What is Top of Funnel (TOFU) in Sales?

In sales, top of funnel (or TOFU) refers to the first stage of the customer journey. TOFU is used to describe content and other demand generation efforts that create awareness around your product. The goal of TOFU is to spark interest and lead prospects into the sales funnel.

Why is Top of Funnel Content Important?

The main goal of TOFU content is to create brand awareness and attract new prospects. The top of the funnel is big, and audiences being targeted don’t necessarily fit the company’s ideal customer profile. Once they move further through the funnel, they’ll be qualified (or fall off).

Whether or not these prospects convert, engaging with them is important. Yes, companies want to convert as many people as possible into paying customers but increasing brand awareness is another goal here. Even if someone leaves the funnel, they’ll remember the content they engaged with. Brand recognition is important to build a solid reputation, gain trust and respect, and allows you to re-engage with people in the future.

If your TOFU strategies are contributing to lead generation and overall brand awareness, it’s working.

Types of Top of Funnel Content

There are many ways a company can engage with and attract audiences. It’s important for sales and marketing teams to be aligned so external messaging matches what sales reps are selling.

The following types of content are typically used to drive potential customers into the sales funnel:

Videos

Video content is essential for virtual selling. It’s a secret weapon when it comes to engaging new audiences. Remote and hybrid businesses are more popular than ever before, so being able to work with them is key. Videos can be created and posted on company websites, across social media channels, embedded in newsletters, or sent via email or LinkedIn. Every sales rep should know how to create and share videos and integrate it as part of their regular sales cadence.

Social Media

Every company should have multiple social media channels. Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, and even TikTok are all places where potential customers will look for reviews, product highlights, and general information to get a sense of what a company is like. Keep posts informational, fun, and updated.

Influencer Content

Working with influencers is a great way to show off your product in a positive light. Having other people demo your product and speak about their experience, and why they love using it, will undoubtedly get others interested in learning more.

Web Content & SEO

If someone Googles your product name, does your company website actually come up? It should. Build out your company’s website, add blog content, and ensure everything is optimized for specific keywords people are using to find your products online. Organic traffic is a free win when it comes to lead generation. Thoughtful, engaging content will attract potential customers.

Tips for Creating TOFU Content

Remember, an effective TOFU strategy aims to create brand awareness, attract leads, and provide opportunities for engagement. To successfully do this, TOFU content should always be:

• Engaging. You need to grab your audience’s attention and pull them in. If they don’t engage with the content, they’ll drop off quickly.
• Focus on the buyer’s needs. What is your audience looking for, and what can you offer them? Emphasize your product’s unique selling point and highlight the impact it has on businesses.
• Informative. TOFU content should be fun and engaging, but it should also be informative. Pull them in with a joke or meme and keep them engaged by showing how awesome your product is.