According to a recent Computer Economics survey, 60% of all companies have used SaaS in their business, with 44% of them intending to increase their SaaS usage in the future. SaaS tools are here to stay.
It’s not easy, however, to find quality leads for SaaS business. Especially if you are unaware of the strategies behind successful marketing campaigns. Are you someone who finds it difficult to generate leads? Here’s how you can turn it around.
Work with Review Websites
Do you have a great SaaS product that’s getting rave reviews? Getting it featured on a top, industry-specific review website may fetch your marketing qualified leads (MQLs).
Understand that the old sales funnel is outdated. Customers today no longer rely on brand awareness to trust a product. Instead, users today like to hear opinions from their fellow buyers before they make a purchase.
Even Google has understood the change in consumer mindset. The search engine has started to rank these third-party review websites higher than the actual product website! That’s why having your products or services on a review website is so important.
Diversify your SaaS marketing channels
Use the full range of digital marketing channels for your SaaS product. The different channels deployed can generate a healthy number of quality leads. While some digital marketing tactics are free and organic, others are paid.
Organic Marketing Channels
- Search Engine Optimisation (SEO)
- Content Marketing
- Affiliate Marketing
- Email Marketing
- Social Media Marketing (SMM)
- Case Studies
Paid Marketing Channels
- Pay-per-click Marketing (PPC)
- Sponsored Webinars
- Social Ads
- Video Promotion
- Content Discovery Platforms
Are you planning to create a marketing strategy for your SaaS product? The marketing channels you select should align with your sales funnel. A mix of organic and paid marketing channels would be your best bet.
Create free eBooks and templates
Everyone loves freebies! When it comes to SaaS marketing, freebies like eBooks, microtools, and templates serve two main purposes – education and lead generation.
Firstly, freebies can educate individuals about your product and its features. Thorough, well-written educational tools can teach users about the true capabilities of your product while gaining trust and establishing credibility among your audience.
Secondly, these freebies can work as a tool for you to collect the email addresses of customers. Collecting leads this way is very valuable for SaaS marketing. You can use the collected emails for lead nurturing via email marketing. Due to their small size, these freebies can be shared easily on social media. The more liked your freebies are, the more exposure you gain for your brand. The more exposure you gain, the more leads you generate. It’s that simple.
Product integrations
Product integrations take place when a SaaS company partners with another SaaS business that complements its product. While this is a largely technical process, integration can play a huge role in SaaS marketing too. The idea behind the move is quite simple. Both companies benefit from their partner’s quality website traffic. Both find quality leads for themselves.
However, successful and smooth product integration is not easy. You need to find the right SaaS product that would genuinely add value to your own. Make sure the integration doesn't affect the existing features of your own product. Most importantly, any integration must be user-friendly.
Once you are able to strike a resonant frequency between the two products, the sky is the limit. You can focus on newly-acquired MQLs, while your customers enjoy the benefits of integration.
Host Webinars
A webinar is an online event that a business/organization hosts and broadcasts to a group of individuals via the internet. In most cases, the individuals have to register themselves first so that they can be notified about the webinar’s schedule, content, and duration.
It gives marketers an opportunity to demonstrate the products in real-life scenarios. Customers are more than happy to learn about your product without having to buy it for themselves. It’s a win-win situation for both parties because webinars are more trusted by customers than regular advertising.
How to get the best out of a webinar
Only 20-40% of the attendees are expected to become your actual customers. Some of them leave early. That’s why you need to adjust your webinar. Here are some tips for having a maximum attendance rate at a webinar :
- Don't forget to offer a bonus (high-value content) at the end of a webinar
- Use FOMO tactics (for example, limited seats available)
- Make sure to send multiple reminders
- Provide valuable, useful, and actionable content
- Pitch your products and services only at the end of webinars
Offer a free trial for your SaaS product
You must have come across many products and services that offer a 30-day free trial. It’s one of the most effective lead generation strategies in digital marketing today. Free trials let individuals use the premium product for a limited time. In return, all they have to do is give their contact information.
The freemium subscription model has a similar concept. The visitors can use a basic version of a product with limited features if they sign up. This way the individual can try the product in its most basic form, before deciding on whether or not to upgrade to the premium version.
Harness the power of social media
Social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn are a great place to find quality leads. As per the 2018 Content Marketing Institute survey, 92% of B2B startups share their content on social media.
However, one has to understand the nuances behind social media marketing. Unlike other marketing channels, social media exists in a personal space. Hence, marketing content should be kept at a bare minimum. Instead, share personalized content that offers some value to your followers.
Conclusion
Now that you are familiar with some common SaaS marketing strategies, it’s time to get to work. Try different methods, always experiment and be creative in your execution. Once you have figured out the right blend of strategies for you, you will be generating quality leads for your SaaS business with ease.
Which marketing strategy are you planning to use for your business next? Did we miss your favorite one? Let us know in the comments.
