Almost all brands today use content to market their products and services. SaaS or Software as a Service is among them.
In a world where companies are vying for customers, your business should stand out.
Content marketing is one way to attract and educate potential customers whom you can convert into paying clients.
When done right, you can build a marketing plan that mainly focuses on content. It is one of the most effective tools for your growing business.
Whether you aim to generate a bigger following on social media or you wish to close more sales, you can use this approach to achieve your goals.
You may already have a blog and other types of content on your website. However, they do not seem to be helpful for your marketing campaigns or even your sales.
If you do not use content yet, you may also wonder if it is even worth investing for.
The good news is that it is worth every penny – when done right, that is.
Essentially, you create content that allows you to be salesy without being too obvious. With this strategy, you do not scare potential customers away.
At the same time, you can reach out to new customers during their research process. Your content will be a part of their journey toward buying.
When the customer is ready to make a purchase, your product will be the top choice.
One big question that business owners have is whether or not their target audience even spends time reading the content.
Research has shown that people read at least three blog posts or pieces of content before they go to a store to buy.
Think about the risk of losing customers just because you do not have content. While you continue to hesitate on writing pieces about your products or services, your would-have-been customers already read posts about your competitors.
By now, they may have purchased the other products instead of yours.
Aside from putting you at a competitive disadvantage, you are missing out on enjoying an extremely high return on investment for your business.
Here's why:
Unlike your other marketing strategies, you do not have to pay for space when you use the content.
To be clear, though, content can be free, but you should do it on your own; otherwise, it will involve some initial investment.
Even if you do hire someone to write the content for you, publishing it will not cost anything. It will only stay on your business' website where it can stay for free for a long time – until you decide to remove it.
The key is to create "evergreen" content. It means what you have written will stay relevant for several months.
Therefore, the material that you may have paid for once can generate leads and profits for many years to come. It's that simple!
Compare this benefit to conventional advertising. It may give you results right away, but it stops becoming useful if you no longer pay for the ad space.
You can already see how great the advantage is of having content.
Of course, it is not about the number of content pieces you write. It is about making content that people want to read.
As a software-as-a-service company, you are already well aware of the things that your buyers want. They mostly research on their product choices, the benefits, and other pieces of information they can get.
These steps all happen before they commit to one product or service.
You also know the importance of directing information-based keywords. This way, you can reach out to your target audience before they make up their minds.
Unfortunately, it is not always easy.
You have to keep the content exciting and fresh. Most businesses, however, end up with these boring articles that do not add value to their audience.
As a result, potential customers visit other websites to find what they are looking for.
Another problem is that many brands simply use keywords without providing useful information. They only want to enhance their AdWords strategies and not their relationship with the customers.
Your goal should be to use the content as a means to help customers understand what you are offering them. No matter what the product may be, content should show that the software you have can solve their problems.
Plus, it should give some instructions and details about the tools your company sells.
Here is a rundown of how content can be a part of your marketing strategy:
First, you need to create content. It can be a post on your website, social media, or blog.
Those who are interested will click on the content you have created.
If people find the content interesting and useful, they will remember what you have written. Plus, they will take note of your name, company, or product that you are endorsing.
More people will keep track of your content from now on. They will come back more often to see if you have more things to offer.
At this point, the true benefit begins. You build trust among consumers, which allows you to create relationships with real people – not Google or robots.
With the trust and credibility effortlessly built through content, you will become the agent of choice for these buyers. Therefore, they will think of your product when they are ready to purchase.
Marketing through content is not about writing blog posts consistently every week. In reality, this tactic is not recommended, especially for startups.
An exception is if a member of the staff or one of the founders of the company has gotten quite good in content writing. This way, it will not be difficult to produce content consistently.
Since marketing through content is much cheaper than traditional marketing, more and more SaaS businesses are turning to the former.
Research showed that writing content could generate up to three times more leads than with conventional advertising.
However, you need to do it right to get positive results. Here are the best steps to take to make sure that you get the most out of your ROI while also improving your brand's reach:
Taking advantage of content marketing for your software-as-a-business firm lets you promote your company in such a way that captures the interest of your target audience.
You redirect their attention to your brand without making it obvious.
The technique is to provide them with useful information that will tell the readers your product will be helpful for them.
It does not matter if your product is new or does not have a massive market with a need for it yet. You should start building a strategy that will have an impact on your sales through content.
One of the things that you need to do now is to define what this marketing strategy means for your business.
Break the definition down based on these considerations:
Your purpose with this definition is to come up with a unique selling proposal. It should be directed toward the audience that needs your product.
By determining your market strategy, the customers will easily differentiate you from other businesses.
Now with content marketing, you have an added advantage over your competitors.
You can target your audience, as well as search engines and even digital influencers.
But how do you even create this strategy?
When you are still new to content marketing, it can get frustrating, especially with the multitude of advice floating online.
To make it easier for you, here are the most straightforward steps that you can follow:
An even better way to learn is through this 40-minute training. It will not cost you anything, but you can discover how you can create a go-to-market strategy for creating content.
Indeed, your audience may not even pay for your content. However, think of it as a way for them to get to know the software or tool that you are offering them.
In just a short time, you will see a considerable improvement in your sales profits.
Many SaaS businesses fail at content marketing because they only focus at the end of the buying process, which is the purchase itself.
If you want yours to avoid the same fate, you should develop a content strategy that considers all the stages of buying.
Never skip a single step, especially at the beginning, when the consumer is still discovering the product or service. This way, you can get better results.
The trick is to structure your approach based on your target audience.
The first is to consider intention. When consumers search for a specific keyword, it may just be the beginning of their buying process.
They may or may not purchase.
However, it does not mean you should only target those who intend to buy.
Figure out what people need next to get to the next stage. It is where you convince them about the benefits of your products – without mentioning what you are trying to sell.
Take a look at the following stages of the conversion process:
The most significant of all, your goal in this marketing strategy is to generate traffic and let people know about your company and products.
You can use different tools here, including curated lists, email marketing, and blog posts.
Your next job is to generate leads, which you can achieve through case studies, webinars, and guides.
The third step is to convert the leads you have acquired into paying customers. Some of the most effective methods that you can try now are providing trials or demos and offering price sheets.
Finally, your last goal is to retain the customers you have obtained. You can use client workshops and provide product updates.
You can also offer tutorials and training for your existing customers.
All the steps above are significant, which is why you should include all of them in your content marketing strategy.
Think about it. If you focus on Awareness more than everything, you will undoubtedly see a spike in traffic.
However, you may find it difficult to retain those readers, primarily if you cannot provide them with more complex information.
Another example is targeting those who are at the purchasing stage. Yes, you could have a high conversion rate, but your sales numbers can remain low. It is true if you do not attract a lot of visitors to your website.
Content writing is not just giving the information your customers need. You should also let them know who you are as a brand or an individual.
One of the best ways to showcase your personality is to find a unique style and tone in writing. Of course, it should not just be because of how you like it.
You should also consider whom you are writing for and what your brand is about.
Additionally, you should also think about your competitors. As much as possible, try to steer away from what your competition already offers.
A common mistake is in using the professional tone of voice.
While it does work in some industries, your software-as-a-service business may call for something more unique.
After all, being professional is not an exclusive attribute. These days, most brands have become more comfortable with their audience.
They are not scared of expressing real opinions and statements. It does not mean though that you can say anything that you want.
Your goal is to be memorable but not controversial enough to be tagged as a desperate brand.
Before you write your next piece of content, have something more to offer. Think beyond the information that you want your readers to gain after reading your article.
What kind of impression do you want the readers to make for your business or brand?
Determine the qualities that you want people to associate with your content. Then, you should find ways to ensure you have incorporated those qualities into the article that you have written.
The result of this method is fantastic. You not only convey the information your audience needs, but you also establish the reputation you wish to have for your business.
Content is easy to access today.
A quick Google search will bring the customer to the piece of information needed. It is why many of these readers already developed their preferences for individual formats and platforms.
Some people would still go for written content, but some are more interested in video tutorials.
Some readers search for the most specific or curtailed post. This way, they can read what they need and move on.
Others want a more comprehensive guide that provides all the details from start to finish.
All these preferences can make your job much more difficult.
How can you cater to all these demands?
Isn't it enough to master just one format and use it throughout your marketing campaign?
The answer, unfortunately, is no.
However, you should not start from scratch if you already have content. You do not even have to use all the mediums and format options just to get the attention your content requires.
Instead of starting over, you can maximize your work and its value by repurposing it.
For instance, you have written several blog posts that your readers have found to be helpful.
One way to repurpose them is to turn them into newsletters. If you have long-form articles, you can create a video script for them, so people will want to watch.
SaaS content marketing is easy, but doing it right is a challenge. With the right guidance and through practice, you can achieve your goals through it.Find out the information your audience needs and fit the topics into all the buying processes.
Become the resource that provides unique solutions to their problems and requirements.
Add a little bit of personality, and you will surely become the top choice of your readers whom you can convert into paying customers.