November 30, 2022 •Allison Lemasters
Software as a Service (SaaS) has become a popular tool in marketing toolboxes of the 21st century—even more so for SaaS marketers. Only those in the world of SaaS marketing can truly understand the unique nature of selling an intangible product, which is why SaaS companies lean so heavily on SaaS itself for their own marketing strategies.
So, what is the difference between SaaS marketing and normal marketing, exactly? And how can you use the numerous SaaS marketing tools out there to boost brand awareness for your SaaS company? Let’s take a look.
Why Is SaaS Marketing Different?
SaaS marketing requires different selling approaches than other industries, such as the following:
1. You must sell software and service.
One-and-done software sales are quickly becoming a thing of the past. Now, SaaS companies commonly run on subscription models. This benefits the customer, as they get access to the latest updates and advisory services, while also benefiting the business, as they get continued revenue from subscription fees. Your marketing strategy must consider the technical side of your actual product, but also include the human elements associated with a sought-after service.
2. Giving stuff away for free is good!
While free samples are common in the tangible product world, that’s about as far as you can go with freebies. With SaaS, giving away your product for free is one of the top marketing strategies out there. You can offer free trials, a “freemium” pricing plan, or offer free content that educates customers on the pain points you seek to solve.
3. Teamwork makes the dream work.
Worn-out cliches aside, streamlined interdepartmental teamwork is key to successful SaaS marketing. Developers have to work closely with sales, marketing, and other support teams to ensure the final product meets customer needs. Regular meetings and an efficient support ticketing system are both vital to ensuring the entire SaaS team is on the same page.
How Does SaaS Create a Marketing Strategy Using SaaS?
To get the most out of your SaaS selling strategy, consider using these top SaaS marketing tools to take your company to the next level.
1. Data and Analytics Tools
By seeing the patterns, trends, and shifts in customer data, you can snag valuable opportunities as they arise. A platform that offers data and analytics can guide your SaaS company to these opportunities—and a more profitable future. Looker and Google Analytics are well-known SaaS platforms for providing treasure troves of valuable insights that can fuel revenue-driving business decisions.
2. Chat Tools
Chatbots have evolved into more than annoying little pop-ups in the corner. You can be there for your prospects and current customers 24/7 with the numerous chat tools now available. They can automatically answer FAQs, pull answers from knowledge bases, route conversations to various team members, collect files from customers, provide backend analytics, and so much more. Intercom, Zendesk, and Zoho Desk are some of the top chat SaaS companies to look into.
3. Social Media Tools
Have you ever looked for a company on social media and not been able to find them? How did that affect your opinion of them? Something about a social media presence reassures us that a business is real, even more so when we see other customers interacting with them. Besides giving a face to your SaaS company, social media offers a place to get customer feedback, promote special offerings, announce new releases, and much more. Popular social media software marketing companies to check out include Sprout Social and Hootsuite.
4. Content Marketing Research Tools
Content marketing and SEO are a SaaS marketer’s best friend. We tend to flock to the internet when we have a question or problem to solve, even more so in the world of SaaS. One of the best ways to get your SaaS company out there is by having website content that can answer the common queries of your ideal customers. DemandJump is the best content marketing platform for this purpose, showing you the exact content to create to increase first page rankings and drive outcomes.
If you’re still wondering how to stand out and “What makes SaaS marketing unique for my business?”, then look no further than DemandJump. As a SaaS company ourselves, we know the challenges of getting your name out there in the ever-growing SaaS industry. It’s why we invented Pillar-Based Marketing—a special content marketing strategy for SaaS companies that increases first page rankings on search engines in weeks instead of months.
Ready to pull your SaaS company into the spotlight? Give DemandJump a go—it’s free to try!
