According to a recent study by Hubspot, the average customer engages with 3-5 pieces of content before making a purchase decision.  

It is important to note that every piece of content you create can bring a new lead closer to your brand or motivate an existing consumer to take action. 

This is where an effective content marketing funnel comes in and the many elements it supports. 

Our colleagues at a Chicago web design agency stated that web design is key to assisting your quality leads in becoming paying customers. 

Think of your website’s graphics, content and design as your marketing funnel’s building blocks. 

If potential customers like your web design, they will most likely stick around to see what your brand has to offer.  

Aside from using a great web design, brand marketing is also equally important since it treats each new user as a potential supporter who can further spread the brand’s message.  

You can count on a reputable branding agency to help your business out with this aspect. 

We’ll talk about seven tips on how to utilize your content marketing funnel to help you gain more brand awareness and ultimately turn it into conversions. 

But before anything else, here’s a brief run-through to help you get a better sense of what a content marketing funnel is. 

What Is A Content Marketing Funnel? 

A content marketing funnel is a structure that helps your brand attract potential customers.  

The funnel walks them through their journey from having no idea what your brand is to becoming your life-long customer. 

A content marketing funnel consists of three main stages: 

• Top of the funnel (TOFU), which engages interest 
• Middle of the funnel (MOFU), which informs and educates 
• Bottom of the funnel (BOFU), which generates conversions 

This means that your content will pursue different goals, and the results will be measured in different values at each stage 

But how exactly does each one of these stages work? Let’s find out! 

The AIDA Model 

The AIDA model is a proven framework for converting strangers into customers. 

It is a procedure that describes the buyer’s journey in four stages: 

• Awareness 
• Interest 
• Desire 
• Action 

Let’s put AIDA to the test with an example: 

• First, your brand creates social media campaigns intended for spreading brand awareness. 
• Potential customers will then click on your ad if it sparks interest in them. 
• Clicking the ad redirects them to the brand’s website or eCommerce page. 
• It is now up to the website’s design and content to keep the potential customer engaged. 
• If they like what they see and believe your product is the answer to their needs, they will make a purchase, and your brand will gain a new customer.  

7 Tips for A Successful Content Marketing Funnel 

Now that we’ve discussed the fundamentals of how a conversion funnel works let’s explore the tips that will help you create an effective funnel yourself! 

#1: Create Engaging Content For Each Funnel Stage 

87% of marketers create content depending on the stage of the customer’s journey.  

As we’ve already learned, each stage has its goals and purpose. As such, you should customize your content to fit within your conversion funnel.  

This will allow you to build a more substantial content marketing strategy for your brand and for the right prospects to receive your message. 

#2: Keep Up With The Various Types Of Timely Content 

According to Statista, 78% of Americans are now more familiar with the term “podcasting” than they were a decade ago. Moreover,  around 5 in10 people have listened to a podcast at one point in their life. 

The popularity of podcasts, webinars, and virtual workshops has exponentially risen during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Being updated on the latest content marketing trends can help your brand and message easier connect to your target audience. 

#3: Create New Content Based On Keyword Research And Competitor Analysis 

A SEMrush survey found that 88% of marketers primarily use keyword research when deciding what content to create. 

With keyword research, you can determine the terms that your target audience searches for the most.  

With the right keywords, you can increase your traffic and create content that will appeal to those new visitors.  

#4: Drive Traffic With How-To Guides 

72% of marketers admitted that ‘how-to’ guides are the best traffic drivers. 

Why? 

Because prospects will be interested in your brand if they think that you can solve their problems. 

And what better way to show that than by instructing them using a step-by-step guide? 

#5: Generate Leads With Product Overviews 

Lead generation is the process of producing consumer interest for a product or service with the goal of turning that interest into conversions. 

And you can generate leads through product overviews. 

With product overviews, you can easily explain to your consumer what your product is and why it’s worth purchasing. 

#6: Publish Success Stories And Customer Reviews To Increase Purchases 

Imagine you hear your friends raving about this new product and it catches your attention.  

You then look for customer reviews or success stories to know if others felt the same way and come across multiple reviews that sound delighted. 

Reading these positive customer reviews makes you trust this brand and you are now compelled to become their customer. 

This suggests that consumers can decide to buy a product after getting a clear idea of what it is and whether others have had a worthwhile experience with it. 

Nothing beats a hands-on experience. 

#7: See What The Influencers Do 

Studies found that 93% of marketers use influencer marketing. 

Influencer marketing is important because it offers brands an opportunity to reach their target audience as they spread out over various forms of media. 

For example, you get exposure to strangers who have never heard about your brand just by an influencer sharing your content. 

As consumers become increasingly cynical of brands and their tactics, working with a content influencer might give your business the extra nudge to build that sense of trust with prospective buyers. 

Final Thoughts On A Successful Content Marketing Funnel 

Keep in mind that the process of building a content marketing funnel isn’t finished just because a purchase has been made.  

After-sales service plays a vital role since this is where customer loyalty happens.  

Loyalty turns into happy customers and they are more likely to recommend your product to others which results in a win-win situation for them and you as a brand.