Top B2B Marketing Strategies for SaaS Businesses You can have the world's best software to offer, but without a killer marketing strategy, your investment in research and development is going to fall flat.
By Thomas Smale Edited by Joseph Shults
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
Effective B2B marketing for SaaS businesses can look much different from brick-and-mortar organizations, but some strategies hold across all fields.
SaaS businesses fill a niche by providing necessary subscription services to companies online. Most brands utilize at least one SaaS company, whether for email automation, customer management, or something more. But while a SaaS business can help business owners find customers, how do those who run a SaaS business market to other companies?
Related: The 5 Best Digital Marketing Strategies to Empower Your Business
Utilize content marketing
While content marketing has massive benefits for most brands, SaaS businesses are uniquely positioned to reap the most from this strategy. Content marketing for SaaS businesses can take the form of a website blog, informational videos, news, or any combination thereof, but it all shares some key benefits.
One massive benefit to content marketing is that it costs approximately as much as you want it to. For startups with a small staff and tight budget constraints, creating content in-house can be a great way to increase traffic without dinging your bottom line. A simple informative blog is easy to start and expand by hiring writers or content firms when you're ready to scale.
Of particular interest in B2B marketing for SaaS companies is the ability of content marketing to build trust. When one brand is searching for another business to work with, they want to know who's on the other side of the desk. While it's impossible for a successful SaaS company to meet with every target client in person, content marketing gives your brand a face and voice for these business owners to connect with. Companies often employ SaaS platforms to fulfill tasks they aren't equipped to tackle themselves. Providing content that helps users navigate this landscape can make them feel empowered to choose a platform and ensure that your brand is the one on their minds when they make that choice.
Related: Best Practices for SaaS Copywriting
Paid advertising
It may seem obvious, but paid ads are popular simply because they work. While content marketing can improve organic traffic, paid ads on Google, LinkedIn, and other platforms your ideal clients use regularly can provide excellent ROI.
PPC ads are a great way to ensure this, as you'll only pay for clients you bring in. Once they're on your site, your design, content, and of course, the product can do the rest. It's vital to keep your PPC ads focused and utilize informed data to ensure the lowest possible cost-per-click. Be sure that your ads are SEO optimized for your category's top keywords and keep careful track of your Google Ad quality score to get the most bang for your buck.
When performing B2B marketing for SaaS platforms, focus on desktop ads over other formats. That isn't to say mobile marketing isn't important, but take a moment to think about how and when your customers are looking for software solutions: People think about work while at work, and they're much more likely to hunt down solutions exactly there– At their desks, when problems arise. Focusing on desktop ads ensures that clients will find your solution first when researching during their day.
Meet customers at their price
Every penny counts for a startup, and many entrepreneurs are reluctant to spend on products they aren't yet sure they need. There are multiple ways to overcome this hurdle.
Free trials can make conversions out of customers who would have previously visited the site and left without further thought, and they cost your SaaS company relatively little. Allowing businesses a risk-free opportunity to find out what your service can do for them will hook people who may previously not have known what they were missing out on.
Once you've got the prospect on the line, reel them in by offering tiered pricing structures. Not all brands will need every service you offer, and likewise, many will need some extra bells and whistles above the baseline. Offering a selection of packages at a range of prices gives your customer the control they want over their business decisions and allows you to cast a wider net in the industry.
Regardless of what your product can do for consumers, honing your B2B marketing strategy will ensure that it gets in front of your next best recurring customer.
Related: Growth Hacking: What it is and How SaaS Businesses Can Use it to Optimize Growth
