Last week, we talked about how much TOFU, MOFU, and BOFU content you should create and why most companies get that balance completely wrong.
But balance is only step one.
Today, we go deeper into the piece most people misunderstand (or write off entirely):
TOFU - Top of Funnel content.
Not traffic-driving fluff.
Not generic “industry insights.”
Not AI-generated listicles.
But T R U S T.
INFLUENCE.
INVITATION.
TOFU done right is your first impression and your brand exploration layer.
Let’s clear the fog around TOFU.
What TOFU actually is (and what it’s not)
Most teams think TOFU means:
❌ broad industry articles
❌ summarizing trends everyone has already read
❌ repeating what Gartner, McKinsey or influencers said
❌ trying to go viral
❌ writing for “everyone”
TOFU is not “write something general so everyone sees it.”
TOFU is:
👉 Addressing problems your ICP feels, but isn’t ready to admit in a sales conversation
👉 Shaping how your category should be understood
👉 Reframing beliefs that no longer serve them
👉 Introducing your POV before you ever introduce your product
TOFU is not for “everyone.”
It should still be ICP-led. It’s just problem-first, not product-first.
Great TOFU doesn’t chase audiences. It attracts the right ones.
Why TOFU still matters (especially now)
Today’s buyers don’t move in straight lines:
Blog → Demo → Deal is fiction.
More like:
LinkedIn → Ignore → Blog → Podcast → Screenshot → Newsletter → DM → Compare → Ghost → Return → Demo.
We’re marketing to a non-linear, multi-tab, save-it-and-come-back-later buyer.
And the first brand they add to that mental carousel is the one that made them think differently before selling.
TOFU matters because:
- People don’t convert when they understand your product.
- People convert when they understand their problem differently.
- TOFU content creates readiness, not transactions.
If your prospect needs to “get it” before they get you, TOFU is the bridge.
How to make TOFU that doesn’t feel so TOFU that people forget who you are
TOFU shouldn’t hide your identity.
It should hint at your worldview, your approach, your unfair advantage.
Ask yourself:
- Does this piece reflect how we see the world differently?
- Does it plant the seed for the solution we believe in?
- Would someone consuming this remember a perspective, not just a topic?
- Would our competitor publish the same piece? If yes, sharpen the angle.
Here’s the rule:
Your TOFU should feel problem-first, not product-first - but definitely not identity-less.
A good TOFU piece leads WITH the problem → and leads TO the insight that makes your solution make sense - but, later.
How to ensure your TOFU pieces succeed (placement, usage, distribution)
A TOFU article is not a lottery ticket - “publish and pray” doesn’t work.
TOFU needs intentional deployment:
Use it:
- in nurture sequences
- as pre-demo homework
- as post-call reinforcement
- in founder-led content
- as collateral for SDR outreach (“sharing this because it came up in your space”)
TOFU is not only for “net new traffic.”
It is fuel for the entire top half of your marketing and sales motion.
Distribute it:
- On the founder’s profile - narrative posts, snippets, hooks
- In newsletters - owned audiences > rented reach
- Across social - platforms reward repeated angles
- In community channels (Slack groups, forums, niche spaces)
- Through partners, co-marketing, podcast swaps
Distribution isn’t about “everywhere.”
It’s about showing up where conversations already exist.
Reuse it:
Turn one TOFU piece into 6 assets:
- LinkedIn post
- Carousel
- Quote graphic
- Short video
- Email snippet
- Slide for sales enablement
TOFU doesn’t convert because it’s published.
It converts because it’s used.
How to link TOFU to the next stage (without jarring CTAs)
A TOFU piece shouldn’t end with:
“Book a demo.”
But it also shouldn’t end with nothing.
A TOFU CTA is simple:
👉 “If this is a problem for you - here’s how we break it down in more depth.”
👉 “Here’s a framework to go further.”
👉 “If you’d like part 2 - reply and tell me.”
👉 “Here’s what we’re covering in next week’s memo.”
Your job at TOFU is not conversion; it is graduation.
From curiosity → consideration.
(We’ll go deeper into exactly how to move readers from TOFU → MOFU → BOFU in the next memo.)
Good real-world TOFU examples:
Here are some of the pieces we wrote for companies at my agency, Contensify:
Need more examples, just drop me a note and I shall send them over!
How to measure TOFU success (beyond traffic)
Traffic is a vanity input.
Here’s what matters more:
TOFU isn’t about volume.
It’s about velocity - how far your ideas travel into the organization and into the buyer’s thinking.
Your TOFU is successful when people start quoting you back to you.
Complete Guide to TOFU Content
If you're just getting started with creating top-of-the-funnel content, I'd like you to read this first!
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TL;DR
- TOFU isn’t generic industry content - it’s problem-first, ICP-specific content.
- It matters because buyers are non-linear and self-educating.
- It should hint at who you are, without selling.
- TOFU succeeds when distributed, reused, and embedded into motions.
- The success metric is graduation, not conversion.
- Next week: How to create MOFU content that converts without chasing trends or features.
Before You Go, Your Free TOFU Content Playbook
I put together a deeper breakdown of TOFU formats, frameworks, and examples - the same ones we use at Contensify.
It includes templates, the TOFU → MOFU bridge, and real SaaS use cases.
👉 Get the TOFU Playbook here
If you know someone who still thinks TOFU equals “blog post factory,” forward this memo to them - they’ll thank you later.
See you next issue,
