Once you’ve finally completed product development and added the final touches to your SaaS offering, your next step is getting the word out. And when it comes to complex and niche spaces like SaaS, few can do the job that content marketing can. From informing SaaS users of your product to gaining insights into their pain points- this is your one-stop shop for it all!
And that’s why to help you bust open industry doors, we’re listing down 9 types of pre-launch content. Consider this your cheat sheet to get your SaaS product launch the red-carpet entry it deserves.
Let’s dive in!
#1 Blog Posts
When you think ‘content,’ this is probably the first thing that comes to mind. Blog posts, both on-site and off, are an excellent way to build hype around your product. Here are some blog post types you should consider for pre-launch content:
Product-led Posts
These posts address your market’s pain points and explain how your product can solve them. This is especially helpful if your SaaS product has multiple features. You can educate the readers on how your product works and even have them sign up for early bird trials.
Competitor Alternate Posts
No, we don’t mean trash-talking your competitors. Rather highlighting why you’re better. There’s a difference. For starters, you don’t mention where they fall short but rather where you go the extra mile.
This type of blog content helps you build anticipation toward your product and gives you in on the traffic your competitors are receiving. Now, when your market searches for your competitor, your blog comes up.
Round-up Posts
These posts collate insights from industry reports and studies. Apart from potential buyers, your readers will comprise bloggers as well. And they’re often in search of updated statistics. If you include that in your content, it makes for a reliable link-building asset. And that, in turn, brings more visitors to your blog.
Pro Tip: Avoid including data older than two years.
#2 Email Outreach
Email marketing is a critical part of a successful content marketing strategy. This is because it ensures your leads are kept in the loop of developments and kept interested in your product.
To show you just how powerful email outreach can be, let’s take Drift’s example.
This sales and marketing platform sends a welcome email to its new email subscribers. This campaign rewarded Drift with a 75% increase in open rate and 25% in response rate. Notice how the email is short, and precise. It breaks from the usual format of emails. And while it is a risk, that’s what clicked with the reader to increase the response rate.
With a SaaS product launch coming up, consider building a unique email campaign around it. It helps you speak directly to your customer base and even customise their buyer journey. For instance, if they have shown interest in a particular feature of your product, sharing content on that feature will help build hype for your product.
#3 Video Content
Superoffiice reports that if your email subject line has the word ‘video’ in it, it can increase your open rate by 6%. That is simply because 71% of consumers prefer video content over any other marketing content.
These numbers make the decision for you. By presenting content in a video format, you engage with your customer better. They are more willing to consume content in this form. And as a brand looking to gain visibility for its SaaS product launch, consider video content your number one ally!
Additionally, your staff and competitors need to be well-versed in the nitty-gritty details of the industry. But the same can’t be said about your customers. Your customers want to get to the part that tells them how your product will help them, not how it was made or who was involved.
This is where demo videos come in. These allow you to educate your customers about your product, how it can help and why it’s the best. And all this in a bite-size, visually pleasing manner!
#4 Social Media Content
Skipping social media content in 2023 is like wilfully taking steps toward the failure of your SaaS product launch. Especially as the digital market grows in the country. These platforms are a great place to connect with your customer base and increase brand reach.
And while making an account and posting content is one way, this place truly shines because of influencer marketing. These celebrities give you access to a wider customer base. And a high-yielding one as well.
This is because they nurture their impressive social media following through carefully curated content. And in the process, followers trust their judgement and are more likely to try products they endorse.
Let’s take the example of Canva. This design and editing platform joined forces with Guy Kawasaki, an author and entrepreneur, and onboarded him as a chief evangelist. This was after Canva discovered that Guy used their app for social media posts.
He uses his platform to discuss Canva and its capabilities, spreading the brand’s reach. For your SaaS product launch, consider identifying established influencers in your industry and bringing them on board.
#5 Webinars
Live events have their own special place for marketing. One that doesn’t seem to be slowing down anytime soon.
Hosting webinars ahead of your SaaS product launch can help you gain the desired traction and SaaS user insights. Consider hosting a webinar with industry experts on the panel discussing your product. This helps convince your market about your credibility as well as ask questions. The latter helps you understand their perspective and tweak your marketing approach accordingly.
#6 Whitepapers and eBooks
Once again, your product is not simple. It might simplify operations for your customers, but they’re complex concepts that need some time to grasp. And so, the next type of content you should consider are whitepapers and eBooks.
These are research-heavy materials that dive deep into your product. They break down the complex parts of your product into easily digestible bits. And this not only helps your potential buyers understand your offering but also establishes you as an industry expert. After all, if you can simplify what they can’t understand, you’re already winning!
For instance, Microsoft releases whitepapers from time to time. This content piece help SaaS users deepen their understanding of cloud computing. Further, with guides, analyst publications etc., it becomes a major resource for technical professionals and business leaders.
#7 Infographics
Think of this as a visual whitepaper. You’re presenting all the research in a concise manner. SaaS users might not always have the time or patience to go through your content. So, having a summarised infographic for your content is godsent in such times.
These content types offer a compelling way to deliver industry insights and keep potential buyers hooked for your SaaS product launch.
What makes them particularly standout is how suitable they are for social media. Instead of sitting down with a 20-page case study, your audience can get the major takeaways on the go!
#8 Podcasts
These are relatively new forms of content compared to others on the list. These pre-recorded audio contents are a great way to connect with your audience. Gartner finds that these are key to establishing thought leadership. How you ask? It’s simple.
Podcasts are in-depth conversations covering niche topics. They are rarely generic, thereby carefully nurturing a very specific kind of audience. With your SaaS product launch on the horizon, this is just what you need!
You’re bringing a new product to the market, one that has new features and is better than your competition. By talking about your launch, not only do you generate interest in your product, but you also communicate your own expertise in the space.
You can share your product development journey, how you realised that there was a market for it, how it surpassed its competition, etc. All this will convince the listener of your industry knowledge and attract them towards your SaaS product launch.
You can either start your own podcast or feature on a well-established one. Most experts will recommend the latter for quicker and wider reach. But how do you know which one is for you?
Well, firstly, examine their traffic. Consider partnering with one who has at least 5K followers per episode. This means they have loyal listeners and are established in the field.
Next, research their previous guests. If those include SaaS company founders, it’s a green flag! Because this means they have an audience for it. Go a step further and research their listeners too. If they’re similar to your buyer persona, you’ve hit the jackpot.
#9 Newsletters
Last on our list is the good old newsletter. Keeping your market appraised on your product developments and the launch date is the ideal job of a newsletter. It keeps your market’s interest rooted and also makes them feel valued.
Ryters’s newsletter is an excellent example. After a crisp message to their subscribers, they share their updates and content resources. Looking at their newsletter below, you can see how they’ve introduced their SaaS product launch. Later, they share their blog links for other resource material.
Consider taking this page out of Ryter’s book when designing your newsletter. It keeps things short and to the point while also making a product announcement and sharing valuable content.
Keep your leads engaged whether you’re posting blogs, social media content, sharing company insights or releasing podcasts. This will not only allow you to get more traffic on other platforms but also help you sustain your connection with your SaaS users.
Build Your Audience Before You Need One
Your SaaS product could be the best in the market, affordable, and packed with features. But the loss is ultimately yours if your customers don’t know their way around it. And that’s why content marketing is an essential part of modern marketing strategies.
According to Hubspot, around 82% of marketers are actively using content marketing. This unique marketing approach provides valuable content to potential buyers and meets them where they want to be found.
So, if you have a SaaS product launch coming, it’s time to start building a robust content marketing strategy with these nine gems. Make sure your content is compelling and impactful.
Further, if you want to stand out, consider incorporating humour in your writing. It’s high on engagement and can make a lasting impression on the reader.
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