We help clients build marketing funnels all the time. But I hate calling it that.

Because the marketing funnel has been co-opted by those trying to make a quick buck.

Install the funnel in just a few clicks.

Use this template to create an irresistible funnel.

This fully automated advanced email marketing funnel will keep you booked.

These “funnels” are pushed by affiliates of sites, like Kajabi and ClickFunnels, who offer a 30% commission on the ongoing subscription.

Affiliates create an email drip campaign template (not really a marketing funnel) and promise quick, easy, hands-off results.

Turns out… you still have to put time and effort into customizing that funnel and then connecting it to all your tools.

And if you don’t have a specific plan for how you will use this so-called funnel… well, it will sit unused.

A real marketing funnel is simply a planning tool. It’s not magic. It’s certainly not hands-off. And it doesn’t produce quick results.

But it does work.

Here’s why I say that with confidence.

Because you don’t just create a marketing funnel and then sit back and relax.

You create the plan. You implement it. And then you see what parts of the plan work – and what parts don’t.

And you adjust.

Over time, your funnel gets stronger and stronger. Because you’ve planned based on what you know. You’ve tested to see where you were right. And you’ve learned from where you previously went wrong.

That’s what marketing is.

Sure, sometimes a tactic comes along that does produce easy, quick results. But it fizzles out quickly thereafter.

And the reason why is simple: everyone jumps on the bandwagon. And then consumers recognize it for what it is: a marketing tactic.

Personalized email subject lines — they used to be gangbusters. Add someone’s name, and they assumed you really took the time to personalize the whole email.

Keyword stuffing — if you knew the right ratio of keywords to include on a web page, you could be a master at SEO… until Google realized that meant really crappy search results.

Social media engagement — when Facebook was trying to establish itself, it gave away views like candy. Now it’s hoarding them in order to get your ad dollars… but people are still posting content to business pages like someone is seeing them.

Marketing tactics are fleeting. But a marketing strategy? It only gets better with time.

Because it’s not trying to be a magic trick. It’s driven by the market. It’s driven by what is currently working — and what’s not.

So if you’re thinking of implementing a funnel? Go for it! But make sure it’s not an email drip campaign in disguise.