Content to Create The Right Customer Response

To quote Barry Feldman - we won't perform a “funnelectomy” in this article by dissecting the Marketing Funnel metaphor.  What we are sharing is  a guide to the type of content that performs well for each stage of a marketing funnel. You can use this information to guide your content plans, to assist with generating leads, creating online sales or having more brick and mortar visits to your business. 

Top of the Funnel (TOFU)

TOFU content aims to educate, problem solve, entertain, or inspire. Types of content that perform well include Blogs, Social Media Updates, Infographics, Pics, Digital Magazines, Books, Podcasts, Microsites and Newsletters. The best use of TOFU content is to a) increase awareness about a solution for a problem b) grow retargeting lists c) increase engagement d) increase traffic to your site.

TOFU Metrics include a) awareness rate b) retargeting list growth c) site engagement d) number of inbound links e) traffic by channel

Middle of the Funnel (MOFU)

At this stage visitors are aware of your brand and what you have to offer.  You are starting down the path of building a long term relationship with them and so awesome content with strong calls to action become important.  Content types that perform well include Educational Resources (case studies, white papers, reports ), Useful Resources (templates, tool kits …), Downloads, Discount Coupons, Webinars, Surveys/Quiz and Events. The key goal for sharing this content is to grow your email and retargeting lists and customer acquisition. Measurements are based on leads generated, offer conversations, list growth, newsletter opens and newsletter CTR.

Bottom of the Funnel (BOFU)

This is where we determine what content converts consistently to a lead or sale; the purchaser makes an informed decision and converts. In theory, your visitors have read your Blog posts and your Case Studies, and now it’s time to provide them with content that’s highly specific.

BOFU content types include a) demo/trial b) customer stories c) comparison sheets and d) classes on how to use your product.  Content is focused on nurturing leads/customers, maximizing share of wallet, increasing retention and increasing buyer frequency.  Some of the metrics become more granular and include the number of qualified leads to sales ratio, offer conversion rate, average customer value and buyer recency/frequency. In effect, you are grooming your “money tree”. 

Bottom Line: Guide your content and visitor cycles. Don’t ask for too much on the first visit. Find out where in the buying cycle your visitors are at and be aware of what content they are consuming. Adjust the content you present based on your goals of lead generation for offline or online sales given the differences in each type of conversion activity.