By Matt Plapp
I wrote about the first four of the eight must-have marketing funnels two weeks ago. Last week, I dug deep into the fifth funnel, catering. Today, we will tackle funnels six through eight.
But before I go any further, I want to deliver on my promise from the article two weeks ago: a free template for turning every Facebook comment into customer data with our Contest Comment Growth Tool.
First, you’ll need to sign up for a ManyChat account to do this. You can do that by visiting www.mattplapp.live/manychat. ManyChat is software that helps you do magical marketing stuff through Facebook and Instagram. We’ve been using it for our Dryver acquisition program since 2017.
Once your account is hooked to your Facebook page, you’ll install the template for our Contest Comment Growth Tool. When you visit https://mattplapp.live/customers, you’ll be able to download the template that my team built to help you build a customer database from your Facebook comments.
This ManyChat tool will be especially useful in conjunction with my article next week, which is tentatively titled, “The 5 Must-Have March Madness Marketing Campaigns for Your Pizzeria.”
Revisiting the 8 Must-Have Marketing Funnels
To refresh your memory, here are all eight funnels:
- New Customer Funnel
- Frequent Customer Funnel
- Lost Customer Funnel
- Birthday Funnel
- Catering and Events Funnel
- Loyalty Funnel
- Special Interest Funnel
- Charity Funnel
While all eight of these are must-haves, the second four (5-8 of the Tier 2 funnels) are where you can make a massive profit for your pizzeria. The catering, loyalty, special events and charity funnels should enormously impact your weekly sales.
Tier 2: Advanced Funnels for Scaling & Profit Growth
Once your core funnels are running, it’s time to level up. Let’s look at these Tier 2 funnels.
5. The Catering & Events Funnel (Big-Ticket Sales)
These were covered in depth in last week’s article. (See link above.)
6. The Loyalty Funnel (Not Just a Punch Card)
Loyalty programs aren’t just about points. They’re about habit creation. Your loyalty funnel should:
- Reward repeat visits and spending
- Use tiered incentives (which make customers want to reach the next level)
- Include automated engagement (so customers don’t forget about it)
Goal: Keep customers coming back without devaluing your brand.
7. The Special Interest Funnel (Hyper-Specific Marketing)
Your customers aren’t all the same—some are beer lovers, some love wine, some are families and some are college students. Segment them!
- Identify niche groups (beer drinkers, wine club members, sports fans)
- Send targeted offers based on interests
- Create exclusive events for these groups
Goal: Speak directly to the right customers at the right time.
8. The Charity and Community Funnel (Good for Business and Branding)
Want to attract new customers and build loyalty? Support what they care about. A charity/community funnel includes:
- Fundraisers and donation programs
- School and sports team partnerships
- Cause-based marketing campaigns
Goal: Leverage community goodwill to attract new, engaged customers.
Own Your Marketing, Own Your Future
What is the difference between thriving and struggling restaurants? Systems. These funnels are the “systems” you must have in place to build the ultimate restaurant marketing plan.
My name is Matt Plapp. I’m the CEO of America’s Best Restaurants. I’ve worked with thousands of restaurants since 2008 when I started this company, and over the next 12 months, we will help 2,500-plus restaurants with their marketing. This is the latest article in a new weekly column for PMQ to help restaurant owners understand the gold mine we have to market in 2025—and beyond.
