By Kabandi Saikia · Last updated 13 November 2026
Quick answer
TOFU, MOFU and BOFU are the three marketing funnel stages.
- TOFU means top of the funnel. People learn they have a problem, and they find you.
- MOFU means middle of the funnel. People compare ways to solve the problem.
- BOFU means bottom of the funnel. People choose a product and buy it.
Each stage needs different content. A blog post works at the top. A comparison guide works in the middle. A free trial or a demo works at the bottom.
What is a marketing funnel?
A marketing funnel shows the steps a person takes before they buy. Many people start at the top. Fewer people reach the bottom. Only some of them buy.
This matters a lot for B2B (business-to-business) software. In a B2B marketing funnel, most buyers are not ready to buy today. Only about 5% of B2B buyers are ready to buy at any time. Buyers also do most of their research alone. They spend only 17% of their buying time meeting sellers.
So your content must help people at every stage, even when no salesperson is there.
The picture shows the question a buyer asks at each stage. Your content must answer that question.
The real products in this guide
This guide uses real B2B SaaS and AI companies as examples:
- HubSpot: marketing and sales software
- Gong: AI software that studies sales calls
- Zapier: a tool that connects other apps
- Fireflies.ai: an AI tool that writes notes from meetings
- ClickUp: project management software
Each one shows a clear example of one funnel stage.
TOFU: top of funnel marketing
Goal: help people and get found. At this stage, the person has a problem. They do not know your product yet.
What the buyer thinks: "My sales team spends hours writing call notes. Is this normal?"
What you should do: teach. Do not sell yet.
Content ideas:
- Blog posts that answer simple questions, like "How much time do sales reps spend on notes?"
- Free templates, like a call-notes template
- Short LinkedIn posts or videos
- Simple word guides, like "What is an AI agent?"
Real examples:
- HubSpot Website Grader. A free tool. You enter your website, and it grades things like speed, SEO and security. People who use it learn about HubSpot. See it
- Gong Labs. Gong studies real sales calls and shares what it finds on its blog. Sales people read it to learn, and they remember the name Gong. See it
How to measure it: website visitors, social media reach and newsletter sign-ups.
MOFU: middle of funnel marketing
Goal: build trust. The person knows the problem is real. Now they compare ways to fix it.
What the buyer thinks: "Should we use an AI tool for notes? Which tools work with our CRM? Are they safe?"
What you should do: show that you understand their problem. You can talk about your product, but show proof, not big promises.
Content ideas:
- Comparison guides, like "7 best AI note-taking tools for sales teams"
- Webinars (live online sessions) that show how to solve the problem
- Case studies: stories of real customers, with real results
- Emails with useful tips for people who downloaded something from you
- For AI products: pages about data safety and accuracy
Real examples:
- Zapier's list of the best AI meeting assistants. A tested comparison of tools like Fireflies and Fathom. It helps buyers compare their options. See it
- Gong's B2B sales strategies guide. A guide based on Gong Labs research. You give your email to read it, so you become a lead. See it
How to measure it: new leads (people who give you their email), webinar sign-ups and email clicks.
BOFU: bottom of funnel marketing
Goal: help them say yes. The person has a short list of 2 or 3 tools. Now they choose one.
What the buyer thinks: "Which of these two tools should we pick? How much will it cost? Can I try it first?"
What you should do: make buying easy and safe. Give clear facts.
Content ideas:
- A free trial or a free plan
- A demo (a live tour of the product)
- A clear pricing page
- "Us vs them" pages, like "ClickUp vs Asana"
- Customer reviews on sites like G2
- Security documents for the buyer's IT team
Real examples:
- Fireflies.ai free plan. Teams can use the product for free, with no time limit, before they pay. See pricing
- ClickUp vs Asana page. ClickUp compares itself with Asana, side by side, for buyers choosing between the two. See it
How to measure it: demo bookings, trial sign-ups and sales.
TOFU vs MOFU vs BOFU: quick summary
Swipe sideways to see all columns →
| TOFU | MOFU | BOFU | |
|---|---|---|---|
Buyer's question | "Why is this happening?" | "How can I fix it?" | "Which tool should I buy?" |
Your goal | Get found | Build trust | Win the sale |
Content | Blogs, templates, social posts | Guides, webinars, case studies | Trials, demos, pricing pages |
Example search | "why do call notes take so long" | "best AI note-taking tools" | "Fireflies pricing" |
What to measure | Visitors | Leads | Sales |
One buyer's journey
Here is how one buyer moves through all three stages. Maya is a made-up sales manager. She buys an AI note-taking tool for her team.
Maya never talks to a salesperson in these eight steps. Your content does the work at every stage.
How AI chat tools change the funnel
Many buyers now ask ChatGPT, Perplexity or Gemini instead of Google. In a G2 survey of more than 1,000 software buyers, half said they start their search in an AI chatbot.
One chat can now cover all three stages in a few minutes:
What to do:
- Write clear, short answers. AI tools can quote them more easily.
- Get listed in comparison posts, review sites and product directories like maarket.ai. AI tools read these lists.
- Keep your pricing and feature pages correct and up to date.
How to start your SaaS marketing funnel
- Fix your BOFU pages first. Make your pricing, trial and demo pages clear. People on these pages are ready to buy.
- Add one MOFU piece. For example, one comparison guide or one case study.
- Add 3 to 5 TOFU posts. Answer simple questions your buyers ask. Link each post to your MOFU piece.
- Pick one number to track for each stage. Check it every month.
Common mistakes:
- Selling too early in TOFU content
- Writing only TOFU content, with nothing to help people take the next step
- Judging TOFU content by sales (its job is to bring visitors, not sales)
FAQs
What do TOFU, MOFU and BOFU stand for?
Top of the funnel, middle of the funnel and bottom of the funnel. They show how close a buyer is to buying.
Which stage should a new SaaS startup start with?
Usually BOFU. First, make sure people who already want to buy can do it easily. Then add MOFU and TOFU content.
Is a comparison post MOFU or BOFU?
A list like "best AI tools" is MOFU, because the buyer is still exploring. A page like "ClickUp vs Asana" is BOFU, because the buyer is close to choosing.
Is the marketing funnel still useful in 2026?
Yes. Buyers still go from "I have a problem" to "I am buying". But today, many of them do it inside AI chat tools and review sites.
Key takeaways
- TOFU: teach and get found.
- MOFU: build trust.
- BOFU: help people buy.
- Start with BOFU, then build up.
Sources
- The B2B Institute at LinkedIn, The 95-5 Rule
- Gartner, press release, 15 September 2020
- G2, AI search is surging for B2B buyers (published 6 October 2025)
Compare B2B SaaS and AI tools for every stage of your funnel on maarket.ai.
By Kabandi Saikia, co-founder and Chief M-aa-rket-er at maarket.ai. Last updated: 13 November 2026.