What We Can Learn From Canva's $28M Funnel

So, how much organic traffic did your content get from Google last month? I'll tell you how much Canva got - 156M organic visits last month... every month! 😳

This traffic is estimated to be worth $28M. And is driving 20% of Canva’s annual $1.7 billion in revenue. How does this relate to custom home building or remodeling? Stick with me here - principles are a powerful thing!

So, what's the number one strategy that Canva uses?

They are creating FREE tools around their ICP's

Canva creates free tools aimed specifically at their target audience.

But, that got me thinking:

• How are they driving the traffic

• How did they create these free tools

• How do they convert this traffic

The basic solution is simple. As with most things marketing-related, the number one thing is to know your ideal customer. Canva's ideal customers aren't all marketing managers, but they all share one thing. Every customer has a specific job that needs to be done.

They might need to create a logo, make a GIF, or even create a carousel for LinkedIn. It might sound like they need an all-in-one solution. But, people don't search for all-in-one solutions - they search for a specific problem!

You can do the same by creating a lead magnet for your ideal customer. This can be in the form of a PDF guide, or a how to guide. Provide answers to their questions.

Here's how they do it, step by step:

Step 1: Awareness: Target specific solution-oriented keywords!

The keyword “logo-maker” gets 260k searches a month. The keyword “meme-generator” gets 698k searches. So, Canva created FREE tools to match the intent behind these searches.

So too can you create free tools, or downloads that speak to your specific customer's questions. You can always upsell or close your customer later. But for now, the first step is to reel them into the funnel.

The first thing Canva did was to create scaled landing pages for each specific search term or tool. As you could create a specific landing page for "Kitchen remodel", or "bathroom renovation". They built a strong sales funnel for each search term. It's that simple. Help transition the prospect from unaware to "aha", problem aware!

Simple as that and, you're in! 

Step 2: Consideration: Design experience around search intent!

Consider these two keywords:

Resume templates vs. Resume maker

They seem similar but signal different intent. One person is looking for a plug-and-play option. The other is looking to create.

Canva recognized the difference in intent and designed different types of experiences to align accordingly. Wow! Now that's taking it to the next level!

One landing page highlights why Canva is great for building resumes. The other landing page highlights the extensive library of free resumes.

Different needs. Different entry points. Same funnel structure. Personalized to the intent.

Step 3: Conversion: Use freemium to acquire users!

Canva gives users a basic version of their paid solution. This acts as a bridge by solving a specific problem at a specific moment in time.

The initial value from a free tool provides immediate relief. Almost like a painkiller. Where the paid solution is physical therapy to get rid of a potential long-term problem.

The same 3 steps used by Canva and so many other software giants, you can use in your business to funnel in new potential customers. Remember, you don't need to make them paying customers from the start. You have now turned followers into subscribers. The fortune is in the follow-up, as the old adage goes. I told you, principles are a powerful thing.

Thanks for tuning in to this week's issue of the Funnel Foundations newsletter. Have a great weekend! 🍻

➜ TL;DR:

• Define your ideal customer persona or avatar

• Identify their top 3-5 frequently asked questions

• Create a guide, playbook, or free tool for each question

• Move users from free resources to paid versions or customers

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