The modern content funnel: how buyers actually make decisions today

For years, marketers relied on a neat, step-by-step funnel: awareness at the top, consideration in the middle, decision at the bottom. It was predictable, structured and easy to build content around.

But that version of the funnel no longer reflects reality.

Today, buyers learn, compare and evaluate in ways that aren’t linear, trackable or predictable. They move between channels quickly. They gather context from AI summaries, search, Slack communities, LinkedIn, newsletters, product pages and conversations you’ll never see. They can learn in ten minutes what used to take ten touchpoints.

The funnel didn’t die — but the order of it did.

This article explains what actually changed, why it matters and how your content needs to adapt.

The traditional funnel (and why it worked at the time)

The classic funnel had five predictable stages:

Awareness → Consideration → Evaluation → Decision → Post-purchase

Each stage had a clear purpose and corresponding content types:

• Awareness: educational blog posts, SEO, social
• Consideration: guides, whitepapers, webinars
• Evaluation: comparisons, case studies, feature breakdowns
• Decision: demos, pricing, product content
• Post-purchase: onboarding, help centre, customer stories

It worked because buyers had to gather information slowly. They followed a logical path, and marketers could plan around it.

But the assumptions behind that system no longer match how people behave.

Why the traditional funnel no longer reflects reality

Three big shifts broke the old sequence:

1. AI compresses learning

People can now ask an AI tool:

• “Explain this problem.”
• “Compare these two vendors.”
• “What do I need to know before choosing?”

AI summarises what took multiple content pieces to understand.

2. Discovery is decentralised

Buyers no longer find you in one place. They bounce between:

• AI summaries
• search
• competitor sites
• LinkedIn
• newsletters
• Slack channels
• industry blogs
• YouTube
• review platforms

They assemble information in the order they choose — not the order you plan.

3. Trust comes from multiple micro-touchpoints

One piece of content rarely convinces anyone. Buyers build trust through tiny signals across your entire ecosystem.

This is why content now feels harder for teams who still expect the old funnel to work. If your strategy feels out of sync, Why your content strategy isn’t working explains the root causes.

The modern funnel (how buyers actually behave now)

Today’s funnel is no longer vertical. It’s lateral, messy and fast.

It looks like this:

Awareness ←→ Consideration ←→ Evaluation ←→ Decision
(all happening at once, in unpredictable order)

A single buyer might:

• skim a summary of your content via an AI tool
• jump to a competitor’s comparison page
• read one paragraph of your blog
• check LinkedIn for your POV
• return to a product page
• search for reviews
• ask AI to explain a concept in simpler terms
• look up pricing
• ask AI to rank top options

All within the same session.

Your content no longer controls the order of the journey — your clarity does.

What this means for each funnel stage

Awareness is no longer about education — it’s about differentiation

AI handles the education layer.
People don’t need your blog to “learn the basics”.

Awareness content now must:

• articulate your POV clearly
• highlight what makes your approach different
• make someone think, “This brand actually gets it”
• show expertise without fluff
• avoid vague, interchangeable phrasing

If your content currently feels vague, Why your tone of voice sounds vague digs deeper into this problem.

Consideration is now instant and ongoing

People compare:

• you vs your competitors
• your approach vs a category trend
• your explanation vs another brand’s
• your value vs the alternatives

AI can surface inconsistencies in your own messaging.
This is why message architecture and consistent themes matter.

How to build a content strategy that aligns with business goals shows how to fix this.

Evaluation is compressed into minutes, not weeks

Buyers now evaluate by asking questions like:

• “What’s the difference?”
• “Is this worth it?”
• “Is this credible?”
• “Is this the right fit?”

AI summarises:

• your features
• your benefits
• your case studies
• your reviews
• your messaging consistency

If your ecosystem contradicts itself, AI will surface that — instantly.

Decision is shaped by micro-signals, not one big piece of content

Your credibility is now proven by:

• clarity
• consistency
• specificity
• point of view
• proof
• depth
• simplicity

Not volume.

If you want to build a decision-support system that compounds, How to build a content engine from scratch outlines the foundation.

Where content teams go wrong with the modern funnel

Most teams struggle because they’re still trying to:

• “funnel people down”
• map content to rigid stages
• create more content instead of clearer content
• publish based on volume, not usefulness
• write before aligning messaging
• build calendars, not systems

The result:
Lots of output. Very little movement.

What hasn’t changed (and still matters most)

Even with AI reshaping discovery:

• clarity
• strong POV
• relevance
• expertise
• usefulness
• trust
• message consistency
• distribution
• depth over volume

…still win.

AI changed the path, not the principles.

If you want to understand the search side of this, AEO vs SEO: what’s changed (and what hasn’t) digs into it.

How to adapt your content to the modern funnel

You don’t need a new framework. You need new behaviours.

1. Build message clarity before content volume

Your POV, themes and beliefs must be clear.
Content is an expression of clarity — not a replacement for it.

2. Create content that supports decision-making at any moment

Because buyers jump between stages, your content must:

• explain concepts simply
• differentiate clearly
• connect ideas consistently
• reinforce your message architecture
• remove friction
• reduce uncertainty

3. Write content that’s summarisation-friendly

Because AI rewrites and summarises your work, your content must be:

• clear
• logically structured
• consistent
• contradiction-free
• written in natural language

4. Treat long-form content as your anchor

Guides, deep dives and POV pieces become the source of truth — the content AI pulls from when summarising your ideas.

If long-form matters to you, The ultimate guide to eBooks and whitepapers expands on this.

5. Build consistency with a content engine, not a calendar

Calendars break.
Engines compound.

If you don’t yet have one, see How to build a content engine from scratch.

6. Fix your internal bottlenecks

Slow approvals kill modern content.
The funnel moves too fast to wait for three rounds of “minor tweaks”.

If I were starting with too much content breaks down how to clean up your ecosystem.

If you want a content system that matches how people buy now

The brands that will win over the next five years aren’t the ones publishing the most.
They’re the ones with:

• clear messages
• consistent themes
• strong POV
• useful content
• strategic distribution
• depth
• clarity
• alignment

AI reshaped the funnel, but it didn’t replace the fundamentals.

If you want help building a content system designed for modern discovery — across AI, search, social and human behaviour — these are the best places to start:

• Visibility Retainer
• Thought Leadership Retainer
• Fractional Content Lead

The funnel didn’t die.
It just stopped listening to your calendar.