Mid-Funnel Marketing Strategies To Increase Conversions

By Madison Taylor
January 1, 2011

Many companies tend to focus on the top and bottom of their marketing funnels when it comes to driving revenue. These marketing priorities have led to mid-funnel marketing strategies being constantly overlooked.

Yet, prospects from mid-funnel marketing show a keen interest in a product or service, and giving them the necessary information and assurance can lead to the eventual purchase. Prospects at the middle of the funnel consider a brand’s offerings a potential solution but are currently weighing their options before settling on a choice.

What Is Mid-Funnel Marketing?

Middle-of-the-funnel marketing refers to the stage of the buyer’s journey where brands align their offerings with the needs of their prospects. Prospects at this stage of the marketing funnel have gained brand awareness (as they are often existing contacts in the marketing database) and entered the consideration stage of the buyer journey.

Brands usually implement lead nurturing and educational marketing methods during mid-funnel marketing, carefully guiding prospects toward the bottom of the marketing funnel for conversion. Trust-building is a critical aspect of mid-funnel marketing, where brands can persuade prospects that they have the best offerings by providing relevant content.

Effective Mid-Funnel Marketing Tactics

At this stage of marketing (especially for B2B mid-funnel marketing, where clients generally take a detailed, systematic approach in selecting a solution), it is usually more effective to show, rather than tell, what a brand offers.

Leverage Social Proof

Social proof is a huge factor when it comes to convincing prospects in mid-funnel marketing. Market research shows that 57% of customers visit a brand’s website after reading positive reviews about the company. As such, brands that include customer success stories via product reviews and testimonials can potentially boost mid-funnel marketing efforts.

The price point of brand offerings can also affect the success of social proof campaigns. Surveys indicate that displaying reviews for higher-priced items leads to increased conversion rates by 380%.

Brands can present social proof in various forms, including:

  • Customer testimonials
  • Online company reviews and ratings
  • Customer video feedback
  • Detailed case studies
  • Accreditations

For best results, a brand should apply social proof content that highlights a specific problem and how they successfully provided a unique value proposition in response. These curated narratives present highly relatable scenarios that can help convince prospects actively seeking ways to overcome a challenge.

Showcase Brand Expertise Via Educational Content

Brands can greatly improve the success of their middle-of-the-funnel marketing efforts by positioning themselves as experienced, knowledgeable industry leaders. Instructional videos, FAQs, and how-to articles are effective ways to inform prospects while showcasing a brand’s confidence and credibility.

Educational content can convince prospects about a brand’s trustworthiness by providing useful answers to customer queries. Carefully researched content shows a brand’s willingness to assist customers through the buyer journey or onboarding while providing reliable data that backs up a marketing claim.

Effective ways to showcase brand expertise as a thought leader include adding FAQ sections (based on market and competitor research) to product pages and posting instructional blogs that guide readers through a specific product issue.

Explainer articles are especially effective in B2B mid-funnel marketing, where clients require more guidance to familiarize themselves with complex solutions. Ultimately, well-informed audiences have a higher chance of conversion, with surveys showing that educational content makes customers 131% more likely to purchase.

Tailor the Marketing CTA

Prospects targeted for middle-of-the-funnel marketing seek different information, so not every contact is readily prepared to close at the bottom of the funnel. As such, brands should align their mid-funnel marketing CTAs to the interests and priorities of each prospect for optimal results. Brands need to gauge the level of persuasion and convincing required for each target audience and avoid hard-selling CTAs at this stage.

However, it is still critical to provide a clear, concise CTA (note: brands should avoid multiple CTAs to avoid confusing the reader) to guide prospects down the funnel. Personalized invitations to live instructional webinars and informational landing pages are effective non-selling CTAs that provide prospects with greater confidence in trusting a brand. Email marketing is a popular method for B2B mid-funnel marketing due to its professionalism and structured approach that makes it convenient to segment prospects and schedule necessary follow-up communication.

Closing Thoughts

Each stage of planning and execution within the funnel matters, influencing the success of conversion, with mid-funnel marketing being no exception. Effective mid-funnel marketing tactics convey the relevant information that prospects need to make a judgment call. It is the last challenge that marketers need to overcome before closing a deal.

Through a prospect-first approach (delivered with a human touch) and informational content, brands can build customer trust and boost conversions from an often overlooked section of the marketing funnel.

Contact Madison Taylor Marketing to learn more about detailed mid-funnel tactics customized to your brand to discover how we can help you achieve the desired response.