A marketing funnel splits the customer journey into 3 main stages: TOFU (top of funnel), when people don't know your brand yet; MOFU (middle of funnel), when they start to show interest and compare options; and BOFU (bottom of funnel), when they're ready to buy. Understanding the funnel helps you place the right content and ads at each stage.
Which content suits which stage?
At the TOFU stage, use educational or entertaining content with broad reach, such as short videos or articles. MOFU suits comparisons, reviews or case studies that help people decide. At the BOFU stage, focus on promotions or offers that push people to buy right away.
Common mistakes SMEs make
A frequent problem is running BOFU-style sales ads to people who don't know the brand at all, leading to low CTR and wasted budget. Plan your budget and content separately for each funnel stage, in line with real customer behaviour.
Measure each stage with different KPIs
Each funnel stage should be measured with a different metric. At TOFU, look at reach and engagement; at MOFU, click-through rate and time on site; and at BOFU, conversion rate and sales directly. Using the same KPI for every stage often leads to misjudging campaign performance.