Digital Marketing for SaaS companies, without a doubt, has special characteristics compared to other strategies related to traditional marketing and in this content we will tell you what they are, what to do to have results and, of course, what you should avoid to achieve success.
When it comes to Marketing for SaaS companies, there may not be much information on the Internet on the subject, although it is something so popular these days. But the first thing you should know is that it is a very challenging field and governed by its own rules.
But now, if you have a SaaS business, you manage one or you are part of a team that must impact potential customers so that they can discover the benefits that the platform offers, this content will interest you.
What are the characteristics of Digital Marketing for SaaS companies?
Any person who has to see or dedicate himself full time to marketing and, especially, to Digital Marketing recognizes that Software as a Service or SaaS, has as its maximum purpose, the acquisition and retention of potential customers to operate or operate.
But what are those special characteristics that Marketing for SaaS has that no other segment has? These are:
Need for scalability
These types of businesses typically go to market in the hope that their software will eventually become a reference. This requires the developers and managers of the company to have a need to scale their operations and, step by step, to transform into a geared machine.
There is no tangible product
The first, and most obvious, is that SaaS businesses do not have physical products to sell to the public. This means that its value is the solution that the software can bring to the customer's life.
Customer education is everything
After understanding the above, it is important to understand that the daily routine of any organization that wants to do Digital Marketing for SaaS companies is that, they must educate the client about their solution so that they realize that it is better than any other option.
And is that selling an intangible, such as management software or an accounting program is much more difficult than promoting a pair of shoes, don't you think? And is that this is the last relevant difference with traditional marketing.
SaaS depends on subscriptions
While many companies have large incomes and maintain their business with one-time purchases, where the client will not make a repurchase in the future, in Marketing for SaaS it should be sought that the user return month to month or, year to year, to acquire the service and renew their contracts.
Upsell
Likewise, the goal of retaining, delighting, and treating your customers well is driven by the goal of creating long-term relationships with your user base.
In addition to this, by applying upsell you can attract customers to buy improved versions of your services, offer more specific solutions to their needs and greater profitability for the business.
More technology
This may be evident. And it is that organizations and, of course, Marketing for SaaS companies requires many more technological resources than those focused on traditional products and promotional processes.
Not only because what they offer is a digital article. Also their distribution and dissemination channels should be. So, to control, manage and improve your processes it is imperative to have a technological base for your activities and offers.
Now, with the differences and particularities of Marketing for SaaS companies well defined, you have surely identified practices that you do or that others carry out and that do not give results due to the nature of the sector. And, to continue nurturing that knowledge, we will talk about other commons in the area.
What mistakes do these businesses usually make regarding Digital Marketing?
Software-based products are supported by actions of promotion, sale, communication and education about their benefits, with the aim of attracting and retaining their customers. But what should you avoid doing? Here we show you:
Neglecting the details
Users prefer well-designed programs over those that only care about the process. In other words, the interface and the fluidity of the platforms cannot be underestimated.
Frequent plan change
In Digital Marketing for SaaS companies and in the traditional one, the results take time. Making hasty decisions and wanting to change strategies frequently is a guarantee for failure.
Underestimate communication
How you transmit your message is sometimes more important than the message itself. Find professionals and advisors to guide you through this process, prioritize creating communities, sending a unique message, and use your audience to spread it even further.
Have no loyalty strategies
Reducing the churn rate is perhaps the ultimate goal for someone who works with Marketing for SaaS companies.
Getting a new client can be 5 or 25 times more expensive than keeping those already acquired. That's why it sounds so much more reasonable to make efforts to retain already-won customers and make them brand ambassadors.
Do not invest in an organized way in Digital Marketing strategies
Another very common mistake is not to assign a serious budget to marketing and sales. Likewise, each investment must be under the guidance of a planning or a strategy to ensure its profitability.
So, with these shortcomings and bad practices in mind, it is time to talk about those that do guarantee a good application of the concepts of Digital Marketing for SaaS companies.
What are the best Digital Marketing practices for Saas?
Taking into account that the strategies of SaaS companies are and should be different from the rest, below we will show you how you can execute actions and promotion channels for your business.
Define your budget for digital marketing
Many people new to promotion are wondering what is the "right" amount to invest in marketing. The answer is that it should depend on your possibilities and, of course, on your expectations.
In addition, to have a clearer perspective of what you should spend on marketing, it is important to know the cost of acquiring customers and the total value of the customer's life cycle, to determine what is the investment limit that you can have without producing losses. for your business.
Do Content Marketing
Content Marketing is a Marketing strategy that allows, through digital materials such as blog posts, ebooks and more, to give its visitors and users content that helps them find needs unknown to them and a solution using your services.
Likewise, thanks to the Inbound methodology, you can guide your potential customers through the sales funnel and nurture them with valuable information that helps them make the purchase decision and build loyalty with the brand.
Offer free trials
Speaking from the consumer's point of view, free trials allow you to take a sneak peak on the benefits of the software and verify that it fulfills what it promises.
Giving your visitors and / or users the opportunity to have a real proof of use of your product, is the best way to take them to discover its functions and characteristics, in a limited way, and then decide to buy the entire package.
Listen and respond to your audience
When we talk about software or platforms, it is known that they require constant maintenance and improvement. Since the very nature of these products allows them to be adapted to the needs of the sector.
This is possible, for example, through email, using email marketing tools that help disseminate relevant information to leads and also collect feedback from users of your service.
Adapt your message to the client's day
In Inbound terms, the customer journey is the set of different stages a user goes through, from understanding that they have a problem until they find the product or service to satisfy it.
Using these dynamics to create publications on social networks, for example, to target a segmented audience and with a specific message for that type of audience can be very interesting to attract and retain the type of customer you are looking for.
Take the opportunity to be reviewed by third parties
Many users search for third-party reviews and comments on products to obtain an unbiased opinion of the product.
Letting bloggers, youtubers and other content creators use their products and express their impressions to their public is a good idea to find new business opportunities.
conclusion
Marketing for SaaS companies encompasses a complex of decisions and complex actions since the sector has special characteristics compared to other types of companies.
Promoting software, with all the implications that it entails, must be underpinned by a sound communication, investment and management strategy to open paths in an increasingly competitive market.
Finally, it is important for you to understand that Marketing for SaaS companies requires a level of integration never seen before. Which means that all processes must be aligned with the intention of reducing dropouts and loyalty to your customers.
