Forget Marketing Funnels. Focus on Signals

Scroll. Stream. Search. Shop. These behaviors are how today’s prospects navigate the world and their decision-making processes. Not in a neat little funnel. Not in the order you want. Just… all at once.

The idea that someone lands on your website, reads a few pages, and decides to schedule a meeting? Frankly, it’s a bit outdated. What’s actually happening is much messier and more human. Maybe someone hears your name in passing. Weeks later, they catch a snippet of a podcast you were on. They search for you but don’t click. Then, one night, they see a Reel from a finfluencer on Instagram that reminds them of something you said. That’s the moment they book an initial consultation. Not because you pushed harder but because your message was consistent, credible, and present across multiple touchpoints.

That’s what the latest research from Google and BCG is getting at with the so-called “4S behaviors”: streaming, scrolling, searching, and shopping. Behaviors they’re saying have “fundamentally reshaped how people discover and engage with brands.” Let’s be real, this isn’t a fancy new framework; it’s just how people behave now.

So, how are researchers defining these “4S” behaviors, and how do they interact with your marketing plan and prospecting strategy?

• The first 4S behavior, Streaming, refers to the consumption of content.
  This may refer to watching YouTube videos with your morning coffee, scrolling through Instagram Reels or TikTok on the sofa, or listening to podcasts on the commute home. While stumbling on your video clips or branded podcast typically falls into the “awareness” stage of the funnel (or “attract” spoke of the flywheel), this sort of media consumption creates important brand touchpoints. On both Facebook and Google, you can “remarket” your ads to a custom audience who has watched a particular video or visited your website. That means while a prospect may be learning about you for the very first time, on your end, you’ve added to a highly-targeted prospecting audience for the next webinar registration, the next lead magnet download, or scheduling an initial consult. In this way, Streaming captures part of the consideration and conversion stages of the funnel.
• The second 4S behavior, Scrolling, is all about accidental “window shopping.” Consumers are not on Instagram or Facebook to impulse shop, but the right offer, combined with compelling creative and messaging, or influencer endorsement, might prompt someone to buy from a brand they have just discovered. In fact, the e-commerce aspects of Instagram Ads and TikTok Shops have been two of the biggest growth areas for these platforms.

When it comes to your strategy for scrolling, your marketing doesn’t need to be everywhere, but it does need to be recognizable wherever it shows up. Consistency builds trust. Repetition builds recall. And both build confidence.

One of the biggest mistakes we see firms make isn’t under-marketing, it’s under-signaling. Your audience scrolls past your posts because they blend in with every other firm’s presence. They leave your website because the value prop is generic, the copy is too vague, or the design feels outdated. And they forget your name because nothing stood out enough to make it memorable.

• The third 4S behavior, Searching, should be well known to most of you reading our newsletters. We’ve talked a lot about how search optimization has evolved, and the growing opportunities on AI platforms like ChatGPT. The key aspect of searching is that it’s centered around intent. The consumer or prospect has a question, a curiosity, or a problem that needs to be solved. That’s why search behaviors cover the entire funnel from awareness to conversion.For your marketing strategy, it’s crucial to design a plan that includes:
• A consistent content calendar capturing search intent at all stages of awareness, consideration, engagement, and action.
• A diverse marketing mix of channels you appear on and types of content you create (blogs, emails, social media, webinars, podcasts, media appearances, COIs, etc.).
• A deep understanding of how prospects find you and which areas you can optimize for discovery.
• An investment in digital advertising (or at least a readiness for it)
• The fourth 4S behavior, Shopping, is about the conversion or transaction. While we might not call it shopping in our world, the idea is the same. Consumers make a decision, and then a financial commitment. While we rarely see impulse “shopping” with wealth advice, it’s key to understand how discovery and engagement in the touchpoints above lead to this behavior. It’s also important to note that clients are making an implicit decision to “shop” with you after every quarter of fees, after annual check-ins, and even in deciding whether to write a client review on Google or refer you to a friend or family member. We often emphasize how “your client experience is your brand” when it comes to professional services providers, and it’s worth mentioning that Streaming, Scrolling, Searching, and Shopping behaviors don’t stop when a client is onboarded.

While the 4S framework is one of many trying to explain the fragmented decision-making of consumers today, the implications of these behaviors present valuable opportunities to map and fine-tune your marketing strategy for a digital-first world.

Featured links:

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• The American Dream Isn’t Dead… You Just Can’t Afford It – How Money Works
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• If you’ve ever wished dense academic research came with a how-to guide, Science Says might just be your saving grace. Founded by a former Google marketer and backed by researchers from top universities, it translates recent marketing studies into practical, easy-to-follow tools.
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From a Chief Investment Officer at a large national firm on delivering market news:

“How you deliver market commentary is just as important as the news you’re delivering.”