SaaS is one of the fastest-growing industries today, with over 150% year-on-year growth from 2020 to 2021. It sounds good to any SaaS tech startup, as it offers new opportunities to get your business off the ground and grow exponentially. Discover the best marketing channels for your B2B SaaS startup and learn how to tap into a new market that will boost your new user signup rate.
5 Best Marketing Channels for B2B SaaS Startups
Identifying the best marketing channels for your B2B SaaS company is critical, especially during the startup years. Knowing your target market segment will allow you to determine where to find them online and how to target them accordingly. The right prospect-channel fit optimizes your lead generation by bringing in higher signup rates, eventually leading to a higher ROI.
The following are the best marketing channels to drive new user signups for B2B SaaS companies and how to utilize them effectively.
1. Websites & Blogs
According to the 2021 Not Another State of Marketing Report by Hubspot, websites, and blogs are one of the most effective marketing channels for all types of businesses, including SaaS companies.
SaaS companies establish differentiation in the industry due to their innovative products and solutions. They are known as market disruptors with a unique product vision. Your website must align with the potential of your product. Your site is like your business card; it’s the first thing your B2B prospects see when they look up your business online. Ensure that your website is filled with the information they need to know about your SaaS business and its products.
Make your website interactive. Incorporate video content, infographics, and feedback tools. Your website should be as innovative and flexible as your company and its products. It will boost engagement and drive more user signups.
On the other hand, you need to add a blog page to your website. Your blog enables you to boost traffic from B2B prospects by targeting the right keywords. It also allows your SaaS company to position your products as a valuable solution for your industry while boosting credibility through blogging about industry-related reports and news.
2. Paid Advertising (Search Engine and Social Media)
Paid advertising comes in many forms, but four channels align with B2B SaaS marketing: 1) Google, 2) Facebook, 3) Twitter, and 4) LinkedIn.
Each of these platforms has its strengths and weaknesses. It can be tricky for startups to choose paid advertising, especially if they have a limited budget. However, it’s worth the shot if you have a knowledgeable marketing team that knows how to deploy it and the best strategies to use.
The great thing about paid advertising on the above-mentioned digital platforms is that you can immediately see the conversion data. At the same time, you can review analytics on where your prospects stand in the sales funnel. It eliminates the guesswork when developing your B2B SaaS marketing strategy.
Another benefit of paid advertising on search engines and social media is that you can see immediate results. Organic traffic takes a while to build up. Meanwhile, it is also a great avenue to test your content, offers, and landing pages. When your paid advertising is set up appropriately, you can generate qualified leads for your business.
Here is the typical flow of conversion and new user signups in paid advertising:
Click Ad -> Landing Page -> Offer Demo/Thank You Page -> Follow-Up -> Resource Delivery
3. Email Marketing
Email marketing is one of the best digital marketing channels for B2B SaaS companies because of its high ROI. According to Litmus, the average ROI for every dollar spent on email marketing is $36!
Email marketing involves gathering qualified email leads from B2B prospects. You can create a custom marketing email for each prospect. The email messages can vary, such as sending useful information, promotional offers, and a direct sales pitch, depending on which stage of the customer journey a particular lead is on.
The direct way of communicating with prospects is one of the main advantages of email marketing for B2B SaaS companies. If you are targeting the right leads, you can yield fast results with this marketing channel. You can also automate the process using free or affordable software.
4. Content Marketing
Video and other interactive content forms are reigning supreme lately, but nothing has managed to dethrone content marketing. It remains one of the most reliable and successful digital marketing channels, especially for SaaS businesses.
To succeed with content marketing for B2B SaaS companies, establish your content distribution channels. Your success with content marketing starts even before you write the content. It’s essential to identify the specific buyer persona you want to target for the particular sales funnel stage. Avoid generic, top-of-the-funnel content, as there is too much competition nowadays for that to work.
Finally, focus on three things in your content marketing: relevancy, recency, and engagement.
5. Software and App Listings
Software and app listing sites are similar to Yellow Pages in function but are specialized for SaaS products or services. These SaaS directory websites allow you to list your products and services for free or for a minimal fee. These listing and directory sites are the best places to feature new product launches.
There are also local listing websites if your SaaS products or services target a specific city or region. It might even expose your business to other companies operating within your area as potential partners. Building relationships to grow your B2B SaaS business is essential instead of using these sites solely for prospecting.
Final Thoughts
The right B2B SaaS marketing channel is vital to a successful marketing strategy. The best approach is to start with one or two marketing channels that best fit your marketing needs, and invest your resources in them. Over time, you can develop a winning and personalized marketing mix to diversify your B2B prospecting strategy.
As always, it is recommended that you monitor the results of the existing marketing channels deployed to ramp up your marketing efforts. The right marketing channels can transform and fast-track your SaaS business growth!
For more information on B2B Marketing reach out to Social Growth Labs – Your Product Hunt Marketing Agency to start the discussion today.