What is top of funnel?

Top of funnel (TOFU) is where you first grab people’s attention. It’s the start of your marketing journey to reach new folks. You’re casting a wide net to build awareness about your brand or products. 

At this stage, you’re not selling yet. Instead, you’re educating and informing. Your goal is to attract potential customers who might not know about you. 

TOFU marketing uses broad tactics to reach lots of people. You might create social media content, blog posts, or videos to attract new leads. The idea is to offer helpful information that sparks interest in what you do. 

Remember, these people are just getting to know you. Keep things light, fun, and valuable to make a good first impression. 

Why does top of funnel matter?

Top of funnel (TOFU) is key for your social media strategy. It’s where you grab people’s attention and build brand awareness. By creating engaging content, you can attract potential customers who don’t know about you yet. This stage helps you: 

  • Generate leads
  • Increase organic traffic
  • Boost brand recognition

TOFU sets the stage for the rest of your customer journey. It’s your chance to show off your unique value proposition and address pain points. With strong TOFU efforts, you’ll see better: 

  • SEO rankings
  • Open rates
  • Marketing qualified leads

People can’t buy from you if they don’t know you exist. That’s why TOFU is crucial for filling your sales funnel and nurturing leads into sales qualified prospects. 

Top of funnel strategies

To attract new audiences, you’ll want to focus on broad awareness tactics. Create engaging blog posts and social media content that address common questions in your industry. Share helpful infographics and short video clips to grab attention.  

Host webinars or live Q&A sessions to showcase your expertise. Partner with influencers to expand your reach on platforms like TikTok. Use SEO best practices to improve your content’s visibility in search results. Run targeted online ads to introduce your brand to new potential customers. The key is providing value upfront without a hard sell. 

Related terms

Here are some key terms related to top of funnel marketing: 

  • Marketing funnel: The journey customers take from awareness to purchase
  • TOFU: Acronym for “top of funnel,” the awareness stage
  • Middle of funnel (MOFU): Consideration stage where leads evaluate options
  • Bottom of funnel (BOFU): Decision stage when prospects are ready to buy
  • Buyer’s journey: Path a customer takes before making a purchase decision
  • Lead generation: Process of attracting and converting prospects
  • Brand awareness: How familiar people are with your brand
  • Content marketing: Using content to attract and engage your target audience

These elements all guide your marketing strategy across different stages of customer engagement. 

Call-to-action

A call-to-action (CTA) is a key element in your top-of-funnel marketing strategy. It’s a prompt that encourages your audience to take a specific action. For social media, effective CTAs can boost shares, likes, and follows. 

At this stage, your CTAs should focus on awareness and engagement. You might ask users to: 

  • Sign up for a newsletter
  • Download a free guide
  • Watch a video
  • Follow your account

Keep your CTAs clear and compelling. Use action words and create a sense of urgency. For example: “Get your free social media toolkit now!” 

Want to improve your TOFU efforts? Brandwatch tools can help you track social media performance and measure brand awareness across platforms. Try Brandwatch today to optimize your strategy.