Is SaaS Marketing More Difficult Than Digital Marketing?
If you are an entrepreneur, then the idea of giving away the thing you’re trying to sell for free would be a huge sacrifice. However, if you are in the world of software as a service marketing, also known as SaaS Marketing, then offering something for free is not considered a marketing tactic but an expectation of the service you offer.
A big reason for this is the differences between marketing SaaS versus traditional marketing companies who don’t sell their software in the cloud.
But how does this impact today’s modern market, and what does it mean for the SaaS marketer?
Retaining Customers is as Important and Making More
Whether directly or indirectly, marketers are often compensated based on their overall performance. In marketing, good performance is often seen as generating leads that become sales. That doesn’t mean to say that a SaaS marketer doesn’t need to generate plenty of sales but that they need to create and retain a solid customer base in order to achieve well.
SaaS Customers Behave Differently to Standard Ones
In SaaS marketing, the buyer’s journey looks a little different from that of a traditional marketer. SaaS marketers must consider this based on the way their prospects behave prior to and following the stage they make a purchase.
Due to the nature of SaaS subscription models, buyer’s purchases are made completely different than they would have otherwise.
Traditionally, prospective customers will research a specific product that they are on the market for. For example, a new Smart TV. They will go online to read reviews, look at the features the product offers and will begin to compare prices to other similar products. They will then go and make that purchase.
This is where SaaS is different. Many SaaS companies will offer a free trial, or offer perspectives at a reduced rate for a certain period. The trial allows customers to try out a product without the potential for buyer’s remorse.
People Love Getting Things for ‘Free’
Ever wondered how Netflix can make any money by offering free trials? Same with Amazon Prime? Spotify offers music streaming for free. However, none of these companies do that for the sake of giving away a freebie. They all make it part of their plan to lure in and win new customers.
They will see that the company believes in their service so much that they will give it away for free.
SaaS marketers must work out which version of their service they will offer as part of a free trial. It should be something that will not only grab the attention of a potential buyer but will give them that confidence they need as a buy-in for your service– potentially even the premium service if it offers more than that which they got from their trial.
At the end of the day, whether you’re a cleaning service offering weekly house cleans, or an interior design company offering freestyle consultations, your marketing strategy will need to be adjusted accordingly. It will need to be aligned tightly between marketing, customer service, and sales.