Your SaaS Content Marketing Toolkit to help you create more effective B2B marketing

A lot of SaaS (software as an service) firms focus on short-term success. We've been trained to do everything in the short term. More customers, faster sales, and for some companies...sheer volumes! Volume was the king (yes like content).

But, the market is shifting. SaaS businesses are facing tighter budgets as well as an uncertain environment where each effort counts. It means B2B marketers must do more with less. Volume plays do nota sustainable, intent-driven marketing plan make.

It is possible to use a more effective approach for SaaS content marketing. This article will address the most common mistakes when it comes to content marketing. Also, we'll discuss the experiences of real marketers who have tried and tested new channels and tactics that your brand will be able to adopt and use.

A B2B Content Marketer's Playbook

1.     What's old news in SaaS the world of content marketing
2.     The most effective channels to use for SaaS advertising and content
3.     SaaS Content Marketing Examples to research
4.     Content marketing using video to B2B SaaS
5.     Content strategy and strategies for SaaS businesses
6.     Closing up

What's been stale in SaaS content marketing?

We'll look at some of the most abused content marketing strategies that we do not advocate.

Cold, outbound emails with zero content.

For those who aren't familiar about the idea, a cold pitch is generally sent out as an email that is sent out without supporting materials or worth offering. People who are interested don't comprehend why or what to do and haven't received an incentive to purchase the product or service you provide.

It might have been effective at the time that consumers were more open to sales messages and were more involved in buying decisions. However, this strategy doesn't work in the present. Today, prospects are bombarded with such emailsand many of them aren't interested as they don't offer the value they are supposed to or offer any insight about how your product will benefit the customer.

Phil Strazzulla, the founder of SelectSoftware Reviews, a website that aims to help HR professionals select the best SaaS platforms.

"The most effective way to go in 2023 will be to send outbound cold mail that is not aided. Everyone gets too many emails from people we don't know due to tools like Outreach, Apollo, and SalesLoft which makes it simple to automate and expand emails sent out to the outside world."

He also said "Marketing teams must combine the method of advertising with a branding that is targeted at the same customers. This includes calling campaigns and mail-out campaigns offline if you have enough funds for this."

Generous content that doesn't speak to any one particular target audience

It's easy to believe that any piece of content is able to appeal to all your audience members, however that's not the reality. Each group will have its particular needs, and it is essential to customize your content according to the needs of your audience or maybe exceed their expectations.

B2B customers want to know how they can use your product or service to meet their requirements. They want proof that it actually does what it promises, but they require suggestions on how they can improve the effectiveness of your product or service.

One of the best examples is HubSpot. The HubSpot blog HubSpot blog is a resource for posts that address the common problems of their target readers, who are online marketers, salespeople and customer service specialists.

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The long form content is meant to be enjoyed for the pleasure of it.

Content that is long-form won't disappear anytime soon, however it's difficult to distinguish in the eyes of consumers with a lot to be doing and don't seem to be too active. There are many B2B companies create similar guides, and so nurture sequences and gated offers aren't as effective they had previously.

This is also true for more lengthy documents like white papers or research reports. They aren't always easy to digest as they can be very technical, and are only relevant to select prospective customers. Long case studies, while useful as social proof, could be a distraction to prospects' attention. Are you trying to turn into just another tab open in the busy screen of a marketer?

If you've put money into the creation of long-form content changing the material into short video clips for speedy accessibility and distribution.

As an example, the Omniscient Digital company, which is a company that specializes in content marketing Omniscient Digital is a great example. They offer video clips of their case studies in the place of their traditional written cases. It is an excellent method of showcasing results without making people read the whole article in case they prefer videos (which most people are).

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Imitating invisibly competitors

Every now and then it's the case that a business launches an online blog and it copies their competitors' blog posts in a series of one after another. This is a typical SEO tactic and most often happens to businesses that provide software to other businesses because they businesses often view various SaaS companies as competitors even though they're in distinct niches and markets.

Yash Chavan, founder of the SaaS-based company for influencer marketing Saral believes that using brands from other companies and marketing blogs isn't an optimal concept. Chavan suggests:

"Understand that every product you market or products, as well as markets are different... Therefore, you have different strategies to deal with every product. Use your strengths. If, for instance, your product gets great unique data (e.g. tools to survey) Make use of it for unique information. If the product you are selling requires inviting others to join it, get in on referrals as a strategy. You shouldn't be following what blog posts on marketing advise you to do . It's entirely up to you!"

The most effective channels to use for SaaS marketing content

The most effective ways to reach your customers depend on upon the preferences of your customers and their issues, but here are four powerful ways to use SaaS content marketing, yes, even video!

1. SEO and always-green content

Some examples of evergreen content are:

• The content of the product
• How-to-guides
• Industry-leading practices
• Customer success stories and testimonials

In order for your evergreen content to become more user-friendly You must improve its visibility across search engines, such as Google as well as YouTube. This means establishing links (links to other websites) and writing engaging texts, as well as including popular terms in your content' text and title to boost the relevance of your search engine.

2. Email

Email marketing is one of the oldest methods of content marketing--and is one of the most efficient. We've discussed it before the methods used to sell email were modified as time passes (bye cold pitching, bye), but the medium continues to be a valuable tool in the eyes of SaaS marketers.

As you create appropriate material that fulfills the demands of each phase of your customer's lives, from the development of your blog's readership to acquaint new customers with videos to reminding them of upcoming renewal dates and offering exclusive discount coupons for upgrades -- emails lets you send targeted marketing campaigns.

Email also provides a unique one-on-one experience between you and your prospects or customers...something SEO and social media lacks.

This example from Zoom shows the ways SaaS businesses can take advantage of email to update and renew their subscriptions.

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3. Event (IRL as well as virtual)

Events that are held in person, such as networking meetings, conferences and seminars even while they weren't well-known prior to the outbreak, they're now returning in an enormous way as people are hungry for social gatherings and live events.

Events can help you establish and foster relationships with your customers and potential clients, gain insight into the market and confirm your innovative product or brand ideas and also network with influencers, potential customers, partners as well as industry experts.

4. Social media

• Make use of your company's Facebook or Twitter profiles for communicating important information for your target audience. People who follow your profile through social media tend to be loyal to you and might purchase from you at some time later on.
• Upload content (videos!) of people who are using your product or service. Content written by actual users helps customers feel connected to the brand and want to learn more about it.
• Contact users who make comments on posts or ask questions via social media platforms. Contact them via email to create stronger relationships with potential customers.
• Do not forget to mention those who influence you as well as leading industry figures! Reach out to them on social media, and ask whether they would be willing to share their expertise with others through blog posts, or videos, creating blog postsor speaking at an gathering.

SaaS Content Marketing examples of content marketing to get knowledge from

HubSpot

Hubspot is producing blog content since 2014. It has since been one of the top storytelling success stories in the field of content marketing.

The company uses its blog content to attract new customers and also to offer value to current customers. Marketing is a section on the blog that is a resource for topics such as automated marketing and advertising on social networks. blogging, among others.

What makes HubSpot distinguishes it is the fact that it utilizes distinct types of formats.

As an example, HubSpot uses a mixture of HubSpot ultimate guidebooks, podcasts, as well as videos embedded in blog posts to offer readers the option of choosing.

HubSpot Academy is a further vital part of HubSpot's content strategy. The academy online offers short classes on everything from the basics of marketing techniques like acquiring leads through social media and creating an email drip marketing program, all the way up to more advanced certifications like the Certified Inbound Marketing certification.

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What is it that makes it work?

• A focus on helping customers resolve the most pressing challenges
• Variety of various kinds of content that be appealing to different types of audiences and interests
• Genuine voice that doesn't attempt too overly to appear funny or clever.

Microsoft

On the Office 365 blog, Microsoft has put together a blog with useful content that will aid users in understanding the variety of services as well as use-cases, and also provide clients with suggestions on how to make maximum value from the subscriptions they currently have.

Microsoft has created a fantastic website their Microsoft 365 University website. They have created an online community for children and their teachers. They are able to get information the latest information about Microsoft 365 products and services.

Additionally, there is an online course " Create Your First App," where it is possible to learn how to build applications with Visual Studio Code and Azure DevOps Services.

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What is it that makes it work?

Microsoft was focused on creating the eBook or video collection that would be made available to customers all year round, letting customers browse the contents whenever they want. This method eliminates the requirement to create constantly fresh content. It also allows Microsoft to concentrate on satisfying demands of the customer.

Adobe

Adobe developed CMO.com, a magazine/journal that is worth the time of its readers by providing details that cover the most important subjects for digital-savvy executives. It also includes writing by experts within the field as well as perspectives by Adobe on technology, products and business trends.

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This video is an excellent illustration of the way SaaS companies can use content marketing to build and nurture customer relationships which will result in increased sales.

The reason why it works

The reason CMO works is because the content in CMO isn't product-specific. It means they don't concentrate on the company's product or service. Their content is completely focused on the developments, opportunities and challenges that can be avoided disruptive digital technology.

SARAL

SARAL is an influencer marketing platform which connects brands and influencers. Their blog provides valuable information about the intricacies of influencer marketing. This isn't just for advertising the services but also for aiding its customers (marketers) create successful campaigns.

The founder of the company does not just write blog articles. The founder also advocates two ideas through 50 distinct social media channels each week . This means they reach more people.

Why it works

Yash Chavan co-founder of the Saral, has stated that his shift from publishing two blogs a week, to spreading two concepts through 50 channels of social media had a significant impact on his approach to advertising content.

Chavan conducted an experiment that revealed that his traffic to his website decreased by 35% after the distribution of his content stopped for a month. Chavan also advises new SaaS marketers and entrepreneurs to produce high-value content instead of a lot of content that is low quality and then distribute it as often as possible.

Marketing via video content to B2B SaaS

Video content marketing can be a powerful tool for B2B and B2C companies. Content you create might have specific goals that are applicable to B2B and B2C (i.e. education vs. to entertain).

Actually, HubSpot Blog Research found that 15% of B2B marketers see creating thought leadership as their primary goal of their video marketing plan in comparison to only 9 per cent of B2C marketers.

There are many other methods which B2B SaaS companies use video videos more frequently than B2C enterprises:

• Explainer videos
• Product demos
• Live streaming events
• Videos of the product
• Behind-the-scenes videos
• Stories and testimonials from customers

If you have an B2C firm Your social media strategies could differ from one which is an B2B SaaS company. This type of business is more dependent on TikTok and Instagram in contrast to those who are most likely to make use of Twitter as well as LinkedIn more often.

The reason is that these platforms are more suitable to their clients: B2C brands want to communicate directly with their customers, while B2B SaaS businesses seek to connect with experts in this industry with lengthy sales cycles and greater numbers of decision-makers.

Content strategy tips for SaaS companies

We'll discuss some suggestions regarding content strategies for SaaS marketing professionals in 2023.

Find out more information about the individuals you are targeting

Prior to making content, it is essential to understand who your audience is and what they're expecting from you. For that do market research, you must talk about prospective buyers or consumers of your products or services. Learn what kind of data they are looking for and the way they'd prefer to receive it in the form of audio text or video.

Make personas that are reflective of your intended audience's preferences and requirements and then use these personas as a guideline to create, design, and present your material.

The process of conducting feedback surveys is another way to learn more about those who are using your product. The surveys on feedback can be helpful since they permit you to collect the opinions and thoughts of real users to guide the development of new products and services.

Pro-tip:Look at Google Trends to identify keywords related to your field and this data will help you decide on topics you'll discuss on your blog, or in postings on social media.

Updating what you have

For SaaS businesses, keeping up-to-date your content is an excellent option to keep your high-value contents useful and accessible.

As you publish written and videos, be aware of the date it becomes live, and track its usage and effect. Each quarter, go through your library looking for indicators of a decline in engagement and prioritize those resources in need of updates. As your software expands and evolves, it's essential to ensure that your library is compatible with the appropriate features and images.

Also, you can make changes to the material you've created before by adding additional content or information. Your site will become more helpful to visitors who might have searched for similar information in the past but were unable to locate what they wanted in your website.

Prioritize distribution

If you don't make plans on how to disseminate your information, it's likely to not reach those that need it the most. It's essential to identify which areas your audience is hanging on the internet- be it social media, websites or chat groups. You must create strategies to get users to go to your site.

Be aware of the metrics that matter to you.

It is important to understand which metrics matter to you and what you can do to quantify them.

If your objective is to boost brand recognition, and offer value to users who come to your site and to increase retention. Content marketing could be the ideal method to achieve those goals -- especially provided that you implement a strategic approach and develop top-quality content that is able to resonate with the target market.

If you're trying to generate traffic to your website, then the content you produce to promote your business should focus on the bottom-of-funnel (BOFU) information that features product information and tees up your conversion points (e.g. demo request or trial registrations which are completely free). It is also possible to complement your content strategy with paid advertisements to increase access to these content and also help generate qualified leads.

Produce unique, data-driven content

Data-driven content can be a great way to share data with your followers. This is also a great way to differentiate yourself from your competition.

SaaS companies have an edge in this field because they have access to a wealth of information about its customers and prospects. With this information, they are able to create relevant content that addresses their requirements and assists the company in solving its problems.

SaaS marketer and co-founder of AdEspresso Massimo Chieruzzi believes that artificial intelligence-based writing software can soon be employed to make money from the creation of content. The written quality created by these tools will surpass the quality of copywriters in general. The only way to stop AI AI is to create distinctive and original content.

"Quality is a variety of aspects. You could be an expert with an individual (and certainly not controversial) opinion in the market. Additionally, you can write data-driven content leveraging SaaS internal data . "

Massimo says that in AdEspresso the business initially committed to the creation of content that analyzed the millions in ads on Facebook that are managed via the platform. This strategy paid off by helping build the brand, creating trust and return visitors and also attracting many backlinks.

Wrapping around

2023 will focus on giving your clients and prospects with specific and relevant information that is available that is available in various formats, including but not limited to video. SaaS users are constantly active and require content that has long-lasting value as well as a distinct point of view.

Videos are a way to promote your brand and can make you stand out from competitors, but remember that if you're providing particular, specific content that provides someone with real worth and value, you'll be able beat content marketing.

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