Angles & Formats
Angles & Formats — Miles Mortensen (ISOM)
Taxonomy of angle types crossed with format options. The matrix that turns "we know the persona's pain" into "we know how to express it in a 30-second Reel."
Purpose
Two parts: the angle taxonomy (what you say) and the format taxonomy (how you say it). The matrix at the end maps angles × formats and notes which combinations work best for which persona, awareness stage, and content pillar. Output is a content production catalogue anyone on the team can pull a brief from.
How to populate
Sources to mine:
- Content Topics & Angles (which angles map to which persona)
- Content Pillars (which formats belong to which channel)
- Top Performers Ad Analysis (real-world examples of angle × format combinations that work)
- Reference examples from outside the client's category (cross-pollinate)
What good looks like: the angle taxonomy is complete (8-12 angle types). The format taxonomy lists 6-10 format options with use cases. The matrix has 2-3 example links per cell, ideally from the client's own performance data or close-fit competitor examples.
Update: per campaign. Refresh as new high-performing examples surface in the wild.
Angle Types (What you say)
| Angle Type | Description | Best for Awareness Stage | Example Link |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pain Point / Problem | Lead with the frustration, validate the struggle | Problem Aware | [TO POPULATE] |
| Fear / Consequence | Surface the cost of doing nothing | Problem / Solution Aware | |
| Aspiration / Future Pacing | Sell the after-state | Solution / Product Aware | |
| Founder / Brand Story | Origin and why-we-built-this | Problem / Solution Aware | |
| Educational / How-To | Teach a piece of the solution | Solution Aware | |
| Comparison / Us vs Them | Position against alternatives | Product / Most Aware | |
| Transformation / Before-After | Show the change | Solution / Product Aware | |
| Social Proof / Testimonial | Other people's results | All stages | |
| Behind the Scenes | Process, day-in-the-life, build-in-public | Solution / Product Aware | |
| Objection Handling | Pre-empt the no | Product / Most Aware | |
| Urgency / Scarcity | Why now | Product / Most Aware | |
| Value Stack / Offer | What you get | Most Aware |
Format Options (How you say it)
| Format | Description | Best Use Case |
|---|---|---|
| UGC Video | Real person talking to camera | Testimonials, reviews, relatable content |
| Product Demo | Show product / drill / move in action | Solution / Product Aware |
| Talking Head | Creator-to-camera narrative | Pain points, education, brand story |
| Carousel | Multi-slide breakdown | Education, comparison, value stack |
| Static Graphic | Single image with text overlay | Social proof, quotes, stats |
| Voice-over + B-roll | Narration over visual footage | Aspiration, behind the scenes |
| Long-form Video | 5-15 minute explainer | YouTube, awareness building |
| Short-form Reel | 15-60s vertical | TikTok, IG Reels, top of funnel |
| Live / Q&A | Real-time interaction | Community building, objection handling |
| Story / Ephemeral | 24h temp content | BTS, polls, engagement |
Angle × Format Matrix
| Angle ↓ / Format → | UGC | Product Demo | Talking Head | Carousel | Static | VO+B-roll | Long Video | Reel |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pain Point | [example link] | |||||||
| Fear / Consequence | ||||||||
| Aspiration | ||||||||
| Founder Story | ||||||||
| Educational | ||||||||
| Comparison | ||||||||
| Transformation | ||||||||
| Social Proof | ||||||||
| Behind the Scenes | ||||||||
| Objection Handling | ||||||||
| Urgency | ||||||||
| Value Stack |