Are you having a hard time getting your first users for your micro-SaaS software?
You aren’t alone.
Many startups go through the same problem of not gaining enough traction online.
As a matter of fact, about 90% of startups fail, a percentage that is similar across all industries.
But here’s the thing.
If you can learn and apply the best digital marketing efforts, you can be included in the 10% that stays in the game.
In this article, I’ll share effective ways on how to market software and some tools you can use.
Ready to learn the best methods?
Let’s get started!
How to Market Software for Micro-SaaS Founders
1. Create a website
Your website is the face of your micro-SaaS business online.
It’s where potential new customers can learn about your software products.
Additionally, it lets you gain their trust by showing evidence of your software’s effectiveness.
Here are some ways you can maximize your website.
a. Design a conversion-focused landing page
To create a compelling landing page, you must know your audience’s pain points and how to provide the solution.
This information will help you tailor the perfect message that will stir their emotions.
Here are some important things to include:
Headline
It should be powerful enough to grab your audience’s attention.
Benefits
In your website copy, showing how your software product can solve your prospect’s problems will illustrate why they should give your micro-SaaS the time of day.
Call-to-action (CTA)
Having a CTA that stands out on the page will guide your visitors toward your desired action.
Social proof
Including testimonials and case studies will give your potential users some sense of validation that your product has something valuable to offer them.
Design
Using a clean and appealing design can help improve user experience (UX), which is another factor that determines your micro-SaaS marketing’s success.
Search Engine Optimization
By optimizing your landing page using SEO tactics, you can make your micro-SaaS visible to potential customers who use search engines like Google.
Following these tips can create a landing page that markets your software by itself and help you attract your ideal customers.
b. Create engaging opt-in forms
Opt-in forms are the best way to get your visitors’ information, like their name and email address.
With the right strategy, you can encourage 2% to 6% of them to sign up.
You can then continue providing valuable content outside your website.
This is an effective method for building an engaging relationship with your potential customers.
The following are some ways to get the most subscriptions in marketing your micro-software products:
- Add a welcome gate. It’s a full-page opt-in form that’s visible to your first-time visitors.
- Include an email sign-up form inside your blog posts so that it’s accessible to your readers.
- Highlight the benefits of subscribing, but be sure to keep your forms short and to the point.
- Run A/B testing of two different versions of your opt-in form to see which one performs better.
- Add an exit-intent pop-up form so you won’t miss visitors who’re about to leave your website.
c. Optimize using the best SEO and content marketing practices
Before planning your content marketing strategy, you must familiarize yourself with SEO.
Doing so can help you build a solid foundation to make your site rank higher and faster on organic search.
An SEO step to take note of includes keyword research, a process that helps you find the right key phrases to include in your content.
In return, you’ll be able to optimize your articles and make them visible to the right people.
There are many great tools you can explore for researching keywords.
But, I suggest using Google Keyword Planner or GrowthBar’s Keyword Research Tool.
Also, remember to check the following when picking your keywords:
- search intent;
- monthly search volume;
- keyword difficulty;
- related terms;
- search trends; and
- your target audience’s location.
Next, use the research keywords to plan your monthly content calendar.
Having one allows you to publish consistent content and ensures that your ideas align with your goals in promoting your product.
For starters, you don’t have to spend money on expensive software just to plot your content.
Using free tools like Google Sheets or CoSchedule’s Marketing Calendar won’t hurt.
Additionally, make sure to always include a link to your landing page as a CTA.
Here are other content marketing practices you should apply:
Use different types of content
Add videos and infographics to your blog posts or provide ebooks or templates in your emails.
Focus on quality over quantity
Publishing consistent content is a must. But, it’s more important to provide valuable, well-researched, and informative content.
Measure your content marketing efforts
Track your website traffic, engagement, and conversion rates to see what’s working.
2. Reach out to highly qualified leads
Highly qualified leads are those who have already shown a strong interest in your software products.
That means they are more likely to proceed to the bottom of your sales funnel.
You can identify a qualified lead based on their engagement, authority, and awareness level.
But how can you connect to qualified leads?
Let’s talk about some effective ways below:
a. Identify where your best users congregate
Find the top platforms where your target audience spends most of their time on.
It can be in forums, social media, or online communities.
Let’s say you’re offering project management software for small businesses.
You can look at online forums where small business owners discuss their challenges.
Here’s a good example from Reddit.
In the photo above, someone posted a question in the r/smallbusiness sub asking about management tools.
While you can’t promote your product directly with Reddit, you can offer valuable insights into project management tools and mention your software as an option.
LinkedIn is also another place to find potential customers.
In fact, around 89% of B2B sellers use this platform for lead generation, with 62% of them succeeding in obtaining leads.
Be sure to do your research and explore different places since they can vary depending on your prospect’s behavior and preference.
b. Show the value of your product
The other effective method is to showcase how powerful your software is.
There are many ways to do this. However, one great method is through videos.
Video testimonials, for example, are a great medium for promotions.
With them, your existing users can clearly explain your product and how it can solve prospective clients’ problems.
Additionally, they are more compelling and memorable than written content.
This makes videos a powerful way to connect emotionally with your audience.
But this isn’t just my opinion.
A recent study showed that 91% of people prefer video content.
Additionally, 86% of marketing experts include videos in their content marketing strategy.
So if you want to maximize your video marketing, you can create instructional videos and demo webinars for greater lead generation success.
c. Record instructional videos
Instructional videos are types of content where you provide step-by-step guidance.
It can be a long, full tutorial of your product or short videos covering specific features or functions.
To create instructional videos, you must first need to identify your goal.
After that, outline the steps and key points you want to cover.
You can also start creating scripts, notes, and materials for a smooth discussion.
Just remember to use easy-to-understand words and add visual cues like arrows, texts, or symbols to guide your viewers.
Once you’re done with that, you can then do a screen recording.
There are many available tools, but Loom is a great software to start with.
Afterward, edit your video to cut unnecessary parts, add subtitles, and make any adjustments.
Finally, upload and share it to the platform of your choice.
It can be on your website, social platforms, or Youtube channel, as long as it’s where your highly qualified leads are more likely to stay.
d. Run demo webinars
Unlike instructional videos, demo webinars are scheduled and need participants to register beforehand.
A sales team usually handles them, but you can also ask your project managers to conduct this webinar.
Demo webinars are a great way to market your software products since they’re more interactive, more engaging, and can convert highly qualified leads.
This is because they provide a more personalized experience, with attendees being able to ask questions and get real-time answers.
Moreover, since demo webinars are free, users won’t hesitate to register.
To promote your upcoming live webinar and get more qualified leads, here’s what you can do.
Collaborate with influential brands
Use influencer marketing to get more registrants.
For example, you can ask bloggers and experts in your niche to mention your webinar so you can reach a wider audience.
Email marketing
Schedule emails to your subscribers and encourage them to sign up for your demo webinar.
Social media marketing
You can also promote your webinar on Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook platforms.
Blog posts
Write articles relevant to your demo webinar and highlight the benefits of attending.
Include software marketing promotions on your website’s landing pages.
3. Offer your software for free or freemium
This may be the last method on our list, but it’s one of the most effective strategies among software companies.
While offering your micro-SaaS software for free may seem counterintuitive, it actually isn’t.
On the contrary, it’s an effective way to increase your user base and generate more revenue in the long run.
But which one should you provide? A free trial of a freemium version?
Well, each option has its pros and cons.
For instance, free trials can help you build trust with your potential users since it allows them to test your product before buying it.
Moreover, a 2022 survey also showed that free trials are more powerful than a freemium plan, boasting a 17% conversion rate as compared to 5% of the latter.
However, free trials get fewer sign-ups and aren’t for a software product with a steep learning curve.
It may also be difficult to balance the features to include in your free version.
In contrast, freemium attracts more sign-ups.
It also boosts customer loyalty as users are more likely to stay with a product they already use.
a. Run giveaways
A social media giveaway can increase brand awareness, drive traffic, and generate leads.
It also lets you create a buzz around your product and encourage engagement.
For instance, in exchange for a free trial, you can ask participants to follow your account, tag their friends, and even share your post.
But as much as we love giveaways, there are also some cons you need to consider.
First, ensuring that only qualified prospects will enter the giveaway will be challenging. Many people love joining events just because they can get something for free.
Aside from that, the winner may not be a paying customer.
Nonetheless, it can still be valuable to your software marketing strategy.
b. Request user feedback
If you plan to provide a free trial or freemium version, you shouldn’t waste the chance of getting feedback.
Doing this helps you find out what your target audience likes and how you can improve your product.
There are several ways you can collect user feedback, such as:
- Surveys
- Customer satisfaction (CSAT) scores
- User experience (UX) feedback
- Net Promoter Scores (NPS)
You can send the surveys via email or post them on your website or hop on a call or respond to live chats to collect CSAT and NPS scores.
For the UX feedback, you can do polls or analyze your own through A/B testing and bounce rate results.
Final Thoughts on How to Market Software for Micro-SaaS Founders
There are many ways on how to market micro-software business, but the tips above are some of what you shouldn’t miss.
If you still need help with your SaaS business, feel free to connect with us.
Our team here at Symalite Labs can help you with software marketing and product development.
In fact, Group Leads and Chatsilo are some of the products we’ve helped become profitable.