Most companies don’t have a content problem.

They have a ‘my content is not performing’ problem. 

And I get it. 

We’re all pressed for time and when the competition is high, we just want to hit publish as frequently as possible. 

So our processes are optimized for speed – we research keywords, build briefs and hit publish every week, for months and sometimes, years. 

But here’s what a decade plus of experience in content marketing and helping startups build organic growth engines, has led me to find – that’s not going to work. 

Unless you have something unique to say, you’re now just adding to the noise. That’s exactly what everyone is doing with the help of AI. 

Although, there is something that you can do. 

At Contensify, we’ve seen that the difference between content that gets “meh” impressions and content that moves the pipeline often comes down to one thing: the content angle you choose.

In this post, I’ll share the framework I use to sharpen any topic into something worth reading, plus real examples of how we’ve applied it for SaaS clients (and myself) over the years. 

What is a content angle? 

A content angle is the unique perspective, hook or framing that you bring to the table. It is how you present a topic so that it stands out, immediately resonates with your audience and compels them to engage with it. 

I like to think of a content angle as the answer to ‘why should a reader care?’

Let me explain this with an example. 

You’re writing a blog on the topic – Email marketing best practices. 

Now typically, you’d just write out a blog listing out the best of tips you can gather from your own experiences and those of others. 

But now here’s what a content angle does to the same old, boring topic: 

• Angle for busy founders: How to write emails that get opened in under 15 minutes a week 
• Angle for those who think email does not work: Why most email best practices are wrong and what actually works today 

TLDR; the topic is what you’re covering. But the content angle is how you’re covering it to make it relevant, fresh and worth the reader’s time. 

What are the core elements of a content angle? 

Now, a content angle isn’t just about shouting out the most unique sentence or hook that comes to mind. A good content angle consists of the following elements: 

• Audience relevance – It speaks directly to their needs, pain points or desires 
• Unique perspective/ POV – It doesn’t give a generic support; it shows your take on the subject 
• Emotional hook – It creates curiosity, urgency or resonance 
• Clarity and focus – It helps you communicate one clear idea without dilution 
• Differentiation – It stands apart from what others have already said about the subject 
• Timeliness – It does not feel dated; it feels fresh, current or tied to trends/ events in the ‘now’ 
• Proof or credibility – It isn’t just built on thin air; it is backed by data, stories or expertise 

Why your content topic isn’t enough 

Now I know there’s a lot of work that goes into picking out the right content topics. But here’s why I do think it is important to build a content angle before you start writing on any of them: 

• Everyone covers the same topics – This is going to sound brutal, but you’re not the only one out there. No matter how good your product/ service is, there are still dozens of companies publishing on similar topics. Think about the number of times you have seen content on ‘AI in marketing’ or ‘email marketing best practices’. 
• Your ICP scrolls past it – When your content doesn’t feel specific, relevant or fresh, it stops to register with your audience. And that’s exactly why it has been reported that less than 1% of content actually contributes to business outcomes for most. 
• Sales can’t use it – Apart from being ignored by your ‘external’ audience, your internal folks don’t use it either. Generic content doesn’t spark conversations and that’s why your own teams won’t use it to support the pipeline. 
• AI ingests and remixes it – If you sound like everyone else, you’re just adding more fuel for the next generic blog post that the next marketer ‘generates’. 

PS. Here’s a deep dive into why most SaaS blogs fail. 

Now enough of beating about the bush. Let’s get to work and build your content angle. 

Step by step on how to build a content angle 

I also like to call this the ANGLE Finder; a simple 5-step framework that you can’t skip with an excuse that it takes too long to complete. 

1. Understand your Audience Tension

The very first thing you need to do is find the belief your ICP holds that you can flip. The goal is not to just find something stark-opposite; just something that isn’t entirely true, could be better or if you’re lucky, false. 

Prompt: Our ICP believes _______, but in reality ______. 

Example: RevOps wants more SEO content, but the pipeline is stuck because sales can’t use any of it. 

2. Narrow down the Promise

Next, you need to make the idea smaller and ‘super’ specific. Remember, the idea of building a content angle is to not sound generic – so you need to ensure your angle isn’t too broad either or it’s a waste of effort! 

Prompt: This is for [role] at [stage] to achieve [outcome] in [timeframe]. 

Example: For PLG team at Series A, to improve demo-to-trial conversions in just 30 days.

3. State a Gain (Business Outcome) 

Your content angle is only engaging if it helps your target audience achieve a goal. This is why I recommend tying it to a KPI and the mechanism that moves it. Doing so also helps your audience relate to your content better. 

Prompt: This will help [who] [move KPI] by [how]. Drive [results] in [timeframe]. 

Example: This will help SaaS companies reduce onboarding time by setting up a 5-step framework. Drive +10% activation in just 30 days. 

Also read: How to use customer pain points in your content 

4. Add a Lived Proof 

Everyone’s writing content and it’s getting tougher to identify what’s genuine. This is why I encourage teams to take some time and anchor their content angle in something ‘real’. 

This could be the founder’s story, industry data, teardown, customer example or case study, or borrowed inspiration. 

Prompt: Proof we will show [add format]. 

5. Build your Content Angle/ Tilt 

Once you have covered everything above, you’re close to your content angle. This is the perspective or unique standpoint that is unmistakably yours. 

Prompt: Unlike [common advice], we [content angle] to [result promised]. 

And now that becomes the one thing you continually repeat across your content to build brand stickiness. 

How angles transform content (real examples) 

Here are some of my favorite examples: 

1. Omnisend 

An email and SMS marketing automation tool, Omnisend entered the market when Mailchimp and Klaviyo were dominating it. To build a strong hold in the market, they had to build out a content angle. They did so by simply narrowing down who they address – eCommerce, and working towards de-establishing everything written so far. 

2. Lovable 

There have been several no-code platforms. While I agree that Lovable was one of the few to combine no-code with AI, they didn’t just put two phrases or trends together. They gave it a spin of their own with a content angle – Build something lovable – because everyone was already building things with no-code solutions and seeing no real success. 

3. Salesflare 

There are plenty of CRMs out there. And to be honest, there is no competing with HubSpot when it comes to marketing. But Salesflare got it right by narrowing down their content angle to speak to startups and small businesses, and emphasising on how easy it is to use their solution. From their website copy to all the content they create for the blog, ebooks, case studies, everything is focused on repeating that content angle – always. 

Well, I have plenty more examples and can’t include them all here. But if you’re struggling to put the framework to work, you can reach out to me on LinkedIn for a quick brainstorming session! 

Find me here. 

How to validate your content angle 

Now I know you have put in a lot of work. But I want you to know that not every content angle works. That’s exactly why sometimes you read a content piece and think to yourself, WTF?! 

Here’s how not to fall on the other side of this equation – test your content angle for 24-72 hours. 

And here’s what I like to do usually: 

• LinkedIn test – Post your headline and bullets to see how your target audience responds to it. 
• Sales sniff test – Drop the content angle in your sales channel and see how they respond; you should be aiming to get ‘this will help us’. 
• Micro-nurture email – Send a teaser to some of your subscribers with a simple yes or no option. Clear answers for you! 
• Support’s support – Ask your customer support team what they understand from the content angle. They’re the ones handling customer queries; they can tell you which words are a hit or miss almost instantly! 
• Team’s enthusiasm – Set up an anonymous feedback loop to get your team’s feedback on it. If they are happy to engage and share it, you have a winner. 
• Roll-out test – Roll out the new content angle in phases across departments. Monitor how consistent they are with it and how many times they need to make a ‘small change’ for it to fit better. 

Conclusion 

I just want you to know that you can create content without a content angle. 

But if you are wanting to drive a business outcome out of it – no matter how big or small, you need a content angle. 

Else you’re just blending in. 

Your target audience doesn’t need another generic piece of content to feed the AI machine. They need something that makes them stop to read, share and act on. 

Need help figuring out your content angle? Reach out to me. 

And if you’re looking for more such frameworks, don’t forget to subscribe to my newsletter.