How the Digital Marketing Funnel Works (With TOFU, MOFU, BOFU Examples)
Gary Pettigrew
🔁 How the Digital Marketing Funnel Works (With TOFU, MOFU, BOFU Examples)
A strong digital marketing funnel is the blueprint behind every high-performing online brand. Whether you're trying to drive leads, make sales, book appointments, or grow subscribers, the TOFU-MOFU-BOFU framework helps you build journeys that convert — from first click to final sale.
But it’s not enough to just “know” the funnel. You need to understand how to implement it across paid and organic channels, and apply it to real-world customer behavior.
This guide covers:
- The TOFU, MOFU, BOFU framework
- Funnel-aligned content strategy (with examples)
- Paid vs organic role at each funnel stage
- Industry-specific funnel breakdowns
- Platform-by-platform tactics
- Funnel tracking tools and tips
🧭 Funnel Stages Overview
| Stage | Goal | Audience Mindset | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|
| TOFU | Awareness | “I didn’t know this existed.” | SEO blogs, YouTube, reels |
| MOFU | Consideration | “What are my options?” | Webinars, case studies |
| BOFU | Conversion | “Why should I buy now?” | Demos, free trials, SMS |
🔼 TOFU: Top of Funnel – Awareness
🎯 Objective: Attract attention from problem-unaware or solution-curious audiences.
TOFU content should be educational, helpful, or entertaining. You’re NOT selling here — you’re showing up where your audience is already looking, browsing, or learning.
💸 TOFU Paid Ads
- Google Display Ads: Broad banners to high-volume content audiences
- Meta (Facebook/Instagram) Awareness Ads: Video views, engagement boosts
- YouTube Pre-roll Ads: Educational or storytelling formats
- TikTok Spark Ads: Boost creator content to generate curiosity
🌱 TOFU Organic
- Blog posts (SEO-optimized)
- YouTube tutorials
- TikTok/Instagram reels
- Infographics on Pinterest
- Guest podcast interviews
➡️ MOFU: Middle of Funnel – Consideration
🎯 Objective: Educate, nurture, and guide decision-making.
Your audience is aware of their problem and is considering solutions. You need to show how your offer works, builds trust, and fits their specific needs.
💸 MOFU Paid Ads
- Meta retargeting: Target users who visited TOFU content or watched 25%+ of video
- LinkedIn Ads: Target job titles or industries with webinar/whitepaper
- Google Discovery Ads: Promote mid-funnel blog content or comparisons
- YouTube in-feed ads: Showcase testimonials or explainer series
🌱 MOFU Organic
- Case studies
- Comparison guides (“X vs Y”)
- Lead magnets (ebooks, templates)
- Email nurturing sequences
- Thought-leadership LinkedIn posts
🔽 BOFU: Bottom of Funnel – Conversion
🎯 Objective: Remove friction and close the sale.
This is where your hot leads are. They’re nearly ready to buy — now it’s about reducing doubts, reinforcing urgency, and making it easy to say yes.
💸 BOFU Paid Ads
- Google Search (Branded/Transactional): “Buy X software,” “X pricing”
- Facebook retargeting with testimonials: Show social proof to hot leads
- SMS ads via platforms like Attentive/Postscript: Send limited-time offers
- YouTube demo/retargeting ads: “See the tool in action”
🌱 BOFU Organic
- Testimonials
- FAQ pages
- Product pages with pricing, guarantee, trial CTA
- On-site chat support
- Personalized email follow-ups
🧪 Real-World Funnel Examples (Paid + Organic)
🛍 eCommerce (DTC Skincare Brand)
- TOFU (Organic): Instagram reels showing skincare routines
- TOFU (Paid): Facebook video ad with a relatable story hook
- MOFU (Organic): Blog post – “How to build a 3-step skincare routine”
- MOFU (Paid): Retargeting carousel ad with customer reviews
- BOFU (Organic): Product page with testimonials and “buy now” CTA
- BOFU (Paid): SMS reminder — “Your free sample expires in 2 hours!”
💼 SaaS Startup (Project Management Tool)
- TOFU (Organic): YouTube channel – “Remote Team Hacks”
- TOFU (Paid): YouTube pre-roll – animated problem/promise walkthrough
- MOFU (Organic): Webinar: “How teams cut 20 hours/week with X”
- MOFU (Paid): LinkedIn Ads to job titles in operations/project management
- BOFU (Organic): Case study + trial signup form
- BOFU (Paid): Facebook retargeting ads – “Try for free today – no credit card needed”
🧑⚕️ Local Service Business (Chiropractor)
- TOFU (Organic): SEO blog – “5 Signs Your Back Pain Is Serious”
- TOFU (Paid): Facebook lead gen ad – “Free Pain Relief Guide”
- MOFU (Organic): Email follow-up with video testimonial
- MOFU (Paid): Retargeting ad – “See what patients say about us”
- BOFU (Organic): Booking page with availability and trust badges
- BOFU (Paid): SMS reminder: “Appointments filling fast – claim your slot”
🎓 Online Course Funnel (Info Product)
- TOFU (Organic): TikTok tip series: “Design hacks nobody tells you”
- TOFU (Paid): Facebook video ad – “How I built a freelance career from scratch”
- MOFU (Organic): Email course + lead magnet
- MOFU (Paid): Retargeting ad for webinar replay
- BOFU (Organic): Course comparison page, bonuses, student results
- BOFU (Paid): Cart-abandonment email + SMS: “Your spot is about to expire!”
🛠 Tools by Funnel Stage
| Funnel | Paid Tools | Organic Tools |
|---|---|---|
| TOFU | Meta Ads, Google Display, YouTube Ads, TikTok Ads | YouTube, WordPress, TikTok |
| MOFU | LinkedIn Ads, YouTube In-Feed, Custom Audiences | Mailchimp, Webflow, LeadPages |
| BOFU | Google Search, SMS via Postscript, Retargeting | Shopify, Calendly, Intercom |
📊 Funnel Metrics Breakdown
TOFU
- CPM, CPC, Click-through rate
- Organic reach, pageviews
- Video engagement %
MOFU
- Lead magnet conversion %
- Webinar attendance rate
- Email open/click %
BOFU
- Conversion rate
- Return on Ad Spend (ROAS)
- Revenue per visitor
- Cart abandonment %
🧱 Build a Full Funnel Framework
- Identify your personas and their pain points
- Create value-driven TOFU content (blog, video, ad)
- Drive traffic via SEO + paid TOFU ads
- Capture leads with a lead magnet
- Nurture with retargeting ads and email flows
- Present a friction-free BOFU offer with urgency
- Follow up with retargeting, remarketing, and SMS
❌ Funnel Mistakes to Avoid
- Using only BOFU offers in your ads
- Not segmenting cold vs warm audiences
- Expecting a TOFU blog post to drive immediate sales
- Missing out on retargeting
- Failing to blend paid + organic for compounding results
🏁 Final Thoughts
Your funnel isn’t a theory — it’s a living system. And it should include a mix of organic AND paid, automated AND personal, awareness AND urgency.
Whether you’re starting from scratch or scaling to 7-figures, mastering the funnel is the key to scalable, predictable revenue.