{"id":358,"date":"2025-04-23T11:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-04-23T11:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/web-stil.info\/?p=358"},"modified":"2025-05-02T21:58:23","modified_gmt":"2025-05-02T21:58:23","slug":"level-up-your-content-marketing-funnel-heres-how-i-make-the-right-content-for-each-stage","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/web-stil.info\/index.php\/2025\/04\/23\/level-up-your-content-marketing-funnel-heres-how-i-make-the-right-content-for-each-stage\/","title":{"rendered":"Level Up Your Content Marketing Funnel \u2014 Here\u2019s How I Make the Right Content for Each Stage"},"content":{"rendered":"
There are several customer personas to consider when creating content. There\u2019s Customer A, who doesn\u2019t even know who you are or what you offer. Then there\u2019s Customer B, who is trying to decide between you and one of your competitors. And finally, there\u2019s Customer C who is ready to buy but needs one final push to make the purchase.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
All that to say, each of these customers is at a different stage of the buyer\u2019s journey.<\/p>\n
As a marketer, you need to craft a strategy that supports the different stages of your buyer\u2019s journey. You\u2019ll need material for every step of the content marketing funnel. Below, I\u2019ll share strategies that work and examples of successful funnel content, according to fellow marketers.<\/p>\n Table of Contents<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/a> <\/p>\n The content marketing funnel maps the buyer’s journey through stages, from initial awareness, to consideration, to the final purchase decision.<\/p>\n Understanding this division and where your buyers are at in their journey helps you create targeted content that addresses prospects’ needs and nurtures leads through each stage of the decision-making process.<\/p>\n Aligning content with each stage of the buyer’s journey \u2014 typically top, middle, and bottom \u2014 helps you provide value, build trust, and guide customers toward choosing your product.<\/p>\n <\/a> <\/p>\n The content marketing funnel is divided into three stages: top, middle, and bottom. Like a funnel, the stages start wide and get narrower as buyers move through them and become more ready to make a decision or purchase.<\/p>\n In this section, I\u2019ll explain what each of these levels involve and the kind of content you can create at each stage.<\/p>\n At the top of the funnel, your focus should be on creating brand awareness. Top-of-funnel content should introduce your brand and make your audience aware of the problem you\u2019re trying to solve.<\/p>\n The goal of ToFu content is to educate, inform, and engage.<\/p>\n ToFu content includes:<\/p>\n The middle of the funnel is the consideration stage.<\/p>\n After potential buyers are familiar with your brand, they enter the research phase. This is when they start comparing your brand to competitor brands, learning more about the solution, and seeking tangible results.<\/p>\n The goal of MoFu content is to build trust and provide information prospects need to evaluate their options.<\/p>\n MoFu content includes:<\/p>\n At the bottom of the funnel, your target persona is the decision-maker. They\u2019re ready to make a purchasing decision, but they need one final push to decide.<\/p>\n The goal of BoFu content is to convert prospects into customers by offering the last piece of information or reassurance they need to make a purchasing decision.<\/p>\n BoFu content includes:<\/p>\n <\/a> <\/p>\n Throughout my years as a content strategist for B2B SaaS companies, I\u2018ve personally discovered the buyer\u2019s journey is rarely a straight path.<\/p>\n With the exception of impulse software purchases (which are rare in B2B), most decision-makers begin in an \u201cunaware stage.\u201d They typically fit the demographics of an ideal client or buyer persona, but they\u2018re unaware of the SaaS solution or don\u2019t yet realize they need it.<\/p>\n A triggering event often changes their situation or highlights a pain point that needs solving. This is what kicks off their buyer’s journey.<\/p>\n Let me share an example I’ve used with clients: Imagine a growing startup realizes its project management is becoming chaotic. These companies rarely decide to purchase a SaaS project management tool immediately.<\/p>\n Instead, they often turn to the internet to learn more and make decisions as they progress through the following stages. My job is to assist them in that decision-making process through strategic content.<\/p>\n In the awareness stage, B2B buyers are experiencing a problem or pain point, and their goal is to alleviate it. They’re typically looking for informational resources to more clearly understand, frame, and give a name to their problem.<\/p>\n A common search query a prospect might begin with is: \u201cHow to improve team productivity?\u201d At this stage, they\u2018re not yet thinking about specific SaaS solutions; it\u2019s much too early for that.<\/p>\n Instead, they\u2018re looking to contextualize their problem first. As a B2B SaaS content strategist, I\u2019ve discovered that showing up in search engine results, even in these early stages, is crucial to establishing authority and gaining the trust of buyers starting the journey.<\/p>\n Moving to the consideration stage, I\u2018ve observed that B2B buyers have usually clearly defined and named their problem.<\/p>\n They\u2019re now committed to researching and understanding all available approaches and methods to solving their defined problem or opportunity. In other words, I’ve seen how they start considering potential SaaS solutions.<\/p>\n From my work, I know that a typical search inquiry a prospect would make at this stage might be: \u201cProject management software vs. traditional methods?\u201d In the consideration stage, the prospect isn’t yet ready to buy, but they are deciding on the potential solution for them.<\/p>\n My strategy here is to consider indirect competitors and educate prospects on the pros and cons of various SaaS options.<\/p>\n Once they’ve progressed to the decision stage, B2B buyers have typically decided on their solution strategy, method, or approach.<\/p>\n Their goal now is to compile a list of available SaaS vendors, make a short list, and ultimately make a final purchase decision.<\/p>\n Prospects at this stage make search inquiries like: \u201cAsana vs. Trello vs. Jira.\u201d At this point, they\u2018re ready to invest in a solution.<\/p>\n They\u2019ll likely go with a SaaS provider they like, know, and trust so long as that provider can meet their specific business needs.<\/p>\n <\/a> <\/p>\n As in all marketing disciplines, it\u2019s essential to understand your audience<\/a>: how they think, the answers they seek, and the path they tend to take to find a solution.<\/p>\n From that research, you can begin crafting a documented content strategy that maps your content to the various stages of the buyer’s journey.<\/p>\n When you don\u2018t completely understand your audience, it creates a disconnect between your business and your potential customers.<\/p>\n I asked Colleen Barry<\/a>, head of marketing at Ketch<\/a>, about the importance of the content marketing funnel and she made an excellent point about getting your content strategy right.<\/p>\n “Content isn\u2019t just about attracting clicks, it\u2019s about guiding potential customers through a decision-making process,\u201d she says. \u201cIf your content doesn\u2019t match their stage in the journey, you\u2019ll either overwhelm them with too much information too soon or leave them hanging without enough details to make a decision.\u201d<\/p>\n In Barry\u2019s words, ToFu content sparks curiosity, MoFu content builds confidence, and BoFu content helps prospects justify their purchase. She adds, \u201cA strong content strategy ensures buyers get what they need at the right time, reducing drop-offs and improving conversion rates.”<\/p>\n Creating the right content at the right time can, however, be a challenge.<\/p>\n Building a content strategy<\/a> starts with identifying the types of content you\u2019ll need to reach your audience according to their progression through the buyer\u2019s journey. It\u2019s also essential to use content marketing software<\/a> to keep prospects organized no matter where they are in the funnel.<\/p>\n Below, I\u2019ll guide you through the types of content you can create for each stage of the content marketing funnel.<\/p>\n <\/a> <\/p>\n Once you have an idea of your buyer persona and how prospects move closer to purchase, you can begin creating content for your buyer at different stages and tailor that content per channel.<\/p>\n Doing so can help you map your content to the relevant stages of the buyer\u2019s journey<\/a> to make a marketing funnel.<\/p>\n Your journey may look very different depending on your industry, business model, product, pricing, and audience.<\/p>\n Some B2C customers, for example, spend very little time in the middle of the buyer\u2019s journey compared to B2B customers, who require far more nurturing, engagement, and relationship development before a purchase is made.<\/p>\n A $50 pair of sneakers, for instance, requires a lot less hand-holding when it comes to making purchase decisions than a $10,000 business software investment.<\/p>\n H3 (New) Content Marketing Funnel Template<\/p>\n Because audiences can vary widely based on industry and intent, buyer persona research<\/a> is of the utmost importance. Using a content marketing funnel template can help you map out the existing content types you have and which content would be beneficial to add.<\/p>\n By understanding prospects\u2019 unique process for awareness and evaluation, you can create a truly effective content marketing funnel<\/a> and strategy packed with custom content that best supports their journey toward making a purchase.<\/p>\n Now, we\u2019ll explore each stage of the buyers journey in greater detail.<\/p>\n <\/a> <\/p>\n Let\u2019s take it from the top and start from the beginning of the buyer\u2019s journey.<\/p>\n At the awareness stage<\/strong>, a buyer is looking for top-level educational content to help direct them to a solution, like blog posts, social content, and ebooks.<\/p>\n Their value as a lead is low because there\u2019s no guarantee that they\u2019ll buy from you. But those who find your content helpful and interesting may journey on to the middle of the funnel.<\/p>\n The ideal channels for the awareness stage may include:<\/p>\n Let\u2019s run through the different content formats best suited for these channels.<\/p>\n A blog post is an ideal piece of content to target people in the awareness stage.<\/p>\n By addressing a pain, problem, or topic your target audience wants to discover and then posting helpful information about it on your website, you\u2019re creating a brand asset that\u2019s crawlable by Google and discoverable by search engine users.<\/p>\n You can also promote your blog content across other channels, giving you more content to share and increasing your potential reach.<\/p>\n Natallia Slimani<\/a>, content manager at time tracking software, Traqq<\/a> shared with me that blog content in the awareness stage should do exactly that: bring awareness to the problem.<\/p>\n \u201cPeople may need your product but don\u2019t always realize it,\u201d she says. \u201cFor example, people might search for productivity tips or remote work advice before they even know they need a time tracker.\u201d<\/p>\n One successful ToFu content Traqq created was a blog post on how to calculate time differences in Excel. It\u2019s an educational topic that offers practical advice for their target audience. \u201cThis question might be part of a larger time management issue, so we subtly introduce our time tracker as a potential solution,\u201d explains Slimani. \u201cHowever, the article is still about helping, not selling.\u201d<\/p>\n Pro tip:<\/strong> When I\u2019m having trouble ideating topics that align with my audience\u2019s pain points, HubSpot\u2019s Blog Ideas Generator<\/a> can come in handy \u2014 just type in a few details about your audience or content, and the platform will generate catchy titles relevant to your input.<\/p>\n Download for Free<\/a><\/p>\n According to Backlinko, 86.1% of all eligible audiences<\/a> aged 18+ are active on social media. This makes it a great channel for the awareness stage. You can use social media to promote your other content, and you can also create content specifically for the channel.<\/p>\n Since I target B2B SaaS companies, my social channel of choice is LinkedIn.<\/p>\n In the above example, I\u2019ve shared a carousel on my top tools on LinkedIn. These formats are popular on LinkedIn, as the content is created to be snackable with short-form takeaways.<\/p>\n A whitepaper is an organization\u2019s report or guide on a particular topic.<\/p>\n Whitepapers typically discuss an industry trend or topic, sharing key statistics, original findings, or case studies. They are especially useful as downloadable offers when readers want to go more in-depth on a specific subject they\u2019re reading about.<\/p>\n I\u2018ve found it\u2019s crucial to provide original data or information your audience can\u2018t find elsewhere, which helps audiences understand the report\u2019s value and compels them to download it.<\/p>\n Every year, HubSpot publishes a report on the state of marketing to provide helpful guidance based on thought leadership to marketers, sales professionals, and business owners. Inside, readers find statistics from a broad survey and industry experts\u2019 opinions on what the data means and where the industry is going.<\/p>\n Pro tip:<\/strong> Depending on how broad or in-depth your whitepaper goes, you can also use it further down the funnel as MoFu content.<\/p>\n For complicated tasks with many moving parts, your audience may simply want a blueprint that spells out what they\u2019re supposed to do to achieve their end goal.<\/p>\n This onboarding checklist from business consulting firm Nextant<\/a> is a perfect example of this. Nextant offers a free downloadable checklist using its proven onboarding framework. What I like best about this checklist is how it includes data-driven results that can be achieved by using this template.<\/p>\n My experience has taught me that sometimes, the best way to solve a pain or problem is to learn a new skill.<\/p>\n While a purchase may be required along the way, your audience often needs to become more informed about the problem and potential solutions first. That\u2018s where I\u2019ve seen instructional video content really shine.<\/p>\n HubSpot Marketing\u2019s YouTube channel offers hundreds of free video tutorials dedicated to teaching viewers digital marketing tips and strategies in easy-to-understand language and visuals.<\/p>\n I\u2018ve learned that informational content for a broad audience isn\u2019t always sufficient for buyer personas to make a decision.<\/p>\n In some cases, they require more utility or personalization. That\u2018s why I\u2019ve found kits and tools to be excellent content pieces for guiding readers along their path to purchase.<\/p>\n Nerdwallet creates content around several financial topics, budgeting being one of them. It can be challenging to create a budget, though, so they developed a calculator that allows users to provide their own numbers to receive customized recommendations.<\/p>\n Similar to whitepapers, I’ve had success using ebooks and tip sheets as downloadable content. I typically make tip sheets shorter and actionable, but ebooks can be more comprehensive to provide as much value as possible for readers.<\/p>\n Catalina Grigoriev, content marketer at Planable<\/a>, a social media scheduling tool, shared with me a successful guide her team created for their content marketing funnel. The guide was about social media approval workflows \u2014 a major pain point for marketing teams.<\/p>\n \u201cThis content worked effectively because it addressed a specific challenge while subtly positioning Planable as the solution,\u201d says Grigorie. \u201cIt naturally led readers to explore our platform further, resulting in increased engagement and conversions.\u201d<\/p>\n Download for Free<\/a><\/p>\n A webinar is a web seminar where information is provided through video.<\/p>\n A webinar can be prerecorded or streamed live, which opens up many possibilities for disseminating information to an audience that wants both visual and auditory content.<\/p>\n At HubSpot, we create webinars as a key part of our content marketing strategy and often run a valuable topic multiple times to get more mileage out of the content.<\/p>\n Moving on from the awareness stage content, let\u2019s delve into the next stage of the buyer\u2019s journey.<\/p>\n When someone moves into the consideration stage<\/strong>, it means you\u2019ve captured their attention. They know they have a problem that has to be solved, and now they\u2019re trying to discover the best solution. The need for a future purchase commitment creeps up as they\u2019re evaluating their options.<\/p>\n This stage is typically a point of extended engagement where you\u2019re nurturing a lead, building a relationship, and establishing trust between the audience and your brand.<\/p>\n The ideal channels for your consideration stage may include:<\/p>\n Let\u2019s go through the best content formats for this part of the buyer\u2019s journey.<\/p>\n In the consideration stage, the buyer persona is still considering solutions to their pain or problem and have probably narrowed it down to a few options. For this reason, product comparisons are a great way to help them decide.<\/p>\n Depending on how detailed your comparison page is, and how much research your prospect has already done, a product comparison page may successfully convert the prospect into a buyer.<\/p>\n Kevin Dam<\/a>, CEO and founder of Aemorph<\/a> shared with me that one of his team\u2019s most effective content marketing funnel pieces was a detailed comparison page.<\/p>\n \u201cWe didn’t just list features, we also answered common complaints, added case studies, and made the call to action strong,\u201d says Dam. \u201cThe page did better than its competitors and had a 30% higher sales rate than a normal product page.\u201d<\/p>\n I’ve successfully used case studies in both the consideration and decision stages. From my experience, a well-crafted case study is effective because it convinces the reader that our solution works by showcasing real results for actual customers.<\/p>\n When I create case studies for my B2B SaaS clients, I make sure to appeal to both emotions and logic. I tell a compelling story about the client’s challenges while providing detailed, quantitative data on how our solution solved their problems.<\/p>\n HubSpot Partner Agency Blueleadz<\/a> tells a story about their client and their problems while providing a detailed account of how they solved them.<\/p>\n Download for Free<\/a><\/p>\n A free sample is another example of content or an offer that overlaps between the buyer\u2019s journey stages.<\/p>\n For example, VistaPrint offers a free business sample kit that includes examples of its business cards, door hangers, brochures, and more print materials small businesses may need.<\/p>\n VistaPrint knows its business is tactile, and digital content alone is not enough to close a deal. Once their prospective customer holds the sample in their hands, it\u2019s easier to make the final purchase.<\/p>\n Now that you\u2019ve provided content to help customers list out or sample their options, it\u2019s time to move them into the decision stage<\/strong>.<\/p>\n As prospects near the end of the buyer\u2019s journey, they\u2019re evaluating providers down to specific or specialized offerings.<\/p>\n Marketers, in turn, want to go above and beyond their expectations and provide an easy and frictionless customer experience that can win them over their competitors.<\/p>\n Handling objections, remove hesitation, position ahead of comp<\/p>\n In my experience, the most effective channels for decision-stage content include:<\/p>\n Here are the content formats I’ve found most effective in helping prospects get closer to purchase.<\/p>\n Free trials are a great way for B2B SaaS companies to let customers experience the power of their tools firsthand.<\/p>\n Once they see how new tools impact productivity and efficiency, they\u2019re much more likely to become paying customers.<\/p>\n Buffer does this well. Though they have a free plan with limitations, they know that offering a free trial upfront is the key to getting clients into their larger tiers. Their pricing page sets the prospect\u2019s expectations and points them to the free trial.<\/p>\n It\u2019s also a good idea to consider how the content you create earlier in the funnel can lead people to free trials or demos.<\/p>\n Dirk Alshuth<\/a>, CMO at cloud management platform emma<\/a>, shared with me that one of his team\u2019s most effective BoFu content pieces is an in-depth ROI calculator that helps drive demo requests.<\/p>\n \u201cPotential customers often hesitated due to pricing concerns, so we built a tool that showed exactly how much time and money they could save,\u201d says Alshuth. \u201cThis worked because it tackled a major purchasing objection with real, personalized data. It increased demo requests by 35% because prospects could clearly see the value of our product before even speaking to sales.\u201d<\/p>\n A consultation is another example of providing just a little bit of service in exchange for the opportunity to close the sale.<\/p>\n The best consultation reduces the anxiety of entering into a sales conversation by promising something concrete they can walk away with (a strategy or actionable advice) in exchange for their time.<\/p>\n In my B2B SaaS strategies, I often include consultation offers. I’ve found they work best when the prospect walks away with concrete, actionable advice.<\/p>\n To increase conversions, I always make scheduling as frictionless as possible and use automated booking systems like Calendly.<\/p>\n A coupon appeals to a fear of missing out (FOMO) mindset.<\/p>\n By reducing the price by a certain amount, a coupon is handing a price objection while convincing the prospect that they\u2019re leaving money on the table if they don\u2019t use the coupon. This inertia is enough to win the prospect\u2019s business.<\/p>\n Pet brand Finn does this well by gamifying its coupons.<\/p>\n By spinning the wheel, the website visitors have the chance to get a coupon before checking out the products. They\u2019ll likely evaluate the products that are a good deal with the coupon they won.<\/p>\n While traditional coupons aren\u2018t as common in B2B SaaS, I\u2019ve seen successful uses of limited-time offers or special pricing for early adopters. This creates a sense of urgency and can be the final push a prospect needs to make a decision.<\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n
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What is the content marketing funnel?<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Levels of the Content Marketing Funnel<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Top of the Funnel (ToFu)<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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Middle of the Funnel (MoFu)<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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Bottom of the Funnel (BoFu)<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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Understanding the Buyer\u2019s Journey in Marketing<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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Awareness Stage<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Content Marketing Funnel Example<\/strong><\/h4>\n
Consideration Stage<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Content Marketing Funnel Example<\/strong><\/h4>\n
Decision Stage<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Content Marketing Funnel Example<\/strong><\/h4>\n
Why Creating Content for the Buyer’s Journey Is Important<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Creating Content for Each Stage of the Buyer’s Journey<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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Content Ideas for Each Stage of the Buyer’s Journey<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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ToFu: Awareness<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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1. Blog Post<\/strong><\/h4>\n
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Featured Resource:<\/strong> 6 Free Blog Post Templates<\/a><\/strong><\/h4>\n
<\/a><\/p>\n
2. Social Media Post<\/strong><\/h4>\n
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3. Whitepaper<\/strong><\/h4>\n
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4. Checklist<\/strong><\/h4>\n
<\/p>\n
5. How-To Video<\/strong><\/h4>\n
6. Kit or Tool<\/strong><\/h4>\n
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7. Ebook or Tip Sheet<\/strong><\/h4>\n
Featured Resource:<\/strong> 36 Free Ebook Templates<\/a><\/strong><\/h4>\n
<\/a><\/p>\n
8. Educational Webinar<\/strong><\/h4>\n
<\/p>\n
MoFu: Consideration<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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1. Product Comparison Guides<\/strong><\/h4>\n
2. Case Study<\/strong><\/h4>\n
<\/p>\n
Featured Resource:<\/strong> 3 Free Case Study Templates<\/a><\/strong><\/h4>\n
<\/a><\/p>\n
3. Free Sample<\/strong><\/h4>\n
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BoFu: Decision<\/strong><\/h3>\n
<\/p>\n
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1. Free Trial or Live Demo<\/strong><\/h4>\n
<\/p>\n
2. Consultation Offer<\/strong><\/h4>\n
<\/p>\n
3. Coupon<\/strong><\/h4>\n
<\/p>\n