Content
What we publish, where, and how it's laid out, so every post, video and email brings the right founders closer to 53°. A living strategy: we review it every quarter.
Purpose
What content is for at 53°.
Help founders think bigger and work better, often enough that 53° becomes the obvious place to do it.
Useful before it's promotional
Most of what we publish should help a founder even if they never sign up. Trust comes first; the trial follows.
Show the work
The product is the best proof we have. Show it doing a real job, on screen, rather than describing it with adjectives.
One idea, one next step
Every piece makes one point and asks for one thing: read the guide, watch the walkthrough, start the trial.
Who we write for
Five audiences, one shared ambition: a business that's going somewhere. Write each piece for one of them, and send them to their own page on the site.
| Audience | What's on their mind | What we give them | Their page |
|---|---|---|---|
| Founders | Where the business should be in two years, and why this week doesn't seem to get it closer. | Goal-setting and planning that connects the big picture to Monday morning. | For founders |
| Freelancers | Winning the next client, getting paid, and too many tools for a business of one. | Proposals, follow-ups and a simple way to run the whole business in one place. | For freelancers |
| Agencies | Winning work, delivering it on time and keeping clients in the loop without endless updates. | Pipeline to proposal to project, and client access through guests. | For agencies |
| Small teams | Everyone pulling in the same direction, and knowing who owns what. | Quarterly focus, ownership and a weekly pulse on progress. | For small teams |
| SMEs | Growth adding more tools, more handovers and less visibility. | Sales, delivery and the plan behind them, together. | For SMEs |
What we post
Four pillars, each leaning on one part of our voice. The shares are a guide for a month's content, not a quota for a week.
Big goals, small steps (about 30%)
Inspirational. How to set a goal worth chasing, break it into Missions and keep it in sight. This is the Moonshot thinking only we talk about, so it's what people remember us for.
Running the business (about 40%)
Helpful. Practical guides on proposals, pricing, follow-ups, onboarding clients, planning a week and email marketing. Answers to what our audience searches for, with 53° shown as one good way to do it.
Built in the open (about 20%)
Optimistic. What we shipped, why we built it and what's next. Decisions, lessons and numbers from building 53° itself. It shows the product moving and gives people a reason to come back.
Proof (about 10%, growing)
Stories of how a founder, freelancer or agency uses 53°, in their words and with their numbers. Small while we're in early access; the share grows as customers do.
Do
- Teach the thing, and show 53° as one good way to do it.
- Use real numbers, real screens and real decisions from building 53°.
- Answer the questions our audience types into search and asks on LinkedIn.
Don't
- Posting about a feature without the job it does for someone.
- Comparing ourselves to named competitors. Show what we do instead.
- Trend-chasing that has nothing to do with running a business.
From reader to customer
Each channel has a job in getting someone from never having heard of us to telling a friend. Know which stage a piece serves before you write it.
| Stage | Goal | Where it happens | What we watch |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reach | Be found by founders who've never heard of us. | LinkedIn, YouTube, search traffic to the blog | Followers, views, new visitors |
| Trust | Be useful enough that they want more. | Blog guides, YouTube walkthroughs, the newsletter | Newsletter sign-ups, return visits, replies |
| Trial | Make starting the 28-day trial the obvious next step. | Feature and audience pages, the welcome sequence, calls to action in posts | Calls to action clicked, trials started |
| Customer | Help a trial reach the moment 53° clicks, before it ends. | Getting Started, the trial sequence, help docs, the changelog | Trials converted |
| Advocate | Give happy customers something worth sharing. | Changelog, product news, customer stories, referrals | Referrals, mentions, stories we can tell |
Channels
What to post on each channel and how to lay it out. The visual rules (sizes, colours, the email kit) are in the Styleguide under Channels; this is about the words and the structure.
Reach and trust. Our main social channel, and where our audience already talks about work. Posts from a founder's own profile reach further than the company page, so the company page shares them again and adds its own.
| Post | What it is | For example |
|---|---|---|
| Lesson | Something we learnt building 53° or running a small business, in a short text post. | We cut our proposal from 9 pages to 2. More of them got signed. |
| How-to carousel | A guide in 6 to 10 slides, uploaded as a PDF document. Often a blog post in short. | Five steps from a big goal to this week's plan |
| Product moment | A 20 to 40 second screen recording of one feature doing one job, with captions. | Proposals now show when they're opened. |
| Point of view | A clear opinion on how small businesses plan or work, and why. | Most to-do lists are missing the reason for each task. |
| Milestone | A launch, a number or a thank you, kept short and specific. | 53° is now in early access. Here's what's inside. |
1. Hook
The first two lines are all most people see before 'see more'. Make them specific: a result, a number or a tension. No 'I'm excited to announce'.
2. Body
One idea, in short lines with space between them. Three to five points at most. Write it the way you'd say it to another founder.
3. Close
A takeaway or one honest question that invites a reply. Then, if there's a link, it goes in the first comment so the post can travel.
Do
- Reply to every comment, ideally within the first hour.
- Use zero to three relevant hashtags, at the end.
- Add captions to every video. Most people watch without sound.
Don't
- Engagement bait: 'Comment YES', polls with no point, tag-a-friend.
- Emoji as bullet points, or more than one emoji in a post.
- A sales pitch. Share progress; the profile does the selling.
Blog
Trust, and reach through search. The home for anything worth keeping: every other channel points back here. Two categories, each with its own length.
| Category | What it's for | Length |
|---|---|---|
| Guides | How to do something a founder needs to do, with 53° as one good way to do it. | 800 to 1,500 words |
| Product news | What's new and why it matters, for anything bigger than a changelog entry. | 300 to 600 words |
1. Title
The outcome or the question, in the reader's words, in sentence case. Under 60 characters so search results don't cut it short.
2. Excerpt
One sentence saying what the reader will get. It's the card on the blog, the search snippet and the RSS summary, so write it last and write it well.
3. Opening
Two or three sentences: the problem as they'd describe it, then what this post will help them do. No warm-up.
4. Sections
An H2 for each step or idea, so the table of contents reads as a summary. H3s only to split a long section. Short paragraphs, lists where there's a list.
5. Show it
A screenshot, a video or a live component wherever the product does the job. One per section at most, each with alt text or a caption.
6. Close
The one thing to remember, pulled into a callout, then one next step: a related guide, a feature page or the trial.
Do
- Pick one search phrase per post. Use it in the title, the first paragraph and one H2.
- Link to the matching feature page and to two related posts.
- Write the excerpt and the SEO description for a person, not a search engine.
Don't
- Opening with a definition or a history lesson.
- More than one button. Every other call to action is a text link.
- Publishing before reading the preview on a phone, where most people read it.
Blog formatting
Each element in the article editor has one job. Choose the one that suits what you're saying, so a reader skimming the page still gets the point.
| Element | Use it for | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Headings | A new step or idea, every 200 to 300 words. H2 for sections, H3 only to split a long one. Each reads as a summary of what's under it. | Clever or vague headings ('The secret sauce'). Skipping from H2 to H4. |
| Paragraphs | One point each, in one to three sentences. A one-line paragraph is fine for a point that needs room. | Anything longer than four lines on a laptop. |
| Bullets | Three to seven related points in no particular order, each starting the same way and each under two lines. | A single bullet, bullets inside bullets, or a list that's really a paragraph cut up. |
| Numbered list | Steps in order, one action each, or a ranking. Start each step with the verb. | Numbering points that don't happen in order. |
| Bold | The phrase a skimmer needs, once or twice a section. A bold lead-in when list items run long. | Whole sentences, or so much bold that nothing stands out. |
| Quote | Someone else's words: a customer, a founder, a source. Name who said it, in the line after. | Our own sentence, quoted for emphasis. That's a callout's job. |
| Callout | A tip, a note or a warning the reader shouldn't miss. Two or three a post at most. | A callout in every section, or one that repeats the paragraph above it. |
| Image | The screen the text describes, cropped to the part that matters, with alt text. A caption when it needs explaining. | Stock photos, or a full-screen capture where the point is one button. |
| Video | A process with more than three steps, shown on screen. Usually one a post, often its YouTube walkthrough. | A video that repeats the text word for word, with nothing to show. |
| Table | Comparing a few options on the same points, such as plans, methods or tools. Five columns at most. | A table with one row, or prose squeezed into cells. |
| Chart | A number whose shape matters: a trend, or one thing against another. The title says what to notice. | Charts for decoration, or figures without a source. |
| Bookmark | One essential page the reader should open next, our own guide or a source, shown as a card. One or two a post. | A bookmark for every link. Most links belong in the sentence. |
| Buttons | The post's one main action, usually at the end. One more in the middle of a long guide. | More than one filled button, or a button for a minor link. |
| Links | Words that say where they go: 'see how proposals work'. Feature pages and related posts. | 'Click here', bare addresses, or five links in one paragraph. |
| Inline code | Something typed exactly, such as a keyboard shortcut or a merge tag. | Product names or emphasis. |
| Code block | More than a line the reader will copy exactly, such as a form's embed snippet. Set the language, and add the file name when there is one. It comes with a copy button. | A picture of code, which can't be copied. Long files: show the lines that matter and link to the rest. |
Do
- Break up the text every three or four paragraphs with a heading, a list, a picture or a callout.
- Skim the draft reading only the headings, the bold and the callouts. That alone should tell the story.
- Put a picture or video near the top of any guide about the product, so the reader sees it before reading about it.
Don't
- Using an element for decoration. If it isn't doing a job, cut it.
- Two blocks back to back with no text between them, such as a callout straight after an image.
- Five paragraphs in a row with nothing to break them up.
Changelog
Customers, and trials deciding whether to stay. The public changelog on Productlane shows the product moving. It's written for customers, not copied from the release notes our pull requests generate.
Title
What you can now do, as a plain statement: 'Proposals now show when they're opened.' Not the feature's internal name, and never the pull request's title.
Why and how
One sentence on why it helps, then the steps to try it. Link to the help doc for the detail.
Picture
One screenshot or short screen recording of the change, in the product's dark or light theme, cropped to the part that changed.
Do
- Group small fixes into one 'Improvements' entry with a short list.
- Give anything big a Product news post as well, and link the two.
- Thank the customer who asked for it, when they're happy to be named.
Don't
- Internal names, ticket numbers or technical detail.
- Announcing what hasn't shipped. The changelog is what's live now.
YouTube
Reach through search, and trust: it's where people learn how to do things. Every long video has a matching blog post, and both link to each other.
| Video | What it is | Length |
|---|---|---|
| Walkthrough | One feature or job, start to finish, in the product. The video block puts it on the matching feature page and blog post too. | 3 to 8 minutes |
| Method | How to plan a quarter, run a weekly review or set a Moonshot. The thinking first, then how 53° holds it. | 8 to 15 minutes |
| Build in public | What we shipped this month, what we learnt, and what's next. | 5 to 10 minutes |
| Short | One tip or one feature moment, cut from a longer video, vertical, with captions. | Under 60 seconds |
1. The first 15 seconds
Show the result, then say what the viewer will be able to do by the end. Skip the intro sting and the 'hi everyone'.
2. The work
Do it in the product, with realistic sample data, at a pace someone can follow. Zoom in on what matters.
3. Recap and next step
Sum it up in a sentence, then point to one thing: the next video, the guide or the trial. Not all three.
Do
- Titles a person would search for, in sentence case: 'How to plan a quarter for a small team'.
- Thumbnails on Ink with a Noto Serif headline of four words or fewer and one orange accent.
- Chapters in the description, the most useful link in its first two lines, and captions always.
Don't
- Clickbait titles or shocked faces in thumbnails.
- Real customer data on screen. Use the sample organisation.
Newsletter
Trust. The one channel we own outright. It promises ideas on running your business and what's new in 53°, so every issue keeps that promise. One column, in the email kit, sent from 53°.
1. Subject and preview
A specific subject under 50 characters, in sentence case. The preview text carries on from it rather than repeating it.
2. Opening
Two or three lines from a person, by name: what's on our mind this month and why it matters to the reader.
3. Lead story
One idea in 150 to 250 words, usually the month's best guide, with a link to read the rest.
4. Short items
Two or three at most: what's new in 53°, a quick tip, something worth reading elsewhere. A line or two each.
5. One call to action
One orange button for the one thing we most want this month. Everything else is a text link.
6. Sign-off
From the same person who opened it, with an invitation to reply. Replies are read and answered.
Do
- Send it from a person's name, not 'The 53° team'.
- Keep it readable in two minutes. Link out for the rest.
- Write the plain-text version too. It's what some people see.
Don't
- Clickbait subjects, 'Re:' or 'Fwd:' tricks, or all-caps.
- A newsletter that's only product news. That's the changelog's job.
Sequences
Trial and customer. Emails that send themselves when someone joins a list, built in 53°. Each email has one job, one link and fewer than 150 words, from a person.
| Sequence | Starts when | What it sends |
|---|---|---|
| Welcome (newsletter) | Someone joins the newsletter list | Day 0: welcome and our three best guides. Day 3: the Moonshot idea. Day 7: how 53° holds it, with the trial. If they clicked, a product walkthrough next; if not, another guide. |
| Trial | Someone starts a trial | One email for each of the Getting Started steps that matter most, a few days apart. A halfway check-in. Before the trial ends: what they've built, and what they keep by choosing a plan. |
| Enquiry follow-up | Someone sends a sales or contact form | A reply from a person straight away, then one useful resource matched to what they asked, then a check-in a week later. |
Do
- Use If / else paths so people who've acted don't get asked again.
- Write each email so it makes sense on its own. People skip some.
- Take people out of a sequence once it's done its job, such as when a trial converts.
Don't
- Sending more than one email in two days.
- Guilt or false urgency: 'Last chance!', 'Don't miss out'.
One idea, every channel
Make one good thing and give it six lives, rather than six thin things. A guide usually travels like this, over two or three weeks.
| Channel | What it becomes |
|---|---|
| Blog | The full guide: the source everything else points back to. |
| YouTube | The same guide, done on screen. Embedded in the post. |
| The key idea as a lesson post, then the steps as a carousel a week later. | |
| Short | The single best moment from the video. |
| Newsletter | The lead story, with a link to the post. |
| Sequences | If it's evergreen, it replaces a weaker email in the welcome sequence. |
Rhythm
A pace we can keep for a year beats a burst we can keep for a month. Start here, and step up once it's easy.
| Channel | How often | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 3 a week from a founder's profile, 2 from the company page | Weekday mornings, UK time, to start | |
| Blog | 2 a month to start: one guide, one other | Weekly once there's a backlog |
| Changelog | Every time something ships | A round-up in the newsletter each month |
| YouTube | 1 long video a month, 2 to 4 Shorts cut from it | Publish the long video with its blog post |
| Newsletter | Monthly, on the same day each month | Fortnightly once the list asks for more |
| Sequences | Always on | Reviewed every quarter |
Measuring
Watch what shows a reader moving to the next stage, not what flatters. Calls to action on the site are tracked in PostHog by where they sit, so we can see which channel sent the trial.
| Channel | Watch | Not |
|---|---|---|
| Comments and reposts, profile visits, clicks to the site | Impressions on their own | |
| Blog | Search traffic, time reading, calls to action clicked, newsletter sign-ups | Page views on their own |
| Changelog | Feature use after the entry goes out | Entry views |
| YouTube | Average view duration, clicks to the site, subscribers | Views without watch time |
| Newsletter | Clicks, replies, unsubscribes | Opens, which mail privacy features inflate |
| Sequences | Trials started from the welcome sequence, trials converted | Each email's opens |
Keeping it current
This is a working strategy, not a finished document. Last reviewed in November 2026.
Run it in 53°
Content ideas go into Brain Space. The plan is a project with a task per piece. Newsletters and sequences send from 53°. If it's awkward for us, it's awkward for customers, so tell the product team.
Review it every quarter
At the quarterly review, look at the numbers in Measuring, keep what works, drop what doesn't, and change the mix and rhythm here.
Change it in the same diff
This page lives in the codebase beside the rest of the brand. When the strategy changes, update the page, so it's always the version we follow.
Before you publish
Four checks for any post, video or email, on top of the ones on the Voice page.
Who is it for?
Name the audience and the problem. If it's for everyone, it's for no one.
Which pillar?
It should sit in one. If it's 'Built in the open' three times in a row, the next piece should help.
What's the one next step?
One call to action, and it matches where the reader is: a guide for a stranger, the trial for someone who's read three.
Does it sound like us?
Run the Voice page's checks: plain, brief, on their side, British English, sentence case.