13 Top Product-Led Content Marketing Templates for SaaS Lead-Gen

Table of Contents

Product-led content is one of the most effective strategies to drive high-quality leads to your SaaS. It prioritizes solving specific user pain points and informs them how to achieve a desired result with your product.

But product-led content, especially long-form, is hard to scale. SaaS teams struggle to implement truly product-led content across their entire marketing strategy.

So, in this article, we crafted 13 product-led content marketing templates for any SaaS company wanting to scale their organic lead generation strategies:

A Brief Intro to Product-Led Content Marketing

Product-led content marketing shows how to solve your customers’ problems using your product. Instead of discussing benefits or pitching, you include the product in the narrative and show how it solves specific pain points your reader experiences.

Here’s a great product-led content example from Hotjar, a website analytics platform:

They built an extensive learning database that solves multiple problems their audience experiences. Inside each course, they show how to address the issues using Hotjar and encourage the participant to try specific features of their product:

This highly educational approach takes away the salesy talk from the content and puts your product in the specific context of your users’ needs.

Now, let’s go through the thirteen ways you can use product-led content marketing to promote your SaaS:

Breaking Down 13 Product-Led Content Templates

To help you organize all this new knowledge, we divided the product led content marketing templates into four categories:

  1. Essential Templates: The easiest way to implement product-led content in your strategy
  2. Engagement-Focused Templates: Designed to increase your brand awareness
  3. User-Generated Content-Focused Templates: Leveraging your customers’ voice
  4. Customer Retention & Growth Templates: Using content to scale your user base and minimize churn.

Let’s dive in:

Essential Product-Led Content Marketing Templates

Those product led content marketing templates are the must-haves for any product-led SaaS looking to generate more leads through their long-form content. These include:

Problem-Solution Case Study:

This format showcases practical, real-world applications of your product while building trust and authority.

Case Studies are the most useful for the customers with the highest buying intent. To help you visualize it, such case studies belong to the bottom part of your sales funnel:

Here’s how to create them:

  1. Outline a specific pain point: Focus on 1 particular challenge your customer experienced. This will clarify your product’s role in overcoming this challenge.
  2. Detail how your product solved that pain point: Explain the process behind solving your customer’s problem. Walk the reader through its entirety without leaving any blind spots.
  3. Quantify the results achieved: Describe your product’s role in helping your customer achieve their desired state.

Use this template to write your problem-solution case study:

Problem-Solution Case Study Template:

1. Introduction

  • Customer Snapshot: Briefly introduce the customer (company name, industry, size).
  • The Main Pain Point: Clearly outline the core challenge or problem they faced that your product addresses. Be as specific as possible.

2. The “Why It Matters” Section

  • Impact of the Problem: Detail the negative consequences of the pain point (lost revenue, decreased productivity, poor customer experience, etc.). Use quantified metrics if possible.

3. The Search for a Solution

  • Previous Attempts: Did the client try other solutions that failed? Why didn’t they work? This highlights the unique value your product offers.
  • Discovery: How did the client become aware of your product? (Organic search, recommendation, etc.).

4. The Implementation

  • Ease of Adoption: Was the onboarding and implementation process easy, or were there difficulties? If hurdles existed, how were they overcome?
  • Key Features in Action: Highlight the specific features of your product that were instrumental in solving the problem. Don’t just list – show how they were used.

5. The Measurable Results

  • Choose Impactful Metrics: Select the KPIs that directly relate to the initial pain point. Consider both primary (revenue growth, etc.) and secondary metrics (time saved, etc.).
  • Before & After Comparisons: Use clear visuals or tables to show the transformation. Emphasize the positive improvement since your product was implemented.
  • Customer Quote: Include a concise, powerful testimonial from the client. Focus on them sharing results in their own words.

6. Conclusion

  • Summary: Recap the main pain point, your solution, and the key results.
  • Broader Learnings: If applicable, extract a general insight relevant to your wider target audience who might face similar challenges.

Additional Tips

  • Visuals: Include screenshots, graphs, and headshots to add visual interest.
  • Storytelling: Weave a narrative thread into your case study, don’t just list facts
  • Length: Tailor to your intended platform. Case studies can be short and impactful, or long and detailed.

Here’s also an example of this structure in practice — a case study from Airtable:

A “problem-solution” approach ensures a clear and engaging storyline for your case study.

When you clearly show how helpful your product is, you don’t have to use other marketing gimmicks to strengthen your message.

In-Product Walkthrough (with Screenshots/Video):

This is a step-by-step guide that highlights a core feature or process within your product. It should serve as an educational piece of content that smooths new users’ onboarding and demonstrates your product’s key functions.

Here’s an example of such a format from Kommunicate:

The first thing the app prompts you to do is customize the chat to match your brand colors and identity. It’s a smart way to leverage the IKEA effect while showcasing the features of the product at the same time.

Your product walkthrough structure will depend on the features of your product, of course. But there are certain elements every good product walkthrough should include:

In-Product Walkthrough Template

1. Goal & Target User

  • The Problem Solved: Define the specific pain point or task this feature or workflow addresses.
  • Who Benefits: Describe the type of user (role, experience level) this walkthrough is primarily designed for.

2. Step-by-Step Instructions

  • Starting Point: Clearly state where to find the feature within your product’s interface (include navigation path).
  • Actions: Break down the process into small, numbered steps. Use actionable language (“Click…”, “Select…”, “Type…”).
  • Why These Steps? Briefly explain the results of each step, connect actions to user benefits. Don’t assume the ‘why’ is obvious.

3. Visual Cues

  • Screenshots: Provide screenshots at key points, with annotations or arrows to guide the eye.
  • Short Video (Optional): For complex processes, consider creating a short screen-recorded video as an alternative, or in addition to static screenshots.

4. The Outcome

  • Highlight Results: State the expected outcome of successfully completing this walkthrough. What value has the user unlocked?
  • “Try It Now” CTA: Encourage immediate hands-on use within the product, leading to positive reinforcement.

5. Next Steps (Optional)

  • Linking Related Features: Suggest walkthroughs for additional features tied to the one highlighted, subtly creating a path of deeper product engagement.
  • Where to Find Help: Clearly state where to get customer support if the user runs into trouble.

6. Extra Tips:

  • Tooltips: For very quick explanations of single UI elements, tooltips (text boxes on hover) work well alongside longer walkthroughs.
  • Gamification: Tiny elements of surprise or small rewards for completing walkthroughs boost engagement.

Feature Focus Blog Post:

It’s a deep dive into ONE feature of your product. While creating such a blog post, focus on its use cases, the pain points it addresses, and how it differs from alternatives.

This product led content marketing template builds authority in your niche and can act as micro-educational content to boost product understanding and SEO.

Here’s a template of a feature focus blog post you should follow:

Feature Focus Blog Post Template

1. Introduction

  • Headline:
    • Directly mention the feature name.
    • Highlight the core benefit for your target audience.
    • Optionally, use a curiosity-sparking question.
  • Opening Paragraph: Succinctly summarize the feature (1-2 sentences) and the primary pain point it addresses.

2. Why This Feature Matters

  • Customer Pain Points: Describe specific struggles or inefficiencies this feature helps overcome. Use direct, real-world language.
  • The “What’s In It For Me” Factor: Emphasize the value users will gain – time saved, better results, etc.
  • Differentiators: Briefly highlight what makes this feature unique or superior to other solutions (even internal workarounds users might currently employ).

3. Feature Deep Dive

  • Use Cases: Present 2-3 detailed scenarios showcasing how the feature is used in a practical context. Aim for scenarios representing your target users.
  • Visuals: Screenshots, annotated GIFs, or short videos enhance understanding and keep the post visually engaging.
  • Step-by-Step Guidance (Optional): If the feature is complex, consider a high-level walkthrough of its main components.

4. Getting Started & Tips

  • Implementation: Briefly explain how users find and enable the feature within your product interface.
  • Best Practices: Share a few actionable tips on getting the most out of the feature, potentially revealing “hidden” power-user functionality.

5. Conclusion & Call to Action

  • Recap: Summarize the feature’s impact, reiterating the key benefits.
  • CTA: Directly encourage users to explore the features of the product.
  • Feedback Encouragement (Optional): Invite users to share their experiences with the feature.

Additional Tips

  • SEO: Naturally incorporate relevant keywords but prioritize user experience above keyword stuffing.
  • Storytelling: Weave in examples of how this feature improved a customer’s workflow or was leveraged in a creative way.
  • Promotion: Share the feature-focused blog post across social media and other relevant channels.

Here’s an example from Scribe:

Product Updates Email:

A short and sweet roundup of new features, bug fixes, or upgrades.

This format works because it keeps users informed, creates excitement about product improvement, and fosters a sense of community.

To boost its effectiveness, make sure to include enticing visuals and clear CTAs.

Here’s an example of a fantastic product update email by Clickup:

It includes a looped GIF at the top of the image, catching the eye of the readers.

Product Updates Email Template

Subject Line:

  • Keep it short and compelling.
  • Highlight major updates or use numbers to attract attention.
  • Examples:
    • “[Product Name] Exciting New Features!”
    • “3 Updates to Supercharge Your Workflow”
    • “You asked, we listened – [Product Name] Gets an Upgrade”

Email Body:

  • Greeting: Can be personalized (“Hi [Customer Name]”) or general (“Hello valued users”).
  • Main Announcement: Start with the most impactful update. Focus on benefits, not just technical descriptions.
  • Smaller Updates: List important bug fixes, minor improvements, or changes succinctly.
  • Visuals: Use screenshots, GIFs, or embedded videos to showcase new features visually.
  • Call to Action: Make it crystal clear:
    • Encourage users to try new features immediately (“Explore it now!”).
    • Provide a link to a detailed changelog for advanced users.
  • Future Outlook (Optional): Tease upcoming developments to build excitement.

Additional Tips

  • Segmentation: Target specific user groups if updates are only relevant to them. Avoid sending irrelevant info.
  • Timing: Consider release cycles. Major updates might get standalone emails and smaller ones bundled into a monthly roundup.
  • Voice & Tone: Keep it in line with your product’s branding. A conversational, enthusiastic tone often helps!
  • Gather Feedback: Include a short survey or prompt users to reply to the email with their thoughts.

Engagement-Focused Product-Led Content Templates

Use these templates to boost the audience’s engagement and grow your brand’s appeal to the wider public.

Product Hunt Launch Announcement:

Launching your app on Product Hunt can be a fantastic way to boost your product’s exposure and attract a new set of potential leads into your pipeline. It reaches a large audience of early technology adopters, drives sign-ups, and helps position your product for success.

Notion, for example, launched on Product Hunt twice. For the first time, they ended up reaching the #1 spot for a whole month. For the Notion 2.0 launch, they became one of the all-time top posts in the site’s history.

To ensure a successful PH launch, you should:

  • Craft a compelling product description: Explain the value proposition of your product and its innovative take on your market’s challenges.
  • Use visuals showcasing key features: Invest time into making sure they showcase the value of your product clearly.
  • Call for feedback and upvotes: Give the reader the next steps and invite them to support your product on the website.

Here’s a product led content marketing template for a good Product Hunt page:

Template Structure

1. Compelling Product Description

  • The Hook (1-2 Sentences): Concisely describe what your product does and the core problem it solves for your target users.
  • Key Benefits: Highlight 2-3 of the most unique or impactful benefits of using your product.

2. Visually Appealing

  • Product Snapshot: Include a high-quality screenshot or a short, well-produced demo video that showcases what your product does in a visually engaging way.
  • Branding: Ensure your screenshots and videos contain your logo or reflect your brand’s visual identity.

3. Features & Differentiators

  • Feature Highlight: Briefly list (bullet points work well) your product’s most innovative or valuable features.
  • What Sets You Apart?: Point out elements that make your product better than competitors or other solutions.

4. Calls to Action & Social Proof

  • “Check it Out” CTA: Include a direct link to your Product Hunt page.
  • Upvotes & Feedback: Explicitly ask for product upvotes and comments. Encourage a dialogue.
  • Social Proof (Optional): If you have strong user testimonials or early reviews, include a concise quote.

5. Additional “Nice to Haves”

  • Launch Day Discount: Offering a special discount or deal to early adopters found through Product Hunt can boost enthusiasm.
  • Founder Background: If you have a compelling founding story that ties into your product mission, briefly share it.

Tips

  • Proofread: Check for typos! Your professionalism counts in a competitive environment.
  • Engage Early: Begin creating buzz beforehand on your social channels, announcing your upcoming launch to followers.
  • Hunter: Find a reputable Product Hunt Hunter to introduce your product, enhancing visibility and credibility.

Here is an excellent example of a successful Product Hunt product page:

It clearly explains the unique selling points of the product while keeping it relatable through the brand’s distinct tone of voice.

Interactive Quizzes or Calculators:

Sometimes, it’s better to let the users recognize their problems. A series of questions/inputs in a quiz or calculator will communicate the user’s problem, demonstrate how your product solves it, or calculate the ROI of its use.

It’s a fun, engaging way to raise awareness of specific use cases and gently move people along the buyer journey.

Here’s how to create both of them:

Interactive Quiz Template

  1. Quiz Purpose & Title
  • Goal: What do you want to achieve? Lead capture, educate, product recommendation, pure entertainment?
  • Title: Hook with a question, promise benefit, or playful humor (e.g., “What’s Your Design Style?”, “Can We Guess Your Ideal Vacation?”)
  1. Questions & Answer Design
  • Short & Sweet: Aim for a total of 5-10 questions max. Users have short attention spans.
  • Answers: Image-based answers are visually engaging. Keep text responses concise.
  • Branching Logic (Optional): For personalized outcomes, make answers influence which question comes next.
  1. Results
  • Outcomes: Plan several personalized outcomes tied to different answer combinations.
  • Shareability: Include engaging titles and images for each possible result to maximize social sharing.
  • CTA: Drive further engagement – product recommendation, resource download, newsletter subscription, etc.

Interactive Calculator Template

  1. Purpose & Appealing Title
  • Goal: Is it to estimate costs, analyze potential gains, determine a timeframe? Be clear in the description.
  • Title: Make the benefit obvious (e.g., “Website ROI Calculator”, “Savings Potential Analyzer”)
  1. Inputs
  • Simplicity: Limit the number of fields users need to fill in. Start with essentials, offering more detail under advanced options.
  • Input Types: Dropdown menus, sliders, numeric entry – balance ease of use with getting necessary data.
  • Clear Labels: Explain what each input field represents and acceptable formats (if applicable).
  1. Output
  • Visual Format: Charts, graphs, or highlighted key numbers are easier to digest than blocks of text.
  • Context: Explain the calculation and why the answer matters. Give insights not just numbers.
  • CTA: Tie the calculator to your product or services (“See how [Product] can get you these results” ).

General Tips for Both

  • Branding: Keep design consistent with your visual identity.
  • Tool Choice: Numerous quiz and calculator builders exist – consider factors like ease of use, embed options, analytics.
  • Testing: Preview on multiple devices and ensure logic flows correctly.

A great interactive calculator example comes from Oyster HR:

Through their tool, the potential user of OysterHR can immediately grasp one of the key features of the app.

This expands their knowledge of the product and moves them toward the decision stage of the buying journey.

Gated Ebooks/Whitepapers (Lead Generation):

In-depth resource on a topic your ideal customer cares about, subtly incorporating your product’s value proposition.

Gating this content will let you collect valuable leads in exchange for high-quality content. This way, you can offer product information without being overly promotional.

Template Structures

1. The Landing Page

  • Compelling Title: Make it problem-solution-oriented, hinting at the valuable knowledge inside.
  • Benefits-Focused Subheader: Elaborate in 2-3 sentences on the specific outcomes the reader will gain.
  • High-Quality Cover Image: A relevant, professional image enhances perceived value.
  • Lead Capture Form: Keep it simple. Name, email, and company are usually sufficient. Consider adding industry or job title dropdowns for better lead qualification.
  • Trust Signals: Testimonials, client logos, or “as seen on” mentions to establish authority.

2. The Ebook/Whitepaper Itself

  • Strong Introduction: Clearly outline the problem your target audience faces, emphasize the urgency and impact it has.
  • Actionable, Data-Driven Content: Offer real solutions, research, insights, or frameworks rather than fluff.
  • Visuals: Break up text with charts, graphs, or relevant images where helpful to aid comprehension.
  • Branded But Subtle: Include your logo and colors, but make the primary focus on valuable content. Avoid a sales pitch vibe.
  • Conclusion & Call to Action: Tie back into the core problem with a brief mention of how your product or service addresses it. Include a low-pressure CTA like “Learn More” or “Visit our Website”

Important Considerations

  • Value Above All: Content must be genuinely helpful and address major pain points of your target audience, or you’ll risk damaging your brand reputation.
  • Length: Find the sweet spot. Enough depth to be valuable, but not so long that it’s intimidating to read.
  • SEO (If Applicable): Optimize titles and descriptions of publicly accessible landing pages for search engines.
  • Have an email nurture sequence ready to send high-quality leads after download. Don’t neglect further relationship building!

Here’s a great example of gated content from Hubspot:

User-Generated Content (UGC) Focused Product-Led Content Templates

UGC is one of the best way to increase the number of organic leads for your SaaS. It utilizes authentic, real-life content coming from the best promoters of your brand: your current customers.

Here are two templates you can use to start leveraging user-generated content:

Testimonial Collection & Display:

Prepare a place for gathering short customer testimonials. One of the easiest way to start is by using platforms like Famewall or Testimonial.to. Their tools help you create user-friendly forms and landing pages where your customers can leave their thoughts about your product.

The key element you should focus on here is providing guidelines around what aspects of your product they should focus on while giving you a testimonial.

This will simplify taking action for the user and help you organize all social proof flowing through the forms.

After you catch the testimonials, use them in places like:

And wherever else you think. Social proof is one of the few marketing tools that don’t cause oversaturation easily.

Don’t go completely crazy, of course. Too much social proof might lead your customers to doubt the authenticity of your product.

Twillio uses their social proof strategically throughout their landing page:

It’s not overwhelming or disruptive. Rather, it supports the claims made in the copy with the voice of the customer.

“How Do You Use Our Product?” Social Media Campaign

I already mentioned using social proof on your social media — but you can take it up a notch.

Ask customers to share photos/videos of themselves using your product. You can also prompt them to use a branded hashtag.

Campaigns like these generate authentic excitement, provide fantastic insights into how people really use your product and create shareable, high-engagement content.

To increase the number of participants, offer an incentive (small prize, feature on your channels, etc.).

Here’s a template for such a campaign:

“How Do You Use Our Product?” Campaign Template

Goals:

  • Gather authentic user-generated content (UGC) showcasing diverse use cases.
  • Boost brand awareness and community engagement.
  • Collect valuable insights for product development/marketing.

1. Campaign Launch

  • Compelling Visual: Design an eye-catching graphic with your product logo, campaign title, and brief instructions.
  • Platforms: Choose platforms based on your audience (Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc.).
  • Branded Hashtag: Create a specific, campaign-tied hashtag for easy tracking (e.g., #[ProductName]Life, #[ProductName]InAction ).
  • Incentive: Consider an enticing prize:
    • Product upgrades, discounts, exclusive swag, or a feature on your official channels.

2. The Prompt

  • Keep it Open-Ended: Encourage creativity; avoid overly narrow themes.
  • Example Questions:
    • “How does [ProductName] make your [work/life] easier?”
    • “What’s a surprising way you’ve used [ProductName]?”
    • “Share your favorite [ProductName] feature and why you love it.”
  • Media Formats: Welcome photo, video, or even brief text-based posts.

3. Amplification

  • Company Participation: Lead by example! Have team members share their use cases using the hashtag.
  • Resharing: Feature outstanding UGC contributions on your channels, tagging customers to maximize reach.
  • Follow-Up Content: Compile testimonials, success stories, or a “best of” highlight reel from the campaign.

4. Post-Campaign

  • Announce Winners: Thank all participants and recognize those selected for prizes.
  • Analyze: What worked well? Did new use cases emerge you weren’t aware of? Use this data to inform future campaigns and product positioning.

Additional Tips:

  • Guidelines: Set clear rules on photo/video quality, submission length, and legal disclaimers if needed.
  • Moderation: Plan for filtering out unsuitable content.
  • Influencer Potential: Identify highly engaged users with the potential for future micro-influencer collaborations.

Example:

Imagine your product is a customizable journal/planner. Your campaign hashtag might be #MyPlannerStory.

Customers might post how they organize work, study, hobbies, or self-care routines using your versatile product.

Customer Retention & Growth Product-Led Content Marketing Templates

Product-led content goes beyond generating sales-qualified leads for your SaaS. You can use it throughout the entire customer journey, including retention.

Here are a few templates to help you do it:

Tips & Tricks Series:

Short, regular emails or blog posts giving users lesser-known product features or “power user” tactics that maximize results. It can be in a simple list format for rapid delivery.

It makes users feel valued, increases product usage, and can subtly reduce customer churn by revealing additional value they may not have known about.

General Structure

  • Title:
    • “[Product Name] Tips & Tricks” for consistency
    • Optionally add volume numbers
  • Focused Topic: Don’t try to cover everything at once. Themes might include onboarding tips, lesser-known features, etc.
  • The Tips: Break down steps clearly, provide context for WHY a tip is valuable.
  • Visuals: Screenshots, short GIFs, or even well-produced explainer videos add enormous value and help comprehension.

Possible Formats

  • Short-Form Blog Posts: Great for searchability. Write a catchy title for each tip, keep posts focused.
  • Email Series: Perfect for drip campaigns. Tease a “New Tip” in each email with a link to your site to read more.
  • Social Media Carousels: Ideal for Instagram or LinkedIn. Each slide has one visual tip with a concise explanation.
  • Video Shorts: YouTube Shorts, TikToks – excellent for features best explained with a demonstration.
  • User-Generated Content Encourage customer “Tips & Tricks” submissions – fantastic for community engagement.

Overarching Template

  1. Intro: Establish the value of tips in terms of saving time, unlocking hidden features, and leveling up users’ mastery.
  2. Tips:
    • Tip #1: [Problem it solves] + [How-to]
    • Tip #2: …
    • (Keep each tip brief for scannability)
  3. Outro: Invite further questions, mention where to find more tips, and subtle CTA to try features mentioned if the user hasn’t yet.

Tips for Great Execution

  • Audience Specific: Tips for an expert user versus a beginner have a different complexity level. Consider a separate series for each.
  • Discoverability: Use a unique hashtag (#[ProductName]Tips ) across platforms for searchability.
  • Repurpose: A well-received social media tip might be expanded into a blog post, and vice versa.

This Semrush blog post can be a great source of inspiration for you:

Referral Program Launch Kit:

Word of mouth is one of the most powerful marketing tools. It leverages satisfied customers to drive acquisition. But so many SaaS companies struggle to tap into its full potential.

Here’s our template to help you get started:

Referral Program Launch Kit Template

1. Define Your Goals & Target Audience

  • Objectives: What do you want to achieve? Increased sales, user acquisition, brand awareness, etc. Be specific with KPIs.
  • Ideal Referrer: Describe the traits of your most satisfied, likely-to-promote customers. This informs later steps.

2. Incentive Design

  • Referrer Reward: Choose rewards your target audience finds enticing (discounts, exclusive access, partner offers, etc.). Consider single-sided (referrer only) or double-sided (for both referrer and the new customer).
  • Reward Structure: Flat bonuses, tiers with escalating value, prize drawings, etc. Balance generosity with sustainability.

3. Program Mechanics

  • Referral Methods: How will customers initiate referrals? Unique links, codes, email forms, etc. Choose user-friendly methods.
  • Tracking & Attribution: Have a reliable system (software or custom built) to track referrals from invitation to completed conversion.
  • Terms & Conditions: Clearly outline eligibility, limitations, and expiry dates for rewards. Have this publicly accessible.

4. Launch Assets

  • Web/App Integration: Design referral program entry points, clear displays of earned rewards, and easy ways to share.
  • Landing Page: (If launching as a standalone promo) A concise and enticing explanation of the program and benefits.
  • Email Templates:
    • Invitation to existing customers (ask for referrals)
    • Welcome email for referred customers
    • Reward confirmations/notifications
  • Social Media Graphics: Branded, shareable assets. Include pre-written copy prompts to make engaging posts easy.

5. Promotion & Outreach

  • Announcement Channels: Email blasts, in-product banners, blog posts, social media
  • Messaging: Craft concise messages highlighting benefits for BOTH referrer and the new customer – don’t be too self-promotional.
  • Internal Mobilization: Ensure support teams are up-to-speed, sales can leverage the program, and that everyone is excited.

6. Post-Launch

  • Metrics Tracking: Monitor referrals, conversion rates, revenue impact, and identify areas for optimization.
  • Customer Feedback: Gather insights into what’s working (or not) from participants.
  • Iteration: A successful program is never fully ‘done’. Adapt based on data and keep adding fresh incentives.

Additional Considerations

  • Legal Compliance: Consult local regulations about referring products/services for compensation.
  • “Wow” Factor: Consider surprising participants to boost delight (handwritten notes, small unexpected gifts, etc.), leading to greater loyalty and word-of-mouth.

A great referral program example comes from ActiveCampaign:

They offer a hefty financial incentive for bringing new users to their platform. This will motivate customers to spread the word about their product and help ActiveCampaign expand its userbase.

Competitive Analysis Template:

It’s not a secret that customers regularly compare SaaS products, looking for the best bang for the buck. Instead of avoiding it, you can proactively facilitate it for your users by creating structured comparisons of your product against top competitors.

Gather the critical criteria (features, pricing, ease of use, etc.) with sections for commentary on how your product shines.

This helps inform potential customers in the decision-making process, subtly guiding them towards your product’s strengths.

Here’s a template to help you do it:

YOUR PRODUCT VS. [COMPETITION] Template

1. Define

  • Competitors: List 3-5 of your most direct competitors. Categorize:
    • Primary: Offer very similar solutions within your target market
    • Secondary: Overlap partially, or with a slightly different audience focus
  • Scope: What are you evaluating? The WHOLE product, feature focus, pricing models, etc. Keep it narrow for maximum value.

2. Data Gathering

  • Research Sources: This will include their own sites, review aggregators, social media, industry publications, etc. It’s helpful to track where this information came from!
  • Customer Sentiment: Scour what people are saying on public forums – what do they LOVE and HATE about rivals?

3. Analysis Matrix

Create a simple table comparing yourself against competitors. Here are key categories to consider (not all may be relevant to your analysis focus):

CriterionYour ProductCompetitor ACompetitor BCompetitor CNotes
PricingCompare tiers
Target AudienceAny mismatches?
Key FeaturesList, then rate importance to YOUR ideal customer
UsabilityFrom reviews, if your own use is limited
IntegrationsEcosystem fit
Support QualityReputation matters
Brand PerceptionGut feeling is sometimes useful
Unique StrengthsWhat truly sets them apart?
WeaknessesWhere is there room for YOU to excel?

4. Insights & Action

  • SWOT Analysis: Briefly convert this into a mini-SWOT with the “Opportunities” based on competitor shortcomings. Are there underserved parts of the market?
  • Positioning: Does your value proposition still stand out? Are there tweaks needed to messaging?
  • Don’t Just Copy: Competitor successes should inspire, not lead to blind imitation. Differentiate strategically.

Additional Tips

  • Visualize: Sometimes charting key criteria (price vs feature richness) reveals gaps more clearly.
  • Date Your Analysis: Competitors evolve – regular reviews are wise, especially with rapid industry changes.
  • Internal Collaboration: This shouldn’t exist in a vacuum. Involve sales teams for on-the-ground insights.

Here’s a creative example done by Fibery:

The “hand-written” visuals and succinct copy help grasp the key differences between their product vs. the competitors.

In such a saturated niche, it’s crucial to communicate your UVP clearly. Fibery does it exceptionally well.

Key Elements of a Product-Led Content

Product-led content is a fantastic way to educate potential customers, showcase your product’s value, and drive growth.

But what makes a genuinely effective template – one that’s easy to follow, and that gets tangible results? Let’s unpack the key elements:

  • Specificity is Strength: Blanket content about general pain points is helpful, but zooming in on the exact problems your product solves is even more powerful. Great product-led content offers guidance on selecting niches within your broader target audience.
  • Focus on Outcomes: You shouldn’t simply explain product features – that’s what product documentation is for. The spotlight should be on what those features enable your users to achieve and the results they bring (saving time, increased profits, etc.).
  • Visuals Matter: Even the most well-written content suffers if it’s just a wall of text. Including screenshots, annotated GIFs, or explainer videos will go a long way in aiding comprehension and engagement.
  • Content + Example = Magic: Providing good advice is helpful. However, pairing it with a fully fleshed-out example based on a hypothetical (or real) product shows that this advice isn’t just theory, but can produce high-quality results.
  • Action Drives Adoption: Encourage clear CTAs throughout your content. Whether it’s subtle prompts to try out a feature highlighted in a walkthrough or suggesting topics for a social media campaign, your content should constantly seek to nudge users towards further engagement with the product itself.
  • Tracking & Refinement: Product-led content pieces aren’t one-and-done deals. Measure performance metrics that are most relevant to evaluate a given content piece success (conversions, social reach, new sign-ups directly stemming from a piece of content, etc.).

Conclusion

Our 13 product-led content templates should give you a good start to creating more diverse content for your SaaS. But remember — they are not set in stone. Feel free to experiment with them and adapt them to your needs.

The best product-led content shouldn’t feel templatized. Infuse authenticity and your brand’s unique voice to keep even the most educational pieces engaging.

What is the product-led approach to marketing?

A product-led approach to marketing (also known as product-led growth or PLG) relies on the product itself as a primary driver of customer acquisition, conversion, and expansion. In this model, companies aim to create a product so intuitive and valuable that users can experience its core benefits with minimal friction, often through free trials or freemium plans.

What is content-led marketing strategy?

Content-led marketing focuses on creating and distributing valuable, relevant, and consistent content. This content could be blog posts, articles, videos, infographics, or other formats. The goal is to attract and engage your target audience organically by providing useful information that helps them solve problems or discover new options.

What is product-led versus marketing-led?

While both are essential, here’s how they differ:

Product-led: Emphasizes building a high-quality product that offers inherent value, making it easy for users to adopt and find success. Marketing efforts support this approach by educating the audience about the product, not directly driving conversions.

Marketing-led: Focuses on generating awareness, leads, and interest through traditional marketing and advertising channels. This might involve promoting the product in various ways before encouraging a user to engage with it.

And if you are looking for someone to help you with scaling your product-led content, you can book a free consultation call with our expert and pick their brain about the optimal content solutions for your business.

Picture of Kuba Czubajewski

Kuba Czubajewski

CEO and Content Marketing Strategist @ StoryAngled. He helped multiple SaaS companies from various niches generate organic leads with SEO and content. In his free time, he works on his own YouTube channel about the science of creativity. Huge fan of product-led content, cats, and baking.

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