What is Top of Funnel (TOFU)?
Nexa Consultancy | Startup & Finance Glossary
Top of Funnel (TOFU) refers to the initial stage of the buyer's journey or sales funnel. At this stage, potential customers are just becoming aware of a problem or a need and are beginning their search for information. Marketing efforts at this stage are focused on attracting a wide audience.
Base Term for Startups: TOFU marketing is about building brand awareness and generating leads. Common tactics include blog posts, social media content, infographics, and educational webinars. The goal is not to sell, but to attract and educate.
Base Term for SaaS/B2B: A typical TOFU goal for a SaaS company is to get a potential customer to download a whitepaper or sign up for a newsletter in exchange for their email address, thus converting an anonymous visitor into a known lead.
Base Term Example: A startup writes a blog post titled "The Ultimate Guide to SaaS Metrics." This content is designed to attract founders who are searching for this topic, bringing them to the top of the startup's marketing funnel.