Fueling Business Growth with a SaaS Content Marketing Strategy
When it comes to organic business growth for software companies, SaaS content marketing can be a game changer. If done consciously, it not only positions you as a thought leader but also enhances sales by attracting traffic and converting it into leads.
As of 2023, the SaaS market has surged to a substantial worth of approximately $197 billion, with projections anticipating a remarkable ascent to $232 billion by 2024. With such a vast market, there’s a lot to cater to. However, a significant portion of the general public is not yet cognizant of how SaaS products or companies work, making SaaS content marketing all the more essential.
In this blog post, we will examine how to create powerful SaaS content and develop ideas for attracting traffic.
SaaS Content Marketing in Action
Kinsta, a top-tier WordPress hosting provider, was experiencing negligible website traffic until May 2019. They decided to turn this around by investing in educational SaaS content besides promoting their services.
Rather than exclusively discussing its hosting services, Kinsta indulged in a detailed study of its target market and worked on niches unrelated to its core business operations. The focus was on addressing the pain points and challenges their customers face.
They started posting content more consistently and explored expansive themes pertinent to WordPress developers and website owners, raising awareness.
By June 2022, they drew in more than 672,000 monthly organic views.
Evidently, their SaaS content marketing did pan out. And it can do so for you as well.
What is Different About SaaS Content Marketing?
Content marketing for SaaS businesses differs significantly from others due to several crucial factors. SaaS companies mostly
- Sell both technology and service,
- Emphasise on educating prospects,
- Rely heavily on customer reviews,
- Address customer risk,
- Promote repeat business.
While many of these goals are typical for other companies as well, they are slightly more complex and precise for SaaS firms for obvious reasons.
SaaS marketing may initially seem focused on product sales, but it carries a dual responsibility—selling the product while emphasising the support quality and educating people. Support quality becomes a crucial factor for SaaS customers when choosing providers.
SaaS buyers predominantly research through digital channels, making search engine optimisation (SEO) a pivotal component of an effective SaaS marketing strategy. Products are typically discovered through resources such as white papers, website reviews, online communities, and app marketplaces. Thus, a successful marketing strategy in SaaS should prioritise SEO.
Perks of a Robust SaaS Content Marketing Strategy
Content marketing is essential for the organic growth of every company, including those offering SaaS products. The SaaS and tech sectors, known for their distinctive nature, cater to audiences committed to continuous education and professional growth.
Indeed, content generated by SaaS companies often serves as the primary source of knowledge and information for some individuals. Creating content that aids customers in enhancing their skills is crucial for building a loyal community, positioning your brand as a thought leader, and establishing a sustainable revenue stream.
Let’s look at ClickFunnels, an online tool designed for creating websites and sales funnel with a focus on achieving high conversion rates.
They had a surplus of content but lacked desired conversions, prompting a strategy to revamp. Initially focusing on increasing content output for SEO improvement, they identified two key opportunities: targeting high purchase intent keywords and refreshing/deleting outdated content.
The results were staggering—a 9x year-over-year organic traffic increase, an 863% surge in organic sessions for a key blog post, and a doubling of organic keyword visibility volume for critical terms.
How to Create a Powerful SaaS Content Marketing Strategy?
Often, SaaS companies get so focused on their product that they compromise on a checklist, process, or systematic approach to content marketing.
The following tips provide a comprehensive checklist to help steer you in the right direction.
Search Engine Optimization
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is essential for SaaS companies aiming to distinguish themselves and secure organic market share. According to a report, the typical sales cycle for a SaaS product spans 84.3 days, significantly longer than the impulsive purchases commonly associated with consumer-focused industries.
In a similar vein, Structured Studios struggled with profitable customer acquisition through paid media and SEO, especially in ranking a product page for ‘landscape design software.’
Suspecting technical SEO issues, they revamped Google and Facebook ads, broadening the audience, improving lead quality, and refining attribution. This included categorising users, defining negative keywords to exclude B2C customers, and tailoring ad messaging for professional landscapers.
The results were impressive:
- Achieved a 50% growth in Annual Recurring Revenue (ARR) over two years.
- The landscape design product page eventually secured the top position in Google search results, accompanied by a substantial increase in organic traffic.
Keyword Research
Conducting keyword research is the foundation of a successful SaaS content marketing strategy. A survey of startup founders revealed that 90% consider SEO vital for building brand awareness and generating business leads.
In a parallel narrative, Hurdlr, an automated business expense and mileage tracking app, faced stagnation in SEO and traffic. To address this, they focused on enhancing content for product pages, targeting essential keywords.
The strategy involved identifying high-value keywords for bottom-of-funnel visitors with strong purchase intent. They either updated existing content or created new content tailored to these keywords. Additionally, product pages were revamped for critical keywords.
The results were significant:
- Over the next 12 months, first-page Google rankings increased by 2- 3X (blue line), and rankings in positions 1-3 surged by 4X (yellow line).
- As seen below, the average position for the targeted keywords increased by 70%, with nine securing rankings on pages 1 or 2.
Choosing the Right Formats for SaaS Content Marketing
When it comes to SaaS content marketing, content formats are comparable to selecting sails for a seafaring vessel. Each format serves a specific purpose, resonates with diverse audience preferences, and contributes uniquely to the overarching content strategy.
- Blog Posts: Roughly 36% of sizable SaaS enterprises utilize blog posts to educate readers on various industry topics.
- Webinars: In the B2B sector, there is a strong belief that webinars generate nearly 75% of sales leads.
- Podcasts: A minimum of 18% of the leading SaaS app businesses use podcasts as a marketing tool.
Connecting seamlessly with this perspective, HubSpot, initially an email marketing platform, has transformed into a comprehensive solution catering to service, marketing, and sales requirements.
The company’s blog is strategically divided into categories—
- Marketing
- Sales
- Service
- Website,
ensuring visitors access relevant information for a personalised and valuable experience.
Beyond blogs, HubSpot became a $271 million inbound lead generation company, employing diverse content formats, including newsletters like “The Lead,” focused on converting prospects into customers through market news updates.
Additionally, the HubSpot Marketing YouTube channel, launched in 2007, offers over 400 free marketing tutorials, exemplified by videos like the one teaching the use of HubSpot sequences in the sales process.
Writing Your SaaS Content Piece
Ideas, research, and creativity form a captivating narrative in the writing phase. Writing serves as the heartbeat of your content strategy, infusing life into your concepts and molding them into a unified and compelling story.
Leveraging its digital publishing platform, Flipsnack advises clients on transitioning from traditional paper printing to eco-friendly online alternatives and extends its blog content to encompass marketing, digital publishing, and business topics. The content is not only highly practical but also interactive and engaging.
Consequently, Flipsnack garners significant traction:
As of June 2022, a Semrush analysis reveals that the platform attracts nearly 850,000 organic visitors monthly, has amassed over 45 million backlinks, and boasts an impressive authority score of 80.
Work Out Your Promotion and Distribution Strategy
Creating an intelligent content distribution strategy is equally important to content creation. It’s essential to contemplate content promotion even before initiating the creation phase.
The top three channels for distributing SaaS content comprise a combination of owned and paid platforms:
Here is an example of a great content distribution:
Typeform, a leading SaaS interactive form-builder brand, emphasises creating live video content on LinkedIn.
With video views reaching the hundreds, this strategy has contributed to building a substantial following of nearly 50,000 people on the platform.
Conclusion
In SaaS content marketing, the focus extends beyond conveying messages; it involves crafting experiences, building connections, and fostering enduring relationships with your audience.
The future of SaaS content marketing is brimming with possibilities. From the growing appetite for interactive and personalised content to the transformative impact of emerging technologies, the evolution is both exhilarating and unyielding.