In Inbound Marketing, we use different content to attract leads depending on their stage of the buying process. This is what we call the Buyer’s Journey, and it consists of three phases: discovery, consideration, and decision.
In sales, the same concept exists, known as the sales funnel. It also has three stages: TOFU, MOFU, and BOFU , which are intertwined with the Buyer Journey , making marketing and sales alignment crucial for attracting and closing sales leads.
In this post, we’ll explain the meaning of each of the three stages and provide examples of each, both for Marketing and Sales.
TOFU: Top of the Funnel
For Top of the Funnel (TOFU) leads, you should create discovery-oriented content. These leads are people who have just discovered they have a problem or need and are looking for more information about it.
To start a campaign of this type, you should write introductory posts on key topics related to both your business and your industry . Remember that the goal is to appear in the searches of these leads who are learning about their needs, which is why your content should be optimized based on the various keywords and buyer personas . Also keep in mind that these leads you want to attract are in the discovery stage. You can’t overwhelm them with technical vocabulary they don’t understand; keep your posts simple.
Marketing Example
Regarding the structure of these posts, they should guide the reader , for this:
- Always include a CTA on a landing mobile phone number data updated page so they can download a guide and get more information.
- Offer the option to subscribe to a newsletter or your blog so they can stay up to date with related content.
- Prepare a welcome email and a nurturing cycle for new TOFU leads. A simple blog post can lead to many opportunities.
Other great content options for this phase include guides, infographics, and short videos.
Sales Example
At this stage, sales rarely enter the picture, not even for the best leads. As we’ve discussed, these people are simply looking for information, want to solve a problem or need, and are currently just learning about it. TOFU leads are the least qualified and, therefore, the least likely to close a sale.
A very common mistake some companies make is reaching out to leads too quickly and pressuring them to buy. The best thing your sales team can do during the discovery stage is to provide the marketing team with updated FAQs and concerns from customers who have already purchased. By addressing these concerns or questions international seo: expand your business globally through blog posts, we’ll be ahead of the curve and avoid having to address them in a sales call or email.
Another way the sales department can monitor the evolution of leads is to implement lead scoring and sales pipelines.
MOFU: Middle of the Funnel
Marketing Example
The consideration stage is located in the middle of the funnel and represents more informed leads than those at the TOFU stage. These individuals typically seek more information about specific solutions and vendors, so we must develop more detailed content. Examples include landing pages, whitebooks, case studies, longer videos, comparisons of different solutions , etc.
You should use Smart Content to tailor each search engine optimization mails landing page to your leads based on factors such as country, language, lifecycle stage, and more. You can include basic questions in your forms to gain more insight into your prospects. Gradually, you’ll learn more about them and form a true picture of who they are and their needs.
Sales Example TOFU MOFU and BOFU: The
MOFU leads have progressed and are further down the funnel, consuming more targeted content. A webinar , in this case, is the best way to provide prospects with information on the specific topic they’re interested in.