Why Your Content Marketing Needs to Go Beyond the Traditional Funnel

For years, marketers have relied on the traditional marketing funnel to guide their strategies, focusing on a linear journey that starts with awareness and ends with a purchase. But today’s buyers don’t follow such a straightforward path. With countless digital touchpoints, unpredictable triggers, and varying entry points, the customer journey has become more dynamic than ever.

To thrive in this new environment, businesses need to move beyond funnel-based thinking and embrace a more flexible, holistic approach. This blog explores how brands can use content marketing to build mental availability, target category entry points, and create problem-centric content that resonates with audiences.

What is a Marketing Funnel and Why It’s No Longer Enough?

The marketing funnel has been a staple of marketing strategies for decades, breaking down the buyer journey into three key stages:

• Awareness: The customer learns about your brand.
• Consideration: They evaluate your product or service.
• Decision: They make a purchase.

While this model worked well in the past, today’s buyers behave differently. Instead of moving in a straight line, they interact with brands across various channels and revisit multiple stages of the journey.

For example:

• A buyer might see an ad on Instagram, research the product on Google, compare alternatives on YouTube, and then make a purchase weeks later.
• Others may start their journey through a random blog post or product review and enter your funnel in the middle, skipping the awareness stage altogether.

Why the Funnel Falls Short

• Fragmented Journeys: Customers move between channels and stages unpredictably.
• Repeated Touchpoints: Buyers often interact with a brand multiple times before making a decision.
• Post-purchase Behaviors: The funnel doesn’t account for customer retention or loyalty, which are essential for long-term success.

Expanding Beyond the Funnel

Instead of confining your strategy to the funnel, think of the customer journey as a web of interactions. Use content marketing to meet customers wherever they are—before, during, and after their purchase journey.

The Non-linear Nature of Modern Digital Marketing

The customer journey is no longer linear. Buyers interact with multiple touchpoints—ads, social media, blog posts, videos, and reviews—before making a decision. This makes it crucial for brands to be present across multiple platforms and ensure their content speaks to customers at every stage of their journey.

Characteristics of the Non-linear Journey

1.   Unpredictable Triggers: Buyers can be influenced by anything—a friend’s recommendation, a social post, or even an emotional need.
2.   Cross-channel Behavior: Customers switch between devices and platforms, expecting seamless experiences.
3.  L onger Decision Cycles: Especially for high-value purchases, buyers take longer, conducting extensive research before committing.

Actionable Strategies for Non-linear Journeys

• Always-On Content Strategy: Ensure your content is always accessible, whether through organic search, paid ads, or social platforms.
• Omnichannel Presence: Connect fragmented customer interactions by maintaining consistent branding and messaging across all channels.
• Analytics-Driven Optimization: Use tools like Google Analytics 4 to track customer interactions across devices and platforms. This data can help identify gaps in your content marketing strategy and refine your approach.

Category Entry Points (CEPs)

A Category Entry Point (CEP) is a cue or situation that prompts buyers to think about a product or service. Unlike traditional marketing that focuses on convincing buyers to choose you during active search, CEPs position your brand in buyers’ minds well before they start their search.

Why CEPs Matter

• They help you become the first brand buyers think of when they’re ready to make a decision.
• CEPs align your brand with specific problems, emotions, or scenarios that customers associate with your category.

How to Identify and Target CEPs

1. Customer Research: Use surveys, interviews, or social listening to uncover situations that lead customers to consider your product.
2. Keyword Insights: Analyze search queries to identify problems or scenarios buyers commonly associate with your category.
3. Content Alignment: Create content that speaks directly to these CEPs. For example:
   1. A fitness brand might target the CEP “getting back in shape after a long break.”
   2. SaaS company might focus on the CEP “managing remote teams efficiently.”

Examples of Content for CEPs

• Blogs: “How to Stay Fit While Working a Desk Job.”
• Videos: “Top Tools for Managing Remote Teams.”
• Guides: “The Complete Beginner’s Guide to Financial Planning.”

By addressing CEPs, you ensure your brand is top of mind when customers enter the market.

Crafting Problem-Centric Content That Resonates

The most effective content marketing begins with a deep understanding of your audience's problems. Today’s consumers are less interested in flashy promotions and more focused on finding solutions to their unique challenges. By prioritizing problem-centric content, you build trust, position your brand as an authority, and create a deeper connection with your audience.

Why Problem-Centric Content Works

Focusing on the customer’s problem rather than promoting your solution allows you to meet them where they are in their journey. For example, a homeowner searching for “why is my electricity bill so high” isn’t ready to buy solar panels yet. However, a blog addressing this query, with actionable advice, can establish your authority and subtly introduce your product as part of the solution.

Characteristics of Problem-Centric Content

• Empathy: Your content should show that you understand the challenges your audience faces. Using relatable language and addressing real-life scenarios creates a sense of connection.
• Educational Value: Instead of pushing a sale, aim to educate. Offering useful tips, guides, or insights demonstrates your expertise and builds trust.
• Subtle Promotion: Once trust is established, you can naturally position your product or service as part of the solution without seeming overly promotional.

Examples of Problem-Centric Content

How-to Guides

One of the most powerful tools for problem-centric marketing. For instance, an insurance company could create a guide titled “How to Reduce Insurance Costs Without Sacrificing Coverage,” helping users understand their options while subtly showcasing their offerings.

Case Studies

Another effective format, showing how you’ve helped other customers overcome similar challenges. A SaaS brand, for example, could publish a case study about how their software saved a small business hours of manual work each week.

Interactive Tools

Such as calculators, quizzes, or diagnostic tools offer personalized insights to users while subtly highlighting how your product can help. For example, a fitness app might offer a free “calorie intake calculator” to attract users who are trying to achieve specific health goals.

Steps to Create Problem-Centric Content

1.    Understand Your Audience’s Pain Points

Conduct surveys, analyze search queries, or study customer feedback to uncover the specific challenges your audience faces. Tools like Google Trends or Ahrefs can help identify trending problems within your industry.

2.    Provide Comprehensive Answers

Address the problem in-depth by offering actionable advice. Avoid shallow solutions—your content should leave readers feeling empowered and informed.

3.    Position Your Solution Subtly

Once trust is built, seamlessly introduce your product or service as part of the solution. For instance, after explaining strategies for reducing insurance costs, include a link to your service as an example of a helpful tool.

Crafting content that prioritizes the customer’s challenges creates a relationship built on trust and expertise. This approach not only improves content and marketing performance but also fosters loyalty, ensuring your brand remains top of mind when buyers are ready to make a decision.

Building Long-term Value Through Mental Availability

In digital marketing, success often hinges on your brand’s ability to remain top-of-mind for potential buyers—even when they’re not actively searching for your product or service. This concept, known as mental availability, is about creating strong memory structures that associate your brand with specific needs or situations, ensuring you’re the first choice when those needs arise.

The Power of Mental Availability

Unlike direct advertising, which aims for immediate conversions, mental availability focuses on creating lasting impressions that influence future decisions. When executed correctly, it allows your brand to:

• Stand out in crowded markets.
• Be recognized instantly when relevant needs arise.
• Create a sense of familiarity that fosters trust.

For example, a buyer looking for sustainable clothing might not immediately purchase during their initial research. However, if your brand consistently provides educational content about eco-friendly fashion, you’ll likely be the first option they consider when they’re ready to shop.

How to Build Mental Availability

1.    Consistent Branding Across Channels

Consistency is key to embedding your brand in customers’ minds. Use the same tone, visuals, and messaging across all digital platforms—whether it’s your website, social media, or email campaigns. This ensures your brand remains recognizable regardless of where customers interact with it.

2.    Leverage Retargeting Campaigns

Retargeting is a powerful tool for reinforcing mental availability. By showing ads to users who have previously visited your website or engaged with your content, you remind them of your value proposition and increase the likelihood of conversion. Platforms like Google Ads and Facebook Ads make it easy to set up retargeting campaigns.

3.    Focus on Problem-solving Content

Content that addresses common challenges or questions is more likely to be remembered. For instance, a skincare brand could produce blogs or videos on topics like “How to Manage Dry Skin in Winter.” This type of content builds trust and keeps your brand relevant to customers’ needs.

4.    Engage with Seasonal or Event-Driven Content

Creating content tied to specific events, trends, or seasons helps reinforce your brand’s presence during high-visibility periods. For example, a travel agency could focus on “Best Winter Getaways” during the colder months or “Top Summer Destinations” in the lead-up to vacation season.

5.    Invest in Long-form Evergreen Content

Evergreen content, like detailed guides or comprehensive resources, continues to attract traffic and engagement over time. This type of content builds mental availability by positioning your brand as a go-to source of knowledge within your industry.

The Link Between Mental Availability and Content Marketing

Building mental availability isn’t just about being memorable—it’s about creating content that resonates so deeply with your audience that they actively recall your brand when a relevant need arises. Content marketing is at the heart of this strategy. By crafting articles, videos, and tools that address key Category Entry Points (CEPs) and customer pain points, you lay the groundwork for lasting relationships.

For example:

• A home improvement company could create a series on “How to Prepare Your Home for Winter,” establishing expertise while keeping the brand top-of-mind for future projects.
• A digital marketing agency might focus on a guide like “Common Pitfalls in PPC Campaigns,” helping potential clients while positioning themselves as experts.

Measuring the Impact of Mental Availability

The success of mental availability strategies isn’t always immediately visible through traditional conversion metrics. Instead, look at indicators like:

• Increased brand searches: More users directly searching for your brand name.
• Higher returning visitor rates: Audiences revisiting your site over time.
• Improved engagement metrics: Time spent on page, social shares, and repeat interactions.

By committing to long-term visibility through mental availability, brands can establish lasting trust and preference, ensuring they remain the go-to option whenever buyers are ready to make a decision.

Measuring Success Beyond Conversion Metrics

In traditional content marketing, success is often evaluated by immediate results—such as clicks, leads, or sales. While these metrics are valuable, they don’t tell the full story, especially when the focus shifts toward building mental availability and addressing non-linear buyer journeys. To truly measure the impact of your content, you need to look beyond conversions and assess how your efforts are contributing to long-term visibility, engagement, and brand growth.

Why Conversions Alone Aren’t Enough

Conversion metrics, like form submissions or product purchases, only reflect the end of a buyer’s journey. However, digital marketing is a broader ecosystem. Many valuable interactions occur in the earlier stages of the journey, where users are gathering information, comparing options, or simply becoming aware of your brand. These touchpoints often lay the groundwork for future conversions but don’t immediately result in measurable actions.

For example:

• A potential customer may read a blog about “Top Budget-Friendly Home Renovations” months before contacting a contractor. The blog wasn’t the final conversion driver but played a significant role in shaping their decision.
• A social media post might lead to a visit to your website without resulting in a purchase. However, the exposure builds familiarity, increasing the likelihood of conversion later.

Alternative Metrics to Measure Content Success

Content Engagement

Engagement metrics show how well your content resonates with your audience. These include:

• Time on Page: Are visitors spending enough time consuming your content, or are they leaving quickly?
• Scroll Depth: How much of your content is being read? Tracking scroll depth can reveal whether users are engaging with the entire page.
• Social Shares and Comments: Sharing indicates that users find your content valuable enough to recommend it to others.

Brand Awareness Metrics

Your goal is to ensure your brand is part of the conversation whenever relevant needs arise. Track indicators such as:

• Branded Search Volume: Are more users searching specifically for your brand name?
• Direct Traffic Growth: This can signify increased awareness and trust in your brand.
• Share of Voice: In competitive industries, measure how often your brand appears in relevant search queries compared to competitors.

Audience Growth and Retention

A growing and loyal audience is a sign that your content strategy is effective.

• Email Signups: Are users subscribing to your content or updates?
• Returning Visitor Rate: Are people revisiting your site to consume more content?
• Follower Growth on Social Platforms: Steady growth on platforms like LinkedIn, Instagram, or Twitter indicates ongoing interest in your brand.

Search Engine Performance

Content optimized for Category Entry Points (CEPs) and user intent will gradually rank higher, bringing in consistent traffic. Track these SEO-specific metrics:

• Keyword Rankings: Are you ranking for the high-intent keywords that align with your audience’s needs?
• Organic Traffic: Is your content bringing in new visitors over time?
• SERP Features: Are you appearing in featured snippets, People Also Ask sections, or other valuable positions?

Tools to Track Success

To measure these alternative metrics effectively, leverage tools like:

• Google Analytics 4: For tracking traffic patterns, user behavior, and audience demographics.
• Ahrefs or SEMrush: To monitor keyword rankings, backlinks, and search visibility.
• Brand Lift Studies: Assess changes in brand perception or recall after a specific campaign.
• Hotjar: Analyze on-page user behavior, such as clicks and scroll depth, to refine content.

Tying Metrics Back to Business Goals

It’s essential to connect these metrics to your overall business objectives. For example:

• Increased time on page or return visits can indicate growing trust and engagement, which may lead to future conversions.
• Improved branded search volume can suggest that your efforts to build mental availability are paying off.
• A rise in organic traffic to problem-solving content could highlight your growing authority in the space.

By broadening your view of success, you gain a clearer understanding of how content marketing contributes to the bigger picture. Over time, this data-driven approach will help you refine your strategy, ensuring every piece of content adds value to your audience and your brand.

The Role of a Digital Marketing Agency in Evolving Content Strategies

Developing and implementing a sophisticated content marketing strategy that goes beyond the traditional funnel requires expertise, time, and the right tools. For many businesses, partnering with a digital marketing agency offers the resources and insights needed to successfully adapt to the non-linear, problem-centric approach outlined in this blog.

Why Work with a Digital Marketing Agency?

1.    Expertise Across Channels

A seasoned digital marketing agency understands the complexities of today’s customer journey. From optimizing Category Entry Points (CEPs) to crafting problem-solving content, agencies are equipped to execute campaigns that meet your audience wherever they are. Their expertise spans multiple platforms, including SEO, social media, and paid advertising, ensuring a cohesive and consistent presence.

2.    Access to Advanced Tools and Analytics

Agencies use cutting-edge tools like Ahrefs, SEMrush, and HubSpot to perform in-depth analysis, monitor results, and refine strategies. These platforms allow them to uncover valuable insights, such as emerging trends, competitor activity, and the performance of your content across channels. By leveraging these tools, they can fine-tune your content and marketing to align with your goals.

3.    Tailored Strategies for Your Business

A key advantage of working with an agency is the ability to create a bespoke strategy tailored to your industry, audience, and objectives. Whether you’re in e-commerce, professional services, or tech, a digital marketing agency ensures that your content resonates with your specific audience and addresses their pain points effectively.

How Agencies Execute Advanced Content Strategies

Researching Category Entry Points

Agencies dive deep into customer research to identify the triggers, questions, and problems that drive interest in your category. Using search query analysis, social listening, and customer feedback, they pinpoint opportunities to position your brand as a trusted solution.

Creating Content Ecosystems

Instead of one-off blog posts or isolated campaigns, agencies build content ecosystems that revolve around topic clusters, ensuring that all content is interconnected. This approach improves internal linking, boosts SEO, and creates a seamless user experience for visitors exploring your website.

Expanding Your Digital Reach

From SEO optimization to social media campaigns, agencies ensure your brand appears consistently across all major platforms. For example, they might:

• Optimize your website to rank for relevant keywords in organic search.
• Run remarketing ads on social platforms to re-engage potential customers.
• Develop targeted email campaigns to nurture leads through the decision-making process.

Real-World Results

Working with an agency can lead to measurable improvements in key performance indicators, such as:

• Increased organic traffic: Through optimized content and strategic SEO efforts.
• Higher engagement rates: With well-researched, audience-focused content.
• Improved brand awareness: Thanks to consistent visibility across multiple channels.
• Enhanced conversion rates: By aligning content with buyer intent and problem-solving needs.

ITM - Content Marketing and Digital Marketing Agency

Success in content marketing today requires a shift from traditional funnel-based strategies to approaches that prioritize customer needs, mental availability, and long-term engagement. At ITM, we specialize in creating comprehensive content and marketing strategies that align with modern buyer behavior.

From crafting problem-solving content that resonates with your audience to leveraging advanced tools for analytics and optimization, we help businesses build trust, visibility, and sustained organic growth. Our expertise ensures that your brand remains relevant and ready to connect with customers across every touchpoint.

Contact us to find out more.