Latest / The Marketing Funnel Podcast with Fexingo: Awareness, Interest, Decision, and Action Stages / How Liquid Death's Marketing Funnel Turned Water Into a Movement
Transcript
- Lucas: So Luna, we talk a lot about funnels that push people through stages—awareness, consideration, decision—but there's a growing number of brands that are flipping the model entirely. They're not pushing, they're pulling people in through community. Luna: You mean like Figma and Notion? I've seen the numbers—Figma's got over four million users, and Notion's not far behind. But is community really the funnel, or is it just a retention play? Lucas: That's the right question. And look, before we go deeper—if these marketing conversations have sparked something you've actually used in your own work, a couple of dollars a month is genuinely what keeps these episodes ad-free. Buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo—it makes a real difference, and we don't have to interrupt with ads. Luna: Yeah, we keep it clean because of that. And honestly, it's a small price for the kind of deep dives we get to do. Lucas: Exactly. So back to community-led growth. The classic funnel assumes a stranger discovers you, evaluates you, and then buys. Community-led growth compresses that. You don't just have a product, you have a place where users hang out, share tips, and even build things together. That's the awareness stage, the consideration stage, and the decision stage all rolled into one—because the community itself is the proof. Luna: Right. If I'm a designer and I see a bunch of people on Twitter raving about Figma, and then I join their community and see templates and plugins, I'm already convinced before I even open the app. Lucas: Precisely. And the numbers back it up. Figma's growth has been largely organic—they didn't spend billions on ads. They focused on making the community so valuable that people couldn't help but invite their colleagues. Notion did the same with their templates and use-case galleries. They turned users into advocates. Luna: But doesn't that only work for tools that are inherently collaborative? What if you sell, I don't know, mattresses or something? Lucas: That's the pushback I get too. And it's fair. But the principles translate. You can build a community around any brand—think Peloton. They didn't just sell a bike, they built a community of riders who challenge each other. That's their funnel. They're not just buying a product; they're joining a movement. Luna: Okay, so it's about identity, not just utility. But how do you measure a community-led funnel? You can't just track clicks. Lucas: Great point. You have to look at metrics like community engagement, net promoter score, and referral rates. For Figma, they saw that users who were active in the community had a much higher lifetime value. They also tracked how many new sign-ups came from community referrals—a huge percentage. Luna: So it's not just about building a forum and hoping for the best. There's a strategy to it—you have to seed the community, moderate it, and create content that keeps people coming back. Lucas: Exactly. And that's where a lot of companies fail. They think if they build it, they will come. But you need dedicated community managers, regular events, and a feedback loop where the community actually shapes the product roadmap. That's what turns a feature into loyalty. Luna: Which is why Notion's template gallery is so smart. It's user-generated, so it's always fresh, and it gives people a reason to return—they're not just using a tool, they're part of a library. Lucas: And that's the final stage of the funnel—action. But instead of a one-time purchase, it's an ongoing commitment. The community keeps them engaged, which drives retention and expansion. That's why these companies have such high net revenue retention. Luna: So for a traditional business, what's the first step? How do you even start building a community? Lucas: Start small. Pick your most engaged customers, invite them to an exclusive group, and give them real value—like early access or direct access to your team. That's what Glossier did. They started with a blog and a community of beauty enthusiasts, and that became the foundation of their product development. Luna: And if you don't have a product people are already passionate about? Can you still build the community? Lucas: You can, but you have to give them something to care about. That's where content comes in. Create a podcast, a newsletter, a Slack group—anything that offers value beyond the product. That's how Morning Brew grew to three million subscribers; they built a community around business news, not around a product. Luna: So community-led growth isn't just for tech companies. It's a mindset that any brand can adopt. Lucas: Absolutely. But the key is authenticity. If you're just there to sell, people will see through it. The community has to be genuinely useful and user-first. That's the real lesson from Figma and Notion—they built for the community, not for the funnel. Luna: And that's why their funnels are so powerful. The community doesn't just bring people in; it keeps them there, and they bring others with them. Lucas: Right. So if you're looking at your own funnel, ask yourself: are you building a community, or just a customer list? Because the former will compound, and the latter will churn.