There are many terms in the marketing world, and one of those terms is 'Top of Funnel marketing.'

But what does that mean?

In this brief article, we will explain top-of-funnel marketing and how you can generate more leads.

Top of Funnel Marketing Explained 

In a sales funnel, there are three steps:

  1. Top of funnel 
  2. Middle of funnel 
  3. Bottom of funnel
Read What Is The Objective At The Top Of The Sales Funnel

In each step, you want your prospects to go to the next. The bottom of the funnel is the goal, as that is where the conversions happen. 

We will only discuss the first step. 

So what is the top of funnel marketing? 

Top-of-funnel marketing is all about awareness. 

It's the first step in the buyer's journey. 

You have a product, and you want people to know that your product exists. Otherwise, you won't be able to make any money. 

Because the top of the funnel is making the unknown known, the prospects need to get to know you.

And you can do this by giving immense value. 

Most prospects have a problem and need a solution, which is why they are looking to you to inform them. 

At this stage, you want your content to be informational. 

You want to be the authority figure and have prospects trust you. 

Top of Funnel Marketing Goals 

Giving value to your prospects doesn't have to be hard. Your goal is to get candidates to know you exist and you have a solution to their problem. 

You want to: 

Inform:

The top of the funnel is your perfect opportunity to answer any questions. 

You want to become the #1 source for that prospect's problem, so they want to learn more from you. 

Give Value:

On top of answering questions, you can give away free informational items. These items can include eBooks, PDFs, PowerPoint, etc. 

The point of giving free information items away is to collect email addresses (leads). 

Don't Overcomplicate:  

The top of the funnel is the first chance to make a good impression. Be informative, but don't get complicated with how you present information. 

Be clear and compelling. 

Don't Push The Sell Too Hard: 

If you were on a first date, would you expect the other person to propose to you? 

No, right? For you to get to that point of marriage, you need to be dating for some time. 

This is the same idea. Don't sell too hard. Get a few more 'dates' by keeping the customer engaged with your information. 

Know What Your Customers Want Next: 

Any customer who makes it to the middle of the funnel is considering your product or service. 

Be sure that you are there to assist them as they make strides to learn more about what you have to deliver.

Top of Funnel Marketing Examples 

So how do you give immense value and solve complex problems? 

There are a few ways, but each method involves producing content. 

Content comes in many forms.

But before we give you our list of examples, we want to explain why content is so powerful. 

When people have a problem, they run straight to google nine times out of ten. 

Here are some shocking statistics:

51% of shoppers surveyed say they use Google to research a purchase they plan to make online. (Think with Google, 2019) (Source: https://www.hubspot.com/marketing-statistics) 
49% of users say they use Google to discover or find a new item or product. (Think with Google, 2019) (Source: https://www.hubspot.com/marketing-statistics)


Google allows you to be in front of those problems with your content. 

The more pieces of content that you can create, the more chances your content gets viewed. 

The more views, the more chances you get a conversion. 

For example, let's say you own a tax company.

Before tax seasons, people search for ways to reduce their taxable income. 

If you had money to spend on ads, you could give away a free PDF report or eBook to those looking for help. 

Or you could create a blog post and compile all the information you have on reducing taxable income. 

With either route, you are giving value to people who have significant questions. 

Here are some other ways you can give value at the top of the funnel: 

  • eBook
  • Blog posts 
  • Infographics 
  • Video Training 
  • Webinars 
  • Virtual Events 
  • Social media
  • Guides 
  • Powerpoint presentations 
  • Direct mail
  • Whitepapers

The key to successful top-of-the-funnel content is to intrigue your audience. 

In the marketing funnel's interest stage, they will want to know how you can help them. 

Finally, in the end, there is a light at the end of the tunnel.