Top of funnel: the content that brings new people, and why it cannot sell
By Tiago Costa·Updated on August 5, 2026
Definition
Top of funnel is content attracting people who do not know you.
- The only stage bringing new people, and therefore the growth source.
- It has to work with no context, for someone who never saw you.
- It does not sell directly, and selling there destroys reach.
- Measured by non follower reach, not by conversations generated.
Who it is for
The top speaks to two audiences with one thing in common: they do not know you.
- People who do not know they have the problem. They live with the situation without naming it as a problem. Content here names it.
- People who know the problem but are not looking for a solution. They accept it as inevitable. Content here shows there is a way out.
The most important consequence is formal: the piece has to work for someone who never saw you. No inside jokes, no references to previous content, no assumption that the person knows who you are. If it depends on context, it is not top of funnel.
What to produce
- The common mistake in the niche. The most reliable top format, because it forces people to check whether they make it.
- The basic concept explained. What seems obvious to you is unknown to newcomers.
- The counterintuitive. Denying a common belief creates the tension that makes people stop.
- Niche entertainment. Humour and recognition about your audience routine.
- Data and comparisons. Numbers that reframe a known subject.
The dominant format here is Reels, because it has the distribution to non followers. Carousels work when the subject is visual or step by step.
How to measure it
This is the part most people get wrong, because they judge top content by bottom metrics.
The correct metric is non follower reach, followed by followers gained and shares. All three measure the same thing: whether the piece left your bubble.
What not to measure here: conversations started, link clicks, sales. Top content generates none of that immediately, and demanding it leads to the wrong conclusion that it does not work.
The mistake of selling at the top
It is the most common and most expensive mistake.
A top of funnel piece ending with an offer loses on both ends: someone who does not know you has no reason to buy yet, and the commercial mention reduces general interest, which destroys exactly the broad distribution that was the point.
The correct route is for top content to deliver complete value asking nothing, with conversion happening afterwards, when the person reaches the profile and finds the bio, the highlights and middle and bottom content waiting.
In short: the top does not sell, it qualifies the traffic the rest will convert.
Checklist
- The piece works for someone who never saw me.
- There is no inside joke or reference to previous content.
- I ask for nothing commercial.
- I measure by non follower reach, not by sales.
- My profile is ready for whoever arrives through it.
Frequently asked questions
What is top of funnel content?
It is content made for people who do not know you yet, and frequently do not know they have the problem you solve. It is the broadest stage and the only one bringing new people to the account.
What kind of content is top of funnel?
The common mistake in the niche, a basic concept explained, the counterintuitive claim that denies a common belief, entertainment about your audience routine, and data that reframes a known subject.
How do you measure top of funnel content?
By non follower reach, followers gained and shares. All three measure whether the piece left your bubble. Demanding sales or conversations from top content leads to the wrong conclusion that it does not work.
Can you sell in top of funnel content?
It is not advisable. Someone who does not know you has no reason to buy yet, and the commercial mention reduces general interest, which destroys the broad distribution that was the point of the piece.
Which format works best at the top?
Reels, because it has the widest distribution to people who do not follow the account. Carousels work well when the subject is visual or depends on a step by step structure.
Related concepts
Content funnel
A content funnel organises pieces according to the consumer's decision stage: top for people who do not yet know the problem, middle for people already looking for a solution, bottom for people deciding. It solves the most common imbalance in professional accounts, which is producing only one type, and therefore growing without selling or selling without growing.
Read the entry
Middle of funnel
Middle of funnel is content for people who already recognise the problem and are evaluating how to solve it. It is the most forgotten of the three stages, because it has neither the reach of the top nor the direct selling of the bottom, and so appears to return nothing. In practice it is the deciding one: it is where people form their opinion about which path to take, and therefore about whom to take it with.
Read the entry
Bottom of funnel
Bottom of funnel is content for people who already decided to solve the problem and are choosing whom to solve it with. It deals with proof, pricing, guarantees and offer detail. It is the stage that reaches least and converts most, and understanding that trade is what prevents the wrong conclusion that it does not work simply because it gets fewer views.
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Reach
Reach is the number of unique accounts that saw a piece of content at least once. Unlike impressions, it does not count the same person twice, so it measures the size of the audience touched rather than the volume of exposure. On Instagram, reach is reported per post and per period, and it can be split between followers and non followers, which is the reading that shows whether a profile is discovering new people or simply circulating among those who already follow it.
Read the entry