Enterprise Software Marketing, Part 3: How to Promote SaaS and Enterprise Software

This is part 3 of a 5-part series all about enterprise software marketing. Part 1 is about defining your message and audience. Part 2 covers content creation, and then this part explains how to promote that content. Lastly, part 4 reviews how to track, measure, and optimize, which is rounded out by part 5, which covers ongoing lead nurture.

You can produce the best content in your industry by a mile, but that won’t matter if your target audience can’t find it. Since you’re aiming to reach a very specific audience, making sure your content gets in front of the right people requires effort and strategy.

For each piece of content you create, consider the content topic and specific audience you’re trying to reach to determine the best promotion strategy.

How to Promote SaaS and Enterprise Software by Platform

Here are the platforms that we find are most effective in reaching this target audience.

Search

This includes both paid search ads and organic search. For paid ads, search is ideal for products that customers already know exist and are actively looking for, but not so good for emerging product markets. For organic search, implement search engine optimization (SEO) strategies to create content that people and search engines find useful.

Syndication

Syndication allows you to partner directly with publishers to promote your content on their websites or via mailing lists.

Retargeting

Use an existing email list or cookie information to show prospects your ads on other websites. This won’t increase the number of inbound leads you’re getting, but it will help push leads down the funnel and keep your brand top of mind.

Paid Social Media

For B2B products, LinkedIn tends to be the best social platform for bringing in qualified leads. This is because it includes a lot of highly specific targeting options like geography, education, skills, etc., that can be useful for niche audiences.

Industry Publications

Bring your content to the publications your audience is reading. Many of these publications already have developed media programs.

Pro tip: Test a variety of platforms, content, and CTAs to figure out what works best for your product. Then, when you figure out what performs best, keep doing it.

Don’t Forget About ABM!

For businesses that sell a high-cost product to a niche audience, account-based marketing (ABM) is a compelling strategy.

ABM involves developing a specific profile of your ideal customer, researching businesses that match those specifications (or come close), and targeting them directly in your marketing efforts. By narrowing your focus to a specific list of accounts to target, you gain the ability to personalize your outreach and really invest in nurturing the relationship.

Creating a custom strategy and personalized content for each prospect on your ABM list is time-consuming, but when your typical deal sizes and average customer lifetime value are both significant, the work is well worth it.

In one survey of B2B marketers practicing ABM, 87% said it outperforms their other marketing initiatives.

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Rich Quarles

Rich is a marketing strategist focused primarily on startups, technology, and marketing to doctors. He has advised early-stage startups that have collectively returned over $2.5 billion to founders and investors.

Rich founded glassCanopy in 2001.

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