A Step-by-Step Guide to Grow Your SaaS Content Marketing

The world of software as a service (SaaS) is a fast-paced roller coaster ride—constantly evolving and full of twists and turns. Sure, having a fantastic SaaS product is fab, but that's only half of it. It's how you talk about it that makes all the difference.

Think of this guide as your seat belt for the SaaS marketing roller coaster world. Hold tight and enjoy the ride. Let's get started.

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What is SaaS content marketing?

SaaS content marketing refers to the strategy SaaS companies employ to produce and distribute high-quality content to attract their target audience to their software solutions.

To better understand this, imagine you've created this rad software that's a game-changer. And, you know it is. You’ve done the research and hired the best teams to deploy it, and now it’s ready for new users.

But how do you get the word out?

This is where your content marketing steps in.

Through snazzy and useful articles, eye-catching videos, or excellent infographics, you're not just pushing a product but building trust, solving problems, and pulling people towards the "it" product in your space.

Pretty cool, right?

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Why SaaS businesses need content marketing

SaaS is booming—according to Statista it is now a $197 billion industry, increasing five fold since 2015—and there's a ton of competition out there. Your software might be the bee's knees, but if no one hears about it, then it’s pointless.

Effective SaaS content marketing is placing a megaphone in front of your product. 📣

Done right, content marketing will help you shout about your SaaS product. It's about creating conversations, engaging with potential users, and showcasing why your software is the next big thing. It pulls people in organically, rather than your sales team needing to go out hunting for them.

Speaking of showcasing, take Calendly as an example. A recent insight on LinkedIn highlighted how it’s strategic use of social media platforms has been crucial in driving its user engagement and fostering brand loyalty.

Their success story is a testament to how a well-rounded content marketing strategy, inclusive of social media, can amplify a brand's presence and resonate with potential users.

And trust me, in a world where everyone's vying for attention, offering genuine value through content can make you stand out.

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How to identify and target the right audience in three steps

In SaaS content marketing, one of the trickiest yet most crucial steps is figuring out who you're talking to. 🧐

Let's break it down.

Here's your map to discovering and targeting the right audience for your SaaS business.

1. Define the target audience

Defining your target audience is the foundation for your entire content strategy. It entails grasping your audience's challenges, desires, and goals.

To help with this process, create detailed buyer personas, like "SaaSy Sally" or "Startup Sam"—the names truly help your team remember them. Give these personas personalities, jobs, and pain points. It will help you put a face to your target audience, making it easier to customize your content and directly address their worries.

But how do you zero in on your target audience? Here are some friendly pointers:

• Market research: Begin by gathering data about your industry. Look for common traits or demographics among your customers
• Talk to your current customers: Look closely at who's already buying from you and why
• Learn from the competition: See who your competitors are going after and if there's a segment they might be missing

Utilize social media insights: Platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Reddit, Quora, LinkedIn, and even review platforms like G2 offer insights into your audience, providing valuable data on your followers

💡 Check out this informative reference for an in-depth guide on creating user personas.

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2. Understand audience behavior

Next up on your SaaS journey is getting into the mindset of your audience.

Try to answer these questions:

• Which sites do they check frequently?
• When are they most active online?
• What kind of content gets them clicking and sharing?
• How do they talk about their pain points?

The information you will get from these questions is golden! Not just for content creation but also for integrating the right growth tools to help enhance the user experience and keep them coming back for more.

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3. Craft content for your target audience

So, you've gotten to know your audience and their worlds. Now, it's time to spin tales that resonate. More than pushing content for the sake of it, consider what they want to learn.

Place your company as a go-to source, offering solutions and valuable information to the daily hiccups potential customers face.

Now, here's a little secret sauce to doing this: lead with your product. Make it the hero of your story. It's all about product-led marketing. Your product saves the day.

Want to learn how to use storytelling to write more engaging content? Become a beta tester in our soon-to-be-released: The Art of Storytelling course by Ray Berry.

In addition, as you're weaving your content, keep in mind the different stages of their journey with you:

• TOFU (Top of the Funnel): This is the initial stage where you set the tone and make a first impression to catch your audience's attention. Think: throwing your net wide.
• MOFU (Middle of the Funnel): You're getting cozy in this section, building that relationship, and beginning to introduce a solution.
• BOFU (Bottom of the Funnel): At this crucial phase, prospective customers are on the verge of deciding. It's your opportunity to provide that final push, address any lingering doubts, and ensure a successful conversion with your product.
• OFU (Out of the Funnel): You heard it here first! Here, the focus is on nurturing customer relationships, ensuring satisfaction, and promoting brand loyalty—you never know who they may be able to refer your way in the future.

Shape your stories to fit these moments, and you’ll keep the conversation flowing smoothly.

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The 8 steps to create a powerful SaaS content marketing strategy

Having a clear, well-defined content marketing strategy can be the difference between standing out or blending in. Below is a step-by-step rundown to ensure your content marketing approach is top-tier:

1. Define your target audience

Before jumping into the deep end of SaaS content marketing, take a step back to know who's at the other end. Who's going to benefit from your product?

So, look beyond job titles. Instead, focus on:

• Pain points: What challenges does your audience face daily? For example, if you're marketing a project management software, are they struggling with team collaboration, or is it about timely project delivery?

• Solutions you offer: Ensure you are clear on how your SaaS solution alleviates pain points. Taking our project management example further, does your software offer real-time collaboration features or use AI to predict possible project delays? Teach them to be successful with your product.

This foundational understanding is paramount. It will directly influence content topics, the platforms you choose to promote on, and even the tone and style of your messaging.

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2. Set your goals

All epic journeys have a clear end in sight. So, what's your game plan? Are you looking to make your brand a household name, get folks hooked, or get your MRR above that 10k tipping point? Spell it out with clear markers; it helps every piece of content become a step toward that big win.

To help you focus better, here are some goals and metrics to look out for:

• Brand Awareness: Measure the increase in mentions of your brand on social media and other platforms.
• Engagement: Keep track of your likes, shares, comments, time on page, and other signs that people connect with your content.
• Lead Generation: Keep an eye on the number of new subscribers or sign-ups you're getting.
• Sales Conversions: Monitor the number of sales directly linked to your content. Best done via Google Tag Manager or with a content-specific discount code.

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3. Conduct keyword research

Your content's heart lies in its core message. But the bridge to your audience? That's keywords. Dive deep into research and truly understand what your audience is keying into their search bars and why. This 'why' is termed as the 'search intent.'

Understanding the intent behind your audience's keywords helps you craft content that precisely addresses their needs rather than just stuffing words for the sake of it.

During your keyword research, it's essential to make a clear distinction between different types of keywords based on their potential benefits to your content strategy:

• High traffic/low intent keywords: These are general terms with vast search volumes but might not convert well because they’re broad and often not directly linked to a specific action. For instance, "project management" might bring many visitors but not necessarily potential buyers.

• Low traffic/high intent keywords: These are the gems in the rough. They might not have the colossal search volumes, but they're laser-focused on a specific need or solution, leading to better conversions. "Best SaaS project management software for architects" is an example of a long-tail keyword with potentially higher intent.

Understanding the balance between these two types of keywords is essential for your content strategy. While high-traffic/low keywords can bring in a lot of visitors, focusing on low-traffic/high-intent keywords can lead to more meaningful engagements and conversions.

It's all about finding the right mix and aligning your content with your audience's needs and intentions.

To conduct adequate keyword research, you can utilize any of these various tools:

Free tools:

• Google Keyword Planner: This is ideal for AdWords campaigns and general keyword ideas
• Ubersuggest: Provides keyword ideas and search volume data
• AnswerThePublic: Great for uncovering question-based queries

Premium tools:

• Ahrefs: Comprehensive for backlink analysis and keyword research
• SEMrush: Perfect for competitive research and keyword tracking
• Moz Pro: Known for its Domain Authority metric and robust SEO toolkit

If you’re looking to make SEO—yes, including keyword research—and content creation easier, then get in touch with us and we can help you!

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4. Develop your content plan

Using insights from some SaaS best practices, outline a detailed content roadmap. This content plan involves deciding on the type of content to produce (blogs, videos, podcasts, etc.), the topics to cover, and the distribution channels to leverage.

For instance, take a look at this article on SaaS best practices. It's an excellent example of content that targets specific challenges SaaS brands face. As an agency catering to SaaS B2B brands, creating content that addresses their unique problems can place us directly in front of our ideal customer profile.

Below are a few questions to tackle when developing your content plan:

• Who is your target audience, and what challenges or questions do they struggle with?
• With your resources, how frequently can you consistently deliver quality content?
• What content formats does your audience engage with the most?
• How does content strategically fit into each stage of your customer's journey?
• What metrics will you use to evaluate content success?

Now that you've outlined the critical considerations for your content strategy, it's time to delve into the practical guidelines that can make or break your content planning efforts. Here are the essential do's and don'ts to keep in mind when crafting your content strategy for your SaaS business:

Do's and Don'ts of Content Planning:

Do's:

✅ Stay consistent with your posting schedule

✅ Prioritize quality over quantity

✅ Engage with your audience through comments and feedback

✅ Keep up-to-date with industry trends and news

✅ Periodically revisit and tweak your content plan based on feedback and analytics

Don'ts:

❌ Don't ignore negative feedback; use it as an opportunity to improve

❌ Avoid producing content just to fill space; ensure it benefits your readers

❌ Don't be overly promotional; focus on providing solutions and value

❌ Avoid plagiarism or rehashing the same topics repeatedly

❌ Don't neglect SEO; optimize your content for search engines

❌ Don’t rely on AI to build your content for you, it’s not there yet!

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5. Create high-quality content

Content is the lifeblood of your strategy, and it’s where all the magic happens. Your audience deserves nothing but the gold standard, and here's a checklist to ensure your content is genuinely excellent:

• Informative: Avoid becoming just another blip on the internet. Every piece of content should impart knowledge, teaching your readers something valuable.

• ‍Engaging: In an age of endless scrolling, your content needs to be the pause button. Engage your audience so profoundly that they momentarily forget about their next social media check-in.‍

• Persuasive: A call to action isn’t enough. Use techniques such as Cialdini's principles of persuasion to subtly guide your readers toward the desired action.‍

• Relevant: Speak your audience’s language. Understanding your audience's stage and needs is vital. To do this, you need to dive deep into user personas.‍

• Well-Researched: Stand out from the internet's echo chamber by backing your content with research and expert insights.

So, the next time you're penning down a piece or brainstorming a video, remember to run it through a high-quality content checklist.

Your content is sorted; let's chat about the other elephant in the room—pricing.

How does pricing tie into your content for SaaS content marketing? Glad you asked!

Getting your SaaS pricing on point isn't just about slapping a price tag and hoping for the best.

Nah, there's a bit of finesse to it! Content can guide this finesse. You can justify the price you set by crafting articles, blog posts, or even social media snippets that highlight the value of your SaaS product.

You've got to make sure your prices feel suitable for what you're offering. That's where content marketing shines. Use it to showcase customer testimonials, case studies, and detailed feature explanations, ensuring prospects perceive the actual value of your offering.

Keep things crystal clear so customers know what they're getting into. Create transparent content explaining pricing tiers, what each offers, and any additional benefits or terms.

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6. Promote your content

Once your piece is out there, keep it from sitting too long; amplify its reach by using a mix of organic and paid social media ads.

Here's a playbook to maximize your content's exposure with a sprinkle of social media magic:

• Consistent posting: Just imagine every time you post, it's like grabbing a coffee with a friend. You wouldn't want to stand them up, right? So, set up a content calendar. That way, your followers always have something fresh to look forward to, just like those heartwarming coffee chats.

• Interactive content: Gone are the days when social media was a one-way street. Involve your audience and keep them engaged. Spice up with polls to get their opinion, quizzes to entertain them, or host Q&A sessions to chat in real-time.

• Use stories: Platforms like Instagram and Facebook offer 'Stories'—short-lived content that sits right at the top. These fleeting pieces of content are perfect for giving glimpses behind the curtain, sharing timely news, or offering quick recognition. Use them to engage and inform.

• Engage with comments: Imagine someone complimented your outfit, and you just walked away. Awkward, right? When your audience takes the time to comment, engage back. Answer questions, say thanks, or simply send a smiley emoji. It's all about nurturing relationships.

With these tricks up your sleeve, share your content, start conversations, and actively participate in communities on platforms your audience love. Remember, it's not merely about visibility—it's about forging meaningful connections.

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7. Measure your results

As the old saying goes, "If you can't measure it, you can't improve it." But here's the twist: the content game is constantly in flux. Your audience evolves, algorithms shift, and trends come and go.

Redirecting your course isn't a sign that your content strategy was initially heading down the wrong route. It's simply the nature of the content game. To truly gauge the impact of your content, you need to understand which metrics matter most, and which metrics are changing with the algorithms.

Stay updated and on top of how your content is performing by keeping tabs on the website visits, how often it's shared, sales—the whole shabbang.

The key is to make data-driven decisions, ensuring your strategy remains agile and impactful. Remember, it's not about starting over but staying ahead.

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8. Refine and improve

Even the best of us don't always get it right first. And, that's okay! Take your time and dig deep into your analytics to see what's resonating and what's not. It could be that the infographic got fewer eyeballs than you thought. Or perhaps that podcast episode had folks tuning in like crazy.

Take notes, tweak your approach, and keep evolving. After all, in the SaaS world, being agile and adaptive is the game's name. So, keep that feedback loop spinning and make your content even more awesome for your audience. 👌

And, oh! Remember, when times are tough, especially during economic lows, it's essential to fine-tune and polish your content game. Utilize feedback, analyze metrics, and adapt strategies. Innovation and precision are vital to standing out, especially when you are trying to create content during a recession.

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Get ready to enjoy the ride with the best SaaS content marketing strategy on your side

That’s it from us now. Following these eight steps will help you have a powerful SaaS content marketing that will increase your reach, audience, and more importantly, revenue.

If you’re looking for an agency to make it less of a hustle, save you a couple of headaches, and give you the results you’ve been looking for, we’ll be ready when you are.