Contently Pitch Deck Breakdown [Let's Explore What Worked]

Ron, one of our clients, asked us something while we were working on his pitch deck that made all of us pause. He said,

“I saw the Contently pitch deck. How are they explaining something as complex as content strategy so simply? Why does it feel so effortless?”

Our Creative Director replied,

“Because they didn’t overthink it. They knew what mattered, and they led with it.”

As a presentation design agency, we work on many pitch decks throughout the year, and in the process we’ve observed one common challenge: most founders try too hard to impress instead of clearly expressing what they solve.

In this blog, we’re going to unpack that problem by analyzing the Contently pitch deck and showing you what actually works when you're pitching a content-driven platform.

In case you didn't know, we specialize in only one thing: making presentations. We can help you by designing your slides and writing your content too.

Why the Contently Pitch Deck Still Matters

Most people assume a pitch deck is just about showing traction, tossing in a hockey stick graph, and wrapping it all up in sleek design. That’s only half the job. The real job is clarity. Can you explain what you do in a way that a tired investor, skimming your deck between meetings, gets it immediately? If not, you’ve already lost the room.

This is where Contently got it right. Their pitch deck didn’t try to be clever. It focused on being clear. Page one? They spelled out the problem in ten words or less. No jargon. No fluff. Just a sharp, clean articulation of what wasn’t working in the world of branded content—and why Contently existed to fix it.

We’ve seen this issue play out too many times. Founders who are too deep in their product, who know the space inside out, tend to explain it from their vantage point. The problem is, the investor or buyer isn’t standing where they’re standing. They're still trying to figure out where the ground is.

What Contently’s deck reminded us (and what we constantly remind our clients like Ron) is that the pitch deck isn’t about showing how smart you are. It’s about showing how clear your thinking is.

Contently Pitch Deck Breakdown

Here's the original pitch deck for your reference...

There’s a reason this deck stuck with us.

It doesn’t just check boxes. It communicates with purpose. It doesn’t try to do too much or look overly polished. And that’s precisely why it works.

This is a Series B funding deck, which means Contently wasn’t pitching an idea—they were pitching traction, relevance, and future dominance. And they managed to do all that in just 14 slides. That kind of clarity isn’t just rare—it’s the result of knowing exactly what to say and what to leave out.

Here’s what stood out to us—and why it should matter to you.

1. It opens with confidence, not clutter

What they did: The first slide sets the tone: “Contently: Series B Financing Deck. Powering the brand publishing cloud.” Below that? Customer logos.

Why it works:They don’t waste time introducing themselves. They start by anchoring their identity, their value proposition, and their existing market credibility—all in one view.

There’s no chest-beating here. Just a quiet “Here’s who we are, and look who already trusts us.”

2. Timing and context are established instantly

What they did: Right after the opener, the deck states: “It’s 2013. Content marketing is the #1 digital priority for brands.”

Why it works: It’s hard to overstate how effective this line is. It immediately grounds the pitch in the context of its time. It tells investors: “We’re not trying to create a market. We’re already in one that’s booming.”

Too many decks jump into what they do without first answering why now. Contently nails that answer in one sentence.

3. The problem is brutally clear

What they did: Their next point? “Creating original content is brands’ #1 challenge.”

Why it works: No fluff. No setup. Just a problem statement that directly connects to the timing from the previous slide.

The repetition of “#1” between the market trend and the problem creates a smooth, subtle link. It’s not just good copy—it’s continuity. And it makes the problem feel urgent without trying too hard.

4. Social proof is placed with intention

What they did: A quote from Forbes comes in right after the problem statement.

Why it works:This isn’t just a press brag. It’s a smart validation point. Investors need to see that the market agrees with your take. Instead of making them dig for credibility, Contently hands it to them—right at the moment when they’re most likely to ask, “But is this really a thing?”

That timing matters. Validation that’s too early looks insecure. Too late, and it feels like an afterthought. They nailed the moment.

5. The product is the backbone of the story

What they did: After setting up the problem, they introduce the platform and take a few slides to unpack what it is, how it works, and why it matters.

Why it works: This part is clean and informative without being overwhelming. They don’t drown you in features. They show you what the platform is and how it solves the problem they just highlighted.

It’s not a “here’s our product” moment—it’s a “here’s the obvious next step” moment. The transition feels natural because the narrative has earned it.

Also, they spaced the content out over multiple slides, which allows each idea to breathe. There’s no clutter. No cramming. Just confident pacing.

6. Customer logos are used strategically—not as decoration

What they did: Throughout the deck, customer logos appear consistently—sprinkled across relevant slides.

Why it works:Logos aren’t bunched up on a single slide. They show up where they’re needed most, reinforcing trust at key storytelling beats.

That matters. Logos lose power when they’re just presented as a flex. But when they’re used to support a narrative—when they validate product relevance or market traction—they carry real weight.

It’s a technique we recommend all the time: show proof where proof is most needed.

7. Financials are clean and essential—not bloated

What they did: In just two slides, they present clear graphs showing financial growth and key metrics.

Why it works: There’s no vanity data here. Just the metrics that matter. Revenue, growth, customer retention—things investors at Series B actually care about.

And the visuals? Simple. Not stylized to death. Just clean graphs that are easy to interpret at a glance.

By keeping it tight, Contently shows they respect the investor’s time and intelligence. That builds trust faster than ten paragraphs of explanation ever could.

8. The future is framed with bold, specific ambition

What they did: They move into vision with statements like “Our goal: own the entire value chain” and “Our unfair advantage: the value chain starts with creation.”

Why it works: This is where most decks get aspirational and vague. Contently doesn’t.

Their ambition is huge, but it’s anchored in logic. If they already own content creation (the hardest part), expanding into distribution and analytics doesn’t sound like a moonshot—it sounds like the natural next step.

And the copy is gutsy. There’s no hedging. No “we aim to…” or “we’re exploring…” Just direct, grounded ambition.

Plus, the layout here is intentionally bold. Big text. White space. No distractions. It tells you: “Read this. It matters.”

9. The team slide keeps it real

What they did: They list the team with titles and credentials. That’s it.

Why it works: At Series B, no one is investing in your personality. They’re investing in your ability to scale. The team slide here says, “We’ve done this before. We can do it again.” And then it moves on.

This kind of restraint is underrated. A bloated team slide can make even strong teams look like they’re trying too hard. Contently avoided that.

10. The deck closes without begging

What they did:The final slide just says: “Contently: Tell great stories.”

Why it works:They don’t end with a desperate ask or a forced thank-you. They just leave you with their brand. Confident, consistent, and calm.

It works because the rest of the deck did the heavy lifting. The close isn’t trying to impress—it’s just signing off. That’s all it needs to do.

So what’s the takeaway?

This deck isn’t fancy. It’s not dripping in animation or designed to dazzle. But it does one thing incredibly well: it communicates with intent.

Every slide earns its place. Every statement advances the story. Nothing is forced, and nothing feels like filler.

When clients like Ron ask us, “How do we make our pitch deck feel tight without losing depth?”—this is the kind of deck we point to.

It’s proof that when the story is sharp, you don’t need to shout.

---

Why Hire Us to Build your Presentation?

If you're reading this, you're probably working on a presentation right now. You could do it all yourself. But the reality is - that’s not going to give you the high-impact presentation you need. It’s a lot of guesswork, a lot of trial and error. And at the end of the day, you’ll be left with a presentation that’s “good enough,” not one that gets results. On the other hand, we’ve spent years crafting thousands of presentations, mastering both storytelling and design. Let us handle this for you, so you can focus on what you do best.

---

Explore Case Studies | Get to Know Us | Start Your Project