When it comes to software, SaaS has emerged as the ultimate method to effectively deliver cloud-based services.
The way SaaS has simplified the software purchasing process for customers is just amazing, however now we are faced with thousands of competing products in many industries. The marketing noise this is generating can make it hard for customers to find the right solution for their needs.
It is very important to promote your SaaS product the right way to stand out from the crowd. Below we share five effective methods to help you promote your SaaS product the right way for maximum benefits. Let’s get into it!
Why can marketing a SaaS product be so difficult?
Marketing and promotion of a SaaS product can feel at times to be quite difficult as compared to other products or services. It can sometimes be that way, however with some planning and research, you don’t need to be so frustrated.
The only thing that you should focus on here, is to make sure that your target customers are aware of your products. The need for a proven and effective strategy in the case of SaaS promotion is really necessary.
Software as a service (SaaS) market worldwide 2008-2020 (Source)
Five great methods to promote your SaaS products
Offer a free trial of your SaaS products
Neither you know about the needs of your target customers nor the customer has a clear idea about your product. At this point, offering them to use your product on a trial basis is going to help you both understand each other.
This way the customer will have more clues to decide whether your product is right for them. On the other hand, you will get to know more about the setbacks and advantages of your products.
This initial step lets your customers understand your product better. They might ask for help in case they need additional features and you will have enough ideas for improvements in the current product or introduce a new plan/product.
In short, this trial-based offering comes with a lot of benefits for both sides, especially in the beginning.
Make the right use of content marketing and SEO
Everything you are doing in terms of promotion and marketing will be online. Succeeding in this online world is possible only if you are well aware of the fundamentals. Your goal here is to reach those people who precisely need something that you are already offering.
SEO is the best way to reach such people. SEO simply gives you clues about people searching for things on the internet. As everyone searches for their needs via words and phrases, SEO offers the tools and techniques to give you an idea about what those people need. Once you have known about that, the effectiveness of your strategy increases dramatically since you have to put in significantly less effort.
Content marketing is the most suitable process to achieve your goals here. The use of the right tools will give you information about the exact words that people are using for searching about the SaaS services.
Incorporating those terms in your content will improve the rank of your website on the search engine. It will eventually help the target customers in reaching your website quickly.
Start posting content on your website that is relevant to the needs of your target customers or your products. There is no better way to generate qualified leads other than good content marketing. In case you find this task to be complicated and tedious, make use of dedicated SEO software tools. These can often help you find the best-performing pieces of content on the internet.
Pro tip: Don’t expect quick returns from SEO because it is the most organic way of gaining traffic. Initially, you need to wait at least a few months before you can see the results.
List on software sites
You should list your product on as many software listing sites and software review websites that you can find (such as this one, hint hint!). Make sure that you create an engaging listing, with nice imagery, inviting text content and clear links to your website and social media. Ideally, include some customer testimonials as well.
Use PPC campaign
This is another great way to promote your SaaS product. Though it is not free like SEO, it has got the potential to give you the best results. While your SEO plans are underway, consider spending a little bit on a PPC campaign to gain better traffic right in the beginning. You need to be specific to get the best out of your PPC campaign. Design different variations of your advertisements for the same product to see which one works the best.
Working precisely with your keywords is very important here as well. The use of the right keywords here will make sure your ads are being placed along with the relevant queries. Placing your ads in the right place plays quite a bit of a role when you want quick results.
Just like SEO, there are several tools that you can rely on if you want to get ideas about the best keywords for your PPC campaigns. Many are particularly good for those who need to market their SaaS products. Consider using these tools for managing this campaign easily and generating leads.
SaaS product pricing page example (Source)
Limit the number of choices and ensure clarity
You could build the world’s best marketing campaign, however if you confuse your visitors, it will all fail. This is a very common mistake most non-marketing people make, especially in the beginning. People are often confused when they get too many choices. Instead of offering 50 different pricing plans and extra options, etc try to limit the options to 3-4 or even less.
Make sure to spend some time on ensuring there is adequate information about your plans, pricing, duration, additional costs, etc. If you start building confusion with your prospective customers, you’ll find you will drive them away from your product.
Final words
So there are five excellent methods to get started with the process to promote your SaaS product to your ideal audience. Once you get used to the various platforms and methods, things will become easier and you will start getting favourable results.
All you need to do here is do everything you can to get in front of your target customers. The quicker they know about your product and features, the quicker you will start growing your customer base. Good luck!
