10 min read Top-of-Funnel Marketing: How to Attract & Engage Your Audience in 2025

Imagine walking into a party where you don’t know anyone. What makes you stick around? Is it the host who greets you at the door, the interesting conversations, or the appetisers that give you a taste of what’s to come? Top-of-funnel marketing is that first impression – it’s your way of being the host that everyone remembers, the one who sparks curiosity and keeps people coming back for more.

Online, that warm introduction happens through content. TOFU marketing is all about serving your audience the perfect mix of education and value – without asking for anything in return. It’s your chance to show them you’re worth sticking around for.

But the way we craft those first impressions is changing. Thanks to Google’s algorithm updates and the rise of AI in SERPs, the playbook for top-of-funnel marketing is being rewritten, to an extent. Let’s dive into how TOFU marketing works, why content is its MVP, and what you need to know in 2025.

What is Top-of-Funnel Marketing?

Top-of-funnel marketing is the starting line of the customer journey, the place where strangers turn into potential customers. At this stage, your audience doesn’t know you, and in many cases, they don’t even know what they’re looking for yet. They’re scrolling through their socials, searching random questions, or aimlessly browsing, waiting for something to catch their eye.

The role of TOFU marketing is to be that “something”. But here’s the catch – your audience isn’t necessarily ready to buy yet. They’re not looking for a hard sell or a pitch. They’re looking for value – insights, answers, entertainment. This is why good TOFU strategies should focus on education, storytelling, and building a brand presence that feels approachable and authentic.

This stage is where you position yourself as a trusted guide, not a salesperson. Consider an airline company that publishes a blog titled “Best beaches to visit in Crete”. This isn’t about selling flights, it’s about solving a problem for their target audience – travellers. By addressing that need without asking for anything in return, you can leave a positive first impression. It’s subtle, but it’s effective.

TOFU content succeeds because it meets people where they are – in their curiosity, their confusion, or even their boredom. The goal is not to close a deal but to open a door, to create a moment where someone thinks, “This brand is useful”. From there, the journey to deeper engagement and eventual conversion begins.

TOFU marketing requires a level of creativity, and a deep understanding of what your audience values most. In today’s digital-first world, it’s also about navigating new challenges, from increasingly complex algorithms to the rising influence of AI, all while staying true to one key principle – putting your audience first.

Content Marketing’s Role in TOFU Strategies

If top-of-funnel marketing is the first impression, then content marketing is the conversation that keeps people intrigued. It’s the storytelling, the problem-solving, and the value-giving approach that turns curiosity into interest. Content marketing doesn’t just support TOFU strategies – it is the strategy.

The brilliance of content marketing lies in its ability to deliver value without asking for anything in return. It’s about answering questions, sparking ideas, and making your audience’s life a little easier, while subtly weaving your brand into the narrative. When done right, content marketing does more than just inform – it builds trust, establishes authority, and fuels engagement, all without feeling like a sales pitch.

Think of it this way: your content is the dinner guest who’s both smart and funny, and doesn’t talk about themselves too much. They don’t dominate the conversation, but they share stories that make everyone at the table listen. That’s what good content needs to bring to TOFU marketing.

Let’s break it down:

• Building trust: Audiences gravitate toward brands that show up for them with credible, useful information. Trust is earned, not demanded.

• Educating readers: When you provide answers and insights, you position your brand as an industry expert. People remember the brands that make them feel smarter.

• Driving engagement: High-quality, shareable content invites conversation and amplifies your reach. It’s like planting seeds across search engines and social media, waiting for them to sprout.

For instance, a home improvement brand creating a blog titled, “How to restore your wooden table” isn’t just giving tips, it’s showing potential customers that they understand their struggles and have solutions. It’s a soft nudge, not a shove. And when that audience is ready to upgrade their kitchen, guess who they’re going to call?

At its core, content marketing is about being helpful and memorable at a time when audiences are being blasted with noise. The brands that win at TOFU marketing are the ones that replace noise with clarity and value. Because if you’re not solving problems or sparking inspiration, why would anyone stick around?

How Content Marketing Evolved in the Past Year

Like every year, the past 12 months have brought shifts to the content marketing landscape, forcing us content marketers to rethink how we create, structure, and distribute content. With Google’s algorithm updates, the integration of AI-driven search, and the growing dominance of user-driven platforms like Reddit on SERPs, the game has changed dramatically. Success now requires a blend of audience knowledge, and a willingness to adapt to emerging trends.

1. Google Algorithm Updates: E-E-A-T Leads the Way

Google’s ongoing commitment to E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness) has reshaped how content is evaluated and ranked. It’s no longer enough to just say something, you need to prove your value to readers and search engines.

• Originality over volume: Thin, recycled, or generic content is being left behind. Google now prioritises content backed by firsthand experience, research, or unique insights that stand out in a crowded space.
• Depth and relevance matter: Shallow, surface-level answers won’t cut it. Comprehensive content that addresses user intent in detail is rewarded, especially when it’s tailored to niche topics.
• User experience as a ranking factor: The way your content is delivered is just as important as the content itself. Pages that load quickly, feature intuitive navigation, and are mobile-friendly have a significant edge (this has been the case for a long time, but now more so than ever with the abundance of challenges we face in even getting our content to rank on page 1 for relevant terms, never mind in the top few positions).

Google’s algorithms are effectively holding us to a higher standard, one that demands quality over quantity and a focus on real user value.

2. The Rise of Google’s AI Overview

Google’s AI has fundamentally changed how users interact with search results. AI doesn’t just surface content – it curates it, putting new pressure on marketers to create content that aligns with evolving priorities.

AI Summaries Dominate SERPs, as you would have seen by now, Google now highlights AI-generated summaries at the top of search results, pulling insights from the most relevant and well-structured content. To be featured, our content must be concise, authoritative, and designed for skimmability.

• Conversational queries are the new norm: With AI powering search, users are asking questions in more natural, conversational tones. Our content must adapt by addressing long-tail, question-based queries in a way that feels human and approachable.

AI isn’t just helping users find content, it’s actively reshaping how that content is consumed. Marketers must think not just about what they’re writing, but how it will be interpreted and presented by AI systems.

3. The Reddit Effect: User-Generated Content Dominates

In addition to Google’s own tools, platforms like Reddit are increasingly dominating SERPs, offering raw, user-generated insights that often outperform traditional brand content. Why? Because people trust people.

• Community-driven expertise: Reddit threads often rank highly because they provide authentic, firsthand advice. For marketers, this shows the value of incorporating real voices – whether through testimonials, case studies, or user-generated content – into our strategies.
• Searchers crave insights: Reddit’s popularity underscores a growing demand for unpolished, conversational content. It’s a reminder that audiences often prioritise relatability and relevance over polished messaging.

For marketers, the rise of Reddit on SERPs serves as both a challenge and an opportunity. It’s a challenge to compete with the authenticity of community-driven content, but it’s also a chance to adopt a more conversational tone and create content that feels relatable and human.

What These Trends Mean for Content Marketing

The rise of Google’s AI tools, algorithm updates, and Reddit’s growing SERP presence signals a clear shift: as content marketers, we need to evolve our strategies to align with both technical requirements and user preferences. 

Here’s how:

Prioritise Human-Centric Content: AI rewards content that genuinely answers user questions in a clear, concise, and conversational way. Write for humans first, but structure for algorithms.

1. Embrace niche expertise: To compete with Reddit and other user-driven platforms, we need to double down on unique value. This means offering deeper insights, firsthand experiences, and specialised knowledge that generic content can’t provide.

2. Structure for skimability: Both AI summaries and user preferences demand content that’s easy to digest. Use clear headings, bullet points, and logical flow to make your content accessible to all audiences, whether human or AI.

3. Incorporate authentic voices: Borrow a page from Reddit’s playbook by featuring authentic perspectives in your content. User stories, community input, and real-world examples can give your brand the relatability audiences crave.

The Big Picture

Content marketing in 2025 is more than just publishing blog posts or targeting keywords, it’s about creating real connections with your audience in a changing digital landscape. The sites that thrive will be those that strike the right balance between authenticity and authority, depth and accessibility, human focus and AI optimisation.

In a world where Google’s algorithms, AI-driven search, and platforms like Reddit shape user expectations, the key is to deliver what people truly value: answers, inspiration, and genuine connection. Adapt to these changes, and you’ll not only survive this new era, you’ll own it.

Tips for Creating Effective TOFU Content

In today’s competitive digital landscape, crafting high-quality top-of-funnel (TOFU) content is essential for attracting and engaging your target audience. To help you create content that stands out and drives results, here are some expert tips:

1. Deeply Understand Your Audience

The foundation of any effective TOFU content is a thorough understanding of your audience – use tools like GA4 to track user behaviour and to monitor trends. By gathering detailed insights into your audience’s needs and challenges, you can create content that speaks directly to them, making it easier to establish trust and relevance from the get-go.

2. Create SEO and AI-Optimised Content

SEO is still king, but now we also have to consider AI and how it’s shaping search results. Start by researching the phrases and questions your audience is typing into search engines. Think about how they might ask for help in a natural, conversational way – this is key for making your content resonate with both people and AI tools like Google’s Gemini. Use structured formats like FAQs, how-to guides, and checklists to make it easy for AI tools to pull your content into featured snippets. This not only boosts your organic search ranking but also makes your content more digestible and shareable.

3. Amplify Your Content Across Multiple Channels

Once you’ve created content that speaks to your audience, you need to make sure it gets in front of as many people as possible. Of course, sharing it on your website and social media is the obvious next step, but you can do even more. Don’t forget about paid ads. Whether you’re using Google Ads to target specific search terms or running paid campaigns on social media platforms like Facebook or LinkedIn, ads can help push your content to the top of the funnel and drive more qualified traffic. A good paid strategy can quickly boost visibility and get your content in front of the right people at the right moment.

4. Measure, Learn, and Adjust

Creating great content isn’t a one-time thing, it’s a process of constant improvement. To understand what’s working, track key metrics like organic traffic, bounce rate, and engagement time. For paid campaigns, look into your ad performance with metrics like cost-per-click (CPC), conversion rates, and return on ad spend (ROAS). When you see what’s resonating with your audience and what’s falling flat, adjust your strategy accordingly. This could mean tweaking your messaging, optimising your content for better visibility, or shifting your ad budget to high-performing campaigns.

When you take the time to truly understand your audience and optimise your TOFU content across both organic and paid channels, you’re not just attracting traffic – you’re starting a conversation that leads to deeper engagement and future sales. The key is to keep testing, learning, and refining so that your content stays as relevant and effective as possible.

TOFU’s Role in an Overall Digital Strategy

Alright, so you’ve got your TOFU content working, but how does it fit into the bigger picture of your digital strategy?

1. TOFU Creates the Opportunity for Lead Nurturing

At the top of the funnel, you’re attracting a wide audience, people who aren’t ready to buy yet. But they’re interested, curious, or actively seeking answers to problems. This is the perfect time to capture leads, whether through gated content, email sign-ups, or social media engagement.

Once you’ve grabbed their attention with helpful, valuable content, you can start nurturing those leads with follow-up content that aligns with their interests and needs. That’s where your middle-of-funnel (MOFU) content comes in – deeper, more targeted content that helps your audience move closer to a decision.

Think of TOFU as “We’re here to help” and MOFU as “Here’s why we’re exactly what you need”.

2. TOFU Drives Brand Awareness and Differentiation

In a crowded market, TOFU content is your chance to differentiate yourself from the competition. By showcasing your brand’s personality, values, and expertise through thoughtful content, you build awareness and brand recognition. And if we’re honest, people don’t just buy from companies – they buy from brands they trust.

For example, a brand selling wood oil treatments might write a TOFU blog post about “5 ways to decorate your home more sustainably”. They’re not pushing their wood treatments, but they’re making a statement that aligns with their values and positioning themselves as experts in sustainable wood oils.

3. TOFU Supports SEO and Content Marketing Goals

The visibility and organic traffic generated by TOFU content can have a long-term impact on your SEO strategy. High-quality content that ranks for the right keywords increases your chances of being discovered through search engines, whether it’s blog posts, guides, videos, or infographics.

By creating content that answers searchers’ questions, educates them, or offers solutions to their problems, TOFU content helps you target long-tail keywords and questions that users are asking. When optimised correctly, this can also lead to higher rankings and more traffic for the pages that follow (MOFU, BOFU).

4. TOFU Helps You Build a Content Ecosystem

Content marketing doesn’t exist in a vacuum, TOFU content is just one piece of a broader content strategy that spans all funnel stages. By creating valuable, shareable, and engaging TOFU content, you’re not only building relationships with potential customers, but you’re also feeding your content ecosystem.

This interconnected web of content (TOFU, MOFU, BOFU) ensures your brand remains visible at every stage of the customer journey. The key is creating a content flow that guides the customer from awareness to decision-making and finally to loyalty, creating multiple touch points where your audience can engage with you.

5. TOFU Drives Engagement Across Multiple Channels

TOFU content doesn’t just live on your website. It should be spread across all the platforms where your audience hangs out. Social media, email newsletters, video platforms, blogs – each channel serves as a different entry point into your content ecosystem. TOFU content allows you to start a conversation wherever your audience is.

For instance, a catchy infographic on Instagram or a how-to video on YouTube can be the nudge someone needs to visit your blog and dive deeper into your brand. The more touch points you create, the more opportunities you have to guide them through the funnel.

6. TOFU Sets the Stage for Data-Driven Insights

And finally, TOFU content is a fantastic way to gather data on your audience’s interests and behaviours. From average session duration and bounce rates to engaged sessions, these metrics provide valuable insights into what resonates with your audience. This data can help you refine your future content strategies and adjust your marketing tactics for better performance at every stage of the funnel.

For example, if you notice that a particular blog post about “DIY home decor” is getting lots of traffic and low bounce rates, you might decide to create a follow-up post that goes deeper into the subject, targeting the middle of the funnel.