Software as a service, also known as SaaS, continues to increase in popularity. However, for a service to be successful, people must know the software is available, and this is where content marketing becomes of great help. Marketing this product requires planning on the part of the provider and thoughtful execution. The provider must take certain steps to get this product in the public's eye.
However, they must also recognize how marketing this type of product differs from marketing other items. With this information, it becomes easy to create a winning content marketing for saas strategy that ensures the software will get the attention it deserves. The following guide becomes of great help as you move forward with this process.
When marketing SaaS, a company must sell both the technology and the service. The process relies heavily on search engine optimization, and all marketing techniques need to educate potential buyers. Reviews play a significant part in the process, and the strategy needs to encourage repeat business. Customer risk comes into play and must be addressed in the marketing efforts as well.
Companies often focus on selling the product, but they need to do more than this. Support quality remains an essential component of the marketing plan, as buyers want to know they will have help if and when they need it after they purchase the product. The company needs to ensure the marketing strategy emphasizes the point that help will be available.
Digital channels remain the most popular when customers research SaaS products and services. For example, when it comes to email marketing, proper SaaS email templates and engaging subject lines are the solutions. As a result, search engine optimization must serve as a critical component of the marketing plan. Potential buyers turn to website reviews, app marketplaces, and white papers along with other digital resources. Focus on SEO content to engage with buyers using these sources.
To create an effective strategy, providers must first focus on market research, as this forms a solid foundation for the strategy. Content product and distribution come next. The final step involves monitoring the campaign results and make changes where needed. What steps must take place during this process?
Companies must know who they are marketing to if they wish to obtain the desired results. Determine if the preferred customer is a consumer or business, what their gender is, and how old they are. Determine which websites they visit, what social media profiles they follow, and what industry they are in as part of this process. Analytics tools have become of great help gathering this information and are offered by various platforms.
Once these characteristics have been identified, create an ideal buyer profile. Companies often find it helpful to put a name to the profile, as this becomes of help during the brainstorming portion of the process. A company might find they have multiple target markets. Providing a different name for each market and buyer profile ensures none are overlooked. Nevertheless, don't create too many buyer profiles, as this makes it more challenging to focus your efforts.
What motivates the customer to buy? This pain point becomes of great help in creating the appropriate marketing plan. Walk through the customer's experience to determine what moves them to make a purchase. This task becomes easier when a customer journey map is created. It lays out each step the customer takes as they move from learning about the product through to making the purchase. What pain points could interfere with this journey and lead to the consumer not making a purchase?
The consumer may fail to see the value in the product or find it difficult to navigate the website and gather the information they need. Inadequate customer service or technical frustration during the product installation process could lead to the consumer looking elsewhere. These serve as only a few of countless pain points that must be addressed. However, when it comes to SaaS marketing, the website serves as the initial contact in most cases, so it must be designed to move the customer forward on the journey.
Companies must know what customers search for on the internet when creating a marketing plan. These keywords may differ by the stage the customer is in on their journey. Various tools, such as Google Keyword Planner, becomes of great help during this portion of the plan creation.
A company must define the goals of the marketing campaign. Knowing the goals makes it easier to align the campaign with these goals. Furthermore, key performance indicators should be selected. Important indicators to consider for a SaaS marketing campaign include customer acquisition cost and lead conversion rate.
With this information, the SaaS provider can begin creating content. Before doing so, determine which topics are relevant throughout the customer journey and which items the customer is searching for on the internet. Create a calendar to ensure you create content regularly and find talent to do this. With these items in place, the content creation process can begin.
You must publish and promote content to ensure the public sees it. Where should you share the content? Companies must determine if all content will be accessible to the public or if certain pieces will be for members only. Third-party sites could be of help in promoting the material and distributing it along with social media platforms. Use all resources to get the word out about the SaaS.
Once you share the content, the SaaS provider must ensure the campaign is meeting its objectives. Use the key performance indicators to determine where you need changes. If the campaign isn't meeting one or more objectives, make these changes. While doing so, focus on those pieces that are providing the ideal results. Promote them to get the word out until the other pieces are once again ready for publication.
Marketing SaaS requires knowledge many companies don't have. They understand traditional marketing techniques but aren't familiar with how to market this type of software. If you find yourself in this situation, don't hesitate to seek outside help. With the right marketing, your SaaS program can take off and provide you with the return on investment you anticipated when you launched it.
