How do you promote your SaaS products?

Question

No doubt this question was asked a hundred times before but let's maybe refresh the information with the most recent resources and ideas.

For our product Trackabi we used:

1. Various directories, such as G2, Capterra
2. Software directories such as alternativeto.net (the only one that made sense for us)
3. Facebook groups
4. LinkedIn
5. Content marketing

Have you ever worked with PR agencies?

Andrey · Accepted Answer

Interesting that nobody mentioned ProductHunt as a good way to promote :)

Andrey · Answer

@rvelitskiy Thank you for your comments. Many PR-agencies claim they can reach journalists from top-tier media. That probably the only thing that attracts me. On the other hand, I could also try to reach them via LinkedIn

Bill Flitter · Answer

I have started two SaaS companies. Below are the tactics we used to grow. Some of the results:

• Grew revenue 110% YoY with a focused vision around product/marketing fit
• Grew organic search and website traffic over 200% in 5 months
• Grew user base from zero to 500k in 24 months

I worked with a PR firm BUT we first built up creditability in the market first and had some traction. They added fuel to the fire. They can add value but are expensive and I would advise against it until you have traction - especially if you're going after the big press.

Creating quality content through your blog is definitely one way.

Participate in Facebook groups and other niche communities that serve your market.

Reverse engineer your competitor's plan with these tools:

-- Traffic sources: @SimilarWeb
-- Email templates &flows: @mailcharts
-- Ad designs w/ FB Transparency Tools
--Ad spend: @spyfu
--Keywords: ahrefs

Search the Competition: Look at up your competitors in G2 (the other similar services). See what customers are saying about your competitors - the good and bad. Use that to make a better mousetrap. Create content that addresses common issues they bring up and post it in a blog for example.

Be Personal: When you onboard your first customers, handwrite a note, share a personalization video message or email. Use a service like SendSpark to create personalized videos so you stand out.

Use Quora: Figure out what the most questions on quora are related to 'your product category' and address them on your blog (email me and I can give you the steps)

Give Thanks: Take advantage of the thank you (confirmation page) after someone signs up, upsells, invite to a webinar, link to most popular blog posts, ask for a social follow, ask for a social share.

Create an ebook/lead magnets by repurposing your best (insert your business category) tips - if you have enough content do it by each custom niche. ie. "25 Productivity Hacks when building your SaaS." Better if the content is evergreen.

Partner up. Find complimentary blogs/newsletters where you can cross-promote

ImPRESS: Subscribe to HARO and respond to reporter's requests. https://www.helpareporter.com/. They are always looking for experts in every category

Blog and guest post on other blogs, find a relevant podcast to get interviewed by.

Add a sign-up URL to your email signature, LI profile, Facebook - anywhere you have a social profile.

Hope that helps!

Bill 
http://FixMyGrowth.com

Jared Cornell · Answer

Hey Andry,

It seems that you’ve been trying various strategies to promote your SaaS product.

While listing websites such as G2 and Capterra sound great. But you’ll have to be more consistent with this practice. You need to make sure that you cover each review website for SaaS tools online to improve your product’s visibility.

Content marketing strategy needs to be more solid for your internal blog posts and not just for contributions you guys aim to make on other competitive websites. You need to make sure that you are covering the knowledge gap and at the same time cover some thought leadership posts to attract your audience.

You should also try connecting with experts in your industry on platforms like LinkedIn and Twitter and plan out a podcast or webinar where you talk about a broad topic and include your product as one of the solutions.

Let me know how these strategies work out for you. :)

Andrey · Answer

@ifactory Not that much but we used only free listings. To get noticed you need many reviews there which means you already should have a good customer base to invite them to add a review

Triv Andhare · Answer

@andrey_mi Yes, used in isolation, it will reap little value. But promoting, and promoting personally, to these groups will more often than not yield some early, valuable, feedback, which will prove handy when you kickstart the bigger marketing engine.

Good luck on your ventures, mate!

Triv Andhare · Answer

Great discussion topic, followed up with some super answers.

I would've thought grass roots promotion is prudent in the early stages of the product lifecycle i.e. pulling up your sleeves and really mixing it up with the individuals (or businesses) that you've earmarked as early adopters.

The easiest way of doing this is by simply jumping into any one of your socials and joining the groups they're in (if you've done your research, this shouldn't be hard to find). Ask questions, contribute, listen, put in some time and then...promote.

While they may be low-hanging fruit, they've still got to be plucked!

Meghna Bagri · Answer

@andrey_mi These social media platforms have many groups that can be relevant to your product, Sharing your product and how it can help them attracts the users attention. And yes, LinkedIn is a great platform to reach out to your prospects and start a conversation.

Meghna Bagri · Answer

This is a great question and I'm curious to see what other people are doing to promote their product.
For promoting our product ADOHM we are majorly focusing on:
1. Facebook
2. Quora
3. LinkedIn

Andrew S. · Answer

Good question - would sound obvious, but do keep in mind your target audience. If you have a clear focus on who you want to target, this question becomes more clear. 
Short video content works well these days. As well as finding key champions in your target communities and working closely with them to distribute your product.

Andrey · Answer

@billflitter This is probably a good example of a post that should attract customers. I must admin I did check the link to your site :) Thanks Bill, I'll definitely check the resources you shared

Andrey · Answer

@trivial Thank you for your comment. But let me share one doubt. I think that the number of clients obtained this way may be too little. If my questions and comments are noticed, and people believe they are good. Not many will care what business I represent. Few will check. And even fewer will visit the website I try to promote. And perhaps they will do that only out of curiosity. Of course, it all depends... but I'm not sure this strategy works very well unless you sell something costly when one sale is already a great achievement.

Andrey · Answer

@meghna_bagri Thanks. What is your strategy in each case? Ads in facebook, answering relevant questions in Quora, and trying to reach prospects via LinkedIn?

kiani · Answer

Thanks for your post, did directories as G2 and Capterra work? Did you post for free or paid? Thanks!

How do you promote your SaaS products?

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