# Funnel-architecture Human Guide

## What This Is For
Design complete DTC sales funnel architecture — maps the full customer journey from ad to email follow-up with RMBC-aligned copy approach, conversion goals, and KPI targets per step. It gives the agent a clearer input/output frame for funnel-architecture: what context to ask for, what decisions to make, and what usable artifact to return.

Use this as a human-readable version of the Funnel-architecture agent skill. It is meant for marketers, operators, founders, and other non-coders who want the workflow without reading agent-specific implementation instructions.

## When To Use This
- Use this when you need a repeatable process for funnel-architecture.
- Use this when the task needs judgment, examples, constraints, or a clear output format rather than a one-off prompt.
- Use this when you want to hand an AI assistant enough context to produce a usable marketing artifact.

## When Not To Use This
- Do not use this when you only need a quick factual answer.
- Do not use this when the work depends on private data you cannot share with the assistant.
- Do not use this as a replacement for legal, compliance, financial, or medical review.

## What You Need Before Starting
- The goal or business outcome you want.
- The audience, customer segment, or market context.
- Any source material the assistant should respect, such as notes, briefs, examples, URLs, or brand guidance.
- Constraints such as tone, length, channel, deadline, region, or approval requirements.
- A clear definition of what a good final answer should look like.

## Step-By-Step Workflow
1. State the job clearly: "Use the Funnel-architecture guide to help me with..."
2. Add context: audience, goal, offer, channel, source material, and constraints.
3. Ask the assistant to identify missing inputs before producing the final output.
4. Have the assistant follow the skill-specific guidance below.
5. Review the result against the final checklist and ask for revisions where needed.

## Skill-Specific Guidance
- **Page purpose** — The single job this page must accomplish
- **Awareness level** — Where the prospect sits at this point (unaware → most aware)
- **Copy approach** — RMBC-aligned strategy (which phase dominates this step)
- **Conversion goal** — The specific action that counts as success
- **KPI target** — Benchmark conversion rate for this step
- **Key elements** — Must-have page components (headline, video, form fields, trust badges, etc.)
- **Transition hook** — What moves them to the next step (curiosity, commitment, urgency)
- **Front-end AOV** — Base price + bump offer take rate
- **Upsell stack value** — Upsell 1 take rate × price + Upsell 2 take rate × price
- **Blended AOV** — Total revenue per buyer across all steps
- **Break-even CPA** — Blended AOV × margin = maximum allowable CPA
- **Target ROAS** — By traffic source

## Decision Points And Nuance
The original skill emphasizes: Purpose, Inputs, Execution Protocol, Step 1 — Load Framework Context, Step 2 — Select Funnel Template, Step 3 — Define Each Funnel Step, Step 4 — Map Revenue Projections, Step 5 — Traffic Source Alignment, Output Format, Funnel Architecture: [Product Line].

Use these questions to steer the work:
- What is the intended audience or buyer?
- What source material must be preserved?
- What should the assistant optimize for: clarity, persuasion, accuracy, speed, creativity, or conversion?
- What examples represent the desired quality bar?
- What should the assistant avoid?

## Common Mistakes
- | Input | Required | Description |
- **Page purpose** — The single job this page must accomplish
- **Key elements** — Must-have page components (headline, video, form fields, trust badges, etc.)
- **Key elements:** [must-haves]
- Every step must have exactly ONE conversion goal — no split objectives
- Awareness level must escalate logically through the funnel (never regress)
- KPI targets must be realistic benchmarks for the funnel type and traffic source
- Upsell products must logically complement the front-end offer — no random add-ons

## Copy-And-Paste Prompt
```text
Use the Funnel-architecture human guide.

My goal:
[Describe the business outcome]

Audience:
[Describe who this is for]

Context and source material:
[Paste notes, examples, links, or existing copy]

Constraints:
[Tone, length, channel, timeline, must-include items, must-avoid items]

Before producing the final output, ask me for any missing information that would materially improve the result.
```

## Final Checklist
- [ ] The output matches the original goal.
- [ ] The audience and context are reflected in the answer.
- [ ] Important constraints and source material were preserved.
- [ ] The assistant made the relevant decisions explicit.
- [ ] The final artifact is ready to use, review, or hand to the next person.

## Source
This guide was generated from the coleschaffer/copywritingskills-rmbc skill entry for `funnel-architecture`.

## Source Skill Notes
These notes preserve the nuance from the original skill. Use them as supporting reference when the workflow above feels too generic.

# funnel-architecture

## Purpose

Design a complete DTC sales funnel from first click to post-purchase follow-up. Every funnel is a series of micro-conversions — ad click → landing page → order form → upsell 1 → upsell 2 → thank you → email sequence. Each step has a single job, a copy approach calibrated to the prospect's awareness level at that point, and a measurable KPI. This skill outputs the full blueprint: page purposes, copy strategies, conversion goals, and target metrics — ready for copywriters and designers to execute step by step.

## Inputs

| Input | Required | Description |
|-------|----------|-------------|
| `product_line` | Yes | Product name, category, core promise, and price range |
| `price_points` | Yes | Array of prices across the funnel: front-end, upsell 1, upsell 2, bump, subscription tier |
| `target_audience` | Yes | ICP — demographics, pain points, desires, sophistication level |
| `funnel_type` | Yes | One of: `tripwire`, `webinar`, `vsl`, `quiz`, `free_plus_shipping` |
| `traffic_sources` | Yes | Primary traffic channels: `paid_social`, `native`, `search`, `email`, `organic` |

## Execution Protocol

### Step 1 — Load Framework Context

Read `rmbc-context/SKILL.md` to load RMBC framework definitions. Funnel architecture applies RMBC at the macro level — Research determines awareness stages across funnel steps, Mechanism threads through every page as the consistent "why," Brief structures each page's strategic intent, Copy executes per-page with escalating commitment.

### Step 2 — Select Funnel Template

Map the funnel type to its canonical step sequence:

| Type | Steps |
|------|-------|
| **Tripwire** | Ad → Advertorial/Presell → Landing Page → Order Form (w/ bump) → Upsell 1 → Upsell 2 → Thank You → Email Sequence |
| **Webinar** | Ad → Registration Page → Confirmation Page → Webinar → Replay Page → Order Form → Upsell → Thank You → Email Sequence |
| **VSL** | Ad → VSL Page (video + hidden CTA) → Order Form (w/ bump) → Upsell 1 → Upsell 2 → Thank You → Email Sequence |
| **Quiz** | Ad → Quiz Landing → Quiz Steps (3-5) → Results Page → Recommended Offer → Order Form → Upsell → Thank You → Email Sequence |
| **Free+Shipping** | Ad → Landing Page → Order Form (shipping only) → Upsell 1 (core offer) → Upsell 2 → Thank You → Email Sequence |

### Step 3 — Define Each Funnel Step

For every step in the sequence, specify:

1. **Page purpose** — The single job this page must accomplish
2. **Awareness level** — Where the prospect sits at this point (unaware → most aware)
3. **Copy approach** — RMBC-aligned strategy (which phase dominates this step)
4. **Conversion goal** — The specific action that counts as success
5. **KPI target** — Benchmark conversion rate for this step
6. **Key elements** — Must-have page components (headline, video, form fields, trust badges, etc.)
7. **Transition hook** — What moves them to the next step (curiosity, commitment, urgency)

### Step 4 — Map Revenue Projections

Calculate funnel economics:
- **Front-end AOV** — Base price + bump offer take rate
- **Upsell stack value** — Upsell 1 take rate × price + Upsell 2 take rate × price
- **Blended AOV** — Total revenue per buyer across all steps
- **Break-even CPA** — Blended AOV × margin = maximum allowable CPA
- **Target ROAS** — By traffic source

### Step 5 — Traffic Source Alignment

Adjust the funnel entry point and messaging for each traffic source:
- **Paid Social** — Hook-heavy ad, shorter presell, visual landing page
- **Native** — Advertorial entry, editorial tone, longer education
- **Search** — Intent-matched landing page, features prominent, comparison-ready
- **Email** — Skip presell, direct to offer with personalization
- **Organic** — Content-first entry, SEO-optimized landing page, trust building

## Output Format

```
## Funnel Architecture: [Product Line]

**Funnel Type:** [type]
**Target Audience:** [ICP summary]
**Traffic Sources:** [sources]
**Price Points:** Front-end $XX | Bump $XX | Upsell 1 $XX | Upsell 2 $XX

---

### STEP 1: [Step Name]

- **Page purpose:** [single job]
- **Awareness level:** [unaware → most aware]