What is the Marketing Funnel? A Guide to TOFU, MOFU, and BOFU for Smarter Targeting

If you've ever wondered why some marketing campaigns feel scattered while others drive consistent results, the answer often comes down to structure. More specifically, whether there's a Full Funnel Strategy behind the scenes.

At its core, the marketing funnel is a visual framework that helps businesses understand the stages a customer moves through—from first learning about your brand to making a purchase. When you align your marketing strategy to each stage of this funnel, you’re able to tailor your targeting more effectively and guide potential customers smoothly toward conversion.

Let’s break it down.

The 3 Stages of the Marketing Funnel

1. TOFU – Top of Funnel (Awareness)

This is where the customer journey begins. People at the top of the funnel don’t know who you are yet—they’re just becoming aware of a problem, need, or interest.

Goal: Capture attention and generate awareness.

Tactics:

  • Educational blog posts

  • Social media videos

  • Display or video ads

  • Organic search content

  • Influencer partnerships

Targeting Tip: Focus on broad audiences or lookalikes. You’re casting a wide net to attract new eyes to your brand.

2. MOFU – Middle of Funnel (Consideration)

Now that people know who you are, it’s time to build trust. In the middle of the funnel, potential customers are actively comparing their options. They’re curious, but not yet sold.

Goal: Nurture interest and build credibility.

Tactics:

  • Case studies

  • Email sequences

  • Retargeting ads

  • Webinars or product demos

  • Comparison guides

Targeting Tip: Use engagement-based audiences—people who’ve visited your site, watched your videos, or engaged with your content.

3. BOFU – Bottom of Funnel (Conversion)

This is the decision-making stage. At the bottom of the funnel, your audience is ready to buy—they just need the final nudge.

Goal: Drive action and conversion.

Tactics:

  • Special offers

  • Testimonials and reviews

  • Product-focused ads

  • Limited-time promotions

  • Strong calls-to-action (CTAs)

Targeting Tip: Focus on high-intent audiences like cart abandoners, email subscribers, or previous site visitors.

Why You Need a Full Funnel Strategy

A Full Funnel Strategy ensures you’re not just showing the same message to every audience—it gives you a game plan for speaking to people differently depending on where they are in their journey.

Without it, you risk two things:

  • Wasting budget by retargeting users who haven’t been properly warmed up

  • Losing prospects who were ready to buy because they never saw the right CTA

When you align your marketing strategy to the funnel, your content becomes more relevant, your ads perform better, and your targeting becomes sharper.

Final Thoughts

Think of the marketing funnel as your customer relationship roadmap. From TOFU (awareness) to MOFU (consideration) to BOFU (conversion), each stage serves a unique purpose—and ignoring one can cost you.

With a smart full funnel strategy, every piece of your marketing works together to attract, educate, and convert. It’s not just more efficient—it’s more human.

MarketingJonalyn Kasanderfull funnel marketing