Advertising and marketing funnels are visible representations of the levels a buyer goes via, from first studying about your model to turning into a buyer.
Every advertising funnel is break up into three levels:
- High of the funnel (TOFU)
- Center of the funnel (MOFU)
- Backside of the funnel (BOFU)
At present, we’ll be speaking about top-of-the-funnel advertising.

From there, that article results in different levels of the funnel by speaking about what sort of gear you want and the place to purchase that gear.
I discovered this subject via key phrase analysis.
I began by researching the key phrase “overlanding” on Ahrefs’ Key phrases Explorer and located that a lot of the web sites rating for this key phrase wrote an article explaining what overlanding is and the way to get began.

You will discover TOFU article concepts in the identical approach. Enter a broad seed key phrase into Ahrefs’ Key phrases Explorer (or our free key phrase generator software) and peruse the outcomes.
2. Using search engine optimization
Pushing the weblog publish tactic a step additional, you should use search engine optimization to get your TOFU content material in entrance of recent individuals each month—at no cost and robotically.
For instance, I wrote a TOFU article about search engine optimization writing on this weblog. It ranks on the primary web page for key phrases like “what’s web optimization writing,” “writing for web optimization,” and over 100 others:

This single article brings over 1,500 new guests to our website each month and leads the readers towards utilizing Ahrefs to help them of their search engine optimization duties.
Different examples of TOFU search engine optimization embrace:
Need to study extra? Overview our search engine optimization fundamentals information.
3. Posting to social media
Social media is an apparent advertising channel for any enterprise—and it’s good for spreading model consciousness (i.e., TOFU content material).
There are numerous social media platforms and numerous methods to make use of them. I can’t presumably cowl them multi functional article, however I can provide you a couple of examples.
1. TacomaBeast: Instagram
TacomaBeast makes use of Instagram (and different social platforms) extraordinarily properly. It has a extremely focused area of interest viewers (Toyota Tacoma house owners) and posts TOFU content material on a near-daily foundation.
Its posts usually attraction to the area of interest as an entire—individuals who personal Tacomas and need to see cool Tacoma mods and builds in motion, and those that don’t but know the model.
These posts are proven to its current viewers however are additionally proven to many accounts that don’t at present comply with it, constructing model consciousness. That is very true with Instagram Reels and TikTok movies.
2. Duolingo: TikTok
Talking of TikTok, few manufacturers use it in addition to Duolingo. It’s an app that teaches you the way to converse different languages—however you wouldn’t have the ability to inform that from its TikTok movies.
It embraces the thought of virality and easily getting its model in entrance of individuals over attempting to promote its product with its movies. Due to this, its movies are seen by tons of of 1000’s and even thousands and thousands of individuals—individuals who may doubtlessly change into customers of the app.
3. The Wandering RV: Pinterest

The Wandering RV will get 1000’s of recent guests each month from Pinterest. It has Pinterest-sized graphics on each weblog publish on its website and at all times shares them once they’re revealed.
For instance, it has posted pins about RV meal concepts. As soon as an individual reads this text, they see hyperlinks to RV cooking gear and equipment. These push them additional down the funnel.

You are able to do the identical by grabbing a free Canva account and utilizing the “Pinterest pin” template. Canva has 1000’s of templates you may simply modify to suit your model.

4. Working PPC advertisements
Typically, you have to pay to play, and operating PPC advertisements is without doubt one of the finest methods to get your model in entrance of recent audiences.
You possibly can run advertisements in lots of locations:
- Search engine advertisements
- Social media advertisements
- Show advertisements
- And so on
One of many best methods to begin doing that is by copying what’s working in your rivals. Head to Ahrefs’ Website Explorer, plug in a competitor’s web site, then click on the Paid key phrases report within the left-hand menu.

You’ll usually see numerous branded key phrases and MOFU/BOFU key phrases in right here, however generally you’ll come throughout non-branded TOFU key phrases you may put a competing bid on.
Higher nonetheless, TOFU key phrases are sometimes very low cost to bid on, since not as many individuals are operating advertisements for them.
For instance, we often run PPC advertisements for key phrases like “crawl a web site” and “content material concept,” which have nearly no competitors and are TOFU queries.

These additionally occur to have a really excessive Key phrase Problem (KD), which means they’re robust to rank for organically on Google’s first web page. By operating advertisements to those key phrases, we are able to bypass the competitors with out spending numerous cash.
Try our information to PPC advertising to study extra about this tactic.
5. Direct outreach
Final however not least, you should use direct outreach as a TOFU advertising tactic. These embrace:
- Electronic mail outreach
- Junk mail
- Cellphone calls
Whereas junk mail and telephone calls can work nice to search out new purchasers, electronic mail outreach is probably the most scalable for almost all of on-line companies as a result of it requires the least when it comes to time and cash.
I exploit direct outreach to construct hyperlinks to my content material, promote my articles, and discover advertising companions and new prospects. It’s a flexible and efficient tactic.
For instance, I not too long ago ran a examine rating the highest states in America to go tenting, then used electronic mail outreach to get journalists to publish information articles with my findings. This examine resulted in over 40 new backlinks to my website, together with some from MSN, Yahoo, and TimeOut Journal.

Along with these high-powered hyperlinks, the examine additionally despatched 1000’s of recent guests to my web site.
If you wish to find out how you are able to do one thing related, take a look at our information to digital PR and skim up on the way to ship an excellent outreach electronic mail.
Last ideas
The highest of the funnel is usually the place the widest-reaching advertising techniques lie. However as a result of it’s so removed from the place customers make their last buy, it’s not the obvious advertising selection.
Nonetheless, TOFU content material is the place you plant the seeds that may scale what you are promoting sooner or later. Whereas it shouldn’t be the primary space you set money and time into, it shouldn’t be ignored both.
Questions or feedback? Ping me on Twitter.
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