How to Build a Full-Funnel Ad Strategy for SaaS (2025 Guide)

Running ads for your SaaS company without a funnel strategy is like trying to close a deal without knowing who’s in the room. Founders are often told to “just start spending”- but if your messaging, budget, and audience targeting aren’t mapped to the buyer’s journey, you’ll waste money fast.

This guide breaks down the full-funnel ad strategy we use at Roveir to help SaaS clients grow: from early-stage startups to scale-ready companies. You’ll get a clear breakdown of the TOF–MOF–BOF framework, real examples of ad formats, and how to allocate budget effectively.

Whether you're launching your first campaign or scaling an existing one, this guide will help you turn clicks into conversions, and conversions into revenue.

What Is a Full-Funnel Ad Strategy?

A full-funnel ad strategy is a structured approach that aligns your ads with the different stages of a buyer’s journey: Top of Funnel (TOF), Middle of Funnel (MOF), and Bottom of Funnel (BOF).

Each stage serves a different purpose:

• TOF: Create awareness and generate curiosity
• MOF: Educate, nurture, and build trust
• BOF: Convert interest into action: demos, trials, purchases

SaaS sales cycles are often longer and more complex than eComm or DTC. That’s why a single ad isn’t enough. You need a system that meets your ICP where they are, not where you hope they are.

Stage 1: TOF – Top of Funnel

Goal: Introduce your brand and spark interest.

Audience: Cold prospects with little to no awareness.

Best Channels: Meta (Facebook/Instagram), YouTube, LinkedIn (for B2B SaaS)

TOF Creative Formats:

• Short-form video with pain-point hooks
• Carousel posts introducing common industry challenges
• Founder-led content explaining “why we built this”

Targeting Tactics:

• Lookalike audiences from your CRM
• Job title + industry targeting on LinkedIn
• Interest targeting (e.g., “startup tools” or “project management”)

Example: “The #1 mistake [target persona] makes when scaling their SaaS…”

Budget Tip:

Allocate ~60% of your initial budget here. It builds the pool that MOF and BOF will retarget later.

Stage 2: MOF – Middle of Funnel

Goal: Build trust and educate prospects.

Audience: People who’ve engaged with TOF ads, visited your site, or followed your socials.

Best Channels: LinkedIn Retargeting, Meta Retargeting, Google Display

MOF Creative Formats:

• Short demo snippets
• Client testimonials
• Blog posts or lead magnets (e.g., “SaaS Funnel Blueprint”)

Targeting Tactics:

• Website visitors (last 30 days)
• Video viewers (50%+ watch time)
• Email list retargeting via custom audiences

This is where you prove you're not just another tool. You're the solution.

Stage 3: BOF – Bottom of Funnel

Goal: Drive conversions: signups, trials, demo bookings.

Audience: Warm prospects who’ve already shown interest.

Best Channels: Google Search, retargeting on all platforms

BOF Creative Formats:

• Direct offer ads (“Get your free strategy call”)
• Case study snippets
• Urgency-based CTAs (“Limited beta access”)

Targeting Tactics:

• High-intent keywords like “best project management software”
• Cart abandoners or users who clicked CTAs but didn’t convert
• Trial users who haven’t upgraded yet

Budget Tip:

Start with 10–15% of your budget here, but scale it up based on campaign performance. If your funnel is healthy, BOF will have the best CAC.

Budget Allocation Example

Here’s how we often allocate budget for early-stage SaaS clients launching their first campaigns:

This can shift over time. If MOF is underperforming, we double down on TOF testing. If BOF is converting, we scale budget there.

Reminder: Don’t scale broken funnels. Test > Optimize > Scale.

The SaaS space is competitive, but the ad landscape doesn’t need to be overwhelming. With a full-funnel strategy, you meet your ICP where they are, reduce wasted spend, and build a predictable path to growth.

At Roveir, we don’t just launch ads. We build systems that scale.

Curious what a full-funnel strategy could look like for your product?

Let’s build it together!

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