{"id":2195,"date":"2023-05-17T05:02:02","date_gmt":"2023-05-17T05:02:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ewebtoolz.com\/blog\/top-of-the-funnel-marketing-explained-how-to-attract-customers\/"},"modified":"2023-05-17T05:02:02","modified_gmt":"2023-05-17T05:02:02","slug":"top-of-the-funnel-marketing-explained-how-to-attract-customers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ewebtoolz.com\/blog\/top-of-the-funnel-marketing-explained-how-to-attract-customers\/","title":{"rendered":"Top-of-the-Funnel Marketing Explained: How to Attract Customers"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div id=\"\">\n<p>Marketing funnels are visual representations of the stages a customer goes through, from first learning about your brand to becoming a customer.<\/p>\n<p>Each <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/marketing-funnels\/\">marketing funnel<\/a> is split into three stages:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Top of the funnel (TOFU)<\/li>\n<li>Middle of the funnel (MOFU)<\/li>\n<li>Bottom of the funnel (BOFU)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Today, we\u2019ll be talking about top-of-the-funnel marketing.<\/p>\n<div class=\"post-nav-link clearfix\" id=\"section1\"><a class=\"subhead-anchor\" data-tip=\"tooltip__copielink\" rel=\"#section1\"><svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewbox=\"0 0 14 14\" style=\"\"><g fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><path d=\"M0 0h14v14H0z\"\/><path d=\"M7.45 9.887l-1.62 1.621c-.92.92-2.418.92-3.338 0a2.364 2.364 0 0 1 0-3.339l1.62-1.62-1.273-1.272-1.62 1.62a4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.885 5.884l1.62-1.62L7.45 9.886zM5.527 5.135L7.17 3.492c.92-.92 2.418-.92 3.339 0 .92.92.92 2.418 0 3.339L8.866 8.473l1.272 1.273 1.644-1.643A4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.897 2.22L4.254 3.863l1.272 1.272zm-.66 3.998a.749.749 0 0 1 0-1.06l2.208-2.206a.749.749 0 1 1 1.06 1.06L5.928 9.133a.75.75 0 0 1-1.061 0z\" style=\"\"\/><\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n<p><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What is top-of-the-funnel marketing?<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>Top-of-the-funnel marketing refers to the marketing strategies and tactics used to create awareness of your brand or product.<\/p>\n<p>TOFU is the content you create\u2014be it a PPC ad or a blog article\u2014that gets your brand in front of new potential customers.\u00a0<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1600\" height=\"1492\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/top_of_the_funnel.png\" alt=\"The marketing funnel\" class=\"wp-image-159304\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/top_of_the_funnel.png 1600w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/top_of_the_funnel-456x425.png 456w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/top_of_the_funnel-768x716.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/top_of_the_funnel-1536x1432.png 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\"\/><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1600\" height=\"1492\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/top_of_the_funnel.png\" alt=\"The marketing funnel\" class=\"lazyload wp-image-159304\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/top_of_the_funnel.png 1600w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/top_of_the_funnel-456x425.png 456w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/top_of_the_funnel-768x716.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/top_of_the_funnel-1536x1432.png 1536w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\"\/><\/figure>\n<div class=\"post-nav-link clearfix\" id=\"section1\"><a class=\"subhead-anchor\" data-tip=\"tooltip__copielink\" rel=\"#section1\"><svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewbox=\"0 0 14 14\" style=\"\"><g fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><path d=\"M0 0h14v14H0z\"\/><path d=\"M7.45 9.887l-1.62 1.621c-.92.92-2.418.92-3.338 0a2.364 2.364 0 0 1 0-3.339l1.62-1.62-1.273-1.272-1.62 1.62a4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.885 5.884l1.62-1.62L7.45 9.886zM5.527 5.135L7.17 3.492c.92-.92 2.418-.92 3.339 0 .92.92.92 2.418 0 3.339L8.866 8.473l1.272 1.273 1.644-1.643A4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.897 2.22L4.254 3.863l1.272 1.272zm-.66 3.998a.749.749 0 0 1 0-1.06l2.208-2.206a.749.749 0 1 1 1.06 1.06L5.928 9.133a.75.75 0 0 1-1.061 0z\" style=\"\"\/><\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n<p><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Why is top-of-the-funnel content important?<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>TOFU content is important because it\u2019s often the broadest marketing strategy, i.e., the more prospects at the top, the more customers at the bottom (usually). Additionally, generating awareness about your product\/service helps to generate the need for\u00a0it.<\/p>\n<p>For example, let\u2019s say you sell wild-caught canned tuna. Your TOFU content can be a blog post about the issues with farm-raised tuna, sharing why it\u2019s a problem and why wild-caught tuna is better for you and the environment.<\/p>\n<p>This blog post plants the seed in potential customers\u2019 minds that they may want to start buying wild-caught tuna over farm-raised ones.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>From there, MOFU content can be a blog post discussing the different companies that catch wild tuna and their practices, and BOFU content can be a post talking about why your company has the best tuna and fixes the problems other companies create.<\/p>\n<p>With MOFU and BOFU content, you\u2019re competing with other companies for the customers\u2019 attention. But with TOFU content, you\u2019re catching them before they\u2019re even aware of your competitors and building trust with them before they get to the research and purchase stages, increasing your chances of capturing the final\u00a0sale.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s why TOFU content is so important\u2014it\u2019s the first chain in the\u00a0link.<\/p>\n<div class=\"post-nav-link clearfix\" id=\"section1\"><a class=\"subhead-anchor\" data-tip=\"tooltip__copielink\" rel=\"#section1\"><svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewbox=\"0 0 14 14\" style=\"\"><g fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><path d=\"M0 0h14v14H0z\"\/><path d=\"M7.45 9.887l-1.62 1.621c-.92.92-2.418.92-3.338 0a2.364 2.364 0 0 1 0-3.339l1.62-1.62-1.273-1.272-1.62 1.62a4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.885 5.884l1.62-1.62L7.45 9.886zM5.527 5.135L7.17 3.492c.92-.92 2.418-.92 3.339 0 .92.92.92 2.418 0 3.339L8.866 8.473l1.272 1.273 1.644-1.643A4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.897 2.22L4.254 3.863l1.272 1.272zm-.66 3.998a.749.749 0 0 1 0-1.06l2.208-2.206a.749.749 0 1 1 1.06 1.06L5.928 9.133a.75.75 0 0 1-1.061 0z\" style=\"\"\/><\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n<p><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Five top-of-the-funnel marketing tactics to\u00a0try<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>Ready to add TOFU to your marketing menu? Here are five TOFU marketing tactics worth implementing in your business:<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">1. Writing blog\u00a0posts<\/h3>\n<p>I already mentioned how a blog post can be an important TOFU content piece with the tuna example. But that\u2019s just one of many\u2014nearly every business can benefit from writing blog posts as TOFU content.<\/p>\n<p>Let\u2019s look at a real example. I run a blog called Adventures On The Rock, which makes money by reviewing and promoting overlanding and camping products. My goal is to get my readers to purchase my recommended products so I can make a commission.<\/p>\n<p>At the top of the funnel, I need to make people aware of what overlanding even is and why people might like to try it. So I wrote <a href=\"https:\/\/adventuresontherock.com\/what-is-overlanding\/\">this article<\/a>, explaining it all in detail:<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"922\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image2-8.png\" alt=\"TOFU content example: &quot;What is overlanding?&quot;\" class=\"wp-image-159306\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image2-8.png 1999w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image2-8-680x314.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image2-8-768x354.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image2-8-1536x708.png 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\"\/><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"922\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image2-8.png\" alt=\"TOFU content example: &quot;What is overlanding?&quot;\" class=\"lazyload wp-image-159306\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image2-8.png 1999w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image2-8-680x314.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image2-8-768x354.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image2-8-1536x708.png 1536w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\"\/><\/figure>\n<p>From there, that article leads to other stages of the funnel by talking about what kind of gear you need and where to buy that\u00a0gear.<\/p>\n<p>I found this topic through <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/keyword-research\/\">keyword research<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>I started by researching the keyword \u201coverlanding\u201d on Ahrefs\u2019 <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/keywords-explorer\">Keywords Explorer<\/a> and found that most of the websites ranking for this keyword wrote an article explaining what overlanding is and how to get started.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"840\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image6-4.png\" alt=\"Overview for &quot;overlanding,&quot; via Ahrefs' Keywords Explorer&#10;\" class=\"wp-image-159308\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image6-4.png 1999w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image6-4-680x286.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image6-4-768x323.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image6-4-1536x645.png 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\"\/><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"840\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image6-4.png\" alt=\"Overview for &quot;overlanding,&quot; via Ahrefs' Keywords Explorer&#10;\" class=\"lazyload wp-image-159308\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image6-4.png 1999w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image6-4-680x286.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image6-4-768x323.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image6-4-1536x645.png 1536w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\"\/><\/figure>\n<p>You can find TOFU article ideas in the same way. Enter a broad <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/seed-keywords\/\">seed keyword<\/a> into Ahrefs\u2019 Keywords Explorer (or our <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/keyword-generator\">free keyword generator tool<\/a>) and peruse the results.<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">2. Utilizing SEO<\/h3>\n<p>Pushing the blog post tactic a step further, you can use <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/seo\">SEO<\/a> to get your TOFU content in front of new people every month\u2014for free and automatically.<\/p>\n<p>For example, I wrote a TOFU article about <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/seo-writing\/\">SEO writing<\/a> on this blog. It ranks on the first page for keywords like \u201cwhat is seo writing,\u201d \u201cwriting for seo,\u201d and over 100 others:<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1015\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image7-5.png\" alt=\"Organic keywords report, via Ahrefs' Site Explorer\" class=\"wp-image-159309\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image7-5.png 1999w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image7-5-680x345.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image7-5-768x390.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image7-5-1536x780.png 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\"\/><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1015\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image7-5.png\" alt=\"Organic keywords report, via Ahrefs' Site Explorer\" class=\"lazyload wp-image-159309\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image7-5.png 1999w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image7-5-680x345.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image7-5-768x390.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image7-5-1536x780.png 1536w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\"\/><\/figure>\n<p>This single article brings over 1,500 new visitors to our site every month and leads the readers toward using Ahrefs to assist them in their SEO\u00a0tasks.<\/p>\n<p>Other examples of TOFU SEO include:<\/p>\n<p>Want to learn more? Review our <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/seo-basics\/\">SEO basics guide<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">3. Posting to social media<\/h3>\n<p>Social media is an obvious <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/marketing-channels\/\">marketing channel<\/a> for any business\u2014and it is perfect for spreading brand awareness (i.e., TOFU content).\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>There are a lot of social media platforms and a lot of ways to use them. I can\u2019t possibly cover them all in one article, but I can give you a few examples.<\/p>\n<p><strong>1. TacomaBeast: Instagram<\/strong><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"instagram-media\" data-instgrm-captioned=\"\" data-instgrm-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/Cretoxouc4v\/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading\" data-instgrm-version=\"14\" style=\" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:540px; min-width:326px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);\"\/>\n<p>TacomaBeast uses Instagram (and other social platforms) extremely well. It has a highly targeted niche audience (Toyota Tacoma owners) and posts TOFU content on a near-daily basis.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Its posts often appeal to the niche as a whole\u2014people who own Tacomas and want to see cool Tacoma mods and builds in action, and those who don\u2019t yet know the\u00a0brand.<\/p>\n<p>These posts are shown to its existing audience but are also shown to many accounts that don\u2019t currently follow it, building brand awareness. This is especially true with Instagram Reels and TikTok videos.<\/p>\n<p><strong>2. Duolingo: TikTok<\/strong><\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-tiktok wp-block-embed-tiktok\"\/>\n<p>Speaking of TikTok, few brands use it as well as Duolingo. It is an app that teaches you how to speak other languages\u2014but you wouldn\u2019t be able to tell that from its TikTok videos.<\/p>\n<p>It embraces the idea of virality and simply getting its brand in front of people over trying to sell its product with its videos. Because of this, its videos are seen by hundreds of thousands and even millions of people\u2014people who could potentially become users of the\u00a0app.<\/p>\n<p><strong>3. The Wandering RV: Pinterest<\/strong><\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1128\" height=\"1010\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image4-6.jpg\" alt=\"The Wandering RV's Pinterest account\" class=\"wp-image-159311\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image4-6.jpg 1128w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image4-6-475x425.jpg 475w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image4-6-768x688.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1128px) 100vw, 1128px\"\/><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1128\" height=\"1010\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image4-6.jpg\" alt=\"The Wandering RV's Pinterest account\" class=\"lazyload wp-image-159311\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image4-6.jpg 1128w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image4-6-475x425.jpg 475w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image4-6-768x688.jpg 768w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1128px) 100vw, 1128px\"\/><\/figure>\n<p>The Wandering RV gets thousands of new visitors every month from Pinterest. It has Pinterest-sized graphics on every blog post on its site and always shares them when they\u2019re published.<\/p>\n<p>For example, it has posted pins about RV meal ideas. Once a person reads this article, they see links to RV cooking gear and accessories. These push them further down the funnel.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1256\" height=\"1166\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image10-5.jpg\" alt=\"The Wandering RV's Pinterest examples\" class=\"wp-image-159312\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image10-5.jpg 1256w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image10-5-458x425.jpg 458w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image10-5-768x713.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1256px) 100vw, 1256px\"\/><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1256\" height=\"1166\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image10-5.jpg\" alt=\"The Wandering RV's Pinterest examples\" class=\"lazyload wp-image-159312\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image10-5.jpg 1256w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image10-5-458x425.jpg 458w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image10-5-768x713.jpg 768w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1256px) 100vw, 1256px\"\/><\/figure>\n<p>You can do the same by grabbing a free Canva account and using the \u201cPinterest pin\u201d template. Canva has thousands of templates you can easily modify to fit your\u00a0brand.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1065\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image8-6.jpg\" alt=\"Canva Pinterest template\" class=\"wp-image-159314\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image8-6.jpg 1999w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image8-6-680x362.jpg 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image8-6-768x409.jpg 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image8-6-1536x818.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\"\/><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1065\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image8-6.jpg\" alt=\"Canva Pinterest template\" class=\"lazyload wp-image-159314\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image8-6.jpg 1999w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image8-6-680x362.jpg 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image8-6-768x409.jpg 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image8-6-1536x818.jpg 1536w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\"\/><\/figure>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">4. Running PPC\u00a0ads<\/h3>\n<p>Sometimes, you need to pay to play, and running PPC ads is one of the best ways to get your brand in front of new audiences.<\/p>\n<p>You can run ads in many places:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Search engine ads<\/li>\n<li>Social media\u00a0ads<\/li>\n<li>Display ads<\/li>\n<li>Etc<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>One of the easiest ways to start doing this is by copying what\u2019s working for your competitors. Head to Ahrefs\u2019 <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/site-explorer\">Site Explorer<\/a>, plug in a competitor\u2019s website, then click the <strong>Paid keywords<\/strong> report in the left-hand menu.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1346\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image1-8.png\" alt=\"Paid keywords report for Thursday Boots, via Ahrefs' Site Explorer\" class=\"wp-image-159316\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image1-8.png 1999w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image1-8-631x425.png 631w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image1-8-768x517.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image1-8-1536x1034.png 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\"\/><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1346\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image1-8.png\" alt=\"Paid keywords report for Thursday Boots, via Ahrefs' Site Explorer\" class=\"lazyload wp-image-159316\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image1-8.png 1999w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image1-8-631x425.png 631w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image1-8-768x517.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image1-8-1536x1034.png 1536w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\"\/><\/figure>\n<p>You\u2019ll often see a lot of branded keywords and MOFU\/BOFU keywords in here, but sometimes you\u2019ll come across non-branded TOFU keywords you can put a competing bid\u00a0on.<\/p>\n<p>Better still, TOFU keywords are often very cheap to bid on, since not as many people are running ads for\u00a0them.<\/p>\n<p>For example, we occasionally run PPC ads for keywords like \u201ccrawl a website\u201d and \u201ccontent idea,\u201d which have virtually no competition and are TOFU queries.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"335\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image9-5.png\" alt=\"Ahrefs' PPC keywords report\" class=\"wp-image-159318\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image9-5.png 1999w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image9-5-680x114.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image9-5-768x129.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image9-5-1536x257.png 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\"\/><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"335\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image9-5.png\" alt=\"Ahrefs' PPC keywords report\" class=\"lazyload wp-image-159318\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image9-5.png 1999w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image9-5-680x114.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image9-5-768x129.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image9-5-1536x257.png 1536w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\"\/><\/figure>\n<p>These also happen to have a very high Keyword Difficulty (KD), meaning they are tough to rank for organically on Google\u2019s first page. By running ads to these keywords, we can bypass the competition without spending a lot of\u00a0money.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Check out <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/ppc-marketing\/\">our guide to PPC marketing<\/a> to learn more about this tactic.<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">5. Direct outreach<\/h3>\n<p>Last but not least, you can use direct outreach as a TOFU marketing tactic. These include:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Email outreach<\/li>\n<li>Direct mail<\/li>\n<li>Phone calls<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>While direct mail and phone calls can work great to find new clients, email outreach is the most scalable for the majority of online businesses because it requires the least in terms of time and\u00a0money.<\/p>\n<p>I use direct outreach to <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/blogger-outreach\/\">build links to my content<\/a>, promote my articles, and find marketing partners and new customers. It\u2019s a versatile and effective tactic.<\/p>\n<p>For example, I recently ran <a href=\"https:\/\/adventuresontherock.com\/best-states-for-camping-usa\/\">a study ranking the top states in America to go camping<\/a>, then used email outreach to get journalists to publish news articles with my findings. This study resulted in over 40 new backlinks to my site, including some from MSN, Yahoo, and TimeOut Magazine.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"842\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image3-5.png\" alt=\"Ahrefs' backlink report for Adventures On The Rock\" class=\"wp-image-159319\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image3-5.png 1999w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image3-5-680x286.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image3-5-768x323.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image3-5-1536x647.png 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\"\/><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"842\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image3-5.png\" alt=\"Ahrefs' backlink report for Adventures On The Rock\" class=\"lazyload wp-image-159319\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image3-5.png 1999w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image3-5-680x286.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image3-5-768x323.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image3-5-1536x647.png 1536w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\"\/><\/figure>\n<p>In addition to these high-powered links, the study also sent thousands of new visitors to my website.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>If you want to learn how you can do something similar, check out <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/digital-pr\/\">our guide to digital PR<\/a> and read up on <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/email-outreach\/\">how to send a good outreach email<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Final thoughts<\/h2>\n<p>The top of the funnel is typically where the widest-reaching marketing tactics lie. But because it\u2019s so far from where consumers make their final purchase, it\u2019s not the most obvious marketing choice.<\/p>\n<p>However, TOFU content is where you plant the seeds that can scale your business in the future. While it shouldn\u2019t be the first area you put time and money into, it shouldn\u2019t be ignored either.<\/p>\n<p>Questions or comments? Ping me <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/TheBillWidmer\">on Twitter<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><script async src=\"\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><script async defer src=\"https:\/\/platform.instagram.com\/en_US\/embeds.js\"><\/script><br \/>\n<br \/><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/top-of-the-funnel\/\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Marketing funnels are visual representations of the stages a customer goes through, from first learning about your brand to becoming a customer. Each marketing funnel is split into three stages: Top of the funnel (TOFU) Middle of the funnel (MOFU) Bottom of the funnel (BOFU) Today, we\u2019ll be talking about top-of-the-funnel marketing. What is top-of-the-funnel [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2196,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[22],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2195","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-seo"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ewebtoolz.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2195","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ewebtoolz.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ewebtoolz.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ewebtoolz.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ewebtoolz.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2195"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/ewebtoolz.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2195\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ewebtoolz.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2196"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ewebtoolz.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2195"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ewebtoolz.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2195"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ewebtoolz.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2195"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}