Content marketing has a middle child and it’s called mid-funnel content. And just as it’s an essential role in the family (trust me, we know!), it’s also a critical piece of your content plan.

Mid-funnel content closes the gap between top-funnel content — the initial intrigue — and the final sale. It should engage your audience, educate, build trust, answer questions and deliver the right information to the right people at the right time. Great mid-funnel content often takes the following forms:

Newsletters
An easy, low-key way to keep your name and ideas in front of prospects as they move closer to a buying decision.

Case studies
Case studies have the power to show — not tell — exactly what your brand provides through the eyes of the consumer. And the best part is, they can be repurposed into a variety of formats, like blog posts, tweets and testimonials.

Fact sheets
A fact sheet keeps things short, simple and to the point. For example, use this format to state the biggest problem in your industry and explain how you’re best suited to solve it.

e-books
An excellent vehicle to provide information-rich content, e-books can help deepen the relationship between you and your audience.

White papers
Typically more in-depth than an e-book, a white paper looks at the bigger picture, the available solutions, and why you’re ideally positioned to solve the reader’s challenge.

Videos
Videos are fun, familiar and easily digested by all types of learners. You get to showcase a bit of your company’s personality along with your products.

Integrated email campaigns
Email marketing adds some measurability to your middle-of-the-funnel techniques. Content should be more strategic and high-level than just a weekly newsletter blast.

Remember, buyer conversion doesn’t just happen. That’s why mid-funnel content is so important to your marketing strategy — in whatever formats work best to achieve your sales goals.