Basic and Advanced Strategies for the Top of the Funnel
Think about attracting clients, but the digital marketing world is becoming increasingly competitive.
Your business platforms may have lots of traffic and followers, but your conversion rate is low.
With that in mind, Leadster prepared this content about the first part of the sales funnel strategy: the Top of the Funnel.
Follow the article to understand what this concept is, its importance, tips, channels to apply it, and much more!
What is the Top of the Funnel?
The Top of the Funnel (ToFu) is the first step of the buyer’s journey, where you attract and spark the interest of your potential client.
In this stage of the sales funnel, brand awareness is created, along with a better understanding of your product or service.
Take the opportunity to educate your potential client, turning them into a lead.
Your goal here is to generate as much curiosity and need as possible for your lead to move further down the sales funnel and eventually become a client.
The stages of the marketing funnel can also be related to the phases of the customer journey, as shown in the image below:
The phases of the funnel can be related to the stages of the customer journey.
Continue in the article to learn more about the widest part of the funnel!
Read also: What is a Conversion Funnel, What are the Stages, and How to Create One
What Are the Main Objectives of the Top of the Funnel?
The main objective of the Top of the Funnel is to assist people who have a problem or need in the areas your business covers, helping them understand and solve their problem with your company’s products/services.
Make this user understand what they are going through and position your business as a reference on the subject.
Offer your own free content that plays an essential role in diagnosing the problem.
The “treatment” and “cure” of the issue will be at the bottom of the funnel with the sale of your product or service.
At this point, you still don’t know much about your potential client, and they may not even fully understand their needs.
So be helpful, show that you care, and provide all the necessary support, always guiding them to your content through attraction marketing.
Read also: Pirate Funnel: The 5 Metrics Used by High-Growth Companies
Why is the Top of the Funnel Important?
The Top of the Funnel is your entry point, the first contact a potential client will have with your business, making it a crucial moment for them to continue exploring your product/service.
Here are some key points to further understand the importance of the Top of the Funnel:
Read also: Sales Automation: Everything You Need to Know About the Strategy
It’s a First Point of Contact
As mentioned earlier, the Top of the Funnel is your potential client’s first contact, so remember the old saying: “First impressions last.”
This is when the decision to continue a relationship with the brand or not is made, so pay close attention to your organic content and make it as attractive as possible.
Discovering More About the Lead
Sometimes, the person wasn’t even aware of the problems they were facing or which services they needed, but upon encountering your business content, they realize what they’ve been missing.
The more they explore your platform and interact with your content, the more their interest and curiosity grow, encouraging them to move to the next stages of the sales funnel, becoming a lead and, eventually, a client.
Educating Users About a New Topic
Once the user identifies a new need, they become more curious and seek to understand what they are experiencing.
If they hadn’t previously found any material explaining their issue, they will now dive deeper into your content, learning more about your business.
How to Create Content for the Top of the Funnel
If you want your client to reach the bottom of the funnel, maximize the potential of the earlier stages.
Since we are talking about the Top of the Funnel in this article, create informative content, dive deeper into your potential clients’ doubts, and offer valuable content.
Avoid Promoting Your Business
This is not the time to push for a sale, throw out promotions, or persuade your potential client to buy something.
As explained, the user is still figuring out their problems and needs, so they are probably not interested or ready to make a purchase.
Your goal at the Top of the Funnel is to clear up doubts, explain, give examples, and make the situation easier for them to understand.
Be as Clear as Possible
There’s no point in creating content filled with terms the user doesn’t know yet.
Since this is their first encounter with the issue, your articles need to be clear and straightforward.
The key here is to inform, not sell (yet).
Make Life Easier for Your Audience
By creating clear and straightforward content, you open the door for users to explore the topic further and better understand the problems they are facing.
To achieve this, delve into their needs, problems, and gaps.
Also, if you make your content available across multiple channels, it will make life even easier for your audience.
We cover this topic below, check it out!
Make Your Content Available on as Many Channels as Possible
Ensure your content is present on social media, blogs, emails, websites, and any other platforms where your business has a presence.
The easier it is to access this content, the more potential clients will find it and learn about your company.
How to Use Mental Triggers for the Top of the Funnel
Mental triggers occur when a particular piece of content or event evokes emotions in us, whether positive or negative.
In digital marketing, these triggers are used to persuade users, linking the emotions to your product/service.
Here are some examples of triggers to use in your marketing strategy:
Authority
Nothing is better than having a professional featured in your content. This way, the user understands that you have the authority to speak on the subject.
Using quotes, “according to,” and citing research are ways to convey authority to your potential client.
Reciprocity
Remember the saying, “You reap what you sow.” If positive actions are taken, good things are bound to come.
With that in mind, don’t hold back when it comes to offering rich, well-explained, and highly informative content.
If you provide free materials that meet these criteria, users will become even more interested, increasing the chances of them exploring your products/services.
Which Channels to Use for the Top of the Funnel?
We’ve discussed creating free content for the Top of the Funnel in this article, but what are the best platforms to distribute this content?
Continue in the article to find out!
Read also: Key Growth Strategies to Apply in Your Company
Social Media
Social media platforms are great for attracting clients, serving the main objective of the Top of the Funnel.
Leverage channels like Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter to grab users’ attention, connect with them, create informative posts, engage with followers, and answer questions.
Don’t forget to link these contents to your other platforms like your website, blog, and YouTube, for example.
Blogs
Blogs provide users with richer, more comprehensive content, perfect for informing, explaining, and illustrating key points.
Take advantage of CTAs in this channel to guide potential clients to other articles on your blog—ideally directing their journey toward content related to the next stages of the funnel.
Email Marketing
Through email marketing, offering content like Newsletters, you can maintain regular contact with leads who have signed up, and even personalize the content according to the user’s needs.
Landing Page
Landing Pages allow you to create objective, eye-catching content, while also focusing on design, using colors and copy that capture the user’s attention.
On a Landing Page, you can also collect the user’s email.
Offering something in return, such as an e-book or webinar.
Tools to Generate Qualified Leads
Qualified leads are those with a high likelihood of making a purchase.
To achieve this, use the right tools, such as:
- Social Media – with platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, you can increase engagement while also sparking more curiosity among users.
- Blog Posts – in blog articles, you can further explore topics that users have questions about, as well as create valuable materials to aid in understanding.
- Newsletters – as another way to distribute content, newsletters allow you to personalize and maintain regular contact with your lead.
Top of the Funnel strategies are essential for your marketing plan.
Always remember that this is the entry point for your business, where potential clients will have their first contact with your company, so invest in rich, clear, and objective content.
By following all these tips, you’ll turn users into leads and soon after, into clients.
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