Your SaaS content marketing toolkit for greater B2B B2B marketing
Most SaaS (software as an service) companies focus on short-term wins. We've all been taught to do everything in the short term: more customers, faster sales, and for some companies...sheer volume! Volume was King (yes it was just like content).
But the times are changing. SaaS businesses are facing shrinking budgets and a turbulent environment where each effort is valued. Translation: B2B marketers can do more with less. The volume plays are nota sustainable, intent-driven marketing plan make.
There's a better approach to SaaS Content Marketing. In this guide, we'll discuss what's tired in the field of content marketing. We'll also hear the experiences of real marketers who have tested and proved new channels and methods that your company can take and run with.
The B2B content marketer's playbook
- What's tired in SaaS content marketing
- The most effective ways to market SaaS advertising and content
- SaaS marketing content instances to take note of
- Marketing of video content for B2B SaaS
- Content strategy suggestions for SaaS firms
- Closing up
What's the issue with SaaS marketing of content?
Let's examine a few exhausted content marketing that we don't recommend.
Cold outbound email that has without any supporting material
For those who aren't familiar with the concept, a cold pitch is typically sent as an outreach email with no supporting content or value offer. Prospects don't understand why or what to do or respond, and isn't given an incentive to purchase your product or service.
This approach may have worked at a time when consumers were more open to sales messages and always primed to buy, but it doesn't work any longer. Nowadays, customers are constantly bombarded with such emailsand many of them ignore them because they don't provide any real benefit or information about what the product you offer can provide to them.
Phil Strazzulla, the founder of SelectSoftware Reviews, a website that aims to help HR professionals to find and purchase the best SaaS platforms, agrees:
"The least effective method in 2023 is cold outbound emails with no assistance. Everyone gets too many emails that come from strangers we've never met due to tools like Outreach, Apollo, and SalesLoft which makes it easy to automate and scale outbound emails."
The author added that "Marketing teams should pair this approach with brand advertisements that are geared towards the same audience clients, as well as calling campaigns as well as offline mailer campaigns if your budget supports the effort."
Generic content that doesn't address a specific audience
It's tempting to think that any content will work across all your audience members However, that's not the reality. The people you target have different requirements which is why you have to customize your content to meet or even challenge them.
B2B buyers want details on the best way to use your product or service to resolve their issues. They are looking for proof of how it is effective, however they want tips on how make use of it better.
A classic example of this is HubSpot. HubSpot's blog HubSpot blog has posts that address the issues that are common to their audience, who are online marketers, salespeople and customer service professionals.
Content in long-form for the sake of it
Content that is long-form won't disappear anytime soon, but it's not always a standout before busy prospects and casual subscribers. Unfortunately, many B2B brands produce similar guides, so nurture sequences and gated offers don't pack the same punch they used to.
It's the same for long documents such as white papers and research reports. They are also difficult reading as they're extremely technical and only appealing to a select few prospects. Case studies that are long are valuable for social proof, can lose prospect's limited attention. Who wants to be just another tab open on the marketer's busy computer?
If you've already invested in lengthy written material think about repackaging it into short videos for quick consumption and distribution.
As an example, the Omniscient Digital, a content marketing agency Omniscient Digital offers brief video case studies an addition to their usual written case study. This is a great way to showcase results without having people take the time to read through the entire piece in case they like video (which majority of people do).
Emulating blindly rivals
The scenario is all too common: a company creates an online blog, and it copies the posts of its competition one by one. It's an incredibly common SEO conten tplay and is especially common with companies that sell software to other business because those firms often see other SaaS companies as competitors even though they're in different areas of business and.
Yash Chavan, founder of the SaaS-based Influencer Marketing Platform Saral believes using other brands or marketing blogs isn't an effective strategy. Chavan suggests:
"Understand that all products marketing, market, and products are different... that's why there are different ways to work for each. Play to your strengths. For instance, if your product is able to collect great new information (e.g. Survey tool), then use the data to develop new information. If your product involves inviting other people to it then go for referrals as a strategy. Avoid following what blogs on marketing advise you to do. it's up to you!"
The most effective channels for SaaS content marketing
The best ways to reach your clients depend the interests of your customers and needs, however there are four channels that can be effective that can be used for SaaS content marketing, yes, even video!
1. SEO and content that is evergreen
A few examples of evergreen content are:
- Product content
- Guides to how-to
- Industry-leading practices
- Success stories of customers and testimonies from testimonials
In order to make your content accessible to search engines, you need to make it more visible to search engines, such as Google and YouTube. This includes creating backlinks (links from other websites) as well as writing persuasive text, and including common search terms in your article's titles and bodies to increase it's relevance on search engines.
2. Email
Email marketing is one of the oldest types of content marketing, and it is one of the most efficient. We've discussed it before the tactics used to market email have evolved over time (bye cold pitching, bye), but the medium is still extremely useful for SaaS marketers.
In the process of creating pertinent content to meet the needs of every part of the customer's lifecycle- from nurturing blog readers to onboarding and educating new users with video to reminding them about upcoming renewal dates and offering exclusive upgrade discounts -- email allows you to mail it out through tailored campaigns.
Email also provides a unique one-on-one experience between you and your prospects or customers...something SEO and social media lacks.
The below example taken from Zoom shows how SaaS businesses can benefit from email content for upgrades and renewals.
3. Event (IRL and virtual)
Events that are held in person, such as networking events, conferences, and seminars although not as well-known during the pandemic they are now back in a big way as people seek social gatherings and celebrations that are live.
The events help you establish connections with customers and potential clients, gain fresh insights into your marketplace as well as validate any new product or brand ideas, and network with potential partners, influencers, and experts from the industry.
4. Social media
- Use your company's Facebook page or Twitter profile to communicate valuable information with your target public. The people who are following your company's page on social media are opting to be loyal to you and might purchase from your company at some point in the future.
- Share content (videos!) from customers who are using the product or service. Real user-generated content can help followers feel connected to your company and would like to know more.
- Connect with those who leave comments on your posts or have questions via social media platforms. You can even respond by an email to create stronger relationships with prospective customers.
- Be sure to keep in mind influencers and business experts! Reach out to them through social media, and ask whether they'd be interested to share their expertise with others through blog posts, creating videos, or giving a talk at events.
SaaS content marketing examples to take a lesson from
HubSpot
Hubspot has been producing blog posts since 2014, and has grown into one of the best examples of content marketing's success.
The company uses its blog content to generate prospects and to provide value to current customers. The blog's marketing section covers subjects including marketing automation, social media marketing, blogging.
What makes HubSpot distinct is the fact that it uses multiple formats.
As an example, HubSpot uses a mixture of HubSpot ultimate guides, podcasts and videos within blog posts in order to provide its audience an option.
HubSpot Academy is a different key component of HubSpot's content strategy. The academy online offers short classes on everything from the basics of marketing concepts like getting leads on social media, or making an email drip marketing campaign and on up to advanced certifications like The Certified Inbound Marketer designation..
The reason it works:
- A focus on helping customers resolve real problems
- Variety of various kinds of content appealing to different types of audiences and drives
- A genuine voice that doesn't try too hard to be funny or clever
Microsoft
In its Office 365 blog, Microsoft has developed a platform of informative content that can help users understand their product range and use cases and provides them with tips on ways to make the most out of their subscriptions.
Microsoft has also done a fantastic job with its Microsoft 365 University website. Microsoft has created an online community for students and teachers to learn the basics of Microsoft 365 products and services.
There is also an online coursecalled " Create Your First App," where students learn how develop apps using Visual Studio Code and Azure DevOps Services.
Why it works:
Microsoft was focused on creating an eBook or video series that could last for up to 18 months, allowing customers to browse the information at their leisure. This method eliminates the requirement to develop new content all the time and lets Microsoft to concentrate on meeting customer needs.
Adobe
Adobe created CMO.com, a publication/magazine that offers value to readers through articles that cover the most crucial topics to digital leaders. It includes essays from thought leaders on the subject and opinions of Adobe regarding technology, product as well as industry-specific trends.
It's a fantastic example of how SaaS businesses can utilize content marketing to drive and strengthen customer relations which can lead to increased sales.
The reason why it works
It's because CMO's content is non-product-specific, which means they aren't focusing on their company's products or services. Its content is solely focused on challenges, trends and opportunities for avoiding the digital disruption.
SARAL
SARAL is an influential marketing platform that connects influencers with brands. Their blog offers valuable info regarding the specifics of influencer marketing. This is and not only for promoting the products but also to help its target audience (marketers) create successful campaigns.
The founder of the company doesn't simply post blog posts He also promotes two concepts on 50 different social media channels each week which means he can reach a larger public.
Why it works
Yash Chavan, Saral's founder and CEO, has stated that changing his attention from writing two blogs per week to the promotion of two ideas over fifty social networks significantly changed his strategy for marketing content.
Chavan conducted an experiment which demonstrated that the site's traffic fell by 35% when he stopped distributing content during a period of one month. He also advises young SaaS entrepreneurs and marketing managers to create high-value content instead of a lot of content that is low quality and to share it as widely as they can.
Content marketing via video to B2B SaaS
Video content marketing is an effective tool for B2B and B2C firms. The content that you produce may have distinct objectives for B2C and B2B (i.e. education vs. engage).
In fact, HubSpot Blog Research found that 15percent of B2B marketers view creating thought leadership to be a major purpose of their video marketing strategies as opposed to just 9% of B2C marketers.
These are just a few more ways that B2B SaaS companies use video content in a way that is more effective than B2C companies:
- Explainer videos
- Product demos
- Live streaming events
- Video clips of product
- Behind-the-scenes videos
- Testimonials from our customers and personal stories
If you're running a B2C business and you are a B2C company, your strategy on social media is likely to differ from that of those of a B2B SaaS company. The former relies more on TikTok as well as Instagram and the latter will likely use Twitter as well as LinkedIn more often.
The reason is that these channels are more suited for their audience: B2C brands want to interact with customers in person while B2B SaaS businesses are looking to connect with industry professionals who have longer sales cycles , and are more decision-makers.
Content strategy tips for SaaS businesses
Let's discuss some content strategy tips for SaaS marketers in 2023.
Know all you can about your target audience
Before making content, it is essential know who you're talking about and what they're looking for from your company. For this, you must do market research and talk to potential clients or customers of your products or services. Find out what type of data they are looking for and how they prefer consuming it, whether via video, audio or even texts.
Create personas that represent your intended audience's preferences as well as needs. You can use these personas to guide how you develop, design and present your material.
The process of conducting feedback surveys is another method to gain insight into your customers. These surveys are beneficial since they permit you to gather the thoughts and opinions of actual users in order to design the design of future products and services.
Pro Tip:Look at Google Trends for your industry's keywords and this will help you decide what topics you'll discuss in your blog posts or social media updates.
Make changes to what you have already
For SaaS businesses, updating your content is an excellent method to ensure that your content is relevant and discoverable.
When you create written or videos, be aware of when the content goes live and monitor its traffic as well as its impact. Each quarter, you should review your library to identify drops in the number of people who are engaged, and then prioritize those assets for updates. As your product evolves and grows ensure that your website is in line with the latest features of your product as well as the appropriate imagery.
Also, you can update current content, by adding new information and resources. This makes it more relevant to users who might have looked for similar information in the past but couldn't find the information they wanted in your website.
Prioritize distribution
If you don't make plans for how you will distribute your content, it will not be seen by individuals who are most in need of it. It's essential to identify which areas your audience is hanging on the internet -- whether that's websites, social media sites or chat groupscreate strategies to connecting with them on those platforms.
Be aware of the metrics that matter to you.
It's important to know what metrics are important to you and how to measure them.
Suppose your goal is to build brand awareness and provide value to the people who visit your site and to increase retention. Content marketing can be an effective way of achieving the goals you want to achieve, particularly when you take a planned method and produce top-quality content that is able to resonate with your target audience.
If you're looking to generate leads then your content marketing strategy should concentrate on bottom-of-the-funnel (BOFU) information that naturally contains product info and sets in your points of conversion (e.g. demo request or trial registrations that are free). Additionally, you can enhance your content marketing strategy by using paid advertisements to increase visitors to these resources as well as help you generate leads that are qualified.
Produce unique, data-driven content
Data-driven content is an effective way to share the latest insights to your customers. It's also a great way to differentiate yourself from your competition.
SaaS firms have an edge in this area because they have access to an array of details regarding their customers and potential clients. By leveraging that data they can develop material that is directly addressed to them and helps them solve the issues they face.
SaaS marketer and the founder of AdEspresso Massimo Chieruzzi believes that AI-based writing tools will soon commoditize content production. In many cases, the writing quality produced by these instruments will exceed that of most copywriters. Only way for you to beat the AI is to make unique material.
"Quality can be a lot of different aspects. It can be an opinion leader with a distinct (and certainly not controversial) point of view regarding the field. This could also include writing information-driven content using SaaS internal databases ."
Massimo says that when he was at AdEspresso, they initially invested into writing articles that analysed millions of dollars of Facebook Ads managed through the platform. This strategy paid off by creating a brand image by establishing trust, attracting return visitors and also attracting many backlinks.
The wrapping around
2023 is all about giving your clients and prospects with original and pertinent content in multiple formats--including, particularly, video. SaaS customers are active and require content that has lasting value and a distinctive perspective.
Videos reflect your company's image and help you stand out against your competition, but keep in mind -- if you provide targeted, personal content that provides someone with genuine value, you'll crush content marketing.