What is Content Marketing?

Content marketing is a form of marketing that focuses on creating valuable and high-quality content that attracts and engages visitors interested in solving a problem or reaching a decision.

The content created as part of a content marketing campaign is not overtly sales-focused. Instead, it is used to position the blogger as an expert on the topic, build trust with the audience, and ultimately encourage them to take actions that benefit the business.

These actions vary, but could include signing up for the business’s newsletter, starting a demo or free trial, or purchasing a product or service.

Importance of Content Marketing

Content marketing is a great, reliable, cost-effective, and sustainable way to get customers for your product or service. A well-optimized content can rank highly in search results pages, making it easy for potential customers to find your brand.

The other option is to run pay-per-click (PPC) ads. However, pay-per-click ads are usually a short term option since they are unsustainable and become expensive in the long run. Content marketing, on the other hand, helps businesses attract organic traffic, which is basically free.

Content marketing also allows you to position your brand as an authority on a topic, and build a long-term relationship with your audience. This is crucial as customers are more likely to trust brands that consistently provide them with helpful information rather than just promoting products.

This gives you a competitive edge over competitors who rely solely on ads for their lead generation and leads to patronage, repeat business, and word-of-mouth referrals.

The Content Marketing Funnel

The content marketing funnel consists of three types of content, and each one is targeted at visitors depending on their level of awareness. These content types are:

1 Top of the Funnel Content (TOFU)

The top of the funnel content (TOFU) is directed at visitors at the beginning of the buyer’s journey. These visitors are the least aware and do not know your product or service would solve their problem. In some instances, they may not even know they have a problem.

However, such visitors are usually making general searches to better understand a topic, concept, or problem. So, relevant top of the funnel content is created to educate and give them a broad overview of the topic.

Overall, the top of funnel content is intended to convert visitors into leads. For example, if you have a class that teaches yoga to students online, you can create top of the funnel content (TOFU) like:

What is yoga? A beginner’s guide to getting started
5 health benefits of practicing yoga regularly
Yoga vs. Pilates: Which is right for you?

2 Middle of the Funnel Content (MOFU)

The middle of the funnel content (MOFU) is directed at visitors who are aware of their problem and are actively researching for solutions. Unlike top of the funnel (TOFU) content, which generates awareness, middle of the funnel content is designed to provide solutions to the problem.

Such solutions are intended to nurture the leads who now understand their problem and have shown interest in resolving it. So, the middle of the funnel content helps them to evaluate possible solutions and gets them closer to making a decision.

Overall, the middle of the funnel content converts leads into prospects. For example, if you have a class that teaches yoga to students online, you can target middle of the funnel content (MOFU) like:

How to choose the right yoga style for your fitness goals
Top 10 yoga accessories every beginner yogi needs
Online vs. In-person yoga classes: Pros and cons

3 Bottom of the Funnel Content (BOFU)

The bottom of the funnel content (BOFU) is directed at visitors who are ready to make a purchase. These content is designed to convince the visitor to choose your product or service as their preferred solution.

The bottom of the funnel content is designed to convert prospects into customers. It addresses any final objections they may have and provides a clear calls to action to encourage them to purchase your product or service.

The bottom of the funnel content is the final step in the buyer’s journey. For example, if you have a class that teaches yoga to students online, you can target bottom of the funnel content (BOFU) like:

Why our online yoga class is perfect for beginners
Success story: How our yoga class transformed a life
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