The Ultimate Digital Marketing Strategy Guide for SaaS Companies
Even now, there’s still a shortage of knowledge on what lead generation strategies to adopt in the budding SaaS industry. If you’ve been in the online marketing field for a while, you probably know the basics. But what of the specifics? As in any stand-alone field, going in-depth is almost always the way to go. You need to know the exact strategies that work for SaaS businesses, in short. You can do just that if you take the time to read this guide -digital marketing for SaaS companies post.
Take Advantage of User Search Intent
This is a good first step to take because it’s highly targeted. You will be focusing on user intent, after all. It’s centered on wanting to have a need fulfilled. It’s safe to say that it’s vital for you to discern whether the search intent is transactional, informational, navigational, or investigational.
Usually, this entails manually researching the user’s intent for doing the search. What’s good about doing this is that you’re very likely to discover some great keywords as you perform your analysis.
If you’re aiming for transactional searches, you don’t really need to depart too much from the golden rule of sticking to longtails. As in most SEO-related campaigns, longtails largely connote buying intent.
Build Interactive Landing Pages
This is where the majority of your lead generation efforts should be concentrated. Landing pages can make or break your efforts to generate leads and, ultimately, make conversions. Don’t depart too much from the following pointers to ensure you’ll always know which direction to take.
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Stick to a Single Objective
Having a single goal means you already know what your USP is, who your customer is, what action you want them to do, as well as what their specific problems are. This effectively removes distractions and focuses and optimizes every decision you make.
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Have Compelling Headlines
Another golden rule of effective copywriting, the headline you choose should immediately appeal to your audience’s emotions. Brevity is also the key, so do your best to not go past 8 words when coming up with suitable headlines.
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Use the Right Colors
Never overlook the colors you use because a wrong decision can mean all the difference in the world. Even if you have a killer copy, what if you chose the wrong color for your CTA button?
We can’t really make the ultimate recommendation in this regard. The best course to take is often to do A/B testing. Decide the right combination of images and colors. Lighter or neutral hues may work for a lot of landing pages, but it’s certainly not an absolute rule.
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Use Live Chat on Your Web Pages
SaaS landing pages are no different from standard business or store websites when it comes to ensuring optimal communication. Having live chat allows visitors to ask all the questions they have and get the answers they need. These obviously leave a generally positive impression on clients, which is always the first step to any successful lead generation campaign.
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Have a Persuasive CTA in a Prominent Place
Whether it’s a big download, buy, or register button at the top or using power words at the end, your CTA has to be positioned where it will gain the most visibility.
Once you position your CTAs in distinct areas of your landing page, they shouldn’t be hard to test. Use words that entice visitors to perform the action you want them to perform.
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Create Relatable Content
Would your reader care to continue if he finds out your content doesn’t connect or jive with him? Experts advise focusing on pain points as much as possible because it wordlessly relates to your audience that you know them. You know what their problems are and you’re here to solve them. As you do so, keep your content clear and concise to boost readability.
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Display Social Proof
Social proof works in conversion rate optimization because we can’t deny that there are individuals out there whose names carry a lot of clouts. Of course, this is assuming the testimony comes from an expert or influencer that has a wide, reputable following.
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Optimize the Content Above the Fold the Most
This is another standard rule in landing page optimization. The portion of the page that’s visible without scrolling should immediately be able to grab the visitor’s attention. It should be just as engaging to improve retention. Best if you can tailor it in such a way that it directly boosts conversion as well.
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Focus on Website Speed & Mobile Optimization
An SEO fundamental, how fast your page loads determines user retention and bounce rates. This is why it’s best to focus on minimalism instead of adding too many elements that only slow your website down.
The same goes for ensuring your pages are mobile-friendly. Be mindful of the number of images you use as it can take a toll on loading times on mobile pages.
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Use Videos to Explain Complex Data
Videos engage visitors and make it easy to explain data that would otherwise be difficult to layout on a single page. Exercise your creativity to grip your audience’s attention.
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Add Links to Your Social Media Accounts
Not only does it lend to SEO, but it also presents numerous platforms where your audience can get the latest updates about your business. Also, most people prefer to communicate through social media.
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Design Shorter Forms
Don’t ask too much from your prospects, plain and simple. Short forms that ask for the visitor’s name and email tend to generate more leads because it requires less effort. They can even be auto-filled. More importantly, people are more likely to trust you if you don’t ask for too much personal information.
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Display an FAQ Section
Any vital information that your prospects will more than likely ask for should be answered here. This is valuable because it again shows how responsive your service is to their needs.
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Add Countdown Timers to Compel Your Web Visitors
The notion of missing out a limited supply never fails to urge people to take action. You can use time to your advantage by creating this sense of urgency by displaying a prominent timer on your web page.
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Conduct Split Testing
This includes any A/B testing of most of the pointers we’ve shared when building the optimal landing page. Keep in mind that most fruitful split testing is done with long-term, continuous testing in mind.
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Add Exit Intent Pop-Ups to Drive Lead Gen
Thousands of websites have been using this not-so-secret strategy to great success. SaaS businesses are no different. This does require optimization, though. You need to know your audience to hook them to something that they’ll find useful and valuable.
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Host Webinars
Webinars are a convenient way to reach out to your audience while giving them all the information they need. They can be put together and scheduled with relative ease.
Oftentimes, you can entice them to participate by offering exclusive information or even rewards for joining. It’s not just about building relationships but establishing your brand’s foundations as well.
Offer Free Trials
Nothing beats being able to experience the features and advantages of any enterprise that offers SaaS. This immediately allows users to make vital comparisons and even familiarizes them with your service’s main strengths.
Don’t be stingy with the free time you give them. Make sure the trials last long enough for them to get the hang of your service.
Practice Lead Nurturing & Email Automation
We can’t deny the sheer efficacy of nurturing your leads. And why not? It’s a practice that assuages and dispels any lingering fears and doubts your customer may have about availing of your service. A CRM could be your best friend in this regard.
Email automation, on the other hand, keeps your audience informed and engaged without much effort on your part.
Start Connecting and Engaging on LinkedIn
Write compelling inmails. There’s also the technique called social selling that involves making the right connections. It’s all about looking for people that share your interests or are interested in your chosen SaaS niche.
The more you build and engage with your network, the more you’re setting up a solid foundation for your brand’s reputation.
Use Paid Search for Remarketing
Remarketing is the practice of marketing to people who have visited your landing pages. What’s neat is that Google Adwords has all the tools necessary to conduct this effective technique.
Referral Programs for Current Customers
Of course, this is assuming you already have an established following. While it can be daunting coming up with your own referral program, it’s definitely worth it. You often get to enjoy higher conversion rates and save on money when acquiring new customers.
You need to choose the best incentive, come up with the program’s terms and conditions, and choose a good referral tool.
Partner with Non-Competing Vendors
A lot of SaaS providers rely on partnership programs. After all, you can often find many technical partners to work with there, who are more than willing to share a common goal with you.
You can also keep your doors open to referral partners. You can, for example, pay them a 15% commission for every customer referred.
Step Out for Surveys
Who says you should limit your scope online? You can also do surveys offline to know the real issues of your target audience. All the better if you’re catering mainly to a local one. These surveys can give you great insights that may even shape your ideas and decision-making process going forward.
Conclusion
One obvious common denominator of these guidelines is the importance of learning who your audience truly is. Software as a service is a pretty broad field, so it definitely requires you to zero in on your ideal prospects. It requires time and effort, so careful planning and long-term commitment are a must.
