Bottom-of-the-Funnel Content: A Strategic Guide to Converting Leads With Content
As a content strategist, there's a certain thrill that comes with crafting a bottom-of-the-funnel (BoFu) content strategy. It’s actually my favourite thing to do because I get to dig deep into a brand and really understand its USP and customers.
Unlike top-of-the-funnel (ToFu) planning, which often involves straightforward keyword research and competitor analysis, BoFu content demands a deeper understanding of the end user, their objections, and their hesitations.
In this blog post, I’m going to dive into the intricacies of BoFu content planning, particularly the challenges of keyword research, and unveil a strategic approach to finding the right keywords for highly converting content. I’ll use a recent example of a content strategy client to walk you through my thought process (and I’ll throw in some live examples too).
The Challenge of BoFu Keyword Research
BoFu keyword research comes with its own set of challenges, notably lower search volumes and less glamorous keywords.
While ToFu may boast higher search volumes, the conversion potential at the bottom of the funnel is much greater. It's crucial to recognise that at this stage, users are more likely to have specific questions and needs, leading to the dominance of long-tail keywords over generic terms.
During a recent content strategy call, my client revealed that, despite working in marketing, she didn’t really know what bottom-of-the-funnel content is.
To her, it was all case studies and whitepapers.
And yes, while case studies and whitepapers can be great conversion assets, there’s SO much more to a BoFu ecosystem than this.
As I walked her through my BoFu content plan for the brand, she started to get excited. “This makes so much sense,” she said.
So, what exactly was I telling her?
BoFu content should create a decision-making ecosystem. It should answer all the questions a prospect has so they don’t leave the website.
BoFu content should be an extension of ToFu content. Lots of brands create ToFu and BoFu content in vacuums. They target high-volume keywords to get people on their site, and then they add a few case studies as an afterthought and consider their BoFu content “done”. The best BoFu strategy trickles down from your ToFu content to filter prospects through the funnel (I’ll tell you more about what this looks like in a mo).
Comparison posts (i.e. “vs” and “alternatives to” posts) aren’t BoFu content. They’re mid-funnel content for when a prospect knows they have a problem that needs solving and are weighing up their options. BoFu content should help prospects decide on YOUR specific product.
4 Strategic Steps for BoFu Keyword Research
1. Site Audit for BoFu Content
I started by running an audit on the site’s existing content and identifying what BoFu content was already there. I’ll often take this opportunity to pretend I’m an end user and navigate through the site as if I were going to buy. I specifically look for any missing links, any obvious next steps that aren’t there, and content that helps me make a final decision.
2. Competitor Comparison
I didn’t run a full competitor analysis because I didn’t necessarily want to target the same keywords as our competitors—remember, different audiences have different needs when it gets to the bottom of the funnel. But I did look at what BoFu content the brand’s competitors had, including the type of content and how people can consume it (i.e. downloadable ebooks? Case studies? Interactive demos?).
3. Engage with Sales Teams
Keyword tools aren’t going to tell you what words your specific customers are using to get their questions answered. They might provide generic insights, but it’s much better to speak to the people on the frontline: sales and customer success teams. They can provide insights about user hesitations, objections, questions, and use cases.
If you want, you can then use their insights to run keyword research and find the questions with the highest search volume. This isn’t mandatory though, the most important thing is that you clearly answer the questions your prospects have.
Here are some questions you can ask the sales team to get the information you need:
What are some of the common frustrations prospects express during calls/What are they struggling with?
What are the problems prospects need to solve when they start their product research/what are the pain points you keep seeing?
How do prospects find out about us/why do they choose us over the competition?
What is the most common reason for investing in [product]?
What are the most common use cases for using [product]?
4. Deeper Keyword Mining
When I say “deeper mining” here, I mean digging deeper than generic ToFu keywords with high search volumes (and probably high competition) to find the long-tail keywords most relevant for your brand.
This type of content helps move users through the sales cycle and, ultimately, convert. For example, you might have a master ToFu piece of content that’s a guide to email marketing. You might then create more specific, filter pieces like “cheap email marketing tools for higher education facilities” and “how to send automated messages to students” that target a specific user and present your tool as a solution.
These pieces target very specific audiences and very specific pain points so that users are gently nudged to purchase.
Identifying Unconventional Content Types (& 3 BoFu Examples
After a thorough research stage, three types of BoFu content emerged:
Feature Spotlights with Handy Guides
The client noticed a lot of their customers aren’t aware of all the features available. We’re taking some of the most prominent features (mostly those that separate them from the competition) and are going to turn them into user guides. Let’s say the tool has a really powerful capacity planning feature. We’ll create a guide around capacity planning with the tool (so it’ll be a how-to guide with a heavy emphasis on how to do it with the tool in question).
The aim: showcase how each feature of the tool solves a distinct pain point.
Gumroad’s detailed guides for specific use cases are a good example of BoFu content.
It combines use cases its customers are interested in and shows them exactly how they can do it with Gumroad.
Gumroad’s competitor, Lemon Squeezy, does something similar. They tackle key use cases (how to sell digital downloads) and pair them with a detailed guide to doing exactly that activity with Lemon Squeezy.
People and Product Pages
For example, “best [type of tool] for [customer segment]” or “best workflow management tool for teachers”. When I’m searching for a tool, I often qualify myself by adding who I am (like “best email marketing tool for freelancers”). We’re creating hub pages for each customer segment which will act as repositories for segment-specific blog posts, how-to guides, and use case examples.
The aim: Target different segments searching for a solution by creating personalised pages.
Convertkit’s user pages are a great example of bottom-of-the-funnel content. Prospects can self-qualify by choosing what category they identify with and they can then browse content that’s catered to their specific needs.
For example, if you click “Convertkit for artists”, you land on this resource hub:
From there, artists can check out some case studies by other artists who use Convertkit and explore the features that are most relevant to their needs.
FAQ Pieces
The client has already carried out a ton of customer research and they have a whole list of questions and pain points for each customer segment. These also include the main Jobs To Be Done (JTBD) for each segment. The plan is to create detailed guides that answer these pain points, which will be linked to the relevant hub pages.
The aim: Answer common questions from sales and customer success teams to address user concerns effectively.
Positional’s “how to” posts are a good example of BoFu content. They target very specific questions prospects might have and weave in the core features that prospects might need to solve the issue they’re having.
The Rising Importance of BoFu Content
As brands increasingly turn to the speedy ways of AI, the significance of BoFu content is set to rise. It's BoFu content that will ultimately make a difference in driving conversions. BoFu content not only guides users through the sales cycle but also addresses specific pain points, nudging potential customers gently toward making a purchase.
Conclusion: The Year of BoFu Content
Bottom-of-the-funnel content is poised to take center stage in content marketing strategies this year.
It has to. As brands grapple with increased competition from AI-generated ToFu content, it's the depth and specificity of BoFu content that will set them apart.
Investing time and resources in understanding user needs, leveraging insights from sales teams, and strategically targeting long-tail keywords will be key to crafting compelling BoFu content that converts in 2024.
Want to level-up your BoFu game? Get in touch.
