The sales funnel visually represents a potential customer’s journey from initial awareness to becoming a loyal customer. It typically consists of four stages: top-of-the-funnel (TOFU), mid-funnel (MOFU), bottom-of-the-funnel (BOFU), and product-led.
As an SEO professional, one of your key goals is to attract and engage potential customers at each sales funnel stage.
By creating targeted content for the TOFU, MOFU, and BOFU, you can provide valuable information and insights to help potential customers navigate the buyer’s journey and make informed decisions.
This guide will show you how to create content clusters for each sales funnel stage, focusing on the product-led approach.
Sales Funnel Stages Explained
Before diving into the details of creating content clusters for each sales funnel stage, it’s essential to understand the different stages and what they represent. This section will briefly overview each step and its meaning in the buyer’s journey.
Stage 1- TOFU
At the top of the funnel, potential customers are becoming aware of their problems and looking for solutions.
To attract and engage them, create content focusing on their pain points and questions as they search for an answer.
This may include blog posts, social media updates, and other content that educates and informs potential customers about solutions to their issues.
Stage 2 – MOFU
They consider different solutions and evaluate their options in the middle of the funnel.
To provide value at this stage, create content focusing on in-depth product or service information, case studies and success stories, and comparative analysis.
This content can help potential customers evaluate their options and determine the best solution.
Stage 3 – BOFU
At the bottom of the funnel, they’re ready to purchase.
To provide value at this stage, create content focused on product or service specifications, customer support and after-sales service, user testimonials and reviews, and pricing and payment options.
This content can help potential customers decide to purchase your product or service and become loyal customers.
Product-led approach:
Finally, remember the product-led approach. Using your product or service to drive customer acquisition and retention can create a virtuous cycle to help you achieve long-term success.
To create a product-led content cluster, focus on content that helps users get the most out of your product or service, such as onboarding and user training, product updates and new features, and user success stories.
What content is best for each stage?
As we described above, each sales funnel stage has its characteristics. Here we’ll explain the best content for you to focus on for each step to maximise your chances of attracting and converting potential customers at different stages.
The best content for the TOFU
Here are some questions that need answering for the buyer at the top of the funnel stage:
- Identify the problem(s): What are buyers’ common problems or challenges in your industry? How do these problems impact their daily lives or businesses?
- Explore the solution(s): What solutions or approaches can solve the buyer’s problem? What are the pros and cons of each approach? How does your product or service fit into the solutions landscape?
- Education and awareness: What are the basic concepts or terms buyers must understand to make informed decisions? What are the trends or industry news that buyers need to be aware of?
- Comparison and evaluation: How do buyers compare different solutions and evaluate which best fits their needs? What are the key factors that they need to consider when assessing other solutions?
- Best practices and tips: What best practices or tips can buyers follow to address their problem or improve their situation? How can your product or service help them achieve their goals?
By answering these buyer questions in your content, you can provide valuable information and insights to help buyers navigate the TOFU stage of their journey.
Using relevant keywords and topics can improve your SEO and attract the right audience to your content cluster.
The best content for the MOFU
Types of buyer questions that can be answered in content for the MOFU stage:
- In-depth product or service information: What are the features and benefits of your product or service? How does it work? How is it different from other solutions in the market?
- Case studies and success stories: How have other customers successfully used your product or service to solve their problems? What were the results? How can potential buyers use this information to make informed decisions?
- Comparative analysis: How does your product or service compare to other solutions in the market? What are the strengths and weaknesses of each solution? How can buyers evaluate which solution is the best fit for their needs?
- Pricing and cost comparison: What is the cost of your product or service? How does it compare to other solutions in the market? What factors should buyers consider when evaluating pricing and cost?
- Expert opinions and reviews: What do industry experts or customers say about your product or service? How can their views and reviews help potential buyers make informed decisions?
You can help potential buyers evaluate their options and make informed decisions by answering these.
Reminder: Using relevant keywords and topics in your content can improve your SEO and attract the right audience to your website.
The best content for the BOFU
Here are some types of buyer questions that can be answered in your content for the BOFU stage:
- Product or service specifications: What are the technical specifications of your product or service? How does it meet the buyer’s specific needs and requirements?
- Customer support and after-sales service: What type of customer support and after-sales service do you provide? How can buyers access this support? How can they troubleshoot any issues that may arise?
- User testimonials and reviews: What do other customers say about their experience with your product or service? How can their testimonials and reviews help potential buyers make a decision?
- Pricing and payment options: What are your product or service’s pricing and payment options? Are there any discounts or promotions available?
- Purchase and delivery process: What is the process for purchasing your product or service? How long does it take to receive the product or service? How can buyers track their orders and receive updates?
By answering these buyer questions in your blog posts for the BOFU stage, you can help potential buyers decide to purchase your product or service.
Reminder: Using relevant keywords and topics in your content can improve your SEO and attract the right audience to your business.
The best content for a Product-led approach
Here are some types of buyer questions that can be answered in blog posts for the product-led stage:
- Onboarding and user training: What type of onboarding and user training do you provide? How can new users get started with your product or service?
- Product updates and new features: What are your product or service’s latest updates and new features? How can users take advantage of these updates to improve their experience?
- Customer support and feedback: What type of customer support do you provide? How can users provide feedback and suggestions for improvement?
- User communities and resources: What type of user communities and resources are available? How can they connect with other users and share best practices?
- User success stories: How have other users successfully used your product or service to achieve their goals? What were the results? How can potential users use this information to improve their experience?
By answering these buyer questions in your blog posts for the product-led stage, you can help users get the most out of your product or service and become loyal customers.
Conclusion:
By creating targeted content clusters for each stage of the sales funnel, you can provide value to potential customers at each stage of their journey and build a loyal customer base over time.
Using the product-led approach, you can create a virtuous customer acquisition and retention cycle to help you achieve long-term success.
By following the tips and strategies outlined in this guide, you can create a comprehensive and effective content marketing strategy that drives growth and success for your business.