SaaS is all about defining and refining experiences. It is by nature, one part the creation of strategic and valuable technology, and another part interaction with users and prospects. That being said, it’s simply a no-brainer for SaaS businesses to not only be in social media channels, but to have an engaging and active presence throughout. And why ever not? Social media is after all where technology and interaction collide.
Sassing it up on social media
In this day and age where generations old and young spend countless of hours fixated on various social media channels, social media has evolved into an integral part of marketing. And while that’s a great opportunity for businesses of all shapes and sizes including those of us in SaaS, therein lies the problem itself—social media users are bombarded with marketing messages and branded content all day long. Sufficed to say, a lackluster effort to engage with your users and prospects on social media simply won’t cut it.
Don’t be forgettable and more importantly, don’t be just another marketing noise your target audience can’t wait to tune out. The messages you put on social media reflect back on your brand.
For new prospects who have no idea who you are, your boring attempt at a post is their first impression. Your posts should showcase your brand’s story, capture its personality, and reflect the strengths, value, as well as uniqueness of your software with creative and poignant posts that offer value. Here are 10 tips to sass up your SaaS campaigns on social media:
Know your buyer personas
This applied for absolutely every other marketing strategy or campaign you want to put into motion. If you want them to be effective, you have to know who your buyer personas are and what their concerns are. Now don’t go off thinking you know who they are without really digging. More often than not, your buyer personas are not exactly who you think they are.
Don’t speak in tongues
When you’re creating these messages, you will not impress anybody with archaic words or jargons to sound smart. Nor will using extremely casual words that don’t exactly reflect your audience’s manner of speaking in your given industry of concern. Sincerity is the name of the game here. Let them know you’re not just one of the many SaaS companies out there, rather, you’re one of them—you understand their concerns as well as their interests, and you speak their language.
Mesmerize
Don’t get stuck with words words words. Take advantage of highly engaging mediums such as images and videos. In fact, recent studies show that colored visuals increase people’s willingness to read a piece of content by 80%. To put the icing on top, attaching a relevant image to your posts secures 94% more views. So don’t just say it, show it & let loose your creative goose.
Interact
Engagement is a two way street so be sure to take advantage of social media as an open line of communication between your brand and your audience. If your software is fairly new in the industry, host “ask us” chats or forums on your social media channels. Encourage engagement and get your information out there in a unique and proactive way.
Take advantage of live
Broadcasting live is a great way to showcase your brand, its services, and your company culture—three things a prospect weighs when deciding whether or not to make that purchase. Give your audience a peek into the super cool tech world via platforms like periscope, Facebook live, etc.
Get creative with your messaging
Remember that at the end of the day, your prospects are human no matter how far up the decision-making chain they may be. On that note, put a little flair of creativity in your posts. Don’t limit your posts to technical facts and information, tap into pop culture and online trends as a way to make your content more relatable and relevant. Doing so will definitely set you apart from your competitors and will make your brand more memorable.
Don’t forget customer service
Social media can be a double-edged sword if you don’t know how to interact with your audience. It can work wonders for you for sure and earn you loyal and raving clients, but it can also backfire and ruin your brand if you’re careless. Remember that when you put your brand on social media, you’re opening a very public line of communication. Realize that certain people will air their frustrations or dissatisfactions with your services out there for everyone to see.
When that happens, don’t go MIA and certainly don’t hide the unsavory posts. The best thing to do is to respond politely and let your audience know you are listening and that they matter. Delegate a team to monitor your social media channels and make sure they are trained well when it comes to responding to both the positive and the negative posts and comments.
Pin some, ‘gram some
Pinterest and Instagram are no longer just for crafts, recipes, and fashion. These platforms offer brands a great opportunity to capture the eye of prospects and let them self-identify through visual queues. Check out Salesforce’s boards to see a great example of how a SaaS company uses the platform to share engaging infographics.
Use infographics
Let’s face it, the audiences of today are easily distracted. And why not? They are after all inundated with tons of content on a day to day basis. Sufficed to say, it’s challenging to put out highly informative content about your industry or your service without losing a few eyes from the first 2 minutes of reading.
That being said, let’s go back to the fact that humans are highly visual creatures. We process images faster, at just 13 milliseconds and we remember them better. Capitalize on this fact by breaking down your content into visual pieces—an infographic! Not only will they consume this information better, but there is also a bigger likelihood of your infographic being shared across all social media platforms.
Don’t hit that delete button! EVER.
Mistakes happen, and they suck. But it’s better to own them and push through than to delete. Your followers have already seen the mistake.
The scoop
So you want your social media channels to actually make an impact for your SaaS company? Get your sass on! The string that connects all these tips together are made up of two intertwined fibers: creativity and interaction. Put your buyer personas front and center, and use your social media platforms as an avenue for showing them that more than just another SaaS company, you’re an industry thought leader they can truly identify with.