The Linear Funnel is Dead
For decades, we’ve treated B2B buying as a gravity-fed chute. Leads go in the top, and deals fall out the bottom. But your buyers don’t move in a straight line. They loop, they backtrack, they binge content, and then they go dark.
The Problem with MQLs
Optimizing for MQLs often means optimizing for email addresses, not intent. When you gate every piece of value, you might get a lead, but you lose the reader.
A New Architecture
We propose a circular model of Demand Creation and Demand Capture.
- Create Demand: Ungated, high-value content that educates the market.
- Capture Demand: High-intent channels (SEM, Review Sites) for those ready to buy.
Stop trying to force prospects through a funnel. Instead, build an ecosystem they want to inhabit.