Here’s what you’ll get from reading this quick blog post:
- What we’re talking about when we talk about “middle-of-funnel content”
- Common goals and objectives for mid-funnel content
- The elements of quality content at this stage of the buyer’s journey
- Examples of companies creating brilliant middle-of-funnel content
Looking for information on top-of-funnel content? Check out “Everything You Need to Know About Top-of-Funnel Content in Under 500 Words.”
All sound good? Read on.
1. What Is Middle-of-Funnel Content?
Middle-of-the-funnel content refers to assets that reach leads who are already in your database, engaging with your brand. Marketers publish and distribute content at this stage to align a buyer’s needs to relevant products or features, gauge a prospect’s readiness to buy, and move the right people closer to purchase. Mid-funnel channels and tactics include:
Everything You Need to Know About Middle-of-Funnel Content in Under 500 Words by @amurphias
- Email marketing
- Marketing automation
- Webinars
- Live events
Content is still educational and entertaining, yet introduces more information about a brand’s solutions.
2. What Are Marketers’ Goals at the Middle of the Funnel?
The goals for content in the middle of the funnel are to:
- Nurture leads
- Build and monitor purchase intent
Marketers want to identify if a lead is (1) a good fit for their company’s solutions and (2) interested in purchase. By monitoring the behavior of buyers mid-funnel—including which content types and topics they engage with, how often they take valuable action, pages they visit—marketers can determine a buyer’s product and thematic needs and deliver content that addresses them.
3. What Are the Key Elements of Middle-of-Funnel Content?
Content should engage users and inform marketing and sales of their interests and purchase intent. With that in mind, mid-funnel content is largely:
- Persuasive
- Educational
- Targeted
4. 4 Examples of Brilliant Middle-of-Funnel Content
If you want to see how good, persuasive email marketing is done, subscribe to Litmus. They practice what they preach when it comes to their spot-on content marketing efforts. In the email above, for example, the subject line is compelling, the email looks sleek, the copy is concise, and the CTA isn’t an overwhelming ask, but a friendly “Save your seat.”
Zendesk consistently produces some of the best educational content out there. This eBook hits on problems for a specific prospect: someone managing a remote team. The challenges this person faces—and the value prop for the Zendesk product—might be different based on this scenario, and Zendesk can use this information to build a relationship and prove value.
Talk about targeted. I might not understand this topic, but you can bet key prospects for Life Technologies do—and that they have solutions that support this type of work.
DocuSign took the #1 spot on our list of the best content marketing companies—and much of their success comes from their outstanding middle-of-the-funnel strategy. They use marketing automation to deliver timely and highly targeted content to engage and activate prospects. The results speak for themselves.
Middle-of-the-funnel content is the bridge between high-level concepts and the value your product provides to customers—a key piece of your marketing strategy.
Want More on How Marketing Automation Can Work for You
Learn more about creating great content that drives your customers down the funnel and keep them engaged in your brand. Download the free eBook.
