Are you a founder or product manager trying to get started on marketing your SaaS startup? With constraints like tight budgets and limited resources, it can feel like a daunting task to develop an effective marketing strategy. Yet, understanding the basics can significantly demystify this process, setting your first marketing strategy will seem more archivable when broken down into smaller steps.
The Foundation: Data, Tracking and Analytics
Think of your marketing efforts as constructing a house. The cornerstone of this structure? Solid, reliable data. Before laying down any marketing bricks, ensure your tools are in place—Google Analytics 4 and conversion tracking are non-negotiables. These tools offer a clear view of your baseline metrics, allowing you to measure progress, identify what you are working with from the beginning of your efforts, and later down the line it will help you fine-tune your approach for better conversion rate optimization and data drive decision making.
Step 1: Implement Google Analytics 4 (GA4)
First things first, set up GA4 using Google Tag Manager on your website (WordPress or otherwise). This step is crucial for gathering basic metrics without the need for extensive technical skills. Google Tag Manager simplifies the process, and there’s a wealth of resources online to guide you through the setup. Once in place, defining your conversion metrics is your ticket to insightful data collection.
Step 2: Content and SEO
As you build up from your data foundation, content becomes the framework of your marketing house. SEO and content marketing are pivotal in driving organic traffic to your site. Whether it’s through weekly blogs, how-to guides, or detailed software insights, valuable content positions your SaaS as a thought leader in its niche. Given the time-intensive nature of content creation, consider outsourcing to freelancers or agencies specializing in SEO and content marketing. This strategic move frees you to focus on what you do best—innovating your product. Just be sure that SEO is taken care of either by a freelancer, agency or a marketer as it is one of the most important and fundamental marketing activities you can invest in. Do this before running to paid media because SEO-optimized content is what drives organic traffic and builds brand credibility which is important for your conversions.
Step 3: Pay-Per-Click (PPC) Campaigns
If you have budget to spare, PPC campaigns are the next best investment. I would recommend starting with Google Ads as I’ve seen it deliver the best ROI for SaaS startups (if done right). PPC allows for precise targeting based on consumer search behavior, offering a scalable yet hyper-targeted way to attract potential customers. If PPC seems daunting, hiring an expert can optimize your campaigns (or ask me for help, happy to talk you through it for free) although numerous tutorials exist on YouTube if you have the time.
Step 4: Social Media
Social media, while cost-effective in monetary terms, demands time and strategic thinking. Platforms like LinkedIn provide a professional space to share company updates, new releases, and job postings, enhancing your startup’s credibility. Diversifying your social media presence across channels like Meta or YouTube can bolster your acquisition strategies, especially if you’re adept at creating engaging short-form video content.
Get Creative with It
If you are looking for other ways to promote your SaaS here are some more strategies that I’ve seen work well:
- Influencer Marketing
- Partnerships
- Community building on platforms like Reddit and Quora
- Integrations
- Retargeting Ads
- Cold Outreach (phone, email, social)
- Email Newsletters and funnels
- Podcasts (and Spotify ads)
- Affiliate Programs
- Customer Referral Programs
- Webinars
What Matters Most: A Good Product
At the heart of any successful marketing strategy is a valuable product. Before allocating your budget to marketing, ensure your SaaS stands out for its usability, reliability, and value proposition. Engage with your users through surveys and tools like Hotjar to continuously improve your offering. A product that genuinely meets the needs of your target audience will naturally foster word-of-mouth promotion, amplifying your marketing efforts.
In the realm of SaaS startups, or any industry really, marketing will never be the solution for growth if your product is lacking value or has deficiencies. It’s a tool to amplify your growth and it can help you reach your quarterly targets easily when you have a good product. I often see teams funnel their budget into marketing while avoiding the fact that their software sucks which is why their CHURN is so high. Don’t ignore what the data tells you. Spending thousands of dollars in marketing will not solve your issues, it will create a lot of leads that will fall out of your leaky bucket and lower your LTV and a looooot more issues will follow. Stick to the basics at first, data, content, and PPC then dip your toe into more! and don’t forget to test, test, test, and double down on what is working.
