The 76% stat you missed

Hey, Paige here!

Before we get into today’s best marketing research… 

In today’s release: 

• Decision-stage content wins (how to reverse engineer to get the biggest bang for your content buck)

• 3x more leads at 62% lower cost with this type of content

• turn one high-performing BOFU case study into five engaging TOFU content formats without starting from scratch.

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DEEP DIVE

Most marketers still follow the classic funnel for content creation: Build awareness, nurture with content, then convert at the bottom.

But what if it were actually easier, and more effective,  to build your content backwards?

Smart content teams are flipping the script. They’re starting with the bottom of the funnel first—comparison pages, ROI calculators, objection busters—and working their way up.

The result?

Faster conversions. More qualified leads. Less wasted spend.

Welcome to the reverse funnel era.

Why you should start with what converts

Marketers spend a lot of time guessing what will resonate at the top of the funnel, only to realize later that their content didn't actually drive intent.

But BOFU content—like comparison pages, ROI calculators, and pricing breakdowns—starts with intent baked in. It addresses real buying criteria, objections, and questions prospects are asking right before they convert.

What the data says: 

• 95% of marketers produce top-of-funnel content

• 86% produce middle-of-funnel

• 76% produce bottom-of-funnel content

These aren't “awareness plays”. They’re decision-stage assets.

And from a performance perspective? Content marketing as a whole generates 3x more leads than traditional marketing, and at 62% lower cost. 

“Well, duh, Paige. MOFU and BOFU content will convert better.” ← I can hear you rolling your eyes now. 

BUT... what if we reverse-engineered our TOFU content from all that high-quality, lead-driving BOFU instead of guessing what’s going to resonate using the same old playbooks?

When you build TOFU after BOFU, it becomes sharper. More aligned. Less fluff.

Your awareness-stage content stops being generic thought leadership and starts being a strategic on-ramp into the funnel…

Because it’s reverse-engineered from what actually converts.

Your assignment: Time to test reverse engineering

BOFU Asset:

Case Study: “How [Your Product] Helped ABC Co. Cut Their Customer Onboarding Time by 42%”

It’s detailed. It includes before/after metrics. It breaks down objections ABC Co. had, how the implementation worked, and the results they saw.

Now, Reverse Engineer It Into Engaging TOFU Content:

1. LinkedIn Carousel Post

“3 Signs Your Onboarding Process Is Costing You Revenue”
→ Pull pain points straight from the case study intro
→ Use fun visuals or emojis
→ End with a teaser: “We helped one company fix this in 30 days. Here’s how.”

2. Educational Blog Post

“The Real Cost of Slow Customer Onboarding (and How to Fix It)”
→ Open with a stat or insight from the case study
→ Break down common mistakes
→ Position the case study’s solution generically as best practice
→ CTA: “Want to see how one team cut onboarding time by 42%?”

3. Quiz or Interactive Tool

“Is Your Onboarding Process Broken?”
→ Use data from the case study to fuel 5–7 yes/no or multiple choice questions
→ Dynamically route people to a soft CTA or guide download
→ Hook: “We analyzed a customer’s onboarding pipeline and found 3 time-wasters you might also have.”

4. Video or Reels Clip

“The $100k Mistake SaaS Teams Make in Onboarding”
→ Turn the case study into a founder/marketer story
→ Quick-cut storytelling: before → pain → fix → metric
→ Overlay with fun captions and audio trends if shared socially

5. Newsletter or TOFU Resource

“Your First 30 Days: A Customer Onboarding Blueprint”
→ Package the insights from the case study into a “mini guide”
→ No product plug—just useful steps
→ Option to embed the case study as “Further reading”

The takeaway: Reverse engineering TOFU content from BOFU isn’t just efficient—it’s smarter.

You’re not guessing what your audience cares about. You’re starting with real proof.

So before you brainstorm another thought leadership blog, ask: What do we already know converts—and how can we make more of it?