In PPC and content creation, bottom-of-funnel terms can help reach buyers who are closer to choosing a supplier.
The terms ‘Top of Funnel’ and ‘Bottom of Funnel’ have been around forever. However – and this may just be anecdata from someone who reads far too many marketing blogs – they seem to have become a lot more written about in recent months. So it’s an excuse to explain them in a current context.
Top of Funnel, or ‘ToFu’, describes people at the early stage of interest. They may have a vague ambition or a general question. They are not necessarily ready to buy and may not even know what they need yet.
Bottom of Funnel, or ‘BoFu’, describes people much closer to action. They are comparing options or looking for a supplier.
In simple terms, ToFu is curiosity. BoFu is intent.
A ToFu search might be: “how widgets work”. A BoFu search might be: “blue widget supplier UK”. The first could be from someone just beginning to investigate. The second sounds much more like a buyer assembling a shortlist. Both can be valuable.
ToFu content builds awareness and gets a company into the buyer’s world early. A good guide, checklist or explainer can be useful long before anyone is ready to speak to sales. But in many B2B markets, especially where budgets are limited, BoFu deserves particular attention.
In PPC advertising, this is obvious. We may not want to pay heavily for broad informational searches if very few of those visitors will ever become customers. Terms like “types of blue widget” may attract interest, but the intent is mixed. BoFu terms suggest a buyer with a clearer need. These searches may have lower volume but the enquiry is serious.
The same thinking applies to content creation. A ToFu article might explain a broad problem, while a BoFu page might help a buyer act. Remember though that a bottom-of-funnel page still needs to be helpful; buyers are still often looking more for confidence than persuasion.
So, should we ignore ToFu? No. A business that only creates BoFu material may become invisible until the buyer is already very late in the decision. That can be risky.
ToFu and BoFu may be ungainly terms, but the idea underneath is useful. Some marketing helps people understand the problem. Some marketing helps them choose the supplier. In B2B, we usually need both.