Readers To Clients: 3 Types of Content You Need To Create
What makes someone go from just reading your insights to actually wanting your help?
In 1898, a guy named Elias St. Elmo Lewis laid out the basic idea of how people buy things. He famously coined Awareness, Interest, Decision, Action (AIDA).
It’s a journey from knowing you exist to taking action to buy. It changed the way we think about marketing.
It recognises not everyone see’s or understands why they should buy. It challenges us to cater to people along their journey to discovering they have a problem you can help them solve.
That's the foundation of our marketing funnel, and it's how we turn strangers into paying clients.
Today, we usually break it into three key parts:
Top of Funnel (TOFU) - Attracting Potential Clients.
Middle of Funnel (MOFU) - Nurturing Leads.
Bottom of Funnel (BOFU) - Converting Leads to Clients.
Most people know these terms but struggle to create content for each stage.
It’s confusing and even sometimes, I second guess myself and have to cross-check is this top, middle or bottom of funnel content.
Without content for each stage, you could churn out content which doesn’t move people through your funnel. I’ve done it. In my eagerness to get clients gone heavy on lead generating content…and got nothing.
But the best thing you can do is have a mix, so your building the entirety of your funnel - top, middle and bottom.
So let’s look at the 3 stages and what the content looks like:
Top of Funnel (TOFU) - Attract
This is about your ideal client's initial experience.
The goal here is simple: make people aware they have a problem.
Your focus should be on that problem, offering relatable insights and questions that help them recognise it in their own lives.
This initial connection attracts individuals who are experiencing the very issues your service addresses, making them potential leads for your business.
There is no promotion in this, it’s about showing and relating to your audience where they are at. Help them see they have a problem.
Don’t tell them, show them.
Middle of Funnel (MOFU) - Nurture
Now that you've got their attention, the goal shifts to nurturing these potential leads.
Your focus here is on exploring different approaches and strategies to solve the problem you highlighted earlier.
By providing more in-depth insights and general frameworks, you position yourself as a knowledgeable resource.
This builds trust and helps these leads understand the potential pathways to a solution, warming them up to eventually choosing you.
Give them practical things they can do which gives them a taster and solves a small problem connected to the big problem you can solve for them.
Bottom of Funnel (BOFU) - Convert
By this stage, these leads understand their problem and are considering solutions.
Your goal now is to convince them that you are the best choice.
The focus of your content becomes your specific service and its unique benefits.
By providing clear details about your process, what clients can expect, and the realistic outcomes you deliver, you remove any uncertainty.
This direct information provides the confidence needed for those nurtured leads to finally take the step and become paying clients.
This is what we call direct promotion. Showing people you have something to offer them and how it works.
Comparison of TOFU, MOFU, BOFU content
Quick AI Prompt:
You’re a marketing expert. Give me 10 content ideas for each stage of the marketing funnel (TOFU, MOFU, BOFU). The goal is to help [target audience] achieve [outcome]. My niche is [niche] and the topic is [topic]. Make it clear, actionable, and tailored to this audience.
Ultimately, understanding and applying this three-stage funnel isn't just marketing theory, it's about building a sustainable flow of ideal clients.
By meeting people where they are, you build genuine trust and demonstrate a deep understanding of their needs.
This approach moves beyond simply selling and instead guides potential clients naturally towards seeing you as the clear and confident solution they've been looking for.
It's about creating lasting relationships that fuel the growth and success of your service business, one well-nurtured client at a time.