Bottom-of-Funnel Marketing Explained: Tactics, Metrics & Campaign Examples

To explain the concept of bottom-of-funnel marketing, it’s important to see the entire marketing funnel in perspective. So let’s use an analogy: imagine that you’re shopping for a new TV in a busy electronics store. 

You’ve done your research on the latest models and specs (top-of-funnel). You’ve browsed the aisles for a while (middle-of-funnel), but now you need that final push to make the purchase decision. That’s where bottom-of-funnel (BOF) marketing comes into play.

BOF marketing is the key to convincing potential customers to go ahead and make a purchase. It closes the gap between consideration, the mid-funnel stage, and conversion. It gives them the final push or incentive to make an informed decision. 

In the electronics store analogy, that could mean talking to a sales assistant who offers to waive the delivery fee if you purchase right now. 

But what about digital marketing? How do you encourage online buyers to make a purchase and potentially become loyal brand advocates? Even when they are not right in front of you, but on their laptop or phone? 

That’s where a well-thought-out BOF marketing strategy can really shine.

In this article, we’ll explore some of the tactics, metrics, and campaign examples of successful BOF marketing. From retargeting ads to personalized messaging, you’ll find strategies here to help you master the art of bottom-of-funnel marketing. Let’s start turning potential customers into loyal buyers.

What is Bottom Funnel Marketing, or BOF?

BOF marketing, also called lower-funnel marketing, is the last stage in the marketing funnel. The goal is to help guide people over the finishing line to conversion. At this stage, your aim is to convince potential customers to buy your product or service. You do this by providing content that really motivates them to take action.

By this stage, prospects have already interacted with TOF and MOF content, which aims to educate and build trust. To work as planned, BOF content needs to be highly personalized. It should speak to people who are already interested in your brand. The goal is to help them decide to follow through and convert. Ultimately, BOF content must make prospects understand why your product or service is the best choice to meet their needs.

Bottom-of-Funnel Tactics to Increase Conversions

Bottom-of-funnel marketing tactics are critical for increasing conversions and driving revenue. Here are five main tactics that businesses can use to effectively engage potential customers in the BOF stage:

Bottom-of-funnel ads:

BOF ads drive conversions by targeting people who have already shown interest in a product or service. Retargeting ads are a good example. They are designed for people who previously visited a website or added items to their shopping cart, but didn’t purchase. To be even more effective, retargeting ads can be personalized with a discount or other offer to incentivize a purchase.

Personalized email campaigns:

Personalized email campaigns are another good way to engage potential customers in the BOF stage. An email campaign that speaks directly to an individual’s tastes or interests can be a powerful thing. To do this, businesses can tailor targeted content to specific audiences. For example, individual product recommendations, special offers, and promotions are likely to increase conversions.

Product demos:

Product demos are an effective way to showcase the value of a product or service and encourage potential customers to make a purchase. A demo can be a pre-recorded video content or live demonstrations. Demos can address any questions or concerns that potential customers may have about the product. They are a good tactic to push customers across the finishing line to a sale.

Customer reviews and testimonials:

Studies show that customer reviews increase conversions. Showcasing positive reviews and testimonials from satisfied customers helps businesses build trust and credibility. This is an essential component to drive them towards a purchase.

Limited-time offers:

A sense of urgency encourages people to stop delaying and make a purchase. Limited-time offers are a good tactic for this. Offers may include special promotions, discounts, free shipping, or other incentives that are only available for a limited time.

Bottom-of-the-Funnel Content Ideas

If you’re struggling with ideas for your BOF content, we’ve put together a few examples for specific industries. Perhaps some of these content ideas will inspire you:

• E-commerce: Product videos, size charts, or preview content that shows features and benefits can engage potential customers in the BOF stage. A video of the product in action can also help people make their buying decision. Also, you can include testimonials from satisfied customers who enjoyed the product and want to recommend it.
• Software-as-a-service (SaaS): Sending out personalized email campaigns to potential customers can work well for this kind of business. Emails can contain a mix of targeted content such as helpful tips and promotional offers, tailored to the individual’s buying preferences.
• High-ticket B2B services: B2B buyers often need more persuading than B2C customers. Case studies are a good way to show how your business has helped others in similar industries. White papers can provide valuable insights and expert advice that will demonstrate the depth of your knowledge and understanding. Webinars and other online events are another way to convince prospects and increase conversions. Follow-up emails and offers of free initial consultations or audits may help get people over the line too.

Bottom-of-Funnel Metrics: How to Measure Bottom-Funnel Performance

To evaluate how effective your BOF marketing strategies are, it pays to measure performance using bottom-of-funnel metrics. Here are some of the key metrics to consider when measuring BOF performance:

• Conversion rate: Conversion rate measures the percentage of potential customers who have taken a specific action, such as making a purchase or filling out a form. It is a crucial metric for identifying potential areas of improvement.
• Cost per acquisition (CPA): CPA measures the cost of acquiring a new customer, such as the cost of running ads or creating content. Tracking the CPA of BOF campaigns lets you assess the cost-effectiveness of your strategies. It also enables you to make adjustments to optimize your return on investment.
• Return on investment (ROI): This measures how much you get back from the spend on your BOF campaigns. An example is revenue from newly acquired customers after a specific BOF campaign. Tracking ROI lets you assess the overall effectiveness of your BOF marketing and optimize strategies to maximize your revenue.
• Customer lifetime value (CLV): CLV measures the total value of a customer throughout their engagement with your business. This includes purchases and any referrals they make. Monitoring CLV lets you assess the long-term value of new customers gained through your BOF campaigns. This helps you to adjust your strategies and make the most of each customer by optimizing their value over time.

Bottom-of-Funnel Marketing Examples

Starbucks

For an example of a good BOF email campaign, you don’t need to look further than Starbucks. Starbucks sends out highly personalized emails to people who sign up to their newsletter. See the welcome email below. Take note that it promises insider goodies such as promotions and offers for purchases at Startbucks cafes.

Marc O’Polo

Fashion brand Marc O’Polo achieved a return-on-ad-spend (ROAS) of up to 1500% by using Outbrain’s native Smartad and optimization technology. The technology allowed them to target the audience most likely to convert and generate as many conversions as possible within the set budget. This increased their revenue and brought about significant performance and sales increases. Marc O’Polo plans to test more native advertising solutions from Outbrain in the future and expand their cooperation.

Top-of-Funnel vs Bottom-of-Funnel Marketing

A great way to understand BOF marketing and how it fits into your funnel is to compare it to the top-of-funnel stage. At this stage, customers are just becoming aware of your business. Here are the differences between TOF and BOF marketing in terms of goals, audience, and content:

Goals

• Top-of-funnel marketing aims to create awareness and generate interest in your brand or product. 
• Bottom-of-funnel marketing focuses on converting potential customers into paying customers. 

Audience

• Top-of-funnel marketing is typically for a broad audience with little to no familiarity with your brand or product. At this stage, the focus is on attracting as many potential customers as possible and introducing them to your offering(s).
• Bottom-of-funnel marketing is more focused, consisting of people who already expressed an interest in your offering. At this stage, the aim is to help people understand why your product or service is the best choice for their needs.

Content

• Top-of-funnel marketing typically involves creating educational or informative content that introduces potential customers to your brand or product. Examples include blog posts, social media content, infographics, and videos. 
• Bottom-of-funnel marketing involves creating content that is more focused on showcasing the value of your product or service. It encourages prospects to make a purchase. BOF content may include product demos, case studies, testimonials, and personalized email campaigns. 

An Example of TOF vs BOF marketing

For this example, let’s imagine the marketing funnel of a car manufacturing brand. 

In the initial TOF marketing stages, the brand may run TV, billboard, and social media ads to show off the best features of their latest car model. This should catch the attention of potential car buyers and generate awareness and interest.

Then, as long as they’re interested enough, the potential car buyer will do some of their own research. Now we’ve reached the middle-of-funnel stage. It’s likely that they will visit the car manufacturer’s website and read up on the specification and features. They may visit comparison websites to find out more. At this stage, potential customers will often provide their personal details to the car dealer, in exchange for exclusive information or offers. This data will be used to create email lists for bottom-of-funnel campaigns.

At the BOF stage, car manufacturers will use more targeted methods to convert potential buyers into customers. 

For example, they can create personalized email campaigns that provide information about the new car model, financing options, and dealer locations. Additionally, they can use retargeting ads to reach people who previously visited their website or showed an interest in their cars. As well, they may offer test drives, promotions, and other incentives to encourage potential customers to make a purchase.

Bottom-of-Funnel Marketing with Outbrain

From awareness to consideration and – yes – conversions, Outbrain’s digital advertising platform offers a full-funnel solution for businesses and brands. This includes a range of ad formats and experiences that are ideal for BOF and conversion-oriented marketing campaigns.

Be sure to check out the ads gallery and explore how Outbrain can help you at every stage of the marketing funnel, including bottom of the funnel.

Want to learn more about the marketing funnel? Why not check out our articles about Top-Funnel Marketing and Mid-Funnel Marketing, as well as the Guide to Full-Funnel Marketing.