ToFu, MoFu, BoFu: A practical guide to the conversion funnel

Effectively engaging prospects in the middle of the funnel requires a strategic approach that builds trust and guides them toward conversion. Here, leads are already familiar with your brand, and have shown interest in what you have to offer, but they need more information before committing to the conversion. Since people in the middle of the sales funnel already have some level of brand awareness, your advertising goals are different. This approach is most successful when your sales and marketing teams work together to create cohesive messages based on where potential customers are on their buyer journey. For example, if you’re hosting a webinar, you might offer your product overview to the general public and send feature-specific content to those who opt-in to your email list. Content upgrades refer to opt-in offers through which people on your contact list can get specific, targeted content.

Point out the specific mistakes your audience is making and what it’s costing them. In a “here’s what you don’t know that changes everything” way. Pull back the curtain and show people what really happens in the decision-making process, your product development, and your industry.

Track reach and engagement metrics (traffic, impressions, content downloads) at the top of your funnel. Middle-of-funnel (MOFU) nurtures prospects who are evaluating solutions through case studies, email sequences, and product demos. The funnel doesn't end at purchase – your best revenue opportunities come from people who already trust you. Recognizing these patterns helps you avoid them before they damage your pipeline. If top-funnel traffic looks strong but MQL conversion lags, your targeting or content relevance needs work. Monitor how prospects move from MQLs to SQLs and identify which nurture paths convert most effectively.

Focus on the unique drivers in your industry and optimize accordingly. Don't compare your funnel performance to generic industry averages. This is largely middle of the funnel because manufacturing buyers typically approach vendors after completing much of their decision-making process. These numbers highlight the importance of customizing funnel strategies to align with the unique dynamics of each industry.

The most resilient creators of 2025 are those who don’t just play by the rules—they use compliance as a trust badge. Platforms are tightening their rules around “inauthentic” and “repetitious” content—especially with the rise of AI tools. Our FTC disclosure guide found that audiences who see clear disclosures are more likely to trust and buy from influencers than those who don’t. Use free tools like Google’s Campaign URL Builder or Bitly to make UTMs manageable and less intimidating. For creators, the most practical tool is the UTM parameter—a tag you add to your link so you know exactly where traffic came from.

Bonus: Top three event goals for virtual events

Prioritize improving data quality and ensure teams are working toward shared goals. With over 60% of traffic now coming from mobile devices 5,6, a landing page that takes more than 2 seconds to load could cost you deals before prospects even see your offer. The real focus should be on addressing high-impact bottlenecks, running structured tests, and ensuring all teams share common goals and definitions. They convert visitors to leads at rates of 8–15% (compared to the average 1.5–2.5%) and close over 30% of opportunities, far exceeding the industry standard of 20–25% .

The awareness stage focuses on introducing your brand to potential customers who may be experiencing a problem but haven't yet identified potential solutions. Understanding performance marketing funnel stages enables marketers to create targeted strategies that address specific customer needs and behaviors at each phase of the journey. This includes testing creative variations, audience segments, bidding strategies, and funnel experiences to maximize conversion rates and ROI. Successful implementation requires robust technology infrastructure including customer data platforms (CDPs), marketing automation tools, analytics platforms, and attribution software. This includes coordinating paid social, search marketing, email campaigns, content marketing, and emerging channels like podcast advertising and influencer partnerships. Each funnel stage requires tailored content that addresses specific customer needs and pain points.

When to Increase BOF Spend

And yet – the middle of the funnel is often under-funded and misunderstood. Without this step, it’s much harder to convince them to convert later on. This part of the funnel is valuable for helping customers feel informed and aligned with your brand and offerings. The marketing funnel concept, as a whole, works to help marketers understand the process potential customers go through before they buy.

Most done-for-you funnels cost between $8.5K and $25K (and take 6+ weeks).

Comparison content is valuable, but focus on objective feature and approach differences rather than direct competitor criticism. Book a call to discuss your company's growth goals and receive a tailored proposal. At Ten Speed, we help B2B SaaS companies optimize their entire funnel, and we specialize in creating middle-funnel content that converts. The goal is to balance educational value with gentle progression toward purchase decisions, helping prospects make it over that consideration hurdle and into SQL territory. But success means understanding prospect needs at each evaluation stage, mapping content to buying behaviors, and designing personalization approaches that scale.

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Optimization at each stage involves testing, tracking relevant KPIs, improving user experience, and segmenting audiences for tailored messaging. Key metrics include conversion rate, CAC, ROAS, and sales volume. Lower funnel focuses on converting high-intent leads into customers using personalized content, retargeting campaigns, email marketing, loyalty programs, and trust-building tactics. If you need expert help building full-funnel strategies that actually convert, check out our list of Top Global Marketing Agencies. Marketing efforts often align with different stages of the customer journey, most commonly, the upper and lower funnel (also middle funnel, but that’s not our focus in this piece). LogRocket identifies friction points in the user experience so you can make informed decisions about product and design changes that must happen to hit your goals.

Leads at this stage are in the consideration phase of their customer journey, contemplating solutions to their problem and viewing your product or service as a potential fit. The middle of the funnel is where you bridge the gap between the top-of-the-funnel (awareness) and the bottom (decision). Set goals for each stage of the marketing funnel so you can identify weak areas and measure growth.

Ad account audits are standard practice for us if a client already has ad campaigns as we want to use any data available to inform our strategies. They decided to work with us because of our experience with B2B SaaS companies, but we decided to start with Google, as it's an important platform for almost all B2B SaaS companies. Rise Vision offers cloud-based digital signage software that enhances communication across various sectors.

• Full-funnel marketing is ideal for any biz, but it’s especially beneficial for SaaS and B2B marketing brands.
• This can be done by observing its reach and engagement using the analytics offered by Facebook.
• We specialize in fuel efficiency tracking tools that cut operating costs by 18%.
• What they don’t have is information on how your company is different from the rest.

This is the beginning of what is referred to as the consideration stage (middle of funnel). Now that you have your hypothetical consumer’s attention, it’s time for the interest and evaluation stage, wherein they’ve started showing interest in your product. Marketers are seeing strong results when they focus on broad-reach tactics that introduce brands to new audiences in 2026. But after a few rough nights of tossing and turning, your ad starts appealing to their needs.

Retargeting to this funnel also means changing the type of content you share with them since they’re already familiar with your brand, but more on that in a bit. With some strategy, funnel-specific messaging, and an innovative performance marketing platform like MNTN, you can convert more of these leads. Most brands struggle with this final stage because they don’t know how to convert without being pushy. Generic content fails to convert because prospects immediately recognize mass-produced messaging that doesn't address their specific situation.