How To Audit Your Content and Plan it Better?

I've recently summarised the topic: How to do a content marketing audit in one article. The article was published on my blog, posted and boosted on Medium , and I believe it deserves to be here as well, as it can help many business owners and marketers.

Please feel free to contact me if you need help with a content marketing audit or content marketing.

If you just do ad hoc writing and posting, your content strategy sucks.

It’s like throwing spaghetti to the wall to see what sticks and stays.

If you target everyone, you’ll hit no one.

I know it’s difficult to overcome the sense of overwhelming insecurity when you start. I’ve been there.

• I have 20+ years of experience in writing and 10+ in marketing, and still, I felt so lost when I started my writing side hustle this January.
• I started writing not to build a business but to feel better — I was in a bad place after my father’s death, stuck in Australia for almost five years.
• So, I started writing to save my soul.
• But after just a few months, I realised, “Hey, this could be a business”.

I sat and audited my random content and made a content strategy.

That led me from chaos to clarity and from overwhelm to confidence.

Why do you need a content marketing audit?

No matter what you sell, customers won’t come to you for the first time and buy.

People do not do that.

They buy shit they want, from people (or brands) they like and find reasons to beat their own buying objections — if they know you and like you.

Smart content marketing can help you immensely to get all these people to like you and love your product. Content marketing is the best way to make lasting relationships with your audience and make sales and loyal customers.

The smartest way to get crystal clarity on your strategy is to do a content marketing audit to examine your marketing funnel.

So, let’s dig in!

?? Create Your TOFU/MOFU/BOFU Content Strategy

To make your content strategy right, you must evaluate your TOFU, MOFU, and BOFU acronyms that explain a stage in your customers’ journey.

? TOFU: Top of the Funnel, also known as the awareness stage.

TOFU content serves as the initial touchpoint with potential customers. Imagine it as a big nest in the sea of potential customers.

Its primary purpose is to generate awareness, attract a broad audience, and pique their interest.

This is where you generate traffic and get noticed.

Your customer just started researching the best solutions for their problem and found — you!

How can you assess your TOFU content?

1. Content Relevance

You can start by evaluating the relevance of your TOFU content to your target audience. Is it addressing their pain points and needs?

EXAMPLE:

I work with a composite decking brand .

Their problem is that they need a new (replacement) deck to align with their busy lifestyle. Composites look like timber but do not require ongoing maintenance. However, people need to learn more about composites and their advantages over timber.

Our TOFU content might be:

• “10 things to know before you build a deck.”
• “Ultimate guide to choosing great decking material”.
• “Timber ili composite deck — comprehensive guide”

2. Engagement Metrics

Once your TOFU content is live, monitor key performance indicators (KPIs) like page views, social shares, and click-through rates.

• High engagement signals that your TOFU content is capturing attention effectively.
• Low engagement means you must iterate and make more captivating content or develop better distribution strategies.

3. Persona Alignment

Make sure that your TOFU content aligns with your buyer personas.

Is it speaking directly to the demographics, preferences, and interests of your ideal customers?

ACTION: Show them a glimpse of your personality and brand essence. Grab their attention and make them crave more!

People buy from people they know, like and trust.

?? MOFU: Middle of the Funnel, also known as the consideration stage.

This is when lead generation kicks into high gear. It’s the point where leads are turning into prospects.

It’s your chance to educate, inform, and establish yourself as an expert in your field and offer the ultimate solution for them (or push them through the funnel).

The middle of the funnel (MOFU) content bridges the gap between awareness and consideration. It can be anything, from more specific blog posts to e-books, webinars and, most importantly — e-mail nurturing sequences.

It aims to nurture leads, educate them about your solutions, and build trust.

EXAMPLE:

With my brand, we use:

• White papers and case studies to capture the attention of homeowners, architects and designers.
• Specification files and guides for architects
• Email nurturing crafted for each audience — beautiful projects for homeowners, how to solve some design challenges for designers, sustainability of a product for architects.

It HAS to be a customised message.

What should you look for to evaluate your MOFU content?

1. Conversion Rate

Measure the conversion rate of your MOFU content, such as landing pages, email campaigns, and gated resources. The average conversion rate is 2.9%, which can vary in different industries . They are also different if your business is e-commerce ( food businesses, for example, have almost a 5% conversion rate!)

• Are visitors taking the desired actions, like downloading an e-book or signing up for a webinar?
• If conversion rates are low, it may be time to revamp your MOFU content to make it more compelling.

2. Lead Quality

I can't stress this out enough. If you outsource a marketing agency, they often put all their effort into generating the most leads for your money.

But that is counterproductive — more leads do not = more quality leads with buying intention.

So, you must assess the quality of leads generated through MOFU content.

• Are they progressing further down the sales funnel, or are they dropping off?
• What per cent is dropping off, and on what pages?

ACTION: Sometimes, it can be an easy fix: maybe some link is dead, or you didn’t include enough social proof, or you forgot to include pricing (and your CTA was around good value for money).

I recently let one famous creator know that the CTA link on their launch page is dead. Hence, their conversion rate is 0%.

I got thanks, not a discount offer, so they lost me, but got many other customers thanks to one correction.

3. Personalization

MOFU content should be personalized to cater to the specific needs and pain points of different segments of your audience.

You need to segment so no unwanted/irrelevant message is sent to your potential customer. If you have an e-commerce shop for pet accessories and launch new cat toys, don’t email the entire database; segment just cat lovers.

EXAMPLE:

Below is an example of just one homeowner sequence I use to nurture my leads for our composite timber product at NewTechWood Australia .

Evaluate whether your content is effectively segmented and personalized to address various audience segments. This is an ongoing process.

ACTION: Make sure you have fantastic email nurturing sequences.

?? BOFU: Bottom of the Funnel, also known as the decision stage.

You’ve gained the trust of your leads, and now it’s time to push them towards taking action. The bottom-of-the-funnel (BOFU) content is the last push to convert leads into customers. It should address specific product or service details and overcome objections.

How?

Share compelling case studies, testimonials, and social proof reinforcing your credibility.

Oh, and don’t forget the power of a clear Call To Action !

Every piece of BOFu content needs one clear CTA and just one possible action your prospect can take.

Here’s how to assess your BOFU content:

1. Conversion Efficiency

Analyse how well your BOFU content contributes to actual conversions.

Are leads becoming paying customers after engaging with your BOFU content?

If not, consider optimizing your content for a more persuasive approach.

2. Objection Handling

Examine how effectively your BOFU content addresses common objections and concerns that potential customers may have.

Refine your content to provide clear, concise answers and build trust.

Use the FAQ section to address all possible objections and eliminate confusion.

The best way to handle objections is to guarantee something that will take away customers' fears.

Look how Koala mattresses do that with their 120-night trial.

3. Post-Sale Engagement

Content doesn’t stop at the point of sale.

Evaluate whether your BOFU content supports post-sale engagement, such as onboarding guides, customer support resources, and upselling content.

ACTION:

My moto is always: do not overpromise, do overdeliver for a happy customer.

A satisfied customer can lead to repeat business and referrals, and the most crucial thing in marketing:

Word of mouth.

Your existing clients are 50% more likely to try out a new product and spend 31% more than new leads.

The end goal is to have as many as possible loyal customers and brand advocates.

TL’DR

TOFU (Top of the Funnel)

Think of this as the introduction stage. Your content here aims to create awareness and draw in a wide audience.

To evaluate your TOFU content, ask yourself if it’s addressing your audience’s pain points and needs.

This is the first step in attracting potential customers to your offer.

MOFU (Middle of the Funnel)

Now, your leads are transitioning into prospects. This is the stage where education, information, and trust-building become paramount.

Check your MOFU content’s conversion rates, lead quality, and how personalized it is to cater to different audience segments.

The goal here is to nurture your leads effectively.

BOFU (Bottom of the Funnel)

At this point, you’ve earned your leads’ trust, and it’s time to convert them into customers.

Your BOFU content should address specific product or service details and overcome objections.

Ensure it’s optimized for conversions and effectively tackles common concerns. Don’t forget the power of a clear Call To Action!

Remember, the journey doesn’t end at the point of sale.

By overdelivering on your promises, you can create satisfied customers who not only come back for more but also become your most valuable brand advocates.

Conclusion

When I began my journey into content marketing, I was no different from anyone else — overwhelmed, uncertain, and just hoping for the best.

Despite years of writing and marketing experience, the transition was a challenge. I started writing to heal my soul, never anticipating that it could become a business.

But it did.

As I audited my random content and crafted a content strategy, I realized the transformation it could bring — clarity instead of chaos and confidence replacing overwhelm.

It’s been a personal journey of growth and learning.

With the TOFU — MOFU — BOFU approach, you can tailor your content to resonate with your audience at every stage, making it a more personal and engaging experience.

• So, I encourage you to embrace the TOFU — MOFU — BOFU approach in your content marketing strategy.
• Take the time to understand and engage your audience at each stage of their journey.
• Make it personal, make it engaging, and watch as it transforms your content marketing from a mere strategy to a personal and powerful connection with your audience.

Your journey might surprise you as mine did.

Contact me if you need help with a content marketing audit or content marketing.