a funnel is, the next question is: do you actually need one for your course? Are they just for big businesses with huge marketing budgets, or can they work for small course creators too? Let's find out.

Lesson aim
By the end of this lesson, you'll understand whether you should invest the time and effort into setting up a marketing funnel for your course.

The case for funnels

Funnels are a powerful tool for selling your course, no matter how big or small your business is. Here are a few reasons why you might want to consider setting up a funnel:

Reason #1: You don’t have an audience yet

If you’re just starting out and don’t have a big audience to sell to already, a funnel can help you attract, nurture, and convert strangers into customers. It’s a way to build relationships with your audience and guide them through the decision-making process, even if they’ve never heard of you before.

If you already have a large email list or a big following on social media, you might be able to get away with not having a funnel. But even then, a well-structured funnel can help you sell even more courses to your existing audience.

Reason #2: You’re not making enough sales

If you’re struggling to sell your course, a funnel can help you identify where people are dropping off and optimise your marketing message to convert more customers. It’s a way to test different strategies and see what works best for your audience, so you can make more sales with less effort.

If you’re already making plenty of sales without a funnel, you might not need one. But a good funnel can help you scale your business and convert even more customers.

Reason #3: You want to automate your sales process

One of the biggest benefits of a funnel is that it can run on autopilot, selling your course for you while you focus on other things. Once you’ve set up your funnel and tested it to make sure it’s working, you can sit back and watch the sales roll in.

If you’re happy to spend time taking sales calls, sending personal emails, and following up with leads, you might not need a funnel. But if you want to free up your time and let your marketing run itself, a funnel is the way to go.

The case against funnels

Of course, funnels aren’t a magic bullet. There are some cases where you might not need a funnel for your course, or where creating one might not be worth the effort.

Case #1: You’re already at capacity

Some courses take significant time and effort to deliver for each student, so you might not want to sell more courses if you’re already at capacity. In this case, a funnel might just bring in more customers than you can handle, leading to unhappy students and a poor reputation.

👉 But if you have the capacity to take on more students, a funnel will help you get them.

Case #2: You’re happy with your current sales

If you’re already making enough sales to meet your goals and you’re happy with your current income, you might not need a funnel. Funnels are great for scaling your business and converting more customers, but if you’re already where you want to be, there’s no need to fix what isn’t broken.

👉 But if you want to get more sales, a funnel is the way to do it.

Case #3: You haven’t validated your course idea yet

If you’re not sure whether your course idea will sell, it might be worth testing the waters in a lower-stakes way before investing time and effort into setting up a full marketing funnel. You could try reaching out to your target audience manually and arranging sales calls or sending personal emails to gauge interest before committing to a funnel.

👉 But if you’re confident there’s demand for your idea, you’re ready for a funnel.

Common misconceptions about funnels

Before we wrap up, let’s address a few common misconceptions about funnels:

❌ Funnels are only for big businesses.
The truth? Funnels will work for businesses of all sizes, from solopreneurs and small businesses to multinational corporations.
❌ Funnels are spammy.
The truth? A well-structured funnel is all about providing value to your audience and guiding them through the decision-making process, not spamming them.
❌ Funnels are complicated.
The truth? While setting up a funnel can be complex, it doesn’t have to be. With the right approach, even non-techies can create a simple linear funnel that converts.
❌ Funnels are an advanced strategy.
The truth? Funnels are actually a great way for beginners to start selling their courses. They provide a clear roadmap for attracting, nurturing, and converting customers—they’re not just for established creators.
❌ Funnels are expensive.
The truth? While you can spend a lot of money on ads and other parts of your course funnel, you can also set up a funnel for less than the cost of a cup of coffee a day. There are plenty of budget-friendly tools around.

Key point → Most courses should have a funnel

For most course creators who want to attract, nurture, and convert more students, a funnel is the way to do it. They're the best way to automate and optimise your sales process, so you can focus on creating great content and helping your students.

Summary

In this lesson, we've talked about whether you need a funnel for your course (and the answer is probably yes!). We've covered the reasons why you might want to consider setting up a funnel, as well as some cases where you might not need one.

Next, we'll talk about the five things you'll need to have in place before you start setting up your funnel, so you can hit the ground running.