Business-to-business (B2B) software as a service (SaaS) marketing focuses on promoting subscription-based software products to other businesses. Unlike traditional software products that are purchased once, SaaS products require ongoing subscriptions.
As a B2B company, standing out in this niche is not easy. The good news? Knowing how B2B SaaS marketing works and partnering with the right team can boost your growth potential.
So, what is B2B SaaS marketing? Our guide will explore effective strategies and steps for creating successful campaigns, and highlight some of the top agencies excelling in this field.
Table of Contents
- What Is B2B SaaS Marketing?
- What Is B2B SaaS Marketing?
- Why Is a B2B SaaS Marketing Strategy Necessary?
- 10 Proven and Effective SaaS B2B Marketing Strategies
- 4 Steps to Creating a B2B SaaS Marketing Campaign
- 10 Best B2B SaaS Marketing Agencies To Hire
- 3 Tips for B2B SaaS Companies To Stand Out
- Takeaways on B2B SaaS Marketing
- B2B SaaS Marketing FAQs
What Is B2B SaaS Marketing?
B2B SaaS marketing is a type of marketing wherein a SaaS company advertises its software as a service to other business entities.
The products these companies provide are software designed to further the efficiency and productivity of business processes. These software suites help organizations save time, effort, funds, and other resources. Application software and systems aim to optimize and elevate a particular business' sales funnel, assisting a company in improving its client care services and marketing initiatives.
This is where an effective B2B SaaS marketing strategy steps in to ensure the success of your SaaS company.
What Is B2B SaaS Marketing?
B2B SaaS marketing is a type of marketing wherein a SaaS company advertises its software as a service to other business entities. These products are designed to improve the efficiency and productivity of business processes.
Application software and systems help organizations save time, effort, funds, and resources. These software solutions aim to optimize and elevate a business's sales funnel, improving its client care services and marketing initiatives.
This is where an effective B2B SaaS marketing strategy steps in to ensure the success of your SaaS company.
Why Is a B2B SaaS Marketing Strategy Necessary?
A B2B SaaS marketing strategy helps companies connect with their target customers. Without a clear plan, even the best software can go unnoticed. A solid strategy ensures potential clients see the value of your product, increasing the likelihood of them buying and staying loyal.
Effective marketing also addresses the specific needs and pain points of your audience. For B2B SaaS, this means showing how your software can solve real business problems. By focusing on software development requirements, you can demonstrate how your solution is perfectly suited to meet specific challenges.
Finally, a strong B2B SaaS marketing strategy supports growth over time. Regularly updating your content, running targeted campaigns, and using data to improve your efforts keep your marketing fresh and effective.
10 Proven and Effective SaaS B2B Marketing Strategies
- Demand Generation
- Lead Generation, Scoring, and Nurturing
- Paid Growth
- Affiliate Programs
- Events Marketing
- Content Creation and Distribution
- Clear-Cut Branding and Solid Positioning
- Strengthening Your Sales and Marketing Team
- Community-Building
- Search Engine Optimization
In this section, we collate the top SaaS B2B marketing methodologies to consider for success.
1. Demand Generation
As the core of a SaaS B2B marketing and growth strategy, demand generation involves making your prospective clients aware of their need for your products and services.
Demand generation channels are the driving force behind expanding audience reach. It is a more targeted form of building brand awareness and recognition. As a SaaS company, you can utilize these channels to create a sense of urgency for users. Use them as a nudge to persuade a business that indeed needs your software to achieve more seamless and streamlined operations.
2. Lead Generation, Scoring, and Nurturing
While demand generation focuses on establishing brand awareness and recall, lead generation is directed toward converting prospects into sales-ready leads. As an integral part of any marketing scheme, the goal of lead generation is to generate consumer interest in your software-as-a-service and turn this interest into a sale.
However, not all leads are equal, making lead scoring necessary. Lead scoring identifies the value of leads or prospective clients based on their behavior.
Through lead scoring, you determine how to approach potential customers depending on where they currently are on the SaaS B2B sales and marketing funnel — top of the funnel (TOFU), middle (MOFU), or bottom (BOFU).
In turn, determining your potential user's stage on the funnel takes you to lead nurturing. As the name suggests, lead nurturing aims to "nurture" leads and develop stronger professional relations to move them through the funnel stages. What you will want to achieve is to bring them to the BOFU.
Here are some effective ways to execute lead nurturing:
- Email marketing
- Creating product hype through product launches
- Retargeting
- Free resources such as e-books
- Access to live webinars
3. Paid Growth
While some SaaS B2B marketers argue that paid growth may not be the most sustainable long-term marketing strategy, it can still play a crucial role in your SaaS company's current marketing plan.
Placing the right paid ads at the right time on the right platforms can take your B2B SaaS marketing a long way. One of the advantages of paid ads is that they are easily measurable. Their qualitative nature makes them a perfect metric for determining the delivery of a good ROI.
4. Affiliate Programs
An affiliate program is a revenue-sharing marketing strategy where affiliates promote your product or service to drive sales and hit your marketing goals. Through this marketing method, your affiliates earn a percentage of a successful sale or simply drive customer traffic.
With an affiliate program, you can tap into new markets and audiences through your affiliates' varying connections and networks. This opens you to more significant opportunities for boosting sales. As users become more familiar with your software services and products, they will start flocking to your website or landing pages.
Like paid advertisements, the effectiveness of an affiliate program in B2B SaaS marketing is sometimes debated, particularly for promoting software suites with a high price tag. While there may be some truth to this, you can always find a good workaround to make your affiliate program a win for your business.
SaaS B2B affiliate programs are anchored on a lifetime value. You can rely on this powerful and enduring feature of your affiliate marketing program to ensure the conversion of purchasers into loyal customers.
5. Events Marketing
Online and in-person events are both an excellent approach to client-centricity. They add a human-centered aspect to your marketing projects, leaving a dynamic impression on your potential clients.
Whether it's a trade show, a product launch, or an online raffle on social media, there is no one-size-fits-all design for executing a successful events marketing initiative. The upside is that you can get creative with your process and marketing implementation.
6. Content Creation and Distribution
Content creation is vital to your B2B SaaS marketing strategy. It should be essential to whatever specific SaaS B2B marketing method your company employs. In fact, a study shows that 91% of B2B marketers incorporate content marketing into their overall strategy.
The most beneficial content types for your SaaS B2B company are those that can win over online users and make them stop scrolling. This can be:
- Social media posts
- Fun, interesting short videos
- Engaging visuals
- Product pages and listings
- Informative website contents
- Blog post with valuable insights
- Use of SEO and SEM
Content distribution ensures your excellent content is seen across platforms, particularly by your target audiences. It efficiently disseminates your marketing and promotional content on the most relevant channels. Your choice of platforms and tools for content distribution will depend on the form of messaging you want to use to reach your market.
7. Clear-Cut Branding and Solid Positioning
Your B2B SaaS marketing strategy should have a solid foundation. This could be your branding and how you position your SaaS B2B company as an industry leader with standout, one-off products or services.
SaaS B2B branding and positioning involve differentiation and your unique selling proposition (USP). Together, these two SaaS B2B marketing methodologies highlight why your software systems are the best in the industry that is often saturated.
To convey to your clients why your SaaS B2B stands out, you first need to know what exactly sets your company apart from the rest of the market.
Branding and positioning are essential in shaping how you create your promotional content, write your sales copies and blog entries, and set your overall marketing efforts and focus.
The backbone of every marketing project is the identifying features that make you different and elicit recognition and brand recall from your audience. Consistent branding and brand positioning build trust, which is crucial for the success of your B2B SaaS marketing strategy.
A SaaS B2B company with strong branding and positioning showcases the following traits:
- Exhibits transparency in its pricing and service models
- Delivers on its promises promptly
- Sets a justifiable price for its products and services
- Provides a remarkable overall customer journey
8. Strengthening Your Sales and Marketing Team
As your SaaS B2B company grows in size and revenue, it's ideal to fortify your sales team and marketing experts. Start by hiring the right talent to fill key positions in your marketing and sales department.
Next, focus on sales enablement. Equip your specialists with the necessary tools to execute and implement your B2B SaaS marketing strategy and tactics. Sales enablement also involves aligning your workflow with your business goals and tracking progress through concrete metrics and well-defined KPIs.
9. Community-Building
Building a community around your company is a consumer-centric way of allowing your marketing strategies to unfold more naturally, enabling organic engagement with your brand. It creates a platform where your client's voice can be heard. It comes in many forms, and you can combine more than one of these for your community-building program:
- Platforms for publishing honest reviews and feedback
- Easily accessible client care services
- Channels for answering customer queries
- A web page for FAQs on your products and services
- A means to request new software features and functionalities
10. Search Engine Optimization
Search engine optimization (SEO) is the best strategy for driving organic traffic to your website. It involves optimizing a site for relevant keywords so that it shows up in search results when prospects are looking for solutions.
Increased visibility helps bring in more visitors and enhances brand credibility. Moreover, high search engine rankings signal to prospects that your software is a trusted and reliable option in the market.
Additionally, effective SEO is not just about keyword optimization; it also includes creating high-quality, informative content that addresses the needs of your target audience. When your content resonates with potential customers, they are more likely to engage with your brand and consider your software a viable solution.
Many SEO agencies are experts in optimizing technical aspects like mobile-friendliness, site speed, and user experience to improve search engine rankings.
4 Steps to Creating a B2B SaaS Marketing Campaign
- Know Your Customer (KYC)
- Know Your Competitors
- Define Your B2B SaaS Marketing Goals
- Identify the Most Appropriate Channel
Before you jump into a marketing project, you must formulate a well-structured marketing plan. Here are the key aspects you should focus on when creating a B2B SaaS marketing strategy:
1. Know Your Customer (KYC)
Frame the value proposition of your software-as-a-service by determining and understanding your target market. Perform extensive research on the businesses you want to sell your product or service to. Include the following details in your research:
- Business needs and demands
- Company goals, mission, and vision
- Pain points and challenges their business faces and aims to solve
- Their client base—ideal buyer personas and critical demographics the business caters to
- The most important benefits, according to their viewpoint
- The functionalities and features they’re looking for in a SaaS B2B
- The reasons and influences behind their purchasing decisions
- Contents they consume and respond to
2. Know Your Competitors
You must understand how the competition is faring, so you will know how to position your company as a standout in the SaaS B2B industry.
Pay attention to these details about your competitors:
- Their business profile, messaging, and positioning
- The businesses they cater to
- Effective and ineffective aspects of their marketing materials
- Strengths and weaknesses
- Case studies on their previous successes and failures
3. Define Your B2B SaaS Marketing Goals
Be clear about what you want to achieve for your company through your B2B SaaS marketing efforts. Here are guide questions you can answer to arrive at a clear set of goals:
- Do you want to raise brand awareness for your SaaS B2B?
- Are you aiming to educate your potential clients on industry news and relevant topics?
- Do you want to encourage sign-ups for a free trial or bookings for consultations and demos?
Setting your goals will help you outline your marketing methodologies more efficiently.
4. Identify the Most Appropriate Channel
Focus your efforts strategically rather than spreading yourself too thin by trying to have a brand presence "everywhere." There are several channels more effective for SaaS B2B marketing, such as:
- Your business website
- Paid ads on top search engines
- Various forms of social media network
- Live webinars and educational e-books
- Podcasting
- Online user communities
- Email automation
Moreover, before jumping on the bandwagon of a particular SaaS B2B marketing trend, you should first look into these factors:
- The platforms where your target audience is most active
- The success rate of advertising on the channels you plan to use
- The resources you can allocate to maintain your marketing channels
- The pros and cons of promoting on each marketing platform
10 Best B2B SaaS Marketing Agencies To Hire
Here's a list of the best B2B SaaS and full-service digital marketing agencies you can hire.
1. Jeff Social Marketing
-content.jpg "Jeff Social B2B SaaS marketing agency logo")
- Location: 100-2 Toronto Street Suite 338, Toronto, M5C 2B5, Canada
- Average Hourly Rate: $50/hr
- Expertise: PPC Google Ads, SEO, Social Media Marketing...
Jeff Social Marketing was launched in 2021 by a team of experts with over 10 years in website development, security, and hosting. It offers straightforward pricing, simplified website security solutions, guaranteed 99.9% uptime, and 24/7 customer service.
Jeff Social Marketing’s services related to digital marketing include web design and hosting, social media marketing, SEO, PPC Google Ads, reputation management, and media relations.
Its client roster includes Horizon Concrete, Bathroom Fellas, Piping Solutions, and Ignite Auto Shipping.
2. Argona Partners
- Location: 1125 E. Brookside Ave STE B3, Indianapolis, Indiana 46202, United States
- Average Hourly Rate: $300/hr
- Expertise: Business Consulting, Strategy Consulting, Startup Consulting...
Argona Partners is a strategic growth partner for startups that offers hands-on expertise to founders and entrepreneurs. They specialize in B2B industries and provide strategic consulting and development services.
The company helps early-stage businesses with their growth strategies and fundraising readiness. They also ensure financial clarity and acceleration that leads to impactful business growth.
Argona Partners’ clients include Soundspace, GearBrain, Forest Founders Rewards, and AIM-HI.
3. revamp.design
- Location: Zorilor 2D, Tarnaveni, 545600, Romania
- Average Hourly Rate: $75/hr
- Expertise: Branding, Website Maintenance, Social Media Management...
revamp.design provides website design, logo design, graphic design, and branding services, all of which can be integrated into a digital marketing strategy for its B2B clients.
Its team of experts sees any project through, from conception and planning to design, development, and marketing. They help clients build relationships with their customers first and foremost through website design, which is the initial experience customers have with any brand.
Its clients include SafeTech USA, Imperial Inn, Wetralog, and Amicos SRL.
4. Elexoft
- Location: FF-10, City Centre Plaza, New City Phase-2, Wah Cantt, Wah Cantt, 47040, Pakistan
- Average Hourly Rate: $25/hr
- Expertise: Graphic Design, Mobile App Development, Website Development, Digital Marketing, SEO...
Elexoft provides services in web development, graphic designing, CRM development, digital marketing, and mobile app development. Its primary focus for its B2B clients is website advancement, and the team at Elexoft works diligently to come up with first-rate solutions.
The company develops and designs a variety of websites tailored to different industries and markets. Elexoft also provides ongoing website maintenance and support post-launch.
Its clients include Investociety, InGraphs, and Vowels India.
5. GTECH
- Location: Office 109, Sheikh Hamdan Building, Near Al Manara Interchange, Sheikh Zayed Road Dubai United Arab Emirates, Dubai, 28261, United Arab Emirates
- Average Hourly Rate: $250/hr
- Expertise: Website Design and Development, Branding, SEO, Digital Marketing, Event Solutions, AR & VR services...
GTECH is a full-service digital agency that has over 300 global clients. They are experienced in crafting unique digital experiences that engage and captivate audiences.
The company follows an innovative approach and commitment that ensures robust performance for all its projects. They always aim to provide solutions that exceed client expectations.
GTECH is trusted by clients like VentureOne, Nissan, and the Saudi Film Commission.
6. Adssential Marketing
- Location: Ark@Gambas, 7 Gambas Crescent, #04-12, Singapore, 757087, Singapore
- Average Hourly Rate: $150/hr
- Expertise: Web Design, Digital Marketing, Search Engine Marketing, PPC...
Adssential Marketing has evolved into an ever-growing organization that helps clients achieve better lead conversion and marketing strategies through different marketing verticals. Driven by its knowledge, skills, and adaptability to changing trends, Adssential Marketing achieves a competitive advantage for its clients.
They strive to elevate every company’s market visibility through Digital Marketing Tools and Website Development. It actualizes its clients’ business objectives through the utilization of their skills, knowledge, and experience as digital marketers.
Clients include Fuel Shack, Loh & Loh Clinic Surgery, Fridge Fresh, and Xquizit.
7. Rankvise
- Location: B-204, Apeksha Avenue, Near Osia Hypermart, Patidar Circle, Gota, Ahmedabad, 382481, India
- Average Hourly Rate: $20/hr
- Expertise: Digital Marketing, Social Media Marketing, SEO, Content Writing...
Rankvise is an expert in driving eCommerce sales, increasing foot traffic, and generating leads. They are specialists in improving conversions and lead flow for both small and large businesses.
The company’s area of digital marketing expertise includes SEO, SEM, Email Marketing, WordPress Development, Content Marketing, PPC Marketing, and more. It also offers free consultations.
Trusted by clients like Adam John, Jannatun Lima, and Ben Terry, Rankvise delivers impactful results tailored to business needs.
8. GemPixel
- Location: Montreal, Canada, Montreal, H1A 0A1, Canada
- Average Hourly Rate: $75/hr
- Expertise: Branding, Advertising, Website and Application, Graphics Design...
GemPixel is a digital-first creative and innovative agency, specializing in website and mobile application development. It has developed unique applications for its clients in various industries globally. The agency focuses its efforts on quality, scalability, and ease of use to deliver the project with simplicity and ease.
GemPixel’s clients include brands from the Technology, Financial, and Fashion Industry.
9. Collectively Social
- Location: Remote, Baltimore, Maryland 21044, United States
- Average Hourly Rate: $50/hr
- Expertise: Content Production, Social Media Management...
Collectively Social's team is comprised of founders and business owners who are looking to define their clients' goals and fine-tune their marketing strategy. They specialize in all things digital, content, and social media marketing.
Whether for established enterprises or start-up businesses, the agency brings new life to businesses with its years of experience, knowledge, and professionalism in a market driven by metrics.
Its clients include The Green Turtle, One World Healthcare, and The Salt Sanctuary of Maryland.
10. Shaibit Solutions
- Location: 30 N Gould St, STE 23088, Sheridan, Wyoming 82801, United States
- Average Hourly Rate: $130/hr
- Expertise: Branding, Print Design, Copywriting, Digital Marketing, Web Development...
Shaibit Solutions provides modern business solutions through its digital marketing services. The agency has worked on many projects or brands, agencies, startups, nonprofits, retailers, and other businesses throughout the years.
Shaibit Solutions combines customer service, high-quality deliverables, and maximum results to create systems that allow companies to grow their businesses. The agency develops a custom tailored-for-you package based on your business needs and goals.
Clients include Longchamp Paris, Phusion, Nasdaq, and Trippism.
3 Tips for B2B SaaS Companies To Stand Out
Standing out from the competition as a B2B SaaS company involves a strategic blend of marketing and innovation. By integrating effective marketing techniques, you can differentiate your brand and capture the attention of potential customers.
Here are some key tips to achieve this:
1. Offer Unique Value Propositions
Clearly define how your software solves specific problems better than competitors. You can do this by highlighting your product’s unique features and benefits. Make sure your messaging resonates with your target audience and addresses their pain points effectively.
2. Focus on Customer Experience
Deliver an exceptional customer experience across all touchpoints. This includes providing user-friendly software, responsive customer support, and a seamless onboarding process. After all, happy customers are more likely to become loyal advocates for your brand.
3. Invest in Innovation
Continuously innovate and improve your product. Stay ahead of industry trends by investing in new technologies that can enhance your software’s functionality. You should also regularly update your product to meet the evolving needs of your customers.
Takeaways on B2B SaaS Marketing
B2B SaaS marketing is all about finding your target clients at the right time and educating them on why your SaaS B2B is the solution to their pain points. In addition, SaaS B2B marketing also highlights how your product, be it developed in-house or outsourced, can methodically address their problems.
By following the best practices and approaches in B2B SaaS marketing, you can consistently convert interested leads into loyal advocates for your brand.
B2B SaaS Marketing FAQs
1. What is an example of a B2B SaaS company?
An example of a B2B SaaS company is Salesforce. It provides cloud-based CRM software that helps businesses manage customer relationships, sales, and more.
2. What is the role of marketing in B2B SaaS?
The role of marketing in B2B SaaS is to catch the attention of potential customers by highlighting the value and benefits of the software. Effective marketing strategies help build brand awareness while supporting customer retention.
3. Which B2B SaaS marketing channels are best to use?
The best B2B SaaS marketing channels to use are content marketing and SEO. These channels effectively reach and engage target audiences by generating leads and nurturing customer relationships.
4. Which strategy is the most effective for B2B SaaS marketing?
The most effective strategy for B2B SaaS marketing is content marketing. Providing prospects with valuable content allows businesses to engage and nurture leads that ultimately drive conversions.
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