The marketing funnel
- Top of funnel (awareness): reach people who are learning about a problem.
- Middle of funnel (consideration): help them compare solutions and build trust.
- Bottom of funnel (decision): convert them with offers, demos, quotes and proof.
Typical top-of-funnel content
- Blog posts and guides that answer common questions
- Social media posts and short videos
- Podcasts, infographics and free tools
- Display and video advertising aimed at new audiences
How to measure it
Look at reach, new visitors, organic traffic to informational content, engagement and newsletter sign-ups rather than direct sales. Top-of-funnel work pays off later, when those people come back ready to buy.
Top of funnel example
A company that sells project software publishes a free guide to “how to run a project kick-off meeting” and short LinkedIn videos with meeting tips. Readers are project managers with a problem but no plan to buy. The company measures visits, time on page, newsletter sign-ups and the number of people who later search for the brand, not sales from these pages.
Top of funnel content ideas
- Beginner guides and “what is” articles.
- Checklists, templates and free tools.
- Short videos that answer one question.
- Research and original data that others cite.
- Podcasts and webinars on industry problems.
Top of funnel mistakes
- Pushing for a sale in every top-of-funnel article.
- Not giving a next step, so readers leave without any connection.
- Measuring success by sales only.
- Targeting topics far from what you sell just to get traffic.
Top of funnel FAQs
What comes after the top of the funnel?
The middle and bottom. See digital marketing funnels and lead nurturing.
Which channels work best?
SEO, social media, video and partnerships. See brand awareness and content marketing.