SaaS (software as a service) is an area of cloud computing. The provider makes its software available to the customer via the Internet or the cloud. SaaS offers the customer many advantages that are often misunderstood by the providers. This is exactly the challenge when communicating SaaS: Customer Value first, Technology second.
There is a lot of development work behind software. That's why many startups and software companies think they should put the technology in the foreground to show the customer what the team has done and why the technology works better than the competition. But: the customer is not interested in that. For him, it is not the technology that is the USP, but what benefit it brings. The greater the benefit, the better the software.
Most customers decide in favor of software only according to the factors of time and money. Regardless of whether the processes become leaner, the employees can work more efficiently, the design is particularly user-friendly or a large part of the work can be automated with it - in the end, these points are also measured with time and money savings. This is exactly what the SaaS company should communicate.
USPs that SaaS companies can work with should be as clearly defined as possible. Tip: If the USP also matches the competitor 1:1, then it is not a real USP. To differentiate themselves, startups should work with facts and figures.
For SaaS, various communication measures come into question. For our SaaS and cloud computing startups, we recommend a combined approach of PR and social media. By publishing in trade magazines, we promote expert positioning and build trust in the brand. Often, high quality leads are already generated through this. A SaaS PR campaign can include the following formats:
We use social media and online marketing to build a targeted lead strategy. We evaluate the topics that interest the end customers the most. Based on this, we build our content campaigns on social media, build landing pages on the websites or in the form of a blog for more information, create an explainer video for this and play out targeted lead campaigns to the end customer. A SaaS social media campaign consists of the following formats, for example:
In addition to the classic campaigns we've just presented, you can also add a good dose of creativity, depending on your budget. We have a few creative ideas for you on how you can really push the attention for your SaaS startup:
Customer or industry survey with a market research institute.
Start your own Podcast with experts and discuss about your company's topics.
Sharing is caring: That's why you should share your know-how via videos on the YouTube Channel - which also relieves the burden on Customer Support.
Start your own meet-up or round-table series with experts from your industry.
Let your target group or even journalists and influencers test your software. How about a challenge: the classic software against your SaaS solution?
Be present where many companies in your core target group gather. For example, with a roadshow in business parks.
Ask satisfied customers to make a video with you in which they describe their experiences with the software. This is a great basis for social media campaigns.
Games are a hit - that's why you should introduce your customers to your software in a playful way. For example, with quizzes, challenges or skill tests. By the way, there are many cool free tools for this, such as Kahoot.
