Your SaaS content marketing playbook for better B2B marketing
A lot of SaaS (software as services) businesses focus on quick 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).
The times have changed. SaaS firms are faced with shrinking budgets and a turbulent market where any effort is counted. Translation: B2B marketers can do much more for less. The volume plays do nota lasting, intention-driven marketing strategy .
There's a better approach to SaaS content marketing. In this post we'll look at what's been discarded in the field of content marketing. We'll also hear about real-world marketers who've tried and proved new channels and methods that your company can take and run with.
A B2B Content Marketer's Playbook
- What's old in SaaS Content Marketing
- The top ways to market SaaS content marketing
- SaaS marketing content Examples to study
- Content marketing using video for B2B SaaS
- Content strategy strategies for SaaS businesses
- Wrapping up
What's tired in SaaS Content Marketing?
Let's look at some of the most abused content marketing that we don't suggest.
Cold outbound email that has no content to support it.
If you're not familiar an initial cold pitch generally sent out in the form of an email to reach out with no supporting content or value proposition. The prospect doesn't know why or how to react or respond, and isn't given any incentive to buy your product or service.
The strategy may have been successful when folks were more receptive to sales pitches and were always primed to buy However, this strategy doesn't work now. Nowadays, customers are constantly bombarded by these kinds of emailsand many of them do not bother to read them as they don't provide any real worth or provide any insight about how your product is able to do for them.
Phil Strazzulla, the creator of SelectSoftware Reviews, a website that aims to help HR professionals find and buy the right SaaS platforms.
"The most effective strategy in 2023 is cold outbound emails with no assistance. Everybody receives too many emails from people we don't know thanks to software like Outreach, Apollo, and SalesLoft that make it easy to automate and grow outbound emails."
He also said "Marketing teams must combine this approach with brand advertisements focused on the same target customers, efforts to call, and offline mail campaigns where you have the funds to support it."
Content that is generic and doesn't target any specific target audience
It's tempting to think any content will work across your entire audience however this isn't the reality. Your audience has different needs which is why you have to customize your content to satisfy the needs of your audience, or perhaps even push them to the limit.
B2B buyers want details on ways they can utilize your service or product to resolve their issues. They want proof that it does what it says, but they want tips on how to use it more effectively.
An excellent example is HubSpot. HubSpot's blog HubSpot blog has posts that address the common problems of their target audience, who are online marketers, salespeople as well as customer service specialists.
Long-form content for the sake of it
Long-form content isn't going anywhere in the near future, however it's difficult to distinguish in the eyes of consumers who have a lot to do and aren't as busy. Unfortunately, a lot of B2B brands have similar content, which means that nurture sequences and gated deals don't pack the same punch they did in the past.
It's the same for long documents such as white papers and research reports. They are also difficult reads as they can be very technical, and are only relevant for a small number of potential customers. Long case studies which are a great source of social proof, may not get a the attention of a potential buyer. Are you looking to become just another open tab on the marketer's busy desktop?
If you've already invested in long-form written content, consider repackaging the copy in short video clips for speedy use and dissemination.
As an example, the Content marketing company Omniscient Digital provides videos of their case studies in an alternative to their standard written case studies. This can be a wonderful opportunity to show the results of their work without requiring folks to go through the whole article in case they like video (which majority of us do).
Blindly emulating competitors
This happens every day it happens that a company starts a blog and starts copying its competitors' posts in a series of one after another. This is a typical SEO conten tplay and is especially common with companies that sell software to other businesses due to the fact that they businesses often view different SaaS businesses as rivals, even though they're competing in different market segments and markets.
Yash Chavan, who is the founder of the SaaS-based Influencer Marketing Platform Saral believes that copying other companies and blogs on marketing isn't an ideal idea. Chavan suggests:
"Understand that every product, markets, and marketers are different... therefore there are different ways to work for each. Use your strengths to the fullest. In the case of example, if your product gets great unique data (e.g. surveys, tools for surveying), then use it to make new information. If your product requires inviting other people to it take full advantage of referrals as a strategy. Avoid following what blogs on marketing advise you to do. it's up to you!"
The top channels to use are for SaaS marketing content
In the end, the most effective methods to connect with your customers will vary depending on your audience's interests and pain points, but these are the top four channels for SaaS content marketing--yes, including video!
1. SEO and always-green content
Some examples of evergreen content include:
- Product content
- Guides to how-to
- Industry best practices
- Success stories of customers and testimonies from testimonials
To make your evergreen content search-friendly, you have to increase its visibility across search engines such as Google as well as YouTube. This includes creating backlinks (links from other websites) and writing engaging copy, and including commonly-search words in your content's titles and bodies to increase it's relevance on search engines.
2. Email
Email marketing is one of the oldest forms of marketing through content and is it is one of the most efficient. As we discussed above the tactics used to market email have changed over the years (bye, bye cold pitches) however, the method remains invaluable for SaaS marketers.
When you produce pertinent content to meet the needs of every part of your customers' lives -including nurturing your blog's readers to onboarding and educating new users through video, to reminding them of upcoming renewal dates, to offering discounts on upgrade discounts -- email allows you to mail targeted 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 the ways SaaS businesses can benefit from email content for upgrades and renewals.
3. Evenings (IRL or virtual)
In-person events like networking events as well as conferences and seminars even though they were not as popular due to the outbreak they are now back and with a bang as the people are hungry for social gatherings and celebrations that are live.
Events help you build connections with customers and potential clients, gain insight into the market as well as validate any concepts for new products or brands as well as network with prospective partners, influencers, as well as industry experts.
4. Social media
- Utilize your company's Facebook Page or Twitter account to share valuable information with your target audience. Users who like your profile through social media have a tendency to believe in you, and could purchase from your company in the future.
- Upload videos or other content (videos!) from people who use the product or service. Content that is created by real users will help users feel more connected to the brand and want to know more.
- Connect with those who leave comments on posts or ask questions on social media sites. Respond with direct message to build deeper relationships with potential customers.
- Do not forget to mention influencers as well as business experts! Connect with them on social media and ask them if they would be willing to impart their knowledge to others through blog posts and videos or giving a talk at events.
SaaS content marketing examples to take a lesson from
HubSpot
Hubspot is producing blog content since 2014 and has since become one of the best story-telling success stories in content marketing.
The blog of the company is used by the business to create content to generate prospects and to provide value to its existing customers. The Marketing blog is a resource for topics including marketing automation and social media marketing. blogging.
However, what is what makes HubSpot distinct is the use of different formats.
For example, HubSpot uses a mixture of HubSpot ultimate guidebooks, podcasts, as well as videos embedded in its blog posts to give their readers a choice.
HubSpot Academy is a different key component of HubSpot's content strategy. The online academy provides quick lessons on everything from fundamental marketing techniques like identifying leads on social media, or designing an email drip program and on up to advanced certifications like Certified Inbound Marketer certification.
What makes it work:
- A focus on helping customers to solve real problems
- Variety of various kinds of content appealing diverse audiences and broadens the range of interests
- An authentic voice that doesn't attempt too hard to be funny or clever
Microsoft
With the Office 365 blog, Microsoft has created a hub of useful content to help customers to understand the range of products as well as use-cases and supplies customers with advice on how to get the most value out of the subscriptions they have.
Microsoft has done amazing work with their Microsoft 365 University website. The site has been created as online communities for schoolchildren as well as teachers to learn about Microsoft 365 products and services.
They also have an online coursecalled " Create Your First App," where you can learn how develop apps using Visual Studio Code and Azure DevOps Services.
What makes it work:
Microsoft concentrated on developing an ebook or video-based series that could last for up to 18 months while letting customers browse through the content at their own pace. This strategy eliminates the pressure to create every day new content and lets Microsoft to concentrate on satisfying the needs of customers.
Adobe
Adobe launched CMO.com, a publication that provides the reader with value through its content spanning the most critical issues for digital leaders. The magazine includes articles written by experts within the field, as well as opinions from Adobe on product, technology and business trends.
It's a fantastic illustration of the way SaaS businesses can leverage content marketing to increase and nurture customer relationships, leading to more sales.
What is the reason it works?
It's because CMO's content is not product-specific. This means that they aren't focusing on their company's products or services. The content concentrates solely on trends, issues and opportunities for avoiding the digital disruption.
SARAL
SARAL is an influencer marketing platform that brings together influencers and brands. Their blog provides valuable information on the nuances of influencer marketing. This is not just to promote the services but also to help its target users (marketers) to run effective campaigns.
The CEO of the business doesn't only write blog articles - he promotes two ideas across 50 social channels weekly - thus reaching a broader population.
What is the reason it works?
Yash Chavan the Saral's co-founder, says that shifting the focus of his business from publishing two blogs a week to the promotion of two ideas over 50 social channels significantly impacted his strategy for marketing content.
Chavan carried out an experiment that revealed that his website traffic decreased by 35% when his content distribution stopped during a period of one month. He also advises the upcoming SaaS entrepreneurs and marketing managers to produce high-value content instead of tons of lower-value content and distribute it as often as is possible.
Content marketing via video to B2B SaaS
Content marketing via video can be powerful for B2B and B2C firms. However, the material you create might have different objectives for B2C and B2B (i.e., educate or. engage).
In actual fact, HubSpot Blog Research found 15% of B2B marketers consider creating thought leadership to be a major goal in their video marketing plan in comparison to only 9% of B2C marketers.
These are just a few more methods that B2B SaaS companies use video content in a way that is more effective than B2C businesses:
- Explainer videos
- Product demos
- Live streaming of events
- Product videos
- Behind-the-scenes videos
- Stories and testimonials from customers
If you have a B2C firm the strategy for social media may differ from one for a B2B SaaS business. The former relies more on TikTok as well as Instagram and the latter likely uses Twitter as well as LinkedIn most often.
These channels are more suited for their target audience: B2C brands want to interact with customers in person, whereas B2B SaaS companies want to reach industry professionals who have long sales cycles as well as more decision-makers.
Tips for content strategy SaaS businesses
Let's discuss some content strategy tips to SaaS marketers in 2023.
Find out more about the people you are targeting
Prior to creating content, you need to understand who you're talking about and what they're looking for from your company. For this, you must conduct market research , and then speak about potential buyers or consumers of your product or service. Find out what type of information they need and how they prefer consuming it, whether via video, audio or even text.
Create personas that represent your intended audience's preferences as well as needs. You can use these personas as a guideline for how to develop, design and structure your content.
Conducting feedback surveys is a different option to get to know your customers. Feedback surveys are useful as they let you collect the opinions and thoughts from real customers to help shape future products and services.
Pro tip:Look at Google Trends to find keywords relevant to your field and this will help you decide which topics you'll cover in blog posts or updates on social media.
Updating what you have
For SaaS businesses, updating your content is a great way to keep high-value content useful and easily accessible.
When you create written or video content, keep track of the date it becomes live, and track its usage as well as its impact. Each quarter, you should review your library to identify drops in user engagement and prioritize those assets for updates. Similarly, as your products grow and evolve it is important to ensure your library is in line with the latest features of your product and imagery.
It is also possible to update your current content, by adding more information and resources. This will make it more useful to visitors who might have looked for similar data in the past but didn't find what they were looking for in your website.
Prioritize distribution
If you don't make a plan to distribute your material, it's likely to never reach the users who require it the most. It is crucial to determine where your target audience hangs around online, for example, blogs, social media platforms or even discussion forumscreate strategies to getting them to visit your site.
Be aware of the metrics that matter to you
It's crucial to determine what metrics are important for you, and also how you can measure them.
If your objective is to raise awareness about your brand, provide value to your audience and increase customer retention. Content marketing can be a great way to achieve these goals, especially in the event that you employ a well-planned approach and create top-quality content that is able to resonate with your target audience.
If your aim is to drive leads the content you create for marketing focus on bottom-of-the-funnel (BOFU) material that contains product info and sets up your conversion points (e.g. Demo requests or free trial sign-ups). Additionally, you can complement your content strategy with advertisements that are paid to bring additional traffic to these assets and help drive leads that are qualified.
Produce unique, data-driven content
Data-driven content is an effective method of sharing insights with your audience. It's also a great way to differentiate yourself from your competition.
SaaS businesses have an advantage in this regard because they have access to a wealth of information about their clients and prospects. With this information, you can create material that is directly addressed to customers and help them resolve their problems.
SaaS marketer and co-founder of AdEspresso Massimo Chieruzzi believes that AI-based writing tools are soon going to become a commodity in content production. And often, the production quality of these software tools will surpass the work of most copywriters. One way of beat AI is to beat AI is to create distinctive content.
"Quality can be a lot of things. It can include thought leadership with a unique (and perhaps controversial) point of view regarding the field. You can also write data-driven content leveraging SaaS internal databases ."
Massimo mentions that in AdEspresso the company initially invested in writing content analyzing millions of dollars worth of Facebook Ads managed through the platform. This approach paid off in creating a brand image which earned trust as well as regular visitors. It also attracted lots of backlinks.
Closing up
2023 will be all about offering your customers and prospects with relevant and unique media in various formats, and especially video. SaaS customers are busy and require content that has a shelf-life and a unique POV.
Videos are a way to promote your brand and allow you to stand out from your competitors. But remember -- if you provide specific, targeted information that gives someone actual worth, you'll be able to beat content marketing.