How to Build Content Funnels for SaaS Startups

Turn Interest Into Action with Smart, Strategic Content

SaaS buyers don’t follow a straight line. They circle. They compare. They vanish (don’t panic, they come back three months later).

Your content funnel has to meet them where they are and help them move forward without friction. At Borrowed Pen, we build content systems for early-stage and growth-stage SaaS companies that want more than awareness. They want activation. Here’s how we build content funnels that guide prospects through discovery, trust, and conversion.

Step 1: Know Your Funnel (and What Belongs Where)

Let’s break it down:

Funnel Stage	Buyer Mindset	Content Goal	Best Formats
Awareness	“I think I have a problem”	Educate and attract	Blogs, social posts, SEO, videos
Consideration	“I’m exploring solutions”	Build trust + show expertise	White papers, webinars, guides
Decision	“I’m choosing a vendor”	De-risk the choice	Case studies, comparison charts, demos
Retention/ Upsell	“Is this still the right solution?”	Reinforce value	Email sequences, onboarding content, how-tos

Not every SaaS company needs all of this right away. But if you're selling into a competitive market, building content by stage = shorter sales cycles and better-fit buyers.

Step 2: Solve Problems, Not Just Talk About Features

Buyers don’t want to read about your tool. They want to read about:

• The annoying thing it helps them stop doing

• The smarter way they’ll be able to work

• The fear they can finally set down

Content that performs focuses on buyer problems, not product features.

• Do: “How to Simplify Tax Season as a Solopreneur”

• Don’t: “Our New Dashboard Feature Explained”

We help clients reframe content around the real stakes their buyers care about.

Step 3: Don’t Build in Silos

If you’re writing a blog post, you’re halfway to a:

• LinkedIn post

• Email nurture

• FAQ page

• Webinar prompt

• SEO snippet

• Case study hook

We plan your funnel so every piece earns its keep. No throwaway content. Everything connects.

Step 4: Write For Growth Goals, Not Just Awareness

Most SaaS content plans start and stop at the “top of funnel.” However, if you want to grow, you need:

• Consideration-stage content for middle-funnel nurturing

• Bottom-of-funnel tools for sales (like one-pagers, explainer decks, or ROI calculators)

• Retention content that helps CS and onboarding teams reduce churn

We build funnels that align to your full customer lifecycle, not just your ad strategy.

Step 5: Keep the Human Voice

Too many early SaaS brands default to stiff or overly technical writing. But B2B buyers are still people. We help teams find a brand voice that’s:

• Clear and confident

• Relatable, not robotic

• Easy to explain and repeat

• Smart without being smug

That voice carries through the entire funnel.

Real Example:

A SaaS founder came to us with product-market fit, a lean team, and no content. We:

1. Built a three-stage funnel roadmap

2. Developed four blog clusters tied to SEO + buyer pain points

3. Rewrote their onboarding emails for activation

4. Created one sales-enablement deck + two case studies

Result:

• Inbound demo requests grew 67%

• Sales cycle dropped from 63 days to 39

• CS team reported fewer “What does this do?” emails

Your SaaS content funnel should:

• Meet buyers at every stage

• Solve problems (not just pitch features)

• Be easy to repurpose

• Drive action not just traffic

Ready to build a content funnel that moves leads forward? Let’s map it out together. Talk to our team.