In today's digital age, capturing and maintaining customer attention is increasingly challenging due to the multitude of information sources available to customers.
The path to conversion is becoming more complex, exemplified by Google's concept of the Messy Middle. However, the cognitive, affective, and motivational processes humans undergo when making a decision remain unchanged.
Essentially, before purchasing, customers must first become aware of and develop an interest in a product. This process, known as the hierarchy of effects*, the decision process, or the learning process, has been utilized by marketers for years and is commonly referred to as the marketing funnel.
The marketing or sales funnel concept provides a useful framework for understanding and optimizing a customer's journey from awareness to engagement (or consideration) and decision-making.
By understanding these stages, an organization can tailor its content marketing strategies to align with the needs and preferences of their audience at each stage.
This article will delve into the funnel's mechanics, focusing on the initial phase, the awareness phase, also known as the top of the funnel.
Let's explore the nuances of digital customer engagement and enhance your marketing strategy.
The Marketing Funnel
A marketing funnel, known alternatively as a sales or conversion funnel, is a traditional digital marketing model that outlines the customer's journey on a website.
It's usually divided into three parts, each representing a different stage in the customer's path to conversion. The top part is known as the Top of Funnel or ToFu.
Although the funnel concept has existed for over a century - famously embodied in the AIDA model coined by E. St. Elmo Lewis in 1898 - it has gained renewed popularity in the digital age with the rise of content marketing.
The sales funnel is an excellent tool for creating a coherent strategy, offering the user the right content at the right time on his path to purchase.
Top of the Funnel
Also known as the awareness phase, the Top of the Funnel (ToFu) phase is the beginning of the marketing funnel.
It's the broadest part of the funnel, representing the start of the customer's journey. It's often referred to as the lifeblood of your online traffic, attracting new audiences to your offerings.
As the initial entry point, this is the stage with the largest potential customer base. At this stage, potential customers may not have clear interests in a specific product or solution, as they may not have identified their problem or need yet.
The Problem-Solution Approach
This approach helps distinguish two types of awareness.
- The problem-aware stage is when the customers needs to become aware of their problem by focusing content on the symptoms of a specific problem. In other words, you need to identify a problem they haven't recognized yet (i.e. you not being aware of the risks of cyber security).
- In contrast, the solution-aware stage is when the customers know their problem but don't know how to solve it (cyber security is a threat, but where do I start). Understanding this distinction can help you tailor your content approach.
Your content marketing should provide these potential customers with high-level information describing problems, their causes, and an overview of solutions to capture their attention.
For example, if you're a coach trying to reach managers stuck in their careers, you could discuss the various causes that can get a manager stuck, instead of solely focusing on how to get unstuck.
The Next Step
The goal of ToFu content is not just to create awareness for your potential customer but also to lead your audience to the next phase of the funnel, the MoFu or Middle of Funnel.
Not all visitors who interact with the company in the Awareness phase will move on to the next phase, which is normal.
However, you should always think of a Call To Action that leads to the next step in the funnel for visitors who want more in-depth information.
Remember, you're not selling at this stage. It's about providing a neutral perspective and building your authority as an expert on the subject matter. The company's products will be more prominently featured in the next step (MoFu).
More Than Written Content
Content marketing isn't just written content and blog articles. There are many other ways to inform the user in the digital landscape, including:
- social media posts
- video tutorials
- infographics
- podcasts
- research findings
- e-books
- or whitepapers
Choose the format that suits your message and audience best. And don’t forget you can also repurpose content and distribute the same information on different channels.
Putting It Together
The awareness stage is often the first point of contact for a prospective customer with the company. It's a crucial moment for both parties. You have to guide the customer to the right destination, understanding their needs and the best-suited content formats.
Remember, many companies focus solely on the top of the funnel, but the other steps are equally important.
Consider viewing the situation from your customers' perspective. Reflect on the various ways you can demonstrate your expertise by discussing the challenges your customers might encounter, how to recognize these issues, their implications, and the subsequent steps to take.
Then choose a type of content, and start creating!
Remember: at this stage you're not yet talking about your products! You might might however tease potential solutions by linking to other articles.
Dive deeper into the funnel! Uncover the significance of the middle stage and reshape your content strategy with this article (coming soon)!
This is an expanded version of the original text written in German by the author and published in the book "Marketing Buzzwords Debunked" available on Amazon.de.
*Lavidge & Steiner (1967) A Model For Predictive Measurements of Advertising Effectiveness