Top 3 Content Marketing Tips for SaaS Businesses

In fact, since 2015, the SaaS industry has seen a 5 fold growth from $31.5 billion to a whopping $171.9 billion. The pandemic further acted as a catalyst for this already ever-growing industry, allowing more digital innovation.

However, most SaaS businesses flourish when they get organic search visits. It’s a prime source of leads for SaaS businesses nowadays. And in the long run, it’s incredibly cost-effective and scalable. 

But what about short-term results? What if you want instant ROI (clients) from your content? Well, you’re not alone. In fact, 89% of SaaS companies treat “New Customer Acquisition” as their biggest growth priority.

Luckily, some content types promise to drive instant client acquisition and ROI. That’s what today’s article is about.

Let’s go over the top 3 content marketing tips for SaaS businesses to instantly boost the bottom line below:

1. Write a “best / top” article spotlighting yourself

Generally, people search for “best” articles right before making a purchase. So rather than seeing SaaS content marketing just as non-salesy brand awareness, write a “best” article covering the broad category your SaaS business is in. Add your company in a well-placed fashion and explain how it’s unique.

For example:

DIY website builders like BigCommerce can write an article covering the top website builders similar to this one by WPBeginner.

Accounting software companies like Quickbooks can write an article covering the top accounting software similar to this one by Investopedia:

CRM software companies like Zoho can write an article covering the top CRM software solutions similar to this one by Zapier:

You get the drift. 

The rule is to insert yourself organically. Do it fittingly, just convey what’s unique about your software. Don’t try to occupy the first spot so you can get liked by “everybody.”

Overly self-promoting articles wouldn’t rank for “best / top” variations of keywords since the intent for these is educational.

That said, best / top articles are a wide net. You can also niche down to the precise company category.

For example:

“AI copywriting software for copywriters and marketers” or “SEO software for small businesses” and such articles will get much higher positions compared to a generic “best / top” article.

2. Write an alternative article

Such articles let you leverage the popularity of your competitors. These are one of the best articles for SaaS companies because they help prospects come to a decision. Such blogs compare two or more alike products against one another and evaluate them on several features.

The comparison can be angled toward a specific kind of user or based on a precise use case. Such articles work well mid-funnel since potential customers are exploring their options.

If you're in the business of selling grammar-checking software, a highly competitive arena, (with Google showing 9,670,000 results for the term) then establishing a recognizable and trustworthy brand will require patience.

To generate instant revenue, consider writing an article regarding Grammarly’s alternatives (a household name in the software category of grammar and punctuation checker software). Include your product, but be honest with competitor reviews too so someone looking to switch from Grammarly can benefit.

Instead of a listicle format, you could also opt for a one-on-one comparison between two brands / products / services. The motive here is to establish a reputation in a competitive industry.

Here’s an example of a comparison article comparing Adobe Portfolio with Squarespace.

Another example is this article comparing Asana, Trello, and Plutio:

If you’re not a well-known SaaS in your category yet, then it’s a good opportunity for you. Compare your tool with other reputed companies. It’ll hint the readers that you’re also among the major options in the market.

3. Launch your own course

In 2020, the pandemic led to a surge in online education. So it’s time you take advantage of the trend by offering a free course because it has the potential to attract potential customers.

So the question arises – why are courses effective for scaling your SaaS company?

Well, a course is an effective resource to grow your SaaS when knowledge is crucial for your customers' success. Let me give you a few examples to clarify my point:

• If customers can use your blogger outreach tool to land guest posts more conveniently than without it, then the tool is useful

• When customers are able to use your email marketing software to rake in more money, they’re satisfied

• If customers find it easier to use your FB ads tool to run PPC campaigns, then you’re headed in the right direction.

Your software is just a vehicle (a tool) for achieving a business goal in all these examples. For instance, to make the most of email marketing software, you must:

• Own an email list or have the capability to build one

• Know the essentials of SaaS email marketing

• Understand how to write sales emails

If you don’t have this knowledge, you can’t use the software as effectively. If you're not seeing the tool bringing positive results for you, there's a greater chance you'll stop using it. A course can help customers fill these knowledge gaps.

Let’s see a couple of real-life examples now:

Leadfeeder, website visitor tracking software, created Leadfeeder Academy. Everyone can take these free courses to learn more about how they can improve the B2B sales process, learn more about B2B marketing, and build internal alignment between marketing and sales teams:

Ahrefs, an SEO suite, offered a paid course on “blogging for business” for free, which has led to paid subscriptions to other courses:

HubSpot also launched an exclusive academy for its audience:

Similarly, you could create a course according to what your audience needs. 

So, if your SaaS business offers YouTube analytics and SEO tools, you could create a free course on “How To Grow On YouTube.”

Don’t be late to build your course in 2022. Pick a major pain point of your audience and start creating a course around it. You can also sell your course separately and have content work as a ‘revenue center’ for the business.

Whether you sell the course as a part of your services or separate, your SaaS business will flourish either way. So you’ve got nothing to lose.

To wrap it up

So, there you have it – 3 solid tips to instantly boost the bottom line of SaaS businesses. These content marketing strategies simply work and have been executed by billion-dollar companies like HubSpot and Shopify. So apply these for your SaaS in 2022, and it’ll offer an instant return.

Remember – content marketing for SaaS companies isn’t rocket science if you plan carefully, keeping your target audience in mind. Also, aim for cumulative growth and stick to the desired keywords and an adaptive SaaS marketing strategy. After all, in this fast-paced world ruled by fleeting trends, you never know what might just make or break your business!