SEO
Digital Marketing Strategies for SaaS Companies: A Brief Guide
JV
Jari Vasko
·5 min read
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JV
Written by
Jari Vasko
Digital marketing expert at Gaasly, helping businesses grow in international markets.
Written by
Digital marketing expert at Gaasly, helping businesses grow in international markets.
As the SaaS industry is highly competitive and new companies are entering all the time, standing out from the rest is crucial. This requires implementing innovative and effective strategies. This guide will help you to understand what is needed to thrive in the crowded market.
Digital marketing is the most important channel for customer acquisition and retention in the SaaS industry. Competitor numbers are growing constantly so strong online presence is very important. Well executed and effective digital marketing not only attracts new customers, but also serves existing ones driving long-term growth.
As Saas companies rely on a subscription based model it means that customer journey does not end at the point of sale. The customer journey often involves steps such as awareness, consideration, conversion, onboarding and retention. Unlike traditional software companies that aim to get that one sale SaaS companies need to focus on customer retention and lifetime value of a customer.
Effective marketing should reach customers in every step of the journey. For existing customers there is often the possibility to upsell or add more users or move to a higher tier to get more out of existing customers. Acquiring new customers is also expensive so retention is important.
For your marketing efforts to be successful you need to understand your target audience. This means having a good idea about your potential customers and what pain points they have and how your solution can help them by solving their problems. Once you have identified these, your marketing efforts can be more personalised and effective.
Some companies create several buyer personas based on their ideal customers. Once they have mapped out buyer personas it is time to start thinking about reaching out to them and serving content and shaping your messaging so that it resonates with them.
Content marketing is perhaps the most important tool for SaaS companies. With quality content it is possible to educate customers, build trust and show expertise in your field. As an example, content can be white papers, blogs, webinars, podcasts or case studies.
Different types of content serve different purposes during the buyer's journey. When working with content you need to also take into account search engine optimization. Effective use of SEO ensures that your content is discoverable. So it is good to keep the relevant keywords in mind when writing. SEO should be integrated in everything to maximise the visibility of your content.
Case studies and success stories are usually very effective as they show how you have solved a problem that a customer had and that solution could work for others too. If possible case studies and success stories should be included in the content strategy as it can help to convert leads into paying customers.
SEO has a lot of different aspects, but at the very least there should be keyword research and some on-page optimization done in every case. Also, off-page optimization with some link building is often useful. It is essential to target keywords that potential clients are likely to search for. Focus should be on both informational and transactional intent.
SEO takes more time, but with SEM(search engine marketing, Google Ads etc.) it is possible to get started quickly. It offers a fast way to get visibility. For SaaS companies SEM can effective way to promote free trials, gated content or demos. It allows fairly precise targeting and quick results.
To make the most out of SEO and SEM efforts there needs to be the right balance between the two. SEO is more for long-term traffic acquisition while SEM provides immediate visibility and leads. Balancing the marketing budget and monitoring performance is important to get the balance right.
Choosing the right platform is important. Not all platforms are created equal for SaaS companies. Usually LinkedIn is the logical choice for many, because of its professional audience. X might work for engagement and sharing news and Facebook & Instagram might be good channels for community building and brand awareness. Usually resources are limited so there needs to be careful consideration of what channels to pursue. More is not always better in social media marketing.
As mentioned often, LinkedIn is the number one choice and it is great for targeted advertising, thought leadership and networking. So if there is one platform to choose it is likely that it should be Linkedin.
Email marketing is still very effective. It offers direct access to potential customers and existing customers. Used correctly it is an effective tool for every step of the customer journey. With the right strategy and good messaging it can help to move prospects through the funnel.
Timing is important and so is the message. It should be as personalized as possible so segmenting your audience will help you tailor your messages. Whether it is a newsletter, promotional order or onboarding messages every message should provide value to the recipient.
Some level of marketing automation can also be used to increase effectiveness and streamline campaigns.
Marketing for SaaS companies requires significant effort and strategic consideration. Here is where Gaasly can help with your marketing efforts.
We can take responsibility for SEO and SEM. Helping with social media marketing campaigns is something we also do. We can produce content and find the right platforms for distribution.
Our work style is flexible, and if you need help with a particular task, do not hesitate to get in touch. We are happy to help with your marketing needs. We currently work with several SaaS companies and have delivered good results for our clients. We are happy to learn more about your marketing needs. Get in touch with us and let's see how we can help.