How to Create Content That Fills Funnel Gaps
You’ve built a functioning funnel. You actively post long-form content. But does that content actually pull its weight?
Yes… if you use it right.
Content gives your funnel its fuel. It fills all the gaps, and pulls everything together. If you’re only using it to check the content marketing box or to fill your funnel, you’re not helping all of your audience or your bottom line.
Hi, I’m Dianna Candido. I’m a Content Systems Strategist and Marketing Consultant. My clients come to me to help them round out their funnel with content that actually works. Together, we create content that fills gaps in their funnel so they maximize each opportunity to make an impact — and make sales.
So how do you do it? How do you have content that supports an existing funnel?
Buckle up, buttercup. Let’s dive in.
How to Fill Your Funnel Using Long-form Content
Top of funnel is the #1 thing my clients typically use content for. This is a no-brainer because it’s one of the best ways to drive new traffic to your website. And it’s worth it. Even now in the AI era, people are significantly more likely to book you, pay you, or purchase your product after they’ve read an article.
(My guess is that this is where you are. You know it’s important, and it brings in clicks, but you’re forgetting the rest of the funnel. If this is you, feel free to skip down to the next section. If not, read on.)
So if you’re trying to FILL your funnel:
Focus on SEO.
The goal is to get clicks from being a top result. Most often, my clients use long-form articles on their website, but I’ve also seen top-of-funnel filling done with Youtube as the main driver.
Remember, if your audience has never seen you before, you need to include these elements in your strategy:
A topic that someone you serve is googling about
Language that they use (not someone further along the journey… no jargon)
An introduction (LORD how people forget this one but DUH they need to know who tf you are and whyyyy they should learn or trust you.)
A clutch CTA. (More on that later.)
Now you know how to use content for the top of your funnel…
Nurture and Get to Know Your Middle Funnel With Long-Form Content
Okay, so you’ve filled your funnel. Now what?
More SEO. They’ve come across you once and now you need them to come across you again.
Email list. If they’re on your email list, cover topics that go deeper into your email topics. Give them more where they are. Go one step further so they feel like they get something.
Hesitation-busting. Do some research and take note of key hesitations. Send out a survey (to your clients and those who didn’t buy from you.) Time to get out a magnifying glass and go full Sherlock to find out just what hesitations kept them from buying from you. Then make content about THAT.
Case studies. This one can also be used closer to the bottom of the funnel. The more stories they hear, the more they trust. If they like you, they WANT to see themselves as your client. That’s why they’ll read it.
The middle funnel is a lot of fun because this is where you really find your people. If you’re getting lots of hits in the middle, it’s a good sign.
Every piece of content should encourage your people, help them get to know you, qualify themselves, AND make sure that leads don’t fall off just because you didn’t get them what they needed at the right time. (Or sent them to the wrong place.)
How to Use Your Long-Form Content to Make Sales
Push the decision.
Here’s where you give them a look behind the scenes, your strongest case studies, and final calls. Now is when they make a decision. Content for this part of the funnel can be emotionally compelling OR a deep dive into more technical aspects of whatever you’re selling.
Remember the old saying: people buy with the heart, then back their play with the mind.
If they’ve reached this stage and they’re still searching/clicking/engaging, they’re close to biting. The right piece of content could be all it takes.
Get More Creative With Your CTAs
I may earn my Broken Record Of The Year award any day now, but for real: Do better.
Don’t post a blog and slap a CTA on there like you’re slapping bread dough and then giving yourself a high five for getting your content done. Your content isn’t going to work if you don’t do it more strategically.
Look at your data and think before you post. What topic is this? Where am I pushing this article? Where will traffic be coming from? What do I want them to do next? What are they ready for?
THIS is the sort of thing that will tell you where you want them to go, or what you want them to do.
Which is why right now I’m going to tell you that if you want to fill your funnel with content instead of trying to go viral with a reel that took you an hour to edit and got 200 views you should follow me here.
This blog is 40% insight into strategic content, 40% action steps you can take that actually make a difference, and 10% entertainment because I hate content that feels like stale toast. If you’re an anti-stale-toaster, too, sign up and you’ll get notified whenever I post.
Cheers to doing content, but better this time.
