If you’re looking for a B2B SaaS marketing strategy, here are two key points to remember:
- Effective strategy can only be shaped in pursuit of a goal – so you have to know what your goals are.
- Effective strategy is shaped for specific contexts – so you need to clarify what kind of B2B SaaS you’re marketing.
These two considerations are pretty open-ended; we won’t be able to cover every possible marketing goal and every nuanced B2B SaaS situation.
But we can boil down B2B SaaS into three primary tiers:
- Almost-B2C B2B SaaS companies target broad audiences with low-price-point solutions. They sell to individuals within companies.
- Enterprise B2B SaaS companies target more specialized audiences with high-price-point solutions. They sell to buying groups.
- Hybrid B2B SaaS companies are less standardized, but they usually target specialized audiences with mid-priced solutions, and they often sell to buying groups.
(We’ve written about these tiers in more detail here.)
And we can identify the primary goal that most B2B SaaS companies have when they go looking for marketing help:
Lead generation.
Yes, there are plenty of other possible goals that you might have (customer retention, brand awareness, account growth). But we’ve been doing B2B SaaS marketing for over a decade, and the most common issue that’s brought to us is: “We need to grow our user base.” So, in this article, we’ll offer the top strategies to do it – aligned to each tier of B2B SaaS company.
Without further ado, here are the top three strategies for B2B SaaS lead generation.
For almost-B2C B2B SaaS: inbound marketing.
If you’re looking to generate leads for a B2B SaaS company that’s selling lower-priced products, your best bet is almost certainly inbound marketing.
If you’re a marketer, this one shouldn’t come as much of a surprise, if only because virtually all of the big B2B SaaS brands have invested heavily into inbound marketing.
Hubspot is the prime example; they did coin the term “inbound,” after all, and to this day their blog is one of the most impressive examples of content creation on the planet. But they’re far from the only ones doing it. Mailchimp has an extensive blog, regularly publishes industry research, and even hosts a series of podcasts. Hootsuite is known for “state of social media” reports. Ahrefs has churned out educational SEO content at an incredible pace.
Again, in the almost-B2C B2B SaaS tier, inbound is pretty much ubiquitous.
What it is: Inbound marketing is the process of creating content that draws potential customers in. It’s best understood when compared against traditional marketing methods, like TV ads. Instead of putting information in front of people when they aren’t interested, the core principle of inbound is to meet people where they’re searching when they’re looking for information related to your solution.
Tactics include:
- SEO
- Content creation
- Video marketing
- Email marketing
- Social media marketing
Why it works: Inbound marketing works best for big audiences. Almost-B2C B2B SaaS companies are pretty much always going big.
For enterprise B2B SaaS: outbound marketing.
There’s more variability here than there is for the almost-B2C tier; many enterprise B2B SaaS companies are all-in on outbound, but some of the biggest ones primarily use inbound. Again, let your goals be your guide (and keep in mind that, in all likelihood, both inbound and outbound strategies can be useful for your context).
Think TV commercials: You’ve probably seen more IBM commercials in your life than you have Slack commercials, right? More Microsoft ads than Mailchimp? That’s because many of these firms have build reputations via outbound marketing.
What it is: Outbound marketing is the antithesis of inbound marketing. Instead of creating content that draws people in, brands pay to place content in front of people. Most paid advertising is outbound (although HubSpot stubbornly claims that paid search ads are still inbound).
Tactics include:
- TV ads
- Print ads
- Banner ads
- Event sponsorships
- Cold emailing
Why it works: It works because these brands typically have the budget to pay for it, and because there’s a level of prestige attached to some outbound marketing efforts. You don’t get fired for hiring IBM, right? They’ve built that reputation partly by putting their brand on TV for forty years.
For hybrid B2B SaaS: account-based marketing.
Okay, this tier is the trickiest, simply because it’s the most variable. Some hybrid B2B SaaS firms will be best served by inbound; some will be best served by outbound. But we’ve found that many are best served by account-based marketing, or ABM.
What it is: ABM flips the marketing funnel on its head – instead of putting your message in front of a broad audience, then allowing it to filter to whoever will resonate with it most, you identify the accounts that will resonate with it most first, then create highly customized, targeted campaigns that speak directly to them.
Here’s a deeper dive on what this looks like.
Tactics include:
- Video marketing
- Email marketing
- Social media marketing
- Customized landing pages
- Customized ads
Why it works: This approach works because hybrid B2B SaaS companies often have highly specific targets, especially during the early stages of growth. ABM is the most cost-efficient way of reaching a highly specific target.
Looking for more help with your B2B SaaS marketing strategy?
We’ve covered our top recommendations for lead generation for B2B SaaS – but, as we’ve noted repeatedly, the best B2B marketing strategy is tailored toward your goals and your business.
If you’re looking for additional insight or help implementing effective marketing, get in touch with us.
At New North, we’ve helped B2B SaaS firms to build user bases, drive more sales, and grow using the right marketing channels.
