And how to serve up what your customer needs when they need it

As digital marketers, we’re able to touch consumers throughout their entire buying journey, which opens up a world of opportunities – and potential missteps. If content marketing is a vital ingredient in your marketing mix, let’s look at your customers as if they were diners at an upscale restaurant. The menu might have a delectable array of options but each diner will be chasing different flavors as they journey through their meal.

Think of ToFu (top of the funnel content) as the appetizer. Your customer is thinking more about the product they might want than your brand. They’re scanning the menu, lingering on options that stand out or appeal to their flavor palette. How will your business or product stand out to the menu scanner? How will you entice them to take the next step to learn more about how you can help them?

The MoFu (middle of the funnel content) customer is more discerning. The appetizer has left them mildly satiated and they’re focused on the main course now. If they’ve never dined at this restaurant before, they may ask other diners for advice or turn to their phones for online reviews of the different options. They’re actively comparing you against the competition, deciding which is the right choice for them. What makes you different? What makes you a better fit for them?

Your BoFu (bottom of the funnel content) customer is ready to place their order. At this point, it’s all about trust. As the server takes their order, they may be still looking for clues that they’ve made the right choice. Does the server agree it will deliver what they’re chasing? Are there upgrades available? Customizations? What are the hidden costs? Will their choice take longer to make and deliver then their fellow diners’ choices? Ultimately, this last step assuages fears and instills trust and confidence – and whets the appetitive for the final delivery of the product.

How to create the right content throughout the customer journey

Understanding how your customer’s needs change as they progress through the sales funnel can help you create targeted content for each phase. What’s more, the style of that content changes as well. If you think about the top of the funnel as crowd sourcing, you’re creating content to appeal to large groups of people. It makes sense then that the bottom of the funnel is more product-focused and aimed at the smaller group of people who are preparing to purchase.

Let’s dive into the specifics of each phase of the funnel.

ToFu content – top of the funnel – content creation

At this point, your (potential) customer isn’t aware of your brand and is in learning mode. Creating content for this phase should be geared at solving general problems and gently introducing your brand. Position yourself as the subject matter expert and offer solutions that revolve around your product offering. Think of social media updates and blog posts as your net to entice these shoppers to take a closer look. Canadel’s ToFu content strategy runs the gamut from DIY to recipes to trend analysis. Instead of describing the features of their elegant furniture, they link to a blog post that helps the reader understand the golden rules of creating a beautiful room that expresses your personality. Brilliant.

MoFu content – middle of the funnel – content creation

The funnel is beginning to narrow and consumers in this phase are more focused, more intent on learning how your product or business will help them solve their challenges. MoFu content is more straightforward, clear concise information that helps consumers learn as much as they can about the product. Content here can range from “how-to” blog posts to feature comparison charts. Case studies and demo videos can also be effective. Home improvement chains own this stage with their wide variety of DIY videos, detailed product pages and comparison charts. If I’m looking for an air fryer, for example, Home Depot gives me just about everything I’d want to know about the brand I’m considering – along with how it fares against its competitors – in one page.

BoFu content – bottom of the funnel – content creation

This customer is ready to make their purchase. They’ve done all the investigative research, asked all the questions and have narrowed their options to one or two choices. They likely know as much about you as they do your competition and their deciding factor often comes down to simply trust. They’re looking for proof that your product and/or business is the one that will satisfy their needs. At this point, it’s not about limited time offers or incentives to purchase. Content here is similar to MoFu content but with a stronger focus on specs, pricing, warranties, customer reviews – and after purchase customer care. Online retailers tend to excel at creating this type of content because they know how critical this phase is – especially to online shoppers.

If you’re a small business and content creation is a challenge, look to your manufacturing partners to supply your MoFu and BoFu content. They’re the subject matter experts on the products they produce. ToFu content can be more of a challenge but there are plenty of businesses doing it well that can help inspire your process.

Creating content for all phases of the customer journey is not only important, it’s mission critical to today’s digital shopper. Their access to information is unprecedented and companies that fail to provide the information they’re seeking will fail to close the sale. It’s really that simple.

If you’re struggling with social media in your company or considering dipping your toes in the online social waters, get professional advice from someone you trust. The money you spend on social media will allow you to ride the wave of social instead of waving from the shore.

In the meantime, these posts might help you begin your content marketing journey:

• Do you use images in your blog posts?
• 7 ways to strengthen weak copywriting
• Plagiarism, stealing and flattery in the blogging world