One TOFU article. 5,000 signups 🤯

I was scrolling LinkedIn the other day when a post by Rochi Zalani stopped me in my tracks.

Here's what hooked me:

“A simple, how-to top of the funnel piece I wrote earlier this year has driven over 5,000 (!) product sign-ups in the last year.”

That’s not a typo, folks.

5,000 signups. From one TOFU article 🤯

If you're writing SaaS content that's supposed to drive actual conversions (not just traffic and vanity metrics), this article on Instagram growth Rochi wrote for Buffer is your blueprint.

And she kindly broke down the four elements that made it convert like crazy in her LinkedIn post.

So I thought I'd walk through each one – with real examples you can steal 👀

Want to learn how to write TOFU content that converts?

Read on…

1️⃣ “Lots and lots of original research and data (no blind advice with zero backing)”

Rochi’s piece is jam-packed with real-life examples:

Data from Buffer’s original research:

And expert quotes: 

As Rochi says: there’s “no blind advice with zero backing”.

Your move? Back up every point you make with at least one of these:

• Original research (you could even pitch your clients on creating it 👀)

• A personal story or case study

• An expert quote

• A real-life example

• Third-party data

Of course, all that research and data will get you nowhere if your writing is dull as dishwater. 

Which brings us to...

2️⃣ Actionable advice dressed in some personality and stripped clear of any fluff

Rochi’s piece is all killer, no filler. 

She walks the tightrope of getting right to the good stuff while still sounding human with sentences like:

Clear, personality-driven writing keeps people reading. But in 2025, walls of text aren't enough – you need to break things up visually, too...

3️⃣ Shareable graphics and sticky examples to accompany every suggestion

How good do these graphics look?

If your client has design resource on tap it’s well worth asking them to do the same for any stats you quote in your articles.

Notice what makes Buffer’s graphics work: they're on-brand, they visualise the data clearly, and they break up the text at exactly the right moments. 

Even if you're working with third-party data, you can have designers create branded versions (just credit the source in the corner).

That’ll make your content a lot more scrollable 👀

So you've got credible data, engaging writing, and scroll-stopping visuals. 

Now here's the part most writers fumble: actually selling the product…

4️⃣ Embedding the product naturally without overselling it

Rochi manages to slot nine organic Buffer upsells into her 14 Instagram growth tips. They include shoutouts for Buffer’s:

• Start Page

• Post scheduling features

• Analytics

• AI assistant 

• Free template library

• Free hashtag generator 

• Hashtag manager

• Analytics (again)

• Engagement features

And they look like natural recommendations, not forced product plugs – which is exactly why they work.

The more nudges like that you can fit into your TOFU content, the more conversions you’re likely to drive (just ask the 5,000 folks who signed up for Buffer off the back of this article).

🗝️ The key to product-led content

I’ll leave you with Rochi’s words from her LinkedIn post: