I’ve written before about how good marketing plans are built from the bottom of the funnel up - starting with capturing existing demand in high-intent channels like Search, then gradually expanding investment into awareness-oriented efforts.
And if you’re looking for quick wins or near-term performance improvements, your best bet is almost always found by tightening conversion at lower-funnel stages.
But if you’re aiming for real, long-term, scalable growth?
You might be surprised to learn that the best place to start isn’t the bottom of your funnel…
It’s the top.
What I Learned at SNHU
At Southern New Hampshire University, we poured fuel on the funnel - upping marketing spend and driving leads.
But success created friction.
Leads up → Contact Rate down
→ So we overhauled speed-to-lead and nurturing.Contact Rate up → App Starts fell
→ So we simplified and front-loaded the application.App Starts up → App Completes dropped
→ So we shortened forms, fixed mobile UX, and let reps finish apps by phone.App Completes up → Admits slowed
→ So we added services, expanded the team, automated outreach, and streamlined processes.Admits surged → Retention dipped
→ So we retooled handoffs and doubled down on advising and support.
Every solved problem created the next. And that was the point.
The Bottleneck Is the Blueprint
True growth happens when you chase the next constraint created by the last breakthrough.
You don’t grow admits without apps.
You don’t grow apps without leads.
And you don’t grow sustainably unless you solve the bottlenecks that success exposes.
Start at the Top. Then Push the Problem Down.
So if your goal is to fundamentally change the scale and structure of your organization, know that the work begins at the top of the funnel, not the bottom.
Pull the easiest lever first: leads.
Break the stage beneath it.
And when it breaks?
Don’t blame it.
Expect it.
Align around it.
Solve it.
Push the problem down the funnel.
And then you do it again.
And again.
And again.
- Seth
About The Author
Seth is the founder and CEO of Kanahoma, a San Diego-based performance marketing agency on a mission to build a better agency for organizations building a better world.
You can learn more about who we are and what we do at www.Kanahoma.com.