Top‑of‑Funnel Marketing: Metrics & Mistakes

Written By Morgan Phelps

TL;DR

If you expect cold traffic to buy on the first click, that’s not marketing, it’s wishful thinking. Top‑of‑funnel (TOFU) exists to earn attention, build demand, and qualify interest so your mid‑ and bottom‑funnel stop dragging. Treat TOFU like a system: sharp positioning → consistent content → clean distribution → instrumentation. Track reach, recall, and engagement quality (not just vanity views) and fix the five killers: misaligned messaging, low creative variability, missing UTMs, weak offers, and measuring TOFU with BOFU (Bottom of funnel) KPIs.

What is Top‑of‑Funnel (TOFU)?

TOFU is how net‑new audiences first discover you. It’s the awareness and demand‑creation layer, content and campaigns that introduce your brand, your problem space, and your point of view. TOFU does not exist to close the sale; it exists to make the sale inevitable later.

Goal: Grow qualified attention and interest.
Outcome: More branded search, more engaged sessions, faster nurture cycles, lower CAC over time.

What actually matters at TOFU (in this order)

  1. Positioning & Point of View

    • A clear, specific “who it’s for” and “why we’re different.”

    • Example: “Menopause brain fog relief with clinician‑guided care” beats “Women’s wellness platform.”

  2. Value‑First Offers (No Email Required)

    • Give something useful upfront: frameworks, checklists, calculators, mini‑classes.

    • Deliver a “win” in 5 minutes or less.

  3. Creative Variability

    • Test 10–20 hooks per theme (shorts, carousels, articles, infographics).

    • Refresh weekly to fight ad fatigue and algorithmic decay.

  4. Distribution & Consistency

    • Show up where your ICP already hangs out (search, social, communities, partnerships).

    • Cadence beats bursts: a reliable drumbeat compounds.

  5. Instrumentation (Non‑negotiable)

    • UTMs on every external link, GA4 engaged‑session tracking, GTM events for scroll depth/video views, and channel groupings that reflect reality.

    • Align naming conventions across paid/organic/email.

The metrics that matter (and how to interpret them)

Benchmarks vary by industry and channel; use these as directional guardrails and, more importantly, watch trends week over week.

Sage Creatives TOFU benchmarks: table of top-of-funnel KPIs with good signs, red flags, and “what to do” for Reach & Recall, Attention Quality, Creative Fit, Demand Creation, Social Proof, Email Capture, and Assist.

What to look for: real‑world examples

Example 1: B2B SaaS (Analytics Platform)

  • ICP: VP/Head of Marketing at $1–20M ARR companies.

  • TOFU Plays:

    • LinkedIn POV posts 3×/week explaining how to interpret GA4 and ad platform discrepancies.

    • “Attribution sanity check” worksheet (no email required) + optional email capture for a deeper 7‑day mini‑course.

    • Podcast guesting with demand‑gen leaders.

  • Signals of health:

    • Non‑brand search for “multi‑touch attribution” and your brand searches rise together.

    • LinkedIn saves/comments > likes; 15–30% of demo requests cite content.

  • What to measure: Engaged sessions from LinkedIn; repeat visitors; assisted conversions; demo‑page scroll depth.

Example 2: Local Services (Medspa)

  • ICP: Women 30–55 within 20 miles, cash‑pay.

  • TOFU Plays:

    • Short UGC videos: “What we ask in your first consult,” “3 myths about hormone therapy,” “Before your first appointment checklist.”

    • Local SEO content hubs: symptoms, safety, expectations, cost ranges.

    • Community partnerships: co‑host a Q&A with a local women’s group.

  • Signals of health:

    • Location‑based non‑brand keywords (e.g., “hormone therapy near me”) trending up; branded search rising in tandem.

    • Video watch‑through >25% on core explainer.

  • What to measure: GMB discovery views, direction requests, engaged sessions, click‑to‑call events, new users ratio.

Example 3: DTC Ecommerce (Skincare)

  • ICP: Women 24–40, acne‑prone, skincare enthusiasts.

  • TOFU Plays:

    • TikTok & Reels UGC: routines, ingredient myths, dermatologist reactions.

    • “Routine builder” quiz (no email required) + optional 10% welcome for email capture.

    • Creator seeding for social proof.

  • Signals of health:

    • Add‑to‑cart rate steady or rising as reach expands; share/save rate > comment rate; spike in branded search after creator features.

  • What to measure: Video view‑through %, PDP scroll depth, add‑to‑cart from organic social, new vs returning buyers trend.

The 15 most common TOFU mistakes (and how to fix them)

  1. Expecting cold traffic to convert like hot leads.
    Fix: Define TOFU success as qualified attention and assists.

  2. Measuring TOFU exclusively on last‑click revenue.
    Fix: Report assisted conversions and branded search lift.

  3. Vague positioning.
    Fix: Name the buyer, the pain, and your angle in one sentence.

  4. No creative volume.
    Fix: Ship 10+ hooks per theme; kill losers fast.

  5. Stale content cadence.
    Fix: Publish a consistent drumbeat; batch and schedule.

  6. Missing UTMs and event tracking.
    Fix: Standardize UTMs; log a QA checklist in GTM/GA4.

  7. “Give me your email to learn more” offers.
    Fix: Deliver value before the gate; capture after.

  8. Click‑bait headlines to irrelevant pages.
    Fix: Message‑match from hook → headline → on‑page content.

  9. Over‑targeting tiny audiences.
    Fix: Start broad with strong creative; narrow with data.

  10. Frequency fatigue.
    Fix: Cap frequency, rotate creatives, expand inventory.

  11. Ignoring communities and partnerships.
    Fix: Borrow trust: guest posts, AMAs, co‑webinars.

  12. Not repurposing winners.
    Fix: Turn a winning thread into a carousel, video, and SEO post.

  13. Skipping page speed and mobile UX.
    Fix: TOFU lands on fast, scannable, mobile‑first pages.

  14. Treating every channel the same.
    Fix: Match content to channel norms and user intent.

  15. Killing experiments too early.
    Fix: Let reach stabilize; judge trends, not day‑one spikes.

Your 60‑minute TOFU audit (step‑by‑step)

Tools: GA4, Search Console, ad platform dashboards, social analytics, CRM/attribution, a UTM naming SOP.

  1. Positioning check (10 min): Is “who it’s for + why we’re different” obvious on your homepage and social bios? Rewrite if not.

  2. Content mapping (10 min): List your last 10 posts/videos/articles. Tag each by ICP pain, hook type, and offer. Gaps? Fill them.

  3. Distribution scan (10 min): Where does your ICP hang out? Are you present there weekly? Mark misses.

  4. Instrumentation (10 min): Verify UTMs, GA4 engaged sessions, scroll/video events, and source/medium accuracy.

  5. Trend review (10 min): Check non‑brand → brand search trends, engaged sessions, and assists over 8–12 weeks.

  6. Creative winners (10 min): Pull top/bottom 5 assets by CTR and saves/shares. Plan variants on the winners.

Deliverable: A one‑page action list with 3 fixes for each category.

A pragmatic 90‑day TOFU plan

Weeks 1–2: Foundation

  • Finalize positioning and messaging.

  • Build a no‑email “flagship” resource (checklist/worksheet).

  • Set up UTMs, GA4 engaged‑session events, and a creative naming convention.

Weeks 3–6: Creative & Distribution Sprint

  • Ship 20 hooks across 3 themes.

  • Publish 2 SEO posts answering problem‑led queries.

  • Launch 2 creator partnerships or guest spots.

Weeks 7–10: Optimize & Scale

  • Expand audiences/lookalikes; cap frequency.

  • Repurpose 5 top assets into new formats.

  • Introduce soft email captures via content upgrades.

Weeks 11–13: Prove the Assist

  • Report branded search lift, assists, engaged session trends.

  • Tie TOFU to MOFU velocity (shorter time‑to‑demo/first purchase).

Need an honest TOFU audit? Sage Creatives can evaluate your positioning, content, and instrumentation and hand you a 65‑day action plan. Book a consult.

Morgan Phelps
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