Short answer: yes — but it’s way messier now.

For years, the AIDA funnel (Awareness → Interest → Desire → Action) was marketing gospel.
It gave us a neat, linear path to understand how buyers move. But let’s be real: when was the last time you bought something in a perfectly linear way?

Today’s consumers are curious, distracted, and empowered. They move fast, loop back, get influenced by peers, scroll endlessly, and now — even ask AI what to buy. So while the funnel as a framework still exists, treating it like a one-way journey is outdated.

Let’s break down what’s changed — and what you need to change, too.

🔁 From Funnel to Flywheel

Modern brands are shifting to the loop or flywheel mindset — where retention, word-of-mouth, and community matter as much as acquisition.

Happy customers don’t just convert and leave — they talk, share, come back, and bring others with them.
Your best-performing lead might be a loyal customer recommending you in a WhatsApp group or tagging you in a story.

🚨 The Top-of-Funnel Obsession is Real

Yes, running ads to widen your reach works. But just adding more people to the top without nurturing the middle or bottom of your funnel is like pouring water into a leaky bucket.

You need:

• Mid-funnel content that educates and builds trust 
• Bottom-funnel content that reduces friction to convert 
• Retention loops that bring people back 

If you focus only on reach, you’ll leak leads and burn budgets.

📍 Where Real Influence Happens Today

Most buying decisions are shaped long before someone visits your site.
Welcome to the world of dark social and untrackable intent signals.

Here’s where trust is really built now:

• WhatsApp groups & DMs 
• Email newsletters 
• Social media posts that resonate 
• Creator shoutouts & collabs with brands people already trust 
• GEO (Generative Engine Optimization) — people ask AI tools like ChatGPT what to buy. Are you showing up in those answers? 

Bottom line: Your funnel can’t start only with ads. You need to be discoverable across real, daily conversations.

🧠 What Should You Do Instead?

You don’t need to abandon the funnel.
But you do need to evolve how you use it.

Think of your customer’s journey like a choose-your-own-adventure game, not a one-way street.

Here’s your evolved checklist:

✅ Build a memorable brand people actually recall
✅ Answer all key questions before they’re asked
✅ Make buying frictionless (one-click, no clutter)
✅ Focus on retention: loyalty, referrals, subscriptions
✅ Invest in customer service like it’s a part of your marketing team
✅ Make your entire brand discoverable, not just your products

💡 Final Thought:

Your goal isn’t just to build a funnel.
It’s to build a system where awareness, trust, and conversions can happen at any point.

Because the most powerful marketing today?
It’s not just paid. It’s remembered, shared, and earned.