You may have heard of the sales funnel, but what about the content marketing funnel? The latter might be slightly less well-known, but it’s just as important — if for another end of your business. While the sales funnel covers the sales process, the content marketing funnel is all about creating content that attracts potential customers and convinces them to make a purchase, therefore getting you those sales.
In today’s blog, let’s go over everything you need to know about the content marketing funnel and how to use it to your benefit.
What Is the Content Marketing Funnel?
The content marketing funnel is the funnel that maps the different stages of content audiences and the content designed for them as you use your content to generate leads and turn them into customers. At the top of the funnel is awareness building — the content that helps people find your brand in the first place. In the middle of the funnel, you provide a deeper dive for those in the consideration stage. At the bottom of the funnel, you use content that hooks your audience and convinces them to become customers.
The content marketing funnel helps you understand who you’re writing to so you can target them that much more effectively.
Top of Funnel Content
The top of funnel content is all of those introductory content pieces. These present your brand to new audiences and potential customers. You show them the ways that your brand is a potential solution to a problem they might face. Top of funnel content might be easily digestible videos or blogs, still informative but definitely focused on engaging and piquing curiosity more than anything else. Ads, webpages, or fun interactive content like polls and quizzes all count as top of funnel content.
Tips For Creating Top of Funnel Content
For this content, it’s important to have good CTAs to point your audience to the next steps. Your website or social media platforms should always have a steady stream of top of funnel content. You want to be able to draw in new leads as often as possible. If you only have middle and bottom of funnel content, you risk sparking confusion and freezing out those new potential leads. You will probably want to publish at least a couple pieces of top of funnel content per month to keep things fresh.
Middle of Funnel Content
Middle of funnel content is for leads who are considering becoming customers and need more information. This content should dive a little deeper than your top of funnel content. Once you have a good amount of top of funnel content, take one of those topics touched on in a lighter piece and expand on it.
Tips For Creating Middle of Funnel Content
Middle of funnel content could be case studies, tutorial video series going in depth on how a product or service works, or whitepapers. Webinars and comparison or customer guides are great middle of funnel content examples, too. The most important thing here is to provide rich, informative content. Back this content up with solid data and sources to lend authority to the pieces. Share your middle of funnel content on social media whenever you publish it. If someone is already following your brand, chances are they’re in the middle of the funnel.
Bottom of Funnel Content
The bottom of the funnel is for the leads who are interested, who want to become customers, but who simply haven’t made that final decision to make their first purchase. Your content here should seal the deal for them. They already know the idea, so here you want to talk about the success stories. How have customers enjoyed your products or services? What are some of the good reviews you’ve received or testimonials from satisfied customers?
Tips For Creating Bottom of Funnel Content
This content can also give those customers near the bottom of the sales funnel the next steps they should take. Let them know about special offers, discounts, and the best ways to get started with your brand. Try to create a sense of urgency: let your interested but wavering leads know that there has never been a better time to take the plunge. Show them something that might not always be available. This will help them make their final decision. CTAs are absolutely essential to this kind of content, as well. Every piece of bottom of funnel content should end with a solid and clearly expressed CTA, no matter what format you use.
