How should SaaS companies use content marketing

Content marketing was made for SaaS companies.

It provides credibility and allows the business to reach out to potential customers in a way that traditional marketing never could and importantly it costs 62% less than traditional marketing but provides three times the leads!

But if you own or work for a SaaS company it is important that you use your content in the right way otherwise the time and money you have invested may well be wasted.

Check out our article and find out how SaaS companies can make the most out of their content marketing.

In this article;

• What is content marketing?
• Use it to build credibility
• Use it to explain features
• Use it to provide peer validation
• Use it to become a thought leader
• 5 Golden rules for content marketing

What is content marketing?

Content marketing is the practice of putting out useful, informative and valuable resources to develop your customer base.

The aim is not to produce overtly ‘salesy’ articles but more to provide soft proof of your suitability as a supplier for your potential customers.

A good example would be a SaaS company that has a CRM system telling people generally how to use CRM systems. They aren’t specifically selling their own version, but by developing their credibility in the eyes of the customer they put themselves in the driving seat when it does come time to buy.

When you remember that 70% would prefer to learn about a company from an article rather than an ad, you can see why content marketing is valued by customers too.

Content marketing can include;

• Blog posts
• White papers
• Explainer videos
• Case studies
• Thought pieces
• Major industry reports
• Ebooks
• Reviews
• Podcasts
• Webinars

In fact, content marketing is really only limited by the imagination of the producer. If you are giving potential buyers something of value then you are probably content marketing!

So why would you use content marketing for your Saas company and how should you use the output?

Use it to build credibility

The first way to use your content is as a way of confirming your credibility.

You wouldn’t expect to buy a major application from a company you had never heard of without some sign that they knew what they were doing.

Company’s credibility is a huge part of your brand identity. The brand is not just about the logo and colors of the company. It is how customers remember you, how you differ from your competitors, what makes you unique. It’s more about connections and content is a great way to create it.  That is why having good quality content is so important. You will need to pay attention to it while building your company’s marketing plan and defining the branding strategy framework.

Content marketing in this context means building up a treasury of articles, blog posts, videos and other resources that show you truly understand your field.

Use it to explain features

Many SaaS products are very user friendly but they may also have a lot of complicated or extensive features. Good content marketing can be used to point out useful features, how they can be used and more importantly, how they will benefit the customer. This is really helpful for customers who are doing web searches for specific product features and looking to find a product that meets their needs. Again, remember that the SaaS company isn’t using the blog post or explainer video here to give it the hard sell, simply to be there when the customer is searching for information.

Use it to provide peer validation

Nothing works better than a potential buyer finding out that a well known person or company also uses the product that they are considering.

SaaS companies can use extensive case studies as a way of showing that their product has changed the lives of its users by doing X,Y and Z.

Real-life examples of the product in use, by real people in real companies are an incredibly powerful way to convince people that your app really will do what you say it will.

Use it to become a thought leader

Would you sooner buy a SaaS expenses system from a company you have never heard of or one where the sales/finance/marketing director is something of a thought leader in their field?

If senior people in the business are providing exceptional sector insight and showing that they really are at the cutting edge of development then that goes a long way to providing the sort of validation that customers need.

It works brilliantly for developing brand name recognition and getting your product on everyone’s shortlist.

Thought leader pieces published on the major sector websites are super-valuable in this respect but don’t discount appearing as a guest on podcasts or even producing your own.

5 Golden rules for content marketing

So we’ve seen some of the ways that a SaaS business can use content marketing but there are some rules that every content marketer needs to abide by if they are to make the most of their output.

Rule 1 – Consistency

There is no point writing 8 blog posts, stopping and wondering why your content marketing isn’t working.

The rule here is little and often. Just do a short article once a week rather than producing a major report and then doing nothing for months.

Rule 2 – Variety

Don’t just stick to one type of content. 

It’s great to have a good selection of blog posts but remember that people all have different preferences when it comes to consuming information.

Some like the written word, some like a video and others like a nice friendly podcast.

Mix it up for the best results.

Rule 3 – Quality

Don’t just do something for the sake of it.

Remember that the aim is to give people something of value that they will appreciate so go for quality over quantity.

Rule 4 – Promotion

Don’t just post something to the company blog and hope it takes off.

You have to be systematic and consistent in your content promotion.

Make sure that you post links to your newly released content on the company socials like LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook and ask your staff to do the same.

Rule 5 – Ask for what you want

We did say at the start of this post that content marketing for SaaS companies isn’t about giving it the hard-sell but that doesn’t mean that you can’t include a Call-To-Action (CTA).

At the end of the piece of content you should make sure you let the customer know exactly what you want them to do to move on.

So do you want them to investigate some more content? Want them to sign up for an email newsletter? Book a call or demo? Then make sure you include an explicit CTA that tells them what they have to do and why.

Summary: Content marketing works exceptionally well for SaaS companies

Building a successful SaaS company involves so many competing priorities that it is difficult to know where to start but all of the truly successful businesses have understood that you need to get the content right from the start.

It takes time to build up a wealth of content that will benefit the customer, drive traffic to your site and give people the validation they need to make a purchase so the best advice we can give is to start now!