5 fundamentals for product-led content that converts
Buyer intel, trust gaps, POVs: 5 small shifts, big impact
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Third place is the second loser. That’s the perfectionism-first mindset I grew up with.
And trust me when I say, through the years, I’ve worked hard on it — like mop-your-forehead-with-the-back-of-your-hand hard.
Even now, writing this issue, I’m feeling like it’s just not “it.”
IYKYK.
But ladies and gentlemen (yes, I did just finish The Last Magician, hence the flair)… the show must go on.
So in today’s letter: how can you DIY product-led content the smart way?
See, I know how trying to wrap product education in a non-salesy, non-pitchy voice can feel like balancing a message on a needle’s point.
Go too heavy on product education and you lose the reader.
Go too light on product education and you breed an army of passive readers who stay clueless about the problem your product solves.
Cue: entry song for perfectionism.
Except, nailing these 5 fundamentals can save you from getting stuck in a tango with progress-stalling perfectionism.
1. Start with the buyer, not your product
Every quarter, as you plan content, go back to reviewing (and sourcing more info on) your target buyer’s challenges.
You’ll want to make a fresh/updated list of your buyers’
Challenges or hurdles they see in trying to solve the problem you solve
Ideal outcomes they want to achieve in their role/job
Buying triggers (when are they likely to buy)
You’ll find the best answers from Gong or sales call recordings, CRM notes or deal stage data, and on-site behavior or demo drop-off patterns.
Having all this buyer info on hand helps you create content that captures the real friction of the buyer’s journey.
It also helps you show your product as the natural next step, not a forced insert. Making content more buyer-focused (so long, salesy product pitches!).
Not to forget, this is the sort of content that my clients’ sales and demand generation teams say they find useful for nurturing buyers, handling objections, and moving deals forward.
2. Map content to friction points in the buyers’ journey
This is where you break down and address specific friction within the purchase journey.
For instance, during onboarding, pricing consideration, switching tools, getting internal buy-in, etc.
As with above, reviewing sales conversations, analyzing drop-off moments in your funnel, and talking with customer-facing teams will help you spot these friction points.
Ideally, find answers to these questions:
What questions or doubts tend to slow them down before a signup or demo?
What information are they missing that keeps them from saying yes?
What misconceptions do they have about switching tools, onboarding, or ROI?
What do internal champions need to convince others?
What part of the decision feels risky for them?
The goal? Turn sticking points into stepping stones — with content that anticipates resistance and clears the path.
3. Understand the market your product lives in
Nailing product-led content starts with a strong grip on your product (I covered an underused way to get there here).
But what most teams skip? Understanding the market it lives in.
Because:
Product-led content isn’t just about showing how your product works — it’s about showing why it matters right now, in this market, against those alternatives.
It’s NOT about pushing a decision — it’s about giving buyers the clarity to make their own.
So ask yourself:
How has the market evolved through the years?
Is there an obvious leader, what makes them one?
What are you competing tools’ shortcomings and strengths?
Where does your product fit into the market? What inspired its birth?
How does your product actually overcome shortcomings of alternative tools?
To spot real shortcomings — in your product or others — scour Reddit. Don’t rely on internal assumptions. That’s where buyer-truth lives.
Remember: The better you understand your market, the sharper your angles — and the more your content speaks like a peer, not a pitch.
4. Create a feature cheat sheet to scale production
Use a simple Airtable, Notion table, or Google Sheet for this — it’ll save you from repeating “what this feature does” in every kickoff doc and speeding up production without sending writers down the product-docs rabbit hole.
Start with listing popular features. Then, add the following details to each feature:
What a feature does
The target customer it helps (you could be targeting multiple customers)
When/where in their workflow the user will use it
Link to how the feature works
Feature use cases (ways to use it — ideally backed with customer or internal use examples)
Staple this feature cheat sheet with your content briefs. Send them to internal or external writers you on board.
5. Build better content briefs with just two extra fields
Use one column to flag a product feature the writer should anchor the piece around.
The second column: a POV bite — a founder, team, or customer insight to give your content a real edge.
Now watch your content’s quality soar :)
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Thank you for being here 🙏
Not to be sappy, but this newsletter would still be a half-finished draft if not for you reading it.
Oh and you’re in good company, habibi — marketers from some of the best PLG brands are reading this right alongside you:
