What should you be looking for in a marketing agency for a micro-SaaS company?
If you’re a micro-SaaS founder, a SaaS marketing agency can be a helpful partner for growing your business.
However, not all B2B SaaS marketing agencies are the same.
In this post, we’ll show you what factors you have to consider when looking for a SaaS marketing agency to work with.
1. Ability to Meet Your Specific Needs
Does the SaaS marketing agency have the necessary experience and resources to deliver on its promise?
That’s one of the first things you should look into when reviewing potential marketing partners to work with for your micro-SaaS.
Some companies offer digital marketing packages that aren’t tailor-made for their clients, so their template solutions may not take into account your niche and audience.
Instead of working with them, look for an agency that can customize marketing campaigns to deliver exactly what you need.
For example, you might want to focus on social media marketing first to work on your inbound marketing before dabbing into pay-per-click (PPC) campaigns.
A great micro-SaaS marketing agency will be able to tell you which strategy you should focus on for your micro-SaaS business and explain why that is the case.
Some marketing agencies also provide free assessments, so you can use that to gauge their expertise.
Don’t be afraid to ask for a timetable to assess how long it will take before the agency can deliver results.
This way, you can rest assured that they are truly committed to helping you reach your goals.
On the other hand, if they give you a vague answer or skirt around the question, consider that a red flag.
2. Customer Reviews and Testimonials
While the internet has, indeed, made some things easier, one of its downsides is that checking someone’s legitimate qualifications can also be a tall order.
This rings true for aspiring micro-SaaS company founders since they don’t know what to look for in a growth marketing agency just yet.
But one way to verify an agency’s credentials is through its social proof.
The term refers to user-generated content that gives people an idea of whether a company is real or not. It also proves that the company is doing right by its clients.
Testimonials and customer reviews are classic examples of social proof.
B2B SaaS marketing agencies worth their salt will proudly feature reviews and testimonials from satisfied customers somewhere on their sites.
Not only can you use social proof to see how good the marketing agency is, but it also shows you who its clients are.
For example:
Look at one of the clients and see if it mentions what services the agency provided.
If the marketing efforts include content marketing, go to the client’s website and see what their posts and videos look like.
While this method isn’t perfect, it’s a quick way of knowing what to expect from SaaS marketing agencies.
You do have to look out for fake testimonials and reviews, though.
The good news is that if these agencies use Vidscout for their video testimonial software, you can easily verify their clients’ testimonials.
3. Case Studies
Agencies will sometimes publish their SaaS marketing strategies as case studies.
Not only that, many of them also use real-world examples featuring the clients they’ve worked with.
You’ll usually find these case studies on a separate page on an agency’s website, but you may also find them in the blog section.
If you’re curious what a case study looks like, its format will vary from agency to agency.
However, most of them will include a summary of the situation, including the problem they were trying to solve for their clients.
Case studies also usually feature the strategies the agency used, the actions they took, their marketing campaign results, and how long it took them to get there.
While some agencies mention their clients by name, others like to keep their clients anonymous, so it might be harder for you to verify results.
In that case, read as many of their case studies as possible to understand an agency’s core competencies.
If inbound marketing is your weak point, then an agency with case studies mentioning their inbound marketing strategies and results will be a boon to work with.
Remember to leave some room for healthy skepticism, though.
Case studies are an excellent resource for hiring digital marketing agencies, but they aren’t necessarily an assurance that you’ll get the exact same results.
4. Operational and Cultural Fit
It’s not enough that you work with a well-regarded marketing agency these days.
Micro-SaaS companies, in particular, can only do so much in a day since they only have a handful of employees. Some even run one-man operations.
That’s why it’s important to only work with an agency that understands your situation.
Be sure to research agencies that primarily deal with micro-SaaS companies—they‘re more likely to tailor their strategies to fit businesses with limited employees and resources.
In addition, since they work with smaller and younger companies, they already know how to deal with youthful passion and energy.
Other operational concerns you’ll want to take into consideration include the time difference.
This shouldn’t be a concern if you’re using a local agency.
But, if there’s a significant time difference between you and your marketing partner, it might lead to communication issues.
In such a case, tools like Orrderly may help you and your marketing agency manage your micro-SaaS marketing operations much better.
5. Reporting
When you talk to a micro-SaaS marketing agency, ask them how they’re going to report their progress.
How many reports you get is totally up to you.
Some people don’t mind receiving reports once a month, especially during the earlier stages of a marketing campaign.
But there are also founders who need to see daily and weekly reports, so make sure the agency you choose can live up to your standards.
It’s not just about the frequency of reporting, though.
Your main concern should be the content of each report.
A good micro-SaaS marketing agency will go out of its way to ensure you understand every bit of data they pass on.
And if something needs explaining, they’re open to scheduling a call to break down all the details.
Their data analysis should be on point, too, with their reports outlining what will happen in the following days and weeks.
Moreover, they need to loop you in whenever the marketing agency decides to make drastic pivots.
For example, they should let you know if there are going to be last-minute changes to the inbound marketing strategies or if they plan to introduce conversion ideas.
6. Pricing
Pricing is a huge factor to consider for any type of business, but especially for micro-SaaS companies.
Agencies that work with micro-SaaS entrepreneurs know this. That’s why, whether you’re dealing with a content marketing agency or an inbound marketing agency, you’re bound to get better pricing plans.
Go over the micro-SaaS marketing services that an agency offers. Then, see if they can assist you with improvements like marketing automation and lead generation.
You’ll want to ensure that you’re not paying for services you may not need at this time.
For example, you don’t want to spend on traditional marketing if all you want is help with digital marketing.
And if you think that all you need is help with growth hacking or performance marketing, paying for online marketing campaigns might be too much.
Consider hiring a growth marketing consulting agency instead to save some money.
Regardless of which one you choose, always remember: your monthly recurring revenue should always be more than your marketing spend.
7. Customer Support
Let’s say something goes wrong with your marketing strategies or marketing campaigns.
How quickly can you contact someone from your B2B SaaS marketing agency?
Here’s the thing:
Micro-SaaS-specific marketing services should always include customer support.
Most agencies will even assign a contact person for every client.
These contact persons will know everything about your marketing challenges and progress and communicate whether or not you’re hitting your metrics and why.
When you negotiate with a marketing agency, make sure they’ll have a contact person working closely with you.
Final Thoughts on Working With a Marketing Agency for Micro-SaaS
Finding a marketing agency for micro-SaaS companies isn’t that hard if you know what to look for.
Most of it boils down to research.
Look at an agency’s social proof and case studies. Give them a call and don’t be afraid to ask questions.
They’ll be more than happy to entertain your questions.
Don’t commit right away, though. Shop around to see if there are better options elsewhere.
If you want to try finding your first users by yourself, check our guide on how to market for micro-SaaS founders.
On the other hand, if you’re ready to invest in a marketing agency for your business, feel free to contact us!