The entire world has experienced an economic downturn over the past year, and businesses in every sector were affected. However, the software as a service industry was strong.
As an isolating populace looked for more mobile and web-based solutions, they were able to find them through SaaS companies. However, the growing need for these services has created a busy marketplace full of competition. You will have to do whatever you can to compete in 2021 and beyond. Here are some of the top marketing strategies for SaaS companies for this year that will help you blow past your targets.
Educate
While it’s true that you want to sell your products, providing something extra to your clients and potential clients holds value as well.
If you are bombarding them with constant sales copy, you are going to turn people off and have them click away.
This is why sharing and producing educational content is so important.
When people search for SaaS products, they are looking to solve problems.
That means that you should be positioning your brand as one that can help them. That could mean having educational blog posts, or producing workshops and seminars. This will place your brand as an authority in your field that is relevant to your clients’ interests. Not only that, but by being more educational, you can create effective keyword rich content that answers questions, which will get more visitors to your site when they search using those same questions. Less than 40% of SaaS companies take this approach, so it’s a great way for you to stand out.
Provide Demonstrations
For some, software and technology is intimidating. They don’t understand it, or they've simply had frustrating experiences trying new things. When marketing technology, this can be one of the trickiest parts. You know that you can help a prospect, but they are hesitant to take the plunge, in case it ends up being “too complicated,” or “difficult to use.” That’s why many SaaS businesses offer free trials. However, this also provides an obstacle to an intimidated consumer.
A happy middle ground is the product demo. You can offer them a chance to experience the software without committing to anyone. This can be done either through video, streaming on your site, or in-person through a remote connection. You can guide them through using the service, and answer any questions they might have. Does this involve more work? Yes, but it may be worth it in the long run.
Customer Service Technology
You might not think that customer service is part of an effective SaaS business marketing strategy, but it absolutely should be. Every connection you have with customers and prospects is a chance to showcase your brand and show that you are ready to help. That’s what SaaS is all about: helping customers get over their pain points.
Since your product is a digital one, your market could potentially be worldwide. That means that you might have people contacting you at any time, day or night. You may also be a small shop with only a few people and have very little time for customer interaction. That’s where technology such as chatbots come into play.
Customers want fast communication. This is especially true when it comes to B2B sales. Someone who has the power to make purchasing decisions doesn’t want to wait to get answers to their questions. The longer you make them wait, the better the opportunity will be for your competitors.
Chatbots are simple solutions that will allow your customers and potential customers to get information immediately. If you are worried about the impersonal feel of them, you don’t have to be. Chatbots have a strong customer satisfaction score of around 80%. You can get quick answers to your consumers, day or night, without having to lift a finger.
Feature Marketing
Every industry must evolve, and SaaS is no different. There’s been a boom in cloud-based solutions since Covid-19 came on the scene, but in reality the pandemic only accelerated a trend. With so many businesses having quickly gone remote for safety, they had to find quick and easy solutions to make it work. Now, however, those same businesses are looking to fine-tune their experiences and make them better.
That’s where feature marketing will come into play. As a service provider, it’s crucial that you have a finger on the pulse of your clients’ wants and needs. Provide them with easy ways to give you feedback and data, whether it’s through surveys or personal communication. Then you can create solutions to provide more value to your products. You will get happier clients who will be more likely to resubscribe with you every year, and an attractive product that now has the solution to problems that your prospects are having as well.
Video Continues to Dominate
Video will continue to dominate the marketing and content landscape in 2021 and well beyond. Users want it, and they engage with it more than they do with text or images. You can craft better stories with video by combining images and sound to build your narrative. Video is easier to digest for people on the go or who might have small phone screens that make reading more difficult. Whatever the case, the statistics behind the value of video when it comes to marketing are staggering.
Video can provide you with many benefits, such as increased user engagement, traffic-building, they grab attention, and they can give your brand more authority. It’s flexible as well. You can develop video content that targets certain demographics much better than you can with text, which will allow you to expand the scope of your marketing.
2020 was a year of growth for the SaaS industry. 2021 is the year when you will truly need to work to stand out from the crowd. By building a marketing strategy that incorporates these elements, you can set yourself up for success for this year and beyond.