There are an estimated 30,000 SaaS companies around the globe, with the US dominating about 60% of these companies.
That’s alllllot of competition.
If you’re reading this you might be trying to find ways to stand out from the crowd… There are so many different forms of marketing out there, but which strategy works the best?
…Particularly for SaaS.
This article will share some of the most effective marketing methods for Saas businesses but also a strategy that we use at Salesbread to help our Saas clients get 1 qualified sales lead per day.
(Salesbread is a done-for-you lead generation agency that specializes in expert list building and personalized outreach, which guarantees 1 qualified sales lead per day. If this sounds like something you might be interested in, hop on a free 15-minute strategy call here.)
First, consider your price points before you choose a strategy
Why is this important?
Because if you’re selling a $200/month Saas product and I’m selling a $2000/ month product, our marketing efforts are going to be quite different.
Knowing your price points will help you decide which form of marketing you can and can’t afford. Depending on your pricing, you could hire a small in-house sales team. This could consist of 3 – 4 people.
Maybe an SDR, a prospector and a closer.
But this might only work for companies who are selling high-ticket items.
If you’re selling lower-priced items, or you’re a new start-up who doesn’t have a massive budget, you might consider hiring a freelancer content marketer, or maybe just 1 SDR.
Your strategy really depends on what you can afford.
Think about who you are selling to
When it comes to selling your Saas product, ask yourself who you are selling to.
You have 2 options:
- You’re either selling to the end customer
Or
- You’re selling through partnership campaigns – This means finding people who are already connected to the end customer. You will then need to create a strategy where you can reach out to potential partners who could be a referral source for your business.
Why does this matter?
Because if you’re selling lower-priced products, the CEO might have given buying power to a manager for example. You could then contact the manager instead and try to win over the sale.
But if you’re selling a product that’s $ 10,000 a month, contacting the CEO or the main decision-maker would be the best option.
The reason?
A lower-level employee might not be able to make such a huge buying decision for their company.
Whoever you’re selling to will influence the strategy that you choose to use.
Build a target audience list based on current buying data
If you do decide to use an outbound approach to your marketing, it’s important to build an ultra-refined prospecting list that is based on data.
So how would you do this?
Look at WHO has purchased your SaaS product within the past 6 months.
And then ask yourself, what do all these buyers have in common?
Once you figure out commonalities it’s easier to build a look-a-like list of potential customers.
What patterns do all your buyers have in common?
- Are they located in the same area?
- Are they in the same industry?
- Do they have a specific number of subscribers or website visitors?
- Have they recently been funded?
- Do they use social media marketing?
- Are they using a specific CRM tool? Like Hubspot or Salesforce?
- Maybe you have noticed that they all have a high churn rate and your Saas product can help solve that issue.
Here’s an example of how we would build a list of Saas prospects…
In this episode, we cover things such as:
- How to build a company list
- The deeper side of how to list build
- An example of using a website live chat feature
- Ideas on where to take your list-building
- How a refined list can make your copy a breeze
- Looking into foreign companies
- Helpful tools you need for your list
- Salesbread’s key insight on building your list
Once you have an ultra-refined list of prospects based on data it’s easier to target the right businesses, which will give you better conversion rates.
Now that you have figured out your price points and your ideal customer profile, you can decide which form of marketing will be best for your business.
Here are some Saas marketing strategies to consider:
Linkedin outreach
(With LinkedIn outreach, you could either do this on your own or hire an agency like Salesbread .)
LinkedIn outreach isn’t too complicated but you need to have a super refined list of prospects (like we mentioned earlier) AND your messages have to be ultra personalized.
If you do these 2 things, then the chances of your campaign failing will be minimal.
On average we are seeing positive reply rates on LinkedIn of 39%, which gives us 1 positive sales lead per day.
So here’s how to do it.
Step 1: Filter by your 2nd degree network AND recently posted
Once you have an ultra-refined list of prospects, as we mentioned above, you can plug that list into LinkedIn Sales Navigator and filter by your second-degree network.
Why should you filter by your second-degree network?
The reason for this is that statistically speaking, prospects who are in your second-degree network will be more likely to connect with you than those who aren’t.
They have already accepted someone like you into their network, so the chances of them accepting you too will be high.
We also like to take that list and filter it by “Posted on LinkedIn recently”
This helps us only reach out to prospects who are active on the platform. There’s no point in sending a prospect a message on Linkedin if they are never online.
If this is the case, you could always add that individual to an email or SMS campaign.
Step 2: Research each prospect in order to write personalized messages
The reason why we do this is that it sets our messages apart from every other spammy automated message.
Which message would you prefer?
Message A
Or
Message B
I don’t know about you, but I’d most probably reply to message B.
Why? Because something personal has been written in the message. The part that says “based on your 10 years experience with AI law”.
This means that the person has done their research and has written something specifically for me.
It isn’t a bulk outreach message that’s just been sent to everyone on a broad list.
Messages like this stand out.
(This article: 60 LinkedIn Connection Request Message Templates shares some personalized invites you can use if you would like to try this approach. )
Remember when it comes to copywriting for outreach, use the 90/10 principle. This means speaking about the prospect 90% of the time and only 10% about yourself or your business for context.
Also, use the CCQ method. This means mentioning a commonality, sharing a compliment or asking a question. We also like to mention pain points that the prospect might be experiencing and subtly mention how the product could fix their problem.
This approach encourages prospects to engage with you.
Read this for more info on LinkedIn copywriting.
Step 3: Follow up and ask for a booked meeting
Next, follow up until the prospect replies. We encourage doing this between 3 and 6 times. If they don’t respond through Linkedin, try cold email, or SMS.
It’s also important to get your follow-up cadence just right. If you follow up too often, prospects will get frustrated and if you follow up too little, they might forget about you.
Below are some examples for you to consider.
We have found that this works well.
Some marketing teams or sales reps feel nervous to ask for a booked call in their messages, but we have found that being direct and just asking for a sales call works really well.
Being transparent is also important.
If you hop on a call and start selling your service, it’s going to be super awkward if the prospect isn’t aware that you actually want to sell them something.
But here are some CTA’s that we use when asking for a meeting.
- What does your calendar look like over the next week?
- Let’s hop on a quick 10-minute call to discuss?
- Worth a short conversation?
- Send me your calendar link and I will book a spot
Does this approach work?
It sure does.
Here are some of our Saas case studies, including metrics for your perusal.
Our Top B2B SaaS Marketing Strategy For More Sales Leads
Loft stats
Directech Labs Stats
Report Mule Stats
Joot Stats
So if you haven’t tried LinkedIn outreach for your Saas company give it a try. Most of our leads come in within the first 48 hours after launching our marketing campaigns
Content Marketing
When it comes to content marketing for Saas companies, I suggest reading the articles from Grow and Convert.
This is an excellent content marketing agency that focuses mainly on helping fuel the growth of SaaS companies.
But some of the things that they mention in their articles is that many Saas companies who try content marketing focus mainly on top-of-the-funnel topics. This is because most marketing logic tells you to guide customers through each stage of the funnel.
But they argue that in almost every Saas company there is already a “significant portion of potential customers who are in the consideration and conversion stages.”
Grow and Convert suggests focusing on converting those who are ready to buy first.
Therefore if you want more high-quality Saas customers who convert, focus your content marketing strategy on the bottom and middle of funnel topics first. After you’ve exhausted all these keywords and topics, work your way up the sales funnel to broader topics.
For example in your SEO strategy instead of using broad keywords, focus on keywords that qualified leads would most probably do a Google search for.
Like:
- “Best X software”
- “[Use case] software”
- “[Industry] software”
- “[Competitor] alternatives”
Watch the video below because it goes into more detail:
Other forms of content marketing include things such as:
PPC
Some tips when it comes to pay-per-click for those in the Saas industry is to do the following:
- Ensure your PPC strategy is objective-lead
- Tailor your ads to your target market
- Use retargeting campaigns
- Optimize your PPC landing pages
- Don’t rely only on Google Ads but have a multi-channel approach
Search engine optimization of your articles and landing pages.
Use these tips when it comes to SEO for your product and landing pages
- 1-2 CTAs
- Platform demo video
- High-quality platform screenshots
- Solution benefits
- “What Is [Solution]” section (for the featured snippet)
- Case studies internal links
- Brand image trust signals
- Competitor comparison table
- FAQ section
- An excellent website with a great user experience
Content marketing on platforms like LinkedIn or Facebook
Content marketing on social media platforms like Linkedin can also help you acquire new customers.
The trick is to become a thought leader on the platform by providing helpful content that your followers will love engaging with.
In your digital marketing strategy for social be sure to include testimonials and case studies. Mention value propositions and create guides that your users will find helpful.
If you post constantly, prospects will remember you as a leader in your industry and the chances of them reaching out to you will be higher.
Paid advertising
Paid advertising can be costly, especially if you’re using platforms like LinkedIn or Google.
It’s not our favorite form of marketing because we have had many clients tell us that they spent over $10,000 on paid ads, and never even received 1 lead.
We aren’t saying don’t try it out… But if you do, only do it for 2 -3 months to see if you’re getting a return on investment.
Email Marketing
Saas email marketing is slightly more complex than it is for other industries. The reason?
Every SaaS company has to send 3 kinds of emails based on data.
A marketing email
This is an email sent to leads. This would include lead magnets, lead nurture campaigns, helpful information, sales campaigns and newsletters.
Lifecycle email
This kind of email is sent to users who have already signed up for your software as a service. These kinds of emails would include onboarding, loyalty programs and encouragement to upgrade to more expensive packages if needed.
Transactional emails
This will include service emails like password recovery, product notifications, and invoices.
Some email marketing tips for Saas companies
When it comes to Software as a Service (SaaS) email marketing, a few key tips can significantly enhance the effectiveness of your campaigns.
Firstly, leverage the data collected through your SaaS platform to tailor content to individual recipients, fostering a more meaningful connection.
Secondly, optimize for mobile devices, as a growing majority of users access their emails on smartphones.
Ensuring responsive design and concise, engaging content will improve user experience.
Additionally, employ A/B testing to refine your strategies continuously—testing subject lines, content variations, and send times can uncover valuable insights.
Utilize the analytical capabilities of your SaaS platform to track key metrics such as open rates, click-through rates, and conversion rates, allowing for data-driven refinements to your campaigns.
Finally, maintain a clean and segmented email list, regularly removing inactive or unsubscribed users to enhance deliverability and engagement.
These tips collectively contribute to a more targeted, personalized, and efficient SaaS email marketing strategy.
Webinars
Webinars can be highly effective in your SaaS marketing plan. Here are some reasons why you might want to incorporate this tactic into your marketing strategy.
Educational Value:
Webinars provide an excellent platform to educate your target audience about your SaaS product. You can showcase its features, demonstrate its usage, and address common pain points that your solution addresses.
This helps potential customers understand the value proposition more deeply.
Engagement and Interaction:
Webinars allow for real-time interaction with your audience. Attendees can ask questions, provide feedback, and engage with the content. This level of interactivity helps build a sense of trust.
Demonstrations and Use Cases:
For SaaS products, showing is often more powerful than telling. Webinars enable you to provide live demonstrations, walk through use cases, and share success stories. This can help prospects visualize how your solution can solve their specific problems.
Lead Generation:
Webinars can be powerful tools for lead generation. To attend the webinar, participants often need to register, providing you with valuable contact information. These leads are typically more engaged and interested in your product since they’ve invested time in attending the session.
Authority Building:
Hosting webinars positions your company as an authority in the industry. By sharing valuable insights, best practices, and thought leadership, you establish credibility, making it more likely that attendees will view your SaaS solution as a trusted resource.
Networking Opportunities:
Virtual events can also create networking opportunities. Attendees might connect with each other, sharing experiences and insights, fostering a sense of community around your product.
You can promote your webinars through various channels, such as social media, email marketing, and partnerships to maximize attendance. You could also record your webinars for those who couldn’t attend live. This in turn can help you create content for your website.
Podcasts
Podcasts can play a pivotal role in various aspects of SaaS marketing, contributing to:
- Customer acquisition
- Customer retention
- And brand awareness.
Through engaging content that highlights the functionality and benefits of a SaaS product, podcasts can effectively target both existing customers and potential users.
Podcasts serve as an additional marketing channel, reaching a diverse audience and driving organic traffic to the company website. You could also leverage guest appearances or collaborations with industry experts who can share their valuable insights on specific topics.
(You might even gain a few high-quality backlinks in the process thus enhancing your company’s SEO performance.)
If you choose to make use of podcasting in your marketing strategy, you can provide unique insights into the product’s functionality.
By addressing specific pain points in the customer journey and providing incentives such as exclusive offers or early access to new features, podcasts help strengthen the bond between the SaaS provider and its existing customer base.
Furthermore, podcasts can spotlight success stories, showcasing the real-life benefits of the product and reinforcing brand loyalty.
In the realm of brand awareness, podcasts contribute to a broader business model by establishing the company as an authority within the industry.
Sharing experiences and discussing relevant topics in the SaaS space not only attracts new users but also enhances the persona of the brand. This strategy aligns well with the shift from traditional marketing methods, focusing on building meaningful connections with the target audience.
Moreover, podcasts provide an avenue for exploring upselling opportunities.
By delving into advanced features or complementary products in episodes, SaaS providers can educate their audience and extend the sales cycle.
Tracking the effectiveness of these strategies can be facilitated through Google Analytics, helping refine marketing efforts and optimize the allocation of the marketing budget.
Ultimately, podcasts offer a dynamic and versatile tool for SaaS marketing, combining elements of customer acquisition, retention, and brand building.
At Salesbread we also make use of podcasting to help educate our audience on lead generation.
If you’re interested in having a listen go here.
Word of Mouth
Many companies forget to leverage word of mouth as a form of marketing.
If SaaS companies prioritize exceptional customer experiences and service, clients are going to speak about it to others.
Make sure that any issues existing customers face are addressed swiftly.
You could even encourage customers to share positive reviews and testimonials, both on your website and third-party review platforms. This in turn builds social proof and fosters trust among potential users.
Another option is to Implement a referral program that provides existing customers with incentives to refer new users, creating a win-win scenario for both parties.
Interested in generating more qualified leads for your SaaS company?
We would love to help.
If you haven’t tried LinkedIn outreach just yet, you’re missing out on a ton of leads. Hop on a free 15-minute strategy call with us, and let’s see how we can help you make more sales this year.