How to build middle-of-funnel content that generates leads

Happy Tuesday,

If you're reading this, I hope you're ready to learn how to actually turn social media into pipeline. Not vanity metrics. Real leads.

This is Part II of the social content funnel series. Part I covered TOFU (top-of-funnel) content—the broad awareness stuff that gets impressions and follower growth. Today we're talking about MOFU (middle-of-funnel) content, which is where most B2B brands completely drop the ball.

Before I get into it, here's the reality: most teams spend 80% of their energy on viral tips and generic growth hacks. Then they wonder why their social presence doesn't translate to revenue.

MOFU content is the fix. Get this right and you'll fill your audience with ideal buyers who see you as the default expert when they're ready to purchase.

Let's get into it.

What MOFU content actually does

MOFU content sits between awareness and conversion. It has three jobs:

1. Speak directly to your ideal customer profile

2. Demonstrate deep expertise in your specific niche

3. Still perform well on the platform (shares, saves, niche-level virality)

Think of TOFU as a shotgun—broad topics, mass appeal, designed to reach as many people as possible. MOFU is a sniper rifle. If someone loves your MOFU content, they should almost certainly be in your ICP.

BOFU content (which I'll cover in Part III) is where you get product-specific and drive conversions. But without MOFU, you're just shouting product features at strangers who don't trust you yet.

Real thought leadership means becoming the default source

Let's redefine thought leadership. It's not about posting motivational quotes or sharing generic business advice.

Thought leadership means becoming the default source of information and advice for a specific type of person in a specific niche.

You earn this by consistently publishing sharp, relevant, practical content for a clearly defined ICP. Not by posting "5 tips for productivity" or "Here's what success looks like."

MOFU content is the main vehicle for building that status.

What makes MOFU content work

Here's your checklist. Great MOFU content:

• Covers topics adjacent to your business, not direct sales pitches

• Addresses your ICP's real challenges, decisions, and day-to-day problems

• Stays compelling enough to perform well on LinkedIn and X

• Delivers standalone value (people would share it in a Slack channel)

• Can go "niche viral"—widely shared within your segment, not necessarily across all of social

That last point matters. You don't need a million impressions. You need the right 10,000 people to see you as the authority.

The two types of MOFU topics

MOFU content splits into two buckets: industry topics and niche topics.

Industry-related topics

These cover the broader industry your ICP operates in.

If you're building an email marketing SaaS for ecommerce brands, industry topics would be about ecommerce trends, growth strategies, customer acquisition costs, retention tactics.

If you're building a design tool, you'd talk about design workflows, client management, pricing strategies, portfolio building.

If you're selling a B2B sales tool, you'd cover sales methodologies, outbound strategies, pipeline management, deal qualification.

Industry content attracts a wider audience within your space. It builds reach and relevance.

Niche-related topics

These zoom in on the specific sub-problem your product solves.

Let's say your industry is ecommerce, but your niche is subscription strategy for Shopify brands. An industry post might be "7 Predictions for Ecommerce in 2025." A niche post would be "How to Cut Churn in Your DTC Subscription Program."

The industry post gets bigger reach. The niche post creates tighter alignment with actual buyers.

You need both. Industry content grows the tent. Niche content makes you the expert in your specific lane.

How to split your MOFU topics

Start with a 50/50 split between industry and niche topics. Then adjust based on your niche size.

If your niche is narrow—like you're building a one-click upsell tool—you'll lean more into general ecommerce content and sprinkle in niche posts. There's only so much you can say about one-click upsells before it gets repetitive.

If your niche is broader and has a lot of content potential—like SMS marketing for ecommerce—you can support more niche-heavy content.

The goal is to attract your ICP with industry content, then prove you understand their specific problem with niche content.

Format follows platform dynamics, not funnel stage

MOFU doesn't dictate format. Platform dynamics do.

Right now, LinkedIn rewards carousels for frameworks and step-by-step breakdowns. X rewards threads for narratives and tactical playbooks. Long-form text posts with supporting images work well on both.

Your job is to match high-value MOFU ideas with high-performing native formats.

If you've got a framework worth sharing, package it as a LinkedIn carousel. If you're breaking down a campaign or growth story, write it as an X thread. If you're going deep on strategy, write a long post with a strong hook.

The content strategy stays the same. The format adapts to what the platform rewards right now.

MOFU should be 60-70% of your content

Here's the rule: MOFU should be the majority of your content output.

I recommend 60–70% MOFU, 20–30% TOFU, and 10–20% BOFU.

Why? Because MOFU uniquely combines three things:

1. Direct ICP targeting

2. Trust and authority building

3. Strong reach and follower growth within your niche

TOFU gets you impressions. BOFU gets you conversions. But MOFU fills your audience with buyers and makes them trust you before they're ready to purchase.

If you're heavy on TOFU and light on MOFU, you'll build a big audience that doesn't convert. If you're heavy on BOFU without MOFU, you'll struggle to get traction because nobody knows you yet.

Get the MOFU mix right and the rest falls into place.

Product seeding without being salesy

You can (and should) mention your product inside MOFU content. Just don't turn it into a sales pitch.

Casually reference your product as context. Mention how "brands we work with at [product] handle X" inside a tactical post. Reference insights from "conversations with 15 customers who manage Y."

The key is making it feel like background context, not a pitch. No desperate CTAs. No "Book a demo now" at the end of an educational post.

The value of the post should stand alone. The product mention is just there to subtly remind people you exist and understand this space deeply.

MOFU examples

This newsletter is MOFU content. It teaches a specific strategic topic (social content funnels). It's highly relevant to B2B founders and marketers. It builds trust in my expertise without being a Catalyst sales page.

A LinkedIn carousel breaking down "SaaS Social Strategy 101" would be MOFU. It sits at the intersection of industry (social/marketing) and niche (B2B SaaS). It's packaged as a carousel because that format performs well right now.

A breakdown of a notable acquisition or campaign in your ICP's world is MOFU. Tie it to metrics, strategy, and lessons your ICP cares about. That kind of content can reach large audiences inside your niche while positioning you as the go-to analyst.

For more on frameworks that work for B2B social content, check out these 7 frameworks.

What to do with this

Here's your playbook:

Define your ICP and niche clearly. What industry do they operate in? What specific problem does your product solve? Use this to filter every MOFU topic.

Build a topic bank. Brainstorm 20-30 ideas in each bucket—industry and niche. Industry topics might be trends, predictions, strategic frameworks. Niche topics should be deep tactics, playbooks, case studies tied to your specific solution.

Aim for 60-70% MOFU in your content mix. Within that, start with roughly 50/50 industry vs niche topics and adjust based on what resonates.

Match topics to high-performing formats. Is this better as a carousel, thread, long post, or simple text with a graphic? Prioritize formats the platforms currently reward.

Seed product mentions casually. Add 1-2 light references to your product or company as examples or context. No hard CTAs.

Optimize for niche virality. Before you publish, ask: would someone in my ICP share this with their team? Focus on practical, actionable content that earns saves and shares.

Track the right metrics. For MOFU posts, watch follower quality (are you attracting ICP roles?), saves, shares, profile visits, and inbound DMs. Double down on what attracts ICP engagement.

That's it for this week. Part III will cover BOFU content—how to build product-centered content that converts warm audiences into customers.

I hope this gives you a clear path to building MOFU content that actually generates leads. If you have questions, hit reply and let me know.

I'll see you next Tuesday.

–Will