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    Marketing is a complicated business. There’s a lot of thoughts and opinions out there on how to do it right, but essentially marketing is an attempt to promote or sell a product. And that makes sense, you can talk about how cool a car is, the quality of a piece of furniture, the performance of a computer. But when you think about B2B SaaS, it gets a little bit more complicated!

    Imagine trying to sell something that you can’t touch and something that is always evolving. Imagine trying to sell something which you can hardly explain to your friends, let alone perfect an elevator pitch for. There are parts of the SaaS model which make it a different ball game, especially for marketers – welcome to B2B SaaS marketing!

    What makes B2B SaaS a little different

    Free trials

    Not many products are as conducive to the free trial as SaaS. Sure, you can test drive a car, but it’s not common for you to be able to take it home for the week and see how it fits into your life. And even though you bought that new coat for your date, you actually kept the receipt and returned it a week later – that 'free trial' was never the intention of the marketing team.

    The cool thing about SaaS is that you have the capability to offer a full product in the trial. A free trial is such a potentially powerful selling tool, and you’ll notice that a lot of SaaS companies use them.

    There are quite a few different ways to go about a free trial, and you’ll have to pick what works for your company and your product. Consider issues such as:

    • Should we even have one? (Most SaaS companies will be a great fit for a free trial, but not all)
    • How long should our free trial be?
    • Should we ask for payment details?
    • How do we follow up non-conversions?
    • Can our cashflow afford free trials?
    • Does the free trial demonstrate our product well enough? Do users need training?
    • Are there better alternatives to a free trial for our product?
    • Is the ROI for a free trial good enough for us?
    • Is the trial worth it for the customer? Is too much time/energy/focus (possibly money if changes need to be made to facilitate your product) required on their behalf?

    Most marketers don’t have to consider these issues in such depth (if at all), because a free trial simply isn’t an essential, or even existing part of their strategy. 

    SaaSy service

    Remember that you’re not just selling a t-shirt - you don't sell the t-shirt and then consider your job done. This is Software as a Service! That means you’re offering not only a fabulous software but fabulous service as well.

    orange-quotation-marks-hi.png   Make your service an asset to your company, make it a marketable function.

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    Treat your customers well, offer them the support they need to make your product their favourite. 

    The short sales cycle and long-term customers

    The SaaS sales cycle is a bit unusual in that it’s relatively short, yet your customers tend to be long term. The cycle is relatively short because that’s the nature of the industry – it’s technology and it’s always evolving.

    The user will visit your website (which because you’re a SaaS, will be amazing and have everything they need, including personal assistance), play around for a bit, read some reviews and do some research. An awesome SaaS pricing page also goes a long way. There’s no need for road trips to long and protracted negotiations, meetings and demos; it can hopefully all be done online.

    Another trick to B2B SaaS marketing success is the incredible importance of retaining your customers. One study said that 80% of future revenue just 20% of your current customers. Bain & Co research suggested that a 5% increase in your customer retention increase your profitability by 75%. So once you do that hard work to get customers, it’s super important to keep them!

    SaaS folk are experts

    Part of your power as a B2b SaaS marketer is your knowledge and your ability to share that knowledge with the world. Inbound is all about creating value in the buyer’s journey, and this is where you can really focus on that. Share your industry knowledge, help potential customers by educating them. Become an asset to that person before you’ve even signed them up.

    Check out some great examples of B2B SaaS blogging to get some ideas. 

    For best results: be excellent

    The easiest way to sell SaaS is to have an awesome product. The key components of your business are your amazing software and your excellent service and support. If you believe in what you’re marketing, then you’ll have a much easier time convincing others of its merits.

     

    I would love a free consultation

     

    Alex McLean
    Post by Alex McLean
    September 16, 2016
    Content Manager at Connect Labs. From a communications background but I'm a information sponge - inform me please! Lover of cats and the Saints. I'll quote the Simpsons at you all day. Let there be good content for all.