For SaaS-based companies specifically, leveraging an inbound marketing strategy can work especially well.
To Attract New Customers:
1. Success Stories
Publishing case studies of some of your most successful client implementations will show new customers that they, too, can find solutions to their challenges with your software. Try to include specific stats or ROI numbers (ie: “Switching to our software improved ABC Ltd.’s conversions by 25%”), or positive quotes from management.
2. Engage with the Community
If you’ve never heard of Quora before, it’s an online platform where people go to gain and share knowledge within a community of users. And it’s a great way to engage with your potential customers. You can login and easily add value to conversations which are relevant to your business or industry, all the while subtly promoting your brand and software product(s).
You can do the same on any online social platform where conversations are held: Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn; investing in well-thought out content and promoting it will help to drive engagement and the right traffic straight to your website.
3. Gated Content
Gated content is premium content that visitors can only gain access to after providing information: for example, filling out a form with their name, company name, job title, etc. Once this information is submitted, the user gets access to the premium content, and the business gets access to the user’s contact details in order to nurture the lead into a potential conversion.
SaaS companies can really take advantage of this strategy by offering resources such as white papers or downloadable guides that provide solutions to common customer problems, show ROI results, or demonstrate how your software can help benefit target users.
It’s a good idea to tie these types of content to your PPC campaigns as well, by linking your PPC ads to a gated content landing page. Start by targeting the keywords your customers are searching for, and when they click on your ad it will take them to a landing page with a form they’ll need to complete to get access.
4. Nurture Campaigns
Once visitors have provided you with their contact details in order to download gated content, it’s time to nurture them until they move to the next phase of your sales & marketing funnel. Enlist the use of marketing automation tools to send those contacts useful and educational resources, or additional gated content that specifically relates to your software offerings and how they can benefit from them.
For example, you could offer industry-specific case studies, software comparison tools, Magic Quadrant or Wave reports or pricing sheets.
5. Free Trials
To Keep or Nurture Existing Customers:
6. Provide On-going Resources
To retain or nurture existing customers, it’s a great idea to provide them with a resource section on your website. This section can include in-depth “best practice” guides, new features or enhancements and how to use them, or user guides and tips to to using your software.
You can also host periodic webinars or recorded demos to encourage on-going education or introduce new features. The better your users know how to use your software, the more satisifed they will be using it.
7. Freemiums
8. Encourage Referrals
Happy customers will spread the word, and especially for an incentive. Offer a discount off the next month’s payment or $$ off an upgrade fee in return for referrals. You could also offer the same for new prospects: for example, if they are referred by a current customer, they can get access to an extended free trial period, say for two weeks instead of one.
So, have we sold you on the benefits of inbound methodology for your SaaS business? Do you need help taking the next step towards developing an integrated strategy? Our free inbound assessment will offer you advice on creating, enhancing and optimizing your current approach to marketing.
