Create content for each stage of the funnel

1. Define your content funnel and the expected conversion for each funnel stage: content conversion - download or subscribe; product conversion - ask for demo, get a quote, buy the product, or sign up for a monthly plan; or contact conversion - submit a contact form.

For example, if the purpose of top of the funnel content is to generate leads, then your goal is to get content conversions, such as ebook or white paper downloads. For the middle of the funnel, you should aim for product or contact conversions, depending on the type of product offered. Finally, your bottom of the funnel content should encourage product conversions like buying the product or a monthly plan.

2. Define the types of content you'll use for each stage of the funnel, like blog articles, case studies, white papers, how to guides, interviews, opinion articles, and client stories.

Map each content type to a desired conversion. For example, for blog articles, you might want users to subscribe to your newsletter, or to click-through and download a related white paper. For interviews, you might want them to register for a webinar, and for case studies you might want them to ask for a quote or to book a demo.

3. Create top of the funnel content to raise awareness of your brand among prospects, or to educate users about a topic and position yourself as a leader in the field.

Publish white papers about a topic relevant to your audience to establish yourself as an expert in the field and educate your audience, for example, in the software or finance industry. Create a blog to provide useful information or inspiration to your prospects, such as recipes. Create guides or ebooks showcasing the trends or future challenges in a given industry for example, travel or fashion industry. Create video content such as how to videos and tutorials. Create infographics for emails, social media, and your website, about the topics that are relevant to your audience.

4. Create the content for the middle of the funnel to reach the users in the product consideration phase and show them how your product solves their pain point.

If you have a software product, offer a time-limited free trial. 14-30 days is the typical trial length. Create case studies demonstrating the specific use of your products. For example, How company XYZ used our software to save $10,000 per month. Create videos demonstrating your product like unboxing and product in use. Organize online webinars to demonstrate the key features of your products or services. Publish product comparison pages to demonstrate how your products differentiate from the competition.

5. Create content for the bottom of the funnel to convince the users in the purchase decision phase.

Use social proof to increase conversion rates. Place user testimonials and product reviews prominently on your product detail pages and website. Include trust symbols such as security certificates, awards, and 100% satisfaction guarantee, to build trust. Include the information about the value of the service for example, free shipping, fast shipping, free 30-day return, and money back guarantee, on the product detail pages and in the checkout. Create an About us page and create a compelling story of your brand to build a connection with the audience.

6. Create content to retain users and gain their loyalty after purchase.

Publish articles or videos to provide inspiration on how to use your products. Encourage your customers to create their own content and publish the user generated content on your social media channels or websites. For example, you can ask them to use a specific hashtag referring to your brand or product. Create care and maintenance guides to educate customers how to best deal with your products, for example, How to protect your camera lens.

7. Analyze your content performance every 1-3 months and optimize the articles that don't convert, based on the funnel stage.

Set up different tracking goals for your content activities like webinar sign-ups, blog pageviews, free trial downloads, social media mentions, and purchases. Test different content types and determine which one contributes to your business goals. Create new variations of the best performing content for example, if your white papers generate a lot of high quality leads, invest in producing more white papers. Keep your content fresh by publishing new videos, infographics, and blog posts, to drive engagement and nurture your audience’s interest.