How To Create A Perfect Content Marketing Funnel That Converts

Introduction

Every business needs customers in order to survive and thrive. And one of the most effective ways to reach your target audience is through content marketing. But it’s not just about creating great content-you also need to create a well-oiled marketing funnel that will guide your readers from introduction to purchase. In this article, we’ll discuss everything about the content marketing funnel – the top of the funnel, middle of the funnel, and bottom of the funnel methods you can use to create a content marketing funnel that converts.

What Is A Content Marketing Funnel?

A content marketing funnel is a process that takes a potential customer from first becoming aware of your product or service to eventually making a purchase. In order to do this, you need to create a series of content that moves them through each stage of the buyer’s journey, from awareness to consideration to decision.

Why Use A Content Marketing Funnel?

Funnels are an essential part of any business, regardless of what you’re selling. That’s because they help you to focus your marketing efforts and resources on the people who are most likely to buy from you. Without a funnel, you’re just spraying and praying with your marketing, hoping that something will stick. But with a content marketing funnel, you can be laser-focused in your approach, making sure that each piece of content you create is designed to move your reader one step closer to becoming a paying customer.

Plus, using a funnel gives you a way to track and measure your results so that you can continually optimize your content and make improvements over time.

4 Stages Of Content Marketing Funnel

Now that we’ve discussed what a content marketing funnel is and why you should use one, let’s take a look at how to create your own using 4 stages: We call those 4 stages AECD, AKA Awareness, Evaluation, Conversion, and Delight.

Awareness Stage

The first stage of the content marketing funnel is awareness. In this stage, your goal is to introduce your product or service to your target audience. You want to make them aware that you exist and that you have something they need or want.

To do this, you’ll need to create content that is designed to reach a wide audience. This can include blog posts, social media posts, infographics, and even videos. The key is to make sure that your content is interesting and informative enough to get people to pay attention and want to learn more about what you have to offer.

Evaluation Stage

Once you’ve gotten your readers’ attention, it’s time to move them into the evaluation stage. In this stage, your goal is to provide more information about your product or service and help your readers understand how it can benefit them.

To do this, you’ll need to create content that:

• Compares your offering to other similar products or services
• Explains the features and benefits of your product or service
• Answers common questions about your product or service
• Provides case studies or testimonials from satisfied customers

At this stage of the funnel, you want to provide enough information to help your readers make an informed decision about your product or service. But you don’t want to overwhelm them with too much information or try to sell them on every last feature.

The key is to provide enough value to keep your readers engaged, while also moving them closer to making a purchase.

Conversion Stage

The next stage of the content marketing funnel is conversion. In this stage, your goal is to get your readers to take the next step and buy your product or service. To do this, you’ll need to create content that is designed to close the deal.

This can include: Product demonstrations, Free trials or coupons, or Customer success stories

In this stage, you’ll also want to focus on creating a sense of urgency and scarcity. This will help push your readers towards taking action.

Delight Stage

The final stage of the content marketing funnel is a delight. This stage has been added later on as businesses realized that the customer journey does not end when someone makes a purchase. It’s just the beginning.

The goal of the delight stage is to keep your customers happy and engaged so that they become lifelong advocates for your brand. This can be done through a variety of methods, such as providing excellent customer service, sending personalized follow-up emails, or sending special coupons and discounts.

The key to the delight stage is to keep your customers engaged so that they continue to do business with you and tell their friends about your brand.

If you can master the art of content marketing, you’ll be well on your way to driving conversions and growing your business. Just remember to create a well-oiled marketing funnel that will guide your readers from introduction to purchase.

Three Types of Content Marketing Funnel

There are three types of content marketing funnel-top of the funnel (TOFU), middle of the funnel (MOFU), and bottom of the funnel (BOFU). These are just like you have learned with awareness, conversion, and delight stages, but with one key difference.

Your goal with each type of content is different. Here’s a quick overview:

Top of the Funnel (TOFU)

The top of the funnel is all about getting in front of your target audience and introducing them to your brand. You want to make sure that your content is informative and helpful, without being too salesy. This is the stage where you build trust and credibility with your audience so that they’ll be more likely to consider doing business with you down the line.

The type of content you create for the top of the funnel will be very different from what you create for the bottom of the funnel. Top of the funnel content is typically more general and is designed to introduce your product or service as a possible solution to their problem.

Some examples of top of the funnel content include:

• Blog posts: These can be helpful how-to guides, industry news, or even just personal stories that help introduce your brand.

• Social media posts: These can be used to drive traffic to your blog or website, as well as engage with your audience and get them talking about your brand.

• Videos: These can be used to introduce your product or service, as well as get your audience interested in what you have to offer.

• Infographics: These are a great way to make complex topics more digestible and easy to understand. They can also be used to drive traffic to your website or blog.

• Ebooks: These can be used to introduce your product or service, as well as provide helpful information that your audience can use.

Middle of the Funnel (MOFU)

Once you’ve got your target audience’s attention with top-of-the-funnel content, it’s time to start creating content for the middle of the funnel. The middle of the funnel is all about getting your audience to take the next step in their buyer’s journey, from consideration to decision.

At this stage, your goal is to start moving your readers towards purchase by providing them with more detailed information about your product or service. You want to make sure that your content is educational and informative, without being too pushy.

Some examples of the middle of the funnel content include:

• Case studies: These can be used to show your audience how your product or service has helped others in a similar situation.

• Whitepapers: These are great for providing in-depth information about your product or service, as well as showing your audience that you’re an expert in your field.

• Product demos: These can help show your audience how your product or service works and what it can do for them.

• Webinars: These are a great way to provide valuable information to your audience, as well as get them interested in your product or service.

• Free trials: This is a great way to get your audience to try your product or service before they buy it.

• coupons or discounts: Offering a coupon or discount can help entice your audience to make a purchase.

Bottom of the Funnel (BOFU)

Finally, you’ll need to create content for the bottom of the funnel. The bottom of the funnel is all about getting your audience to take the final step in their buyer’s journey and make a purchase.

At this stage, your goal is to close the sale by providing your audience with a sense of urgency and convincing them that your product or service is the best solution for their needs.

Some examples of the bottom of the funnel content include:

• Free shipping or other incentives: Offering free shipping or other incentives can help convince your audience to make a purchase.

• Testimonials or reviews: These can be used to show your audience what others have said about your product or service.

• Case studies: These can be used to show your audience how your product or service has helped others in a similar situation.

• Product demos: These can help show your audience how your product or service works and what it can do for them.

Whether you follow the 4 stages or the 3 types of the content marketing funnel, your goal is the same: turn your readers into customers.

There you have it! Now that you know how to create a content marketing funnel that converts readers into customers, you can get started on creating your own mix of content. By creating a mix of content for each stage of the funnel, you’ll be able to guide your readers from introduction to purchase. And by tracking your results, you’ll be able to continually optimize your content and make improvements over time.

Conclusion

To maximize your content’s impact, you need a strategy that guides readers through an enjoyable and informative journey from introduction to purchase. We call this “the funnel.”

If you’re looking to create a content marketing funnel that converts, contact the experts at 12 Channels today. We can help you create a personalized content strategy that will drive results. Your call-to-action could be anything from signing up for your newsletter to scheduling a consultation, 12 Channels can help you turn your readers into customers.