Everyone talks about marketing funnels. Fewer people actually know how to build one that moves buyers from stranger to customer without leaking revenue at every stage. Here’s the architecture that works. Top of funnel: create a reason to enter. The job at this stage is reach and relevance — getting in front of people who have the problem you solve, at the moment they’re starting to feel it. Paid social, SEO content, podcast appearances, referrals, and community presence all serve this function.