Content marketing costs 62% less than traditional marketing endeavors yet generates 3x the amount of leads. Content funnels can increase the number of leads generated when compared to individual content pieces. These 3 content marketing funnel templates will help you know how to set up funnels yourself.
Best of all, these templates will save you time and kickstart your brainstorming.
Table of contents:
What are content marketing funnel templates?
Content marketing funnel templates can help you set up content funnels in less time. You can get better results from your content with lead capture and email follow up. A content marketing funnel should address the top of the funnel, the middle of the funnel, and the bottom.
Each of these templates addresses all three stages, and you can mix and match them to create a funnel that matches your business's offerings.
Content marketing funnel templates, example #1: ebook
Who this funnel works for:
This template is great for B2B companies. You can load the emails in an automated tool or have sales representatives send the email to qualified leads only.
⭐ What's in this funnel:
This template includes everything you need to get results from a high-quality ebook that's relevant to your target audience.
- 3 blog posts
- 1 ebook
- 2 follow-up emails
3 blog posts
For each blog post, you'll need:
- SEO optimization - Conduct key phrase research to choose the right keyphrase to use in your meta description, blog URL, blog title, and in the text of your blog
- A blog structure - A list article, how-to or step-by-step article provides the structure that makes your blog easier to read
- Imagery - Screenshots, photographs, or infographics add visual interest to your blog post
- A winning headline - Your headline should be written to optimize for click-throughs and social sharing while still including your SEO keyphrase
Here's a template you can use for your blog posts, starting with the metadata.
- Blog Post Title:
- Blog Post URL:
- Target Keyphrase:
- Secondary Keyphrases:
- Meta Description:
And for the content...
- Introduction: 100 - 200 words
- Subheading:
- 200 - 300 words
- Subheading:
- 200 - 300 words
- Subheading:
- 200 - 300 words
- Conclusion: 60 - 100 words
Your subheadings will depend on the structure. List articles (AKA listicles) will have one subheading for each item. Meanwhile, a how-to article will have a subheading for each step.
Ebook or guide download
For the ebook, you'll need:
- The content of the ebook itself
- The PDF design
- A landing page
- Website banner and/or sidebar graphic
Ebook template:
How you should structure your ebook varies greatly on the content. That said, here's a basic path you can follow.
- Introduction: 100 - 200 words
- Table of contents that follow a structure (such as 5 steps to achieve X)
- Subheading and 100 - 400 words per each (length should depend on your audience and the depth of the content)
- Also include pull quotes and sidebar tables, graphs, and/or statistics to make the content more engaging
Ebook landing page template:
Headline: {The title of your ebook}
Subheadline: {Briefly explain who the content is for and how it can help them}
Bullet points: {3 teaser bullet points showing what they will learn}
Email form: Depending on how you qualify leads, you may need just a first name and an email address or more robust information like company size, industry, and country.
2 follow-up emails
Your email sequence should achieve the following:
- Offer the ebook and let them know to ask you any questions
- Follow up on the content and offer to book a call
Follow-up email #1 template:
Hi {First Name},
Thanks for downloading {ebook name - a hyperlink to PDF hosted on your site}. This {guide/book/template} will help you {problem they will solve or what they will learn} so you can {outcome} without {core objection}.
Nice work on starting your journey to {transformation they can expect}. It's not always easy to take on new things, especially when you're {busy/intimidated/downtrodden from previous attempts}.
Along the way, please ask me any question that comes to mind. You can reply here and I'll get back to you.
Thanks again,
{Your Email Signature}
p.s. Here's the link to download {ebook name - a hyperlink to PDF hosted on your site}
Follow-up email #2 template:
Hi {First Name},
I just wanted to follow up with you. {ebook name - a hyperlink to PDF hosted on your site} includes so many important steps towards helping you {outcome}, including:
- {Teaser bullet 1}
- {Teaser bullet 2}
- {Teaser bullet 3}
Because you downloaded {ebook name - a hyperlink to PDF hosted on your site}, I imagine that you {are looking for a new X software or are struggling with X problem}.
I'd be happy to discuss this with you. Can you tell me if you currently {use X product or experience X problem--something to qualify the prospect}.
Looking forward to it,
{Your Email Signature}
What about subject lines? These will depend largely on your offer, solution and ebook name.
Here are some great resources for writing email subject lines:
- The Ultimate Guide to No-Pain Copywriting (or, Every Copywriting Formula Ever)
- How to Write Catchy Email Subject Lines
Content marketing funnel templates, example #2: webinar
Who this funnel works for:
This template can work well for B2B companies selling a product, service or SaaS and it can also work for course creators.
⭐ What's in this funnel:
This funnel drives traffic to a webinar, which serves as the middle of the funnel. Social media posts are at the top of the funnel, and either a sales demo or a sales page represents the bottom of the funnel.
- 10 social media posts
- 1 invitation email
- 1 webinar
- Multiple sales emails
10 social media posts
As you well know, every channel is different. On Instagram, LinkedIn and Facebook, before-and-after transformation stories (whether from your experience or your customers) can work very well for attracting webinar attendees.
Here's a great template to follow for your social media posts:
- Hook (statistic or controversial statement)
- More insight
- What you will learn (3 teaser bullets)
- Sign up information
- Relevant hashtags
You can create multiple versions of this template and then customize each version for the social media platforms your company is active on.
1 invitation email
In addition to social media posts, you can also send an email to your current list of subscribers to drive more signups to your live event. Here's a template you can use.
Hi {First Name},
On {date and time}, I'll be going live to teach you all about how to {outcome} without {core objection}.
I know how important this has been for {myself / my team} because {1 - 3 sentence story about past issues and current results}.
In this live event, you'll learn:
- {Teaser bullet 1}
- {Teaser bullet 2}
- {Teaser bullet 3}
Here's your link to register for the free training!
Can't wait to see you there,
{Your Email Signature}
1 webinar
Webinars can vary greatly based on the length, audience, and type of content. Here's a basic template you can follow:
- Introduce who the webinar is for so people know they're in the right place
- Briefly describe what they will be learning on 1 - 2 slides
- Offer 3 - 5 tips or steps in the middle of the webinar (the meat of the content!)
- Close the webinar by sharing how people can learn more about your product or service, or where they can make a purchase
A "How to" title is a great fit for most webinars, but listicle titles or even provocative questions can work well too.
1 landing page
On your webinar landing page, you'll want to include the title, subtitle, who the content is for, as well as some teaser bullets about what attendees will learn.
Multiple sales emails
After your webinar, you'll want to follow up manually with qualified leads (in the case of higher ticket B2B sales) or add every registrant to an email sequence (in the case of self-service sales of lower-priced products).
Email template to book a sales call:
Hi {First Name},
Thanks so much for signing up for our recent event, {webinar title}. If you didn't get a chance to watch it, the replay {<- include link} will be live for 2 days, so there's still time to learn how to {outcome}.
I noticed that your company {something that shows they would be a good fit for your solution or offer} and I'd love to offer some helpful insights into how you can {outcome} in as much as 70% less time.
Here's my link to schedule a quick intro call: {link}
Looking forward to connecting,
{Your Email Signature}
Email template to drive traffic to a landing page:
Hi {First Name},
Thanks so much for signing up for our recent event, {webinar title}. If you didn't get a chance to watch it, the replay {<- include a link to replay} will be live for 2 days, so there's still time to learn how to {outcome}.
Our previous customer got {details of customer results} from using our system, and I can't wait for you to hear their story in the training.
I've also put a short video {<- include a link to sales page} of how they {details of customer results}, if you want to check that out right away!
If {customer name} can {results} even while {core objection}, then there's a really good chance that you can too.
You've got this!
{Your Email Signature}
You'll likely want to have 5 - 7 unique emails in your follow up sales sequence. Here are some additional email types that can help you build out your sequence.
Content marketing funnel templates, example #3: email course
Who this funnel works for:
This funnel can work for service providers, lower-priced SaaS companies, course creators, e-commerce sellers and more.
⭐ What's in this funnel:
This funnel is geared around an email course. It includes:
- 3 blog posts
- An email course
- 1 landing page
- Multiple sales emails
3 blog posts
As with the first example of the content marketing funnel templates, this funnel includes multiple blog posts to acquire traffic. Review the first funnel for SEO keyphrase advice and blog structure tips. (Click here to go back to this section.)
An email course
With big content, such as guides, webinars, and ebooks, breaking down your topic into 3 or 5 subsections works very well. This helps your prospect digest the information you're giving them in a way that isn't overwhelming. Also, by choosing just a few subsections, you portray that you have distilled and simplified a big topic into only its necessary elements.
For your email course, the should send one email per day. The number of emails you send should match the number of subsections, typically 3 or 5, but some email courses can be as long as 21 days!
1 landing page
Just as with an ebook or webinar, you'll need a landing page that includes the title, subtitle, who the webinar is for, and teaser bullets of what people will learn.
With your email course, you could also give a preview of what people will learn each day, by sharing an outline of the content, but this is optional!
Multiple sales emails
In our second example of the content marketing funnel templates, we gave two templates for sales emails as well as additional resources for building out your sequence. You can review the second funnel for the sales email templates. (Click here to go back to this section.)
As you continue to invest in content marketing, creating content funnels can help you bring in leads, not just new website visitors.
Want to check out the content marketing funnel templates again? 🧐 These internal links will help save you from scrolling:
Download our Ebook to Bring in More Leads
We have gathered these funnel templates and many more tips and tricks into a downloadable ebook. Get it here.