Regardless of the context, the first impression sets the tone for the following interactions, whether it's with a potential friend, teacher, manager, or customer. In terms of business interactions, a first impression could be the last if you do not catch their attention or interest fast enough. According to Forbes, businesses have a mere 7 seconds to make that initial impact. 

First impressions also serve as an initial assessment of your credibility and trustworthiness as a business. If a resource or video fails to engage viewers immediately, it can significantly impact your marketing efforts. It can even jeopardize the effectiveness of the entire marketing strategy if your content does not resonate with the audience.

This content I am referring to is marketing seeds, which are resources that provide value to your audience in the awareness stage that will turn them into a paying customer in the future. These resources are produced specifically for your top-of-funnel audience. In this blog, we will discuss how top-of-funnel content directly correlates with the influence of first impressions.

Understanding First Impressions

First impressions lead to quick assumptions and judgments. Think about a time that you were searching for an answer to a question and clicked on a link to a site that seemed like it had the answers you were looking for but then you get to the site and it looks unreliable or doesn’t appeal to the eye. This is a natural response called the first impression bias.

The Mehrabian’s Communication Model shares that 55% of first impressions are made by what we see,  38% is how we hear these first words, and 7% are the actual words we say. This means, for the most part, someone’s opinion has nothing to do with what you actually say but how you present your answers.

If you're able to make a good first impression, people are much more likely to remember you and your brand. Now let’s dive into how these first impressions directly coordinate with top-of-funnel marketing resources or marketing seeds. 

The Significance of Top-of-Funnel Marketing

Top of the funnel refers to the marketing activities carried out to create awareness about a brand or product. It’s the first piece of content that someone will see with your logo or brand name attached to it. It’s important to note that while your brand name will be on these resources, they are not selling your product or service. It is typically broader and aims to educate or inform the audience about a general topic that relates to their interests or questions.

This is the initial introduction to your potential audience, the first sight of your name, logo, the way you write, your colors, and all of the above. This is the first impression of your brand, even if you are not promoting your product in these resources.

Setting the Stage: Strategies for Effective Top-of-Funnel Marketing

To create an effective top-of-funnel marketing strategy, you need to take a step back and put yourself in the shoes of the general audience. What do you want your potential customers to think once they click on a blog or start to watch a YouTube video? Is it too in-depth for an awareness or an educational piece?  All of these questions should be considered when writing a piece of content or creating a content library to be built.

Sure, your mid-to-bottom funnel content may be amazing, and be able to strategically pin your organization as the perfect solution, but if this top-of-funnel content is too overwhelming or is trying to sell too hard, you will lose your prospects fast. Demand Gen Reported that 65% of buyers claim that B2B content is more effective when it’s not trying to sell to readers.

Impact on Business Success

A first impression will leave a lasting impression on someone's perception of you. It’ll shape their opinion and influence their decisions to have further interactions with you and your brand. Positive or negative, the impact of a first impression can go a long way in shaping relationships. 

Imagine this: You’ve been running for a few weeks now and you’ve realized that your knees are always sore after a run. You go on the internet and search “Why do my knees hurt after running?” Instantly, multiple blogs populate your screen, each promising insights and solutions. One particular blog post stands out -it not only addresses your concerns but offers actionable steps to help your pain.

Without realizing it, this blog is by a shoe brand. Yet, instead of bombarding you with sales pitches, they focus on providing genuine value. As you dive deeper, you realize that they understand your struggles and offer their products as a solution, presented not as a sales tactic but as a genuine means to support your journey.

In this scenario, your first impression of the brand isn't just positive—it's game-changing. As a result, you're not just a casual browser—you're a potential customer who is more likely to make a purchase based on the foundation of trust and credibility established in that first encounter.

This is the power of a compelling first impression—a catalyst for building relationships, fostering trust, and ultimately driving business success.

While this is just an example, you can see the method that can be adopted in any industry. By offering accessible content to a wider audience that showcases your product or service as a trustworthy and valuable resource, you can earn the trust of potential customers long before they even recognize their need for your offering.

Conclusion

The importance of first impressions should not be overlooked. As discussed in this blog, these first interactions play a crucial role in shaping a customer's journey, impacting their perceptions, decisions, and overall business outcomes.

By creating compelling top-of-funnel content, businesses can pave the way for lasting relationships and bring in future customers and revenue. So, remember, every interaction counts—make it count from the very first moment.

If you need assistance in creating compelling top-of-funnel content, Marmentum can help. Top-of-funnel is our top-of-mind! We have different resource options that can be created and tailored to your organization for immediate use. See how it works today.