Your SaaS Content Marketing Toolkit to help you create more effective B2B marketing

Jan 27, 2023

A lot of SaaS (software as a service) companies focus on short-term success. It's common for us to focus on the short long term goals of more customers and quicker sales. for certain companies...sheer volume! Volume was the king (yes it was just as content).

The landscape, however, is shifting. SaaS companies are confronting shrinking budgets, and an uncertain situation where any effort counts. This means that B2B marketers must to be more efficient with less. The volume is not a strategy. do nota lasting, purpose-driven marketing strategy create.

An alternative approach to SaaS Content Marketing. In this post, we'll take a explore what's been overlooked in content marketing and hear about the experiences of real-world marketers who've tested and proven new channels and methods that you could take and implement.

Content marketer's Guide for B2B

  1.     What's tired in SaaS the world of marketing content
  2.     The best channels for SaaS ads and content
  3.     SaaS Content Marketing examples to research
  4.     Content marketing using video to B2B SaaS
  5.     Content strategy strategies for SaaS companies
  6.     Closing up

What's wrong with SaaS marketing content?

We'll take a look at some the most abused tactics for marketing through content that we do not recommend.

Cold outbound email sent without any supporting material

For the uninitiated an email with a cold pitch generally sent out as an appeal message, which does not include any kind of content or offer worth mentioning. The recipient doesn't know the purpose or what they should do with the email, and has no reason to buy the item or service you offer.

This may have been effective at the time that consumers were more open to sales offers and were constantly lured to buy, but it doesn't work in the present. Nowadays, customers are being bombarded by these kinds of emails, and a lot of them are not attracted by them because they don't give any benefit at all or even a hint about what your product is able to do to the customer.

Phil Strazzulla, the creator of SelectSoftware Reviews, a website that aims to help HR professionals locate and buy the most effective SaaS platforms, agrees:

"The most unproductive method for 2023 will be cold outbound mailing without any help. We all receive too many email messages from unknown people due to programs like Outreach, Apollo, and SalesLoft which makes it easy to automatize and grow emails sent out to the outside world."

The writer added "Marketing teams need to use this approach in conjunction with advertisements for brands that are geared towards the same audience accounts, calling efforts, and postal campaigns in offline mode if the budget allows for it."

Content that is generic and doesn't target a specific audience

You may think that any content will work across your entire audience However, this isn't the case. The people you target have different requirements and therefore you need to tailor your content to satisfy and even exceed their expectations.

B2B customers are interested in knowing the best way to use your product or service in order to satisfy their demands. They want proof of the effectiveness however, they are also looking for suggestions on how they can make it work more efficiently.

One of the most effective examples is HubSpot. The HubSpot blog HubSpot blog has articles that directly solve issues that are common to their clients, including digital marketers, salespeople and professionals in customer service.

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Content in long-form to make a point

The content that's long-form will not go away anytime soon, but it doesn't necessarily stand out to customers who have lots to be doing and don't seem to be too active. Unfortunately, lots of B2B companies create similar guides, and so nurture sequences or gated offerings do not have the impact they did in the past.

The same goes for longer pieces like white papers and research reports. They can be difficult to understand since they're extremely technical and limited to specific prospective buyers. Long case studies, while beneficial social proof is not always an ineffective way to capture an interested purchaser. Do you really wish to be seen as a second open tab on the marketer's busy desktop?

If you've already spent money on long-winded written materials, think about repackaging the copy into short videos that are easy to consume and distribution.

As an example for a Content marketing business, Omniscient Digital offers video clips of their case studies as a complement to their regular written cases. This is a great opportunity to show the results of their work without having to read the entire article in case they like videos (which many of us prefer to do).

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Imitating invisibly the competitors

This scenario is frequent when a company creates an online blog and it copies their competitors' blog posts in a series of. It's an incredibly common SEO tactic and it's especially frequent for companies selling software to other businesses since they tend to view the different SaaS businesses as rivals, even though they're competing across different business areas and.

Yash Chavan, the founder of the SaaS-based Influencer Marketing Platform Saral thinks that copying companies and marketing blogs isn't the best concept. Chavan suggests:

"Understand that every product's marketing markets, products, and market differ... that's why there are many ways to work for each. Make use of your strengths to their fullest. If, for example, your product contains great, distinctive details (e.g. the survey tool) make use of the information to create original content. If the product you are selling requires other people aware of it, go all in on recommendations to boost profits. Don't follow the advice of blog posts on marketing suggest you follow. You're the one who does this!"

The top channels to use are those that serve SaaS marketing content

The best ways to interact to your clients is contingent on the preferences of the target market and their needs but there are four channels that can work and are utilized to use SaaS content marketing , which includes video!

1. SEO and evergreen content

A few examples of evergreen content include:

  • Content of the product
  • How-to guides
  • Industry-leading practices
  • Stories of customer success and reviews

To increase the visibility of your content You must ensure that it is more search engine-friendly like Google and YouTube. It's a matter of making links (links to other websites), writing compelling text, and including common search terms in your article's content and the title in order to enhance the relevance of your content to search engines.

2. Email

Email marketing is one of the oldest methods of marketing via content, and it is among the most efficient. We've already mentioned that the tactics used to market via email have evolved throughout the years (bye, bye cold pitches) but the technique remains invaluable for SaaS marketing professionals.

When you write relevant content, it is important to satisfy the demands for every stage of the life cycle of a customer, from educating your readers' blogs to help them onboard new customers with videos and reminding them of the dates for renewal to providing special upgrade discounts -- email allows you to distribute your messages to certain segments of.

Email also provides a unique one-on-one experience between you and your prospects or customers...something SEO and social media lacks.

This example below of Zoom is a great illustration of the ways SaaS businesses can benefit by email-based content to facilitate renewals and updates.

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3. Evenings (IRL and online)

Networking events in person like as well as conferences and seminars although not as well-known during the outbreak, are resurfacing and in a big way because people are looking for social gatherings and celebrations that are live.

Events help you build and foster relationships with your clients and prospects, get new insights into your market as well as test any suggestions for new products and brands. You can also connect with prospective clients, influencers and specialists and partners from the field.

4. Social media

  • Use the Facebook or Twitter profile to share valuable information with your target audience. The people who are following your page on social media have a tendency to be affianced with you and could purchase from your company in the future.
  • Upload photos (videos!) of customers using your product or service. The genuine content created by the users could make your followers feel more connected to the company and would like to learn more about the service or product.
  • Engage with people who leave remarks on their posts or pose questions via social media platforms. It is possible to respond via direct messages to establish more intentional connections with potential customers.
  • Keep the attention of industry experts! Contact them via social media channels and ask whether they'd like to impart their expertise others by writing blog posts and videos or perhaps participating in an occasion.

SaaS Content Marketing examples for you to gain knowledge from

HubSpot

Hubspot has been producing blog posts since 2014 and has become one of the best examples of the success of content marketing.

The company makes use of its blog posts to attract new leads and provide value for existing customers. The blog's marketing section covers subjects including automation in marketing and social media marketing. blogging, and more.

But what is it that makes HubSpot distinguish itself is its application of various designs.

For example, HubSpot uses a mixture of HubSpot ultimate guides as well as podcasts and videos in blog posts, giving readers the possibility of picking.

HubSpot Academy is yet another vital component of HubSpot's content strategy. This online academy offers quick lessons on everything from fundamental marketing concepts like getting leads through social media or designing an email drip program to getting to more advanced certificates like The Certified Inbound Marketer certificate.

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Why it works:

  • The focus is on helping customers in resolving their challenges
  • Diverse types of content that attract different kinds of viewers and motivates
  • A genuine voice that doesn't try to try overly to appear funny or smart.

Microsoft

With the Office 365 blog, Microsoft has developed a platform of informative content that can assist users in understanding the variety of services and use cases and provides the information they need to understand how to get the most out of the subscriptions they have.

Microsoft also has created a great website with its Microsoft 365 University website. It was created to serve as an online community for students as well as teachers that allows them to discover more information about Microsoft 365 products and services.

There is also an online coursecalled " Create Your First App," where students can learn to design applications with Visual Studio Code and Azure DevOps Services.

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The reasons it works:

Microsoft has focused its efforts on creating an ebook or video-based series that could live for 18 months , allowing users to browse through the content at their own pace. This approach eliminates the need to create new content and lets Microsoft to concentrate on satisfying customers' needs.

Adobe

Adobe launched CMO.com, a publication/magazine that offers worth to its readers by providing data that covers some of the most crucial topics that matter to digital leaders. It encompasses articles from leading experts on the subject as well as the opinions from Adobe about the latest technologies, products, along with industry-specific advancements.

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It's a fantastic instance of the way SaaS businesses can utilize content marketing to build and strengthen customer relationships which will result in higher sales.

What's the reason why that it is effective?

This is because the content of CMO isn't product-specific. This means that they don't concentrate on the company's offerings or products. The content concentrates solely on the trends, challenges and potential solutions to stay out of the disruption of digital technology.

SARAL

SARAL is an effective marketing platform that connects influencers as well as brands. Their blog is an excellent source of knowledge about the intricate aspects of marketing via influencers. The blog isn't just used for the purpose of promoting the products but also to help its users (marketers) to create effective campaigns.

The company's founder doesn't just publish blog articles and promotes his two main ideas via fifty channels on a weekly basis, thus reaching a broader audience.

The reason why it works

Yash Chavan the founder of Saral and Saral's CEO has stated that changing his focus from publishing two blogs per week , in favor of promoting two ideas on fifty social media platforms significantly altered his strategy for marketing content.

Chavan conducted an experiment which revealed that the traffic on the site dropped by 35% following the distribution of his content stopped for the course of a month. He also counsels the upcoming SaaS marketers and the founders of SaaS to develop content that is valuable rather than a lot of less valuable content and make it available as frequently as they can.

Video content marketing to B2B SaaS

The use of video marketing can be an effective tool that is a great tool for B2B and B2C businesses. The content you create might have different objectives in B2B and B2C (i.e. educational rather than. entertain).

Actually, HubSpot Blog Research found that 15 percent of B2B marketers view the establishment of thought leadership as a key objective of their video marketing strategies , in contrast to 9 per cent of B2C marketers.

Here are a few other ways B2B SaaS businesses can use videos in a way that is more effective than B2C enterprises:

  • Explainer videos
  • Product demos
  • Live streaming of live events
  • Video clips of product
  • Behind-the-scenes videos
  • Customer testimonials and stories

If you're running an B2C company and you're a B2C company, your strategy on social media will differ from one operating more of a B2B SaaS business. This is because the former is dependent on TikTok along with Instagram and LinkedIn, while they will most likely utilize Twitter and LinkedIn the majority of the time.

This is because the channels they use are more for their intended audience: B2C brands want to engage with customers in-person and in person, whereas B2B SaaS firms want to reach industry professionals with long sales cycles as well as higher numbers of decision-makers.

Content strategy tips to SaaS companies

We'll discuss the best content strategies for SaaS marketers in 2023.

Get to know more information about the individuals you are targeting

In the process of creating content, you must be aware of the people you are speaking to and what they're looking for from you and your business. To do this, do market research , and then speak with potential clients or people who use your product or service. Discover what information they need and how they prefer consuming it, whether via video, audio, or texts.

Make personas that are reflective of your viewers' preferences and needs. Utilize these personas to help you decide the best way to design, develop and organize your material.

Participating in feedback surveys is an other method to gain insight into your audience. Surveys on feedback are beneficial because they let you get the views and ideas of actual users in order to determine the future direction of your offerings and services.

Pro Tip:Look at Google Trends to find keywords relevant to your field and use this information to help you decide the topics you'll be discussing in your blog posts or updates on social media.

Modify what you have already

For SaaS businesses, refreshing your content is a great way to keep high-value content that is useful and easy to access.

If you are publishing written and video content, keep track of when the content goes live. You should also monitor the traffic it receives and impact. Every quarter, it is important to check your library and spot any declines in user participation and prioritize those resources to be updated. As your services expand and change, it's crucial to ensure that your library has the most current attributes of your product as well as images that are appropriate for your product.

You can also update your existing content by adding additional information and resources. It will be more useful to people who have searched for the same information in the past but couldn't find the information they wanted on your site.

Prioritize distribution

If you don't prepare a method to disseminate the content, it's most likely to not be seen by people who need it most. It's crucial to know what areas of the internet your customers are using online -- whether that's websites, social media sites, or discussion groups -create ways to connect to them through those channels.

Find out which metrics are important to you

It's important to know what metrics matter to you and the best way to gauge them.

If you're trying to boost brand recognition, provide value to your audience and increase customer retention. Content marketing is a great way to achieve those goals -- particularly when you employ the time to plan your strategy and develop high-quality content that will resonate with the audience you wish to connect with.

If you are looking to create leads the content you create for your marketing campaign must focus on bottom-of-the-funnel (BOFU) material that naturally contains product info and helps set up the conversion point (e.g. demo request or trial registrations that are free). You can also complement your content strategy with paid ads to drive additional visitors to these resources and assist in generating qualified leads.

Produce unique, data-driven content

Data-driven content is an effective way of sharing information with your readers. This can also be a good option to distinguish yourself from your competition.

SaaS firms have an advantage on this front due to their access to a wealth of information about their clients and prospects. Through the use of this data, you can create information that addresses your customers directly and helps them solve their issues.

SaaS marketer and co-founder of AdEspresso Massimo Chieruzzi believes that artificial intelligence-based writing software will be soon utilized to earn money from the production of content. And often, the written quality created by these programs will be higher than the copywriters who use them. One way to stand out against the power of AI is to create distinctive content.

"Quality is a variety of items. It can be thought-leadership that has a distinct (and maybe controversial) perspective in the marketplace. It can also be writing information-driven content that is based on SaaS internal information . "

Massimo states that, according to AdEspresso, they initially invested in the writing of articles to analyze the millions worth of Facebook ads that are managed on the platform. This strategy paid off by improving the image of the company which earned trust as well as returning visitors, and attracting lots of backlinks.

The closing is around

2023 will focus on giving your clients and potential customers with unique and relevant data in many formats, including particularly video. SaaS customers are on the go and require content that has an extended shelf-life as well as a distinct perspective.

Videos help reflect the image of your business and allow you to stand out from your competitors. However, If you can provide specific personalized content that offers someone with real value, you'll crush your competition in content marketing.

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