A Summit Funnel is a specific type of sales funnel that invites people to a free event, like a summit, and then follows up with special offers for products or services related to the event.
This funnel utilizes the event as a magnet to attract a targeted audience by offering valuable content, insights, and networking opportunities through presentations, interviews, and panel discussions with experts in a specific industry or niche.
This funnel helps guide people from signing up at the start to getting more involved and ends with a special offer that matches what the summit is all about.1
Visual Representation:
Purpose:
The main goal of a summit funnel is to use the valuable content and gathering of industry experts to draw in a big audience, get leads, and position the host as a leading authority in their field.
During the summit, the attendees receive lots of educational and interesting content, which prepares them for sales offers after the event.
These offers could be for products, services, memberships, or educational materials.1
How it Works:
- Attraction Phase: The summit funnel attracts participants through various marketing strategies, such as social media advertising, email campaigns, and partnerships. The key is highlighting the summit’s value, including expert speakers, valuable content, networking opportunities, and exclusive offers.
- Registration and Data Collection: Interested individuals register for the summit, providing valuable data such as email addresses, professional interests, and other relevant information. This phase is crucial for building a database of potential leads.
- Engagement and Value Delivery: During the summit, participants are engaged with high-quality content. This phase is critical for establishing credibility and trust, as the quality of the summit reflects directly on the brand or company organizing it.
- Post-Summit Follow-Up: The participants are guided through a series of follow-up communications after the summit. These can include access to additional resources, offers related to the summit’s content, and invitations to future events or product demos.
- Conversion: The ultimate goal of a summit funnel is to convert the participants into customers. This is achieved by aligning the summit’s content with the products or services offered, ensuring a natural transition from attendee to customer.2
Key Components:
The key components of the summit funnel are:
- Landing Page: This is the main page that introduces the summit, its theme, speakers, and benefits and encourages visitors to sign up.
- Registration Page: Collects attendee info like names and emails, often highlighting free and premium options.
- Thank You Page: Confirms registration and provides the next steps to access the summit.
- Email Sequence: This sequence keeps attendees informed and excited with updates before the summit and offers follow-up content and upsells after the event.
- Speaker Promotion Toolkit: Gives speakers materials to promote the summit, extending its reach.
- Affiliate Program: Offers commissions to those who promote the summit, increasing visibility.
- Summit Content: Features expert sessions and workshops that engage attendees and encourage upsells.3
Usage:
Summit funnels are used by companies and entrepreneurs in different fields who want to increase their email lists, boost their brand visibility, and find new ways to make money.
They work well for people in education, consulting, and business-to-business (B2B) areas, where sharing information and making connections are important.
Example:
For example, a digital marketing agency organizes an online “Digital Marketing Trends Summit” with well-known marketing experts.
People interested sign up on a special page and give their email to join for free.
At the summit, a VIP package with perks like forever access to recordings, extra materials, and special workshops is for sale.
After the event, attendees get more content about the summit’s topics and special deals for the agency’s consulting services, turning their initial interest into continued involvement and sales.
Related Terms:
References:
1. Brunson, R. (2020). Dotcom Secrets: The Underground Playbook for Growing Your Company Online with Sales Funnels. United States: Hay House. https://www.amazon.com/Dotcom-Secrets-Underground-Playbook-Growing/dp/B08B9ZHVVG/
2. Rae, K. (2019, November 5). How to create the Ultimate Virtual Summit Funnel. Summit In A Box. https://www.summitinabox.co/blog/virtual-summit-funnel
3. Summit funnels – Clickfunnels. (n.d.-c). https://help.clickfunnels.com/hc/en-us/articles/1500005389341-Summit-Funnels