{"id":2128,"date":"2023-03-29T05:15:29","date_gmt":"2023-03-29T05:15:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ewebtoolz.com\/blog\/9-saas-marketing-strategies-for-sustainable-growth\/"},"modified":"2023-03-29T05:15:29","modified_gmt":"2023-03-29T05:15:29","slug":"9-saas-marketing-strategies-for-sustainable-growth","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ewebtoolz.com\/blog\/9-saas-marketing-strategies-for-sustainable-growth\/","title":{"rendered":"9 SaaS Marketing Strategies for Sustainable Growth"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div id=\"\">\n<p>Sustainable growth for a SaaS company is about creating long-term value that is a) profitable and b) able to be maintained over time without compromising the brand\u2019s reputation. In other words, by building growth, you\u2019re building a foundation for more growth as you\u00a0go.<\/p>\n<p>We\u2019ll talk about nine marketing strategies that are perfect for achieving and maintaining sustainable growth.<\/p>\n<div class=\"post-nav-link clearfix\" id=\"section1\"><a class=\"subhead-anchor\" data-tip=\"tooltip__copielink\" rel=\"#section1\"><svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewbox=\"0 0 14 14\" style=\"\"><g fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><path d=\"M0 0h14v14H0z\"\/><path d=\"M7.45 9.887l-1.62 1.621c-.92.92-2.418.92-3.338 0a2.364 2.364 0 0 1 0-3.339l1.62-1.62-1.273-1.272-1.62 1.62a4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.885 5.884l1.62-1.62L7.45 9.886zM5.527 5.135L7.17 3.492c.92-.92 2.418-.92 3.339 0 .92.92.92 2.418 0 3.339L8.866 8.473l1.272 1.273 1.644-1.643A4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.897 2.22L4.254 3.863l1.272 1.272zm-.66 3.998a.749.749 0 0 1 0-1.06l2.208-2.206a.749.749 0 1 1 1.06 1.06L5.928 9.133a.75.75 0 0 1-1.061 0z\" style=\"\"\/><\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n<p><h2>1. Build for product-market fit\u00a0<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>Product-market fit (PMF) is when a business has confirmed signals that its product can satisfy an existing demand in a market with high potential.<\/p>\n<p>The usual sign of achieving PMF is when people are willing to buy the product (even if it\u2019s not perfect yet), actively use it, and recommend it to others.<\/p>\n<p>This is a sustainable strategy because it allows you to make sure you\u2019re building something meaningful that will actually get paying users.<\/p>\n<p>PMF automatically makes your messaging more effective. You\u2019re promoting a product people want. And you already know who you\u2019re talking to, so your marketing dollars are better spent.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Conversely, if none of your marketing efforts seem to work, the problem may be the product and not how creative or well funded your campaigns are.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>You can find SaaS companies with product-market fit all around. These will be companies that still offer the same kind of products that made them profitable: Slack, Atlassian, Shopify, etc.\u00a0<\/p>\n<h3>How it\u00a0works<\/h3>\n<p>The general idea is to ship a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) and iterate on it based on real user input until you see that people actively use it and recommend it.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>There are five steps in the process:\u00a0<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><strong>Formulate the value hypothesis<\/strong>: Why is a customer likely to buy your product?\u00a0<\/li>\n<li><strong>Specify the features of your MVP<\/strong>: The right quantity and quality of features needed to verify the value hypothesis.\u00a0<\/li>\n<li><strong>Build your MVP<\/strong>: There are many ways to present your product to your audience; you don\u2019t necessarily need to develop a fully functional product.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Test the MVP with real users<\/strong>: In other words, get feedback.\u00a0<\/li>\n<li><strong>Learn from your users and iterate<\/strong>: Some ideas will need more work, while some are probably destined to fail. Gather your data and make the decision.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>When you achieve PMF, it will be time to scale your company and marketing efforts.\u00a0<\/p>\n<div class=\"post-nav-link clearfix\" id=\"section1\"><a class=\"subhead-anchor\" data-tip=\"tooltip__copielink\" rel=\"#section1\"><svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewbox=\"0 0 14 14\" style=\"\"><g fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><path d=\"M0 0h14v14H0z\"\/><path d=\"M7.45 9.887l-1.62 1.621c-.92.92-2.418.92-3.338 0a2.364 2.364 0 0 1 0-3.339l1.62-1.62-1.273-1.272-1.62 1.62a4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.885 5.884l1.62-1.62L7.45 9.886zM5.527 5.135L7.17 3.492c.92-.92 2.418-.92 3.339 0 .92.92.92 2.418 0 3.339L8.866 8.473l1.272 1.273 1.644-1.643A4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.897 2.22L4.254 3.863l1.272 1.272zm-.66 3.998a.749.749 0 0 1 0-1.06l2.208-2.206a.749.749 0 1 1 1.06 1.06L5.928 9.133a.75.75 0 0 1-1.061 0z\" style=\"\"\/><\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n<p><h2>2. Offer free trials or free\u00a0tools\u00a0<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>This strategy doesn\u2019t need an introduction. We\u2019ve all used product trials and free tools. That said, this strategy can be looked at from different angles. What\u2019s important from a marketing perspective are these three benefits:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><strong>Reduced friction<\/strong> \u2013 This means there are fewer objections to trying your product.\u00a0<\/li>\n<li><strong>Time to <\/strong><strong><em>experience<\/em><\/strong><strong> the value of the product and get hooked<\/strong> \u2013 Reading about a product on a landing page is not the same as experiencing it. Your potential customers will likely expect the possibility to put their hands on the product before they\u00a0buy.\u00a0<\/li>\n<li><strong>Direct marketing channel<\/strong> \u2013 You can ask users to sign up for a newsletter or send them messages concerning the product.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>For instance, HubSpot carves out parts of the platform for free usage (e.g., CRM, CMS). It does this, as it explains, to increase the force of its marketing <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hubspot.com\/flywheel\">flywheel<\/a>. Or in other words, to propel its entire business model.\u00a0<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1086\" height=\"454\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image4-13.png\" alt=\"Article about why HubSpot offers free products\" class=\"wp-image-156091\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image4-13.png 1086w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image4-13-680x284.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image4-13-768x321.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1086px) 100vw, 1086px\"\/><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1086\" height=\"454\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image4-13.png\" alt=\"Article about why HubSpot offers free products\" class=\"lazyload wp-image-156091\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image4-13.png 1086w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image4-13-680x284.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image4-13-768x321.png 768w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1086px) 100vw, 1086px\"\/><\/figure>\n<h3>How it\u00a0works<\/h3>\n<p>Start by weighing the pros and cons of free and freemium products.\u00a0<\/p>\n<table id=\"tablepress-181\" class=\"tablepress tablepress-id-181 tablepress-responsive\">\n<thead>\n<tr class=\"row-1 odd\">\n<th class=\"column-1\">Pros<\/th>\n<th class=\"column-2\">Cons<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody class=\"row-hover\">\n<tr class=\"row-2 even\">\n<td class=\"column-1\">Less friction with getting people to use your product.<\/td>\n<td class=\"column-2\">Harder to manage expectations. People may expect to get more things for\u00a0free.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-3 odd\">\n<td class=\"column-1\">Bigger user\u00a0base.<\/td>\n<td class=\"column-2\">More server load and possibly more queries to support.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-4 even\">\n<td class=\"column-1\">Works well with growth loops (more on that\u00a0later).<\/td>\n<td class=\"column-2\">Offering something for free may reduce its perceived value.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-5 odd\">\n<td class=\"column-1\">Direct marketing channel to signed-up users (content distribution and upselling).<\/td>\n<td class=\"column-2\"\/><\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-6 even\">\n<td class=\"column-1\">More feedback.<\/td>\n<td class=\"column-2\"\/><\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>Getting users in front of free products is only part of the job. The harder part is getting them to upgrade.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>First off, you need to set the right expectations\u2014you won\u2019t convert all of them. For the ones that are \u201cconvertible,\u201d here are some tactics you can\u00a0use:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Never stop improving customer satisfaction. What your product does and how it does it is absolutely fundamental.<\/li>\n<li>Educate users about the product. Use blog posts, videos, or quick in-app tips.\u00a0<\/li>\n<li>Offer limited access to all newly developed features. For instance, you can allow everyone to use each new feature for five days for\u00a0free.\u00a0<\/li>\n<li>Provide excellent customer service.\u00a0<\/li>\n<li>Offer flexible payment options.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>When looking for ideas for free products that will generate traffic, try a keyword research tool like Ahrefs\u2019 <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/keywords-explorer\">Keywords Explorer<\/a>.\u00a0You can:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Enter features of your product.<\/li>\n<li>Go to the <strong>Matching terms<\/strong> report.<\/li>\n<li>Use the <strong>Include<\/strong> filter with keyword modifiers pointing to tools, for example: \u201ctool, check, checker, finder, analyzer, builder, free.\u201d Set to \u201cAny\u00a0word.\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"888\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image11-10.png\" alt=\"Keyword research for free tool ideas\" class=\"wp-image-156092\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image11-10.png 1999w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image11-10-680x302.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image11-10-768x341.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image11-10-1536x682.png 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\"\/><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"888\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image11-10.png\" alt=\"Keyword research for free tool ideas\" class=\"lazyload wp-image-156092\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image11-10.png 1999w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image11-10-680x302.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image11-10-768x341.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image11-10-1536x682.png 1536w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\"\/><\/figure>\n<p>To illustrate, our <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/traffic-checker\">free website traffic checker tool<\/a> generates an estimated 33.4K organic visits each month from ranking for keywords like \u201cwebsite traffic checker\u201d or even \u201cwebsite traffic.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1744\" height=\"536\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image6-17.png\" alt=\"Organic traffic to a free tool\" class=\"wp-image-156094\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image6-17.png 1744w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image6-17-680x209.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image6-17-768x236.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image6-17-1536x472.png 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1744px) 100vw, 1744px\"\/><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1744\" height=\"536\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image6-17.png\" alt=\"Organic traffic to a free tool\" class=\"lazyload wp-image-156094\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image6-17.png 1744w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image6-17-680x209.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image6-17-768x236.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image6-17-1536x472.png 1536w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1744px) 100vw, 1744px\"\/><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"790\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image3-13.jpg\" alt=\"Organic keywords captured by a free tool\" class=\"wp-image-156096\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image3-13.jpg 1999w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image3-13-680x269.jpg 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image3-13-768x304.jpg 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image3-13-1536x607.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\"\/><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"790\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image3-13.jpg\" alt=\"Organic keywords captured by a free tool\" class=\"lazyload wp-image-156096\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image3-13.jpg 1999w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image3-13-680x269.jpg 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image3-13-768x304.jpg 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image3-13-1536x607.jpg 1536w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\"\/><\/figure>\n<div class=\"post-nav-link clearfix\" id=\"section1\"><a class=\"subhead-anchor\" data-tip=\"tooltip__copielink\" rel=\"#section1\"><svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewbox=\"0 0 14 14\" style=\"\"><g fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><path d=\"M0 0h14v14H0z\"\/><path d=\"M7.45 9.887l-1.62 1.621c-.92.92-2.418.92-3.338 0a2.364 2.364 0 0 1 0-3.339l1.62-1.62-1.273-1.272-1.62 1.62a4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.885 5.884l1.62-1.62L7.45 9.886zM5.527 5.135L7.17 3.492c.92-.92 2.418-.92 3.339 0 .92.92.92 2.418 0 3.339L8.866 8.473l1.272 1.273 1.644-1.643A4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.897 2.22L4.254 3.863l1.272 1.272zm-.66 3.998a.749.749 0 0 1 0-1.06l2.208-2.206a.749.749 0 1 1 1.06 1.06L5.928 9.133a.75.75 0 0 1-1.061 0z\" style=\"\"\/><\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n<p><h2>3. Leverage SEO in content marketing<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>Content marketing is the process of creating and distributing content to attract and retain customers.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>If you add search engine optimization to the equation, you get a framework for creating content relevant to your business <em>and<\/em> the reader. You also get a built-in distribution engine that generates almost free traffic.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/seo\">SEO<\/a> is one of the most sustainable marketing strategies because it generates passive traffic that accumulates over time and can generate traffic even years after. To put it differently, SEO results are continuous\u2014and you don\u2019t get that with all marketing strategies.\u00a0<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1600\" height=\"1656\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/saas_marketing_strategies_1-1.png\" alt=\"SEO results are continuous, while PPC results can be turned on and off\" class=\"wp-image-156238\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/saas_marketing_strategies_1-1.png 1600w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/saas_marketing_strategies_1-1-411x425.png 411w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/saas_marketing_strategies_1-1-768x795.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/saas_marketing_strategies_1-1-1484x1536.png 1484w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\"\/><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1600\" height=\"1656\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/saas_marketing_strategies_1-1.png\" alt=\"SEO results are continuous, while PPC results can be turned on and off\" class=\"lazyload wp-image-156238\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/saas_marketing_strategies_1-1.png 1600w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/saas_marketing_strategies_1-1-411x425.png 411w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/saas_marketing_strategies_1-1-768x795.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/saas_marketing_strategies_1-1-1484x1536.png 1484w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\"\/><\/figure>\n<p>Our blog is an example of such a strategy. It brings an estimated 628K organic visits each month, worth around $860K in ad money, through regular publishing of SEO content.\u00a0<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1728\" height=\"558\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image12-9.png\" alt=\"Organic traffic to Ahrefs' blog\" class=\"wp-image-156098\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image12-9.png 1728w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image12-9-680x220.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image12-9-768x248.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image12-9-1536x496.png 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1728px) 100vw, 1728px\"\/><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1728\" height=\"558\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image12-9.png\" alt=\"Organic traffic to Ahrefs' blog\" class=\"lazyload wp-image-156098\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image12-9.png 1728w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image12-9-680x220.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image12-9-768x248.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image12-9-1536x496.png 1536w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1728px) 100vw, 1728px\"\/><\/figure>\n<h3>How it\u00a0works<\/h3>\n<p>SEO is generally worth it if at least one of these is\u00a0true:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>People are searching for what you sell or\u00a0do.<\/li>\n<li>People are searching for solutions to problems your business helps to\u00a0solve.\u00a0<\/li>\n<li>You can give a better solution than the conventional one people are searching for.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>In any case, the core of this strategy is to find relevant keywords with traffic potential. The right keywords can connect you with your target audience and create an opportunity to pitch your product. And if you\u2019re not ranking for these keywords, your competitors will.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The process of finding the right keywords for your website is called<a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/keyword-research\/\"> keyword research<\/a>. Here\u2019s a quick rundown:\u00a0<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Go to <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/keywords-explorer\">Keywords Explorer<\/a><\/li>\n<li>Enter industry-related seed keywords, e.g., \u201cseo, digital marketing, keyword, backlink\u201d<\/li>\n<li>See keyword ideas in the<strong> Matching terms<\/strong> report\u00a0<\/li>\n<li>Use the filters to refine results if needed (e.g., look only for low-competition keywords or keywords with a certain minimum traffic potential)<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"654\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image8-17.jpg\" alt=\"Keyword research, a quick rundown\" class=\"wp-image-156100\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image8-17.jpg 1999w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image8-17-680x222.jpg 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image8-17-768x251.jpg 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image8-17-1536x503.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\"\/><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"654\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image8-17.jpg\" alt=\"Keyword research, a quick rundown\" class=\"lazyload wp-image-156100\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image8-17.jpg 1999w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image8-17-680x222.jpg 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image8-17-768x251.jpg 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image8-17-1536x503.jpg 1536w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\"\/><\/figure>\n<p>Other elements of the SEO process are building a sound technical foundation, creating optimized content, and building links. You can learn how to start with the entire process in our <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/seo\">beginner\u2019s guide to SEO<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n<div class=\"post-nav-link clearfix\" id=\"section1\"><a class=\"subhead-anchor\" data-tip=\"tooltip__copielink\" rel=\"#section1\"><svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewbox=\"0 0 14 14\" style=\"\"><g fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><path d=\"M0 0h14v14H0z\"\/><path d=\"M7.45 9.887l-1.62 1.621c-.92.92-2.418.92-3.338 0a2.364 2.364 0 0 1 0-3.339l1.62-1.62-1.273-1.272-1.62 1.62a4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.885 5.884l1.62-1.62L7.45 9.886zM5.527 5.135L7.17 3.492c.92-.92 2.418-.92 3.339 0 .92.92.92 2.418 0 3.339L8.866 8.473l1.272 1.273 1.644-1.643A4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.897 2.22L4.254 3.863l1.272 1.272zm-.66 3.998a.749.749 0 0 1 0-1.06l2.208-2.206a.749.749 0 1 1 1.06 1.06L5.928 9.133a.75.75 0 0 1-1.061 0z\" style=\"\"\/><\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n<p><h2>4. Build a community around the product\u00a0<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>A user community can help your SaaS product in a number of\u00a0ways:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>It helps to make the product better through feedback.\u00a0<\/li>\n<li>It helps to spread word of mouth about the product even if the community is exclusive.\u00a0<\/li>\n<li>It offers added value to the user\u2014they can learn from others in the community and network.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Building a user community is a sustainable strategy because it leverages existing customers and can help facilitate long-term engagement with the product.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>A famous example of a community with a price tag on it is <a href=\"https:\/\/www.behance.net\/\">Behance<\/a>, acquired by Adobe for $150M. It generates over 10M search visits each month and allows the parent company to bring the design community very close to its product.\u00a0<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1360\" height=\"526\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image5-13.png\" alt=\"Organic traffic to behance.net\" class=\"wp-image-156102\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image5-13.png 1360w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image5-13-680x263.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image5-13-768x297.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1360px) 100vw, 1360px\"\/><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1360\" height=\"526\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image5-13.png\" alt=\"Organic traffic to behance.net\" class=\"lazyload wp-image-156102\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image5-13.png 1360w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image5-13-680x263.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image5-13-768x297.png 768w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1360px) 100vw, 1360px\"\/><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1600\" height=\"444\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image17-11.jpg\" alt=\"Adobe's branding on Behance is unmissable\" class=\"wp-image-156104\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image17-11.jpg 1600w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image17-11-680x189.jpg 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image17-11-768x213.jpg 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image17-11-1536x426.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\"\/><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1600\" height=\"444\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image17-11.jpg\" alt=\"Adobe's branding on Behance is unmissable\" class=\"lazyload wp-image-156104\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image17-11.jpg 1600w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image17-11-680x189.jpg 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image17-11-768x213.jpg 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image17-11-1536x426.jpg 1536w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Adobe\u2019s branding on Behance is unmissable.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h3>How it\u00a0works\u00a0<\/h3>\n<p>In a nutshell: create a place where people can meet online, build a constant presence there, and animate the community (feature launches, discussions, polls, etc.).<\/p>\n<p>For example, at Ahrefs, we offer access to our exclusive community, Ahrefs Insider, with every subscription. All we needed to start it was a regular community feature on Facebook. Now it gathers a total of 17K registered users.\u00a0<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"430\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image15-12.png\" alt=\"Ahrefs Insider pitch\" class=\"wp-image-156106\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image15-12.png 1999w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image15-12-680x146.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image15-12-768x165.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image15-12-1536x330.png 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\"\/><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"430\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image15-12.png\" alt=\"Ahrefs Insider pitch\" class=\"lazyload wp-image-156106\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image15-12.png 1999w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image15-12-680x146.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image15-12-768x165.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image15-12-1536x330.png 1536w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\"\/><\/figure>\n<div class=\"post-nav-link clearfix\" id=\"section1\"><a class=\"subhead-anchor\" data-tip=\"tooltip__copielink\" rel=\"#section1\"><svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewbox=\"0 0 14 14\" style=\"\"><g fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><path d=\"M0 0h14v14H0z\"\/><path d=\"M7.45 9.887l-1.62 1.621c-.92.92-2.418.92-3.338 0a2.364 2.364 0 0 1 0-3.339l1.62-1.62-1.273-1.272-1.62 1.62a4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.885 5.884l1.62-1.62L7.45 9.886zM5.527 5.135L7.17 3.492c.92-.92 2.418-.92 3.339 0 .92.92.92 2.418 0 3.339L8.866 8.473l1.272 1.273 1.644-1.643A4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.897 2.22L4.254 3.863l1.272 1.272zm-.66 3.998a.749.749 0 0 1 0-1.06l2.208-2.206a.749.749 0 1 1 1.06 1.06L5.928 9.133a.75.75 0 0 1-1.061 0z\" style=\"\"\/><\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n<p><h2>5. Go after earned media\u00a0<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>Earned media is publicity gained organically from promotional efforts, like press coverage, social media mentions, and search engine rankings.<\/p>\n<p>Earned media is a sustainable form of marketing for these reasons:\u00a0<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>It\u2019s cheaper in the long run compared to advertising (sometimes even\u00a0free).\u00a0<\/li>\n<li>It\u2019s long lasting.<\/li>\n<li>It earns your brand awareness and credibility.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Here\u2019s an example that checks all three boxes. A while ago, we published a data study showing that <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/search-traffic-study\/\">90.63% of content gets no traffic from Google<\/a>. This article was mentioned by multiple reputable websites, including NY Times, Forbes, and main SEO blogs. All of that coverage gave us free brand exposure and backlinks.\u00a0<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"956\" height=\"604\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image7-16.png\" alt=\"Ahrefs mentions in a Forbes article\" class=\"wp-image-156107\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image7-16.png 956w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image7-16-673x425.png 673w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image7-16-768x485.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 956px) 100vw, 956px\"\/><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"956\" height=\"604\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image7-16.png\" alt=\"Ahrefs mentions in a Forbes article\" class=\"lazyload wp-image-156107\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image7-16.png 956w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image7-16-673x425.png 673w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image7-16-768x485.png 768w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 956px) 100vw, 956px\"\/><\/figure>\n<h3>How it\u00a0works\u00a0<\/h3>\n<p>Earned traffic covers a wide range of marketing tactics, so there\u2019s no silver bullet here. Besides SEO content, which we already touched on, the tactics that are repeatable and will probably have the most impact over time\u00a0are:<\/p>\n<p>When vetting which site to pitch your product, story, or quote to, you can use Ahrefs\u2019 <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/seo-toolbar\">SEO Toolbar<\/a>. For instance, say you\u2019re looking for websites that review SaaS products like yours. Just search for your competitors\u2019 reviews in Google and look at the metrics to see which sites can send you stronger links and considerable traffic.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1436\" height=\"412\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image18-8.png\" alt=\"SEO metrics, via Ahrefs' SEO Toolbar\" class=\"wp-image-156108\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image18-8.png 1436w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image18-8-680x195.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image18-8-768x220.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1436px) 100vw, 1436px\"\/><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1436\" height=\"412\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image18-8.png\" alt=\"SEO metrics, via Ahrefs' SEO Toolbar\" class=\"lazyload wp-image-156108\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image18-8.png 1436w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image18-8-680x195.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image18-8-768x220.png 768w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1436px) 100vw, 1436px\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Sites with low DR are unlikely to boost your SEO. This site has 0 organic traffic, so you probably won\u2019t be getting much referral traffic from\u00a0it.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<div class=\"post-nav-link clearfix\" id=\"section1\"><a class=\"subhead-anchor\" data-tip=\"tooltip__copielink\" rel=\"#section1\"><svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewbox=\"0 0 14 14\" style=\"\"><g fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><path d=\"M0 0h14v14H0z\"\/><path d=\"M7.45 9.887l-1.62 1.621c-.92.92-2.418.92-3.338 0a2.364 2.364 0 0 1 0-3.339l1.62-1.62-1.273-1.272-1.62 1.62a4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.885 5.884l1.62-1.62L7.45 9.886zM5.527 5.135L7.17 3.492c.92-.92 2.418-.92 3.339 0 .92.92.92 2.418 0 3.339L8.866 8.473l1.272 1.273 1.644-1.643A4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.897 2.22L4.254 3.863l1.272 1.272zm-.66 3.998a.749.749 0 0 1 0-1.06l2.208-2.206a.749.749 0 1 1 1.06 1.06L5.928 9.133a.75.75 0 0 1-1.061 0z\" style=\"\"\/><\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n<p><h2>6. Use multi-channel marketing<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>Multi-channel marketing is basically about interacting with your audience using different <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/marketing-channels\/\">marketing channels<\/a>: social media, search, podcasts, email, etc.<\/p>\n<p>Using multi-channel marketing will have the following advantages:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>A broader reach.<\/li>\n<li>Channels can work to support each other. For example, social media can help you to get links to websites and boost your\u00a0SEO.<\/li>\n<li>You create convenience for your audience to interact with the\u00a0brand.\u00a0<\/li>\n<li>There\u2019s less risk, thanks to diversification.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The idea behind this strategy is that your audience is likely scattered across various websites and social media platforms. So even if one marketing channel works exceptionally well, you probably shouldn\u2019t drop all other channels.\u00a0<\/p>\n<h3>How it\u00a0works<\/h3>\n<p>Here are some ideas on how to find the best marketing channels for your business:\u00a0<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>You can see where your competitors promote.\u00a0<\/li>\n<li>Do keyword research to estimate organic traffic for relevant keywords (we discussed it in point #3).<\/li>\n<li>Use audience research tools like <a href=\"https:\/\/sparktoro.com\/\">SparkToro<\/a>. Below, you can see a screenshot showing what kind of data about your audience the tool can provide.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1600\" height=\"759\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image14-6-1.jpg\" alt=\"Sample data from SparkToro\" class=\"wp-image-156110\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image14-6-1.jpg 1600w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image14-6-1-680x323.jpg 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image14-6-1-768x364.jpg 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image14-6-1-1536x729.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\"\/><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1600\" height=\"759\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image14-6-1.jpg\" alt=\"Sample data from SparkToro\" class=\"lazyload wp-image-156110\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image14-6-1.jpg 1600w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image14-6-1-680x323.jpg 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image14-6-1-768x364.jpg 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image14-6-1-1536x729.jpg 1536w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\"\/><\/figure>\n<p>Furthermore, using multiple marketing channels allows you to distribute content more effectively. You\u00a0can:\u00a0<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Repurpose content into other formats and platforms.<\/li>\n<li>Build an audience to distribute content directly (for example, grow your email\u00a0list).<\/li>\n<li>Promote the content via ads or sponsored newsletters.<\/li>\n<li>Syndicate articles to other websites.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Here\u2019s an example. Our thoughts on using ChatGPT for SEO were used in a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=59hsPSrYvmk\">YouTube video<\/a>, on our <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/chatgpt-for-seo\/\">blog<\/a>, and on social media. While there may be some overlap between these audiences, they are definitely not identical. So by using the multi-channel approach, we were able to get more eyes on our content.\u00a0<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1382\" height=\"742\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image10-11.png\" alt=\"Article header from Ahrefs' blog\" class=\"wp-image-156111\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image10-11.png 1382w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image10-11-680x365.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image10-11-768x412.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1382px) 100vw, 1382px\"\/><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1382\" height=\"742\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image10-11.png\" alt=\"Article header from Ahrefs' blog\" class=\"lazyload wp-image-156111\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image10-11.png 1382w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image10-11-680x365.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image10-11-768x412.png 768w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1382px) 100vw, 1382px\"\/><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Here are the nine best use cases of ChatGPT for SEO (and four suboptimal ones):<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Si Quan Ong \u601d\u6743\/\u601d\u6b0a (@siquanong) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/siquanong\/status\/1631116870450573317?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">March 2,\u00a02023<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<div class=\"post-nav-link clearfix\" id=\"section1\"><a class=\"subhead-anchor\" data-tip=\"tooltip__copielink\" rel=\"#section1\"><svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewbox=\"0 0 14 14\" style=\"\"><g fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><path d=\"M0 0h14v14H0z\"\/><path d=\"M7.45 9.887l-1.62 1.621c-.92.92-2.418.92-3.338 0a2.364 2.364 0 0 1 0-3.339l1.62-1.62-1.273-1.272-1.62 1.62a4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.885 5.884l1.62-1.62L7.45 9.886zM5.527 5.135L7.17 3.492c.92-.92 2.418-.92 3.339 0 .92.92.92 2.418 0 3.339L8.866 8.473l1.272 1.273 1.644-1.643A4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.897 2.22L4.254 3.863l1.272 1.272zm-.66 3.998a.749.749 0 0 1 0-1.06l2.208-2.206a.749.749 0 1 1 1.06 1.06L5.928 9.133a.75.75 0 0 1-1.061 0z\" style=\"\"\/><\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n<p><h2>7. Develop a growth loop\u00a0<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>A growth loop is a system where new user input creates an output that drives product demand.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>To illustrate, here\u2019s how Notion used a product feature to activate and retain users (courtesy of <a href=\"https:\/\/foundationinc.co\/lab\/notion-strategy\">Foundation<\/a>).\u00a0<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1125\" height=\"696\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image9-14.png\" alt=\"Notion's growth loop\" class=\"wp-image-156112\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image9-14.png 1125w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image9-14-680x421.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image9-14-768x475.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1125px) 100vw, 1125px\"\/><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1125\" height=\"696\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image9-14.png\" alt=\"Notion's growth loop\" class=\"lazyload wp-image-156112\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image9-14.png 1125w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image9-14-680x421.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image9-14-768x475.png 768w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1125px) 100vw, 1125px\"\/><\/figure>\n<p>Growth loops are a stellar example of a sustainable marketing strategy because the whole model creates a loop. The more you grow, the more users you get, and so the more you\u00a0grow.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Furthermore, this strategy gives your marketing budget more \u201cpower\u201d since each dollar invested in acquiring a user is also invested in the users generated via the\u00a0loop.\u00a0<\/p>\n<h3>How it\u00a0works<\/h3>\n<p>The simplest (but super effective) form of a growth loop is making your product outstanding. When your customers love the product and recommend it to others, you start growing on <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/word-of-mouth-marketing\/\">word of mouth<\/a>\u2014you acquire users you spent nothing to\u00a0get.\u00a0<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1512\" height=\"888\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image2-17.jpg\" alt=\"How word of mouth works\" class=\"wp-image-156113\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image2-17.jpg 1512w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image2-17-680x399.jpg 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image2-17-768x451.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1512px) 100vw, 1512px\"\/><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1512\" height=\"888\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image2-17.jpg\" alt=\"How word of mouth works\" class=\"lazyload wp-image-156113\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image2-17.jpg 1512w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image2-17-680x399.jpg 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image2-17-768x451.jpg 768w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1512px) 100vw, 1512px\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Example: A user subscribing to Ahrefs based on a recommendation from a friend.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>In some types of products, it\u2019s possible to go beyond word of mouth and create a typical growth loop. It all depends on your product and your creativity. Here are a couple of levers you can\u00a0pull:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Make it easier for users to share their work publicly like Adobe with Behance\u00a0<\/li>\n<li>Devise a referral program like Dropbox<\/li>\n<li>Create a marketplace for apps like Atlassian or WordPress\u00a0<\/li>\n<li>Release an API like OpenAI<\/li>\n<li>Encourage user-generated content like\u00a0G2\u00a0<\/li>\n<li>Allow for free product usage after creating a free account like Figma or\u00a0Loom\u00a0<\/li>\n<li>Allow users to invite others to their workspaces like Slack or\u00a0Miro\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div class=\"post-nav-link clearfix\" id=\"section1\"><a class=\"subhead-anchor\" data-tip=\"tooltip__copielink\" rel=\"#section1\"><svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewbox=\"0 0 14 14\" style=\"\"><g fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><path d=\"M0 0h14v14H0z\"\/><path d=\"M7.45 9.887l-1.62 1.621c-.92.92-2.418.92-3.338 0a2.364 2.364 0 0 1 0-3.339l1.62-1.62-1.273-1.272-1.62 1.62a4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.885 5.884l1.62-1.62L7.45 9.886zM5.527 5.135L7.17 3.492c.92-.92 2.418-.92 3.339 0 .92.92.92 2.418 0 3.339L8.866 8.473l1.272 1.273 1.644-1.643A4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.897 2.22L4.254 3.863l1.272 1.272zm-.66 3.998a.749.749 0 0 1 0-1.06l2.208-2.206a.749.749 0 1 1 1.06 1.06L5.928 9.133a.75.75 0 0 1-1.061 0z\" style=\"\"\/><\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n<p><h2>8. Offer more to expand revenue<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>Revenue expansion is the additional revenue you get from your existing customers through upselling, cross-selling, and add-ons.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s a strategy that has proven to work for decades in multiple industries. For instance, this is why when you order a regular pizza, you\u2019re offered to get a bigger one, get a drink with it, or add some extra ingredients.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>And here\u2019s an example from the SaaS world. When subscribing to HubSpot, you\u2019re offered to upgrade by increasing the limit of contacts and also to purchase add-ons.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1198\" height=\"958\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image19-7.png\" alt=\"HubSpot offering upselling and add-ons\" class=\"wp-image-156115\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image19-7.png 1198w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image19-7-531x425.png 531w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image19-7-768x614.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1198px) 100vw, 1198px\"\/><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1198\" height=\"958\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image19-7.png\" alt=\"HubSpot offering upselling and add-ons\" class=\"lazyload wp-image-156115\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image19-7.png 1198w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image19-7-531x425.png 531w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image19-7-768x614.png 768w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1198px) 100vw, 1198px\"\/><\/figure>\n<p>According to a correlation study published by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.profitwell.com\/recur\/all\/how-much-expansion-revenue-to-be-successful\">ProfitWell<\/a>, SaaS subscription-based companies should aim for 20% to 30% expansion revenue in their overall revenue in order to succeed.\u00a0<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"675\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image1-13.jpg\" alt=\"Expansion revenue study from ProfitWell\" class=\"wp-image-156117\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image1-13.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image1-13-680x383.jpg 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image1-13-768x432.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\"\/><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"675\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image1-13.jpg\" alt=\"Expansion revenue study from ProfitWell\" class=\"lazyload wp-image-156117\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image1-13.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image1-13-680x383.jpg 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image1-13-768x432.jpg 768w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\"\/><\/figure>\n<p>You\u2019ve probably heard that it\u2019s better to retain a customer than to get a new one. That old business adage still holds true. According to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.forentrepreneurs.com\/2016-saas-survey-part-1\/\">this 2016 survey<\/a>, SaaS companies spend an average of $1.16 to earn $1 on new annual contract value but only $0.27 on upsells and $0.20 on plan expansions.\u00a0<\/p>\n<h3>How it\u00a0works<\/h3>\n<p>If you offer additional value to your satisfied customers, there\u2019s a good chance those customers will be happy to buy more from you. Here are some ideas for creating value for revenue expansion:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Offer premium features on higher plans<\/li>\n<li>Offer a per-seat model to cater to both small and large companies<\/li>\n<li>Add a custom\/enterprise tier for the most demanding customers<\/li>\n<li>Offer priority support<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>For example, when design tool <a href=\"https:\/\/www.uxpin.com\/\">UXPin<\/a> developed a way to design with production-ready components, it decided to offer that as a premium version of the product with an almost 80% higher price tag than the UXPin Standard version.\u00a0<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"952\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image20-7.png\" alt=\"Achieving expansion revenue by offering a premium product\" class=\"wp-image-156118\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image20-7.png 1999w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image20-7-680x324.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image20-7-768x366.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image20-7-1536x732.png 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\"\/><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"952\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image20-7.png\" alt=\"Achieving expansion revenue by offering a premium product\" class=\"lazyload wp-image-156118\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image20-7.png 1999w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image20-7-680x324.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image20-7-768x366.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image20-7-1536x732.png 1536w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\"\/><\/figure>\n<p>But how to know when and if your customers are willing to expand? Here are some signals:\u00a0<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Customers often reach their usage\u00a0limit.\u00a0<\/li>\n<li>Customers express interest in additional features or higher tiers.<\/li>\n<li>Your competitors offer a successful expansion system.\u00a0<\/li>\n<li>You\u2019ve got an awesome idea for a premium feature.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div class=\"post-nav-link clearfix\" id=\"section1\"><a class=\"subhead-anchor\" data-tip=\"tooltip__copielink\" rel=\"#section1\"><svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewbox=\"0 0 14 14\" style=\"\"><g fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><path d=\"M0 0h14v14H0z\"\/><path d=\"M7.45 9.887l-1.62 1.621c-.92.92-2.418.92-3.338 0a2.364 2.364 0 0 1 0-3.339l1.62-1.62-1.273-1.272-1.62 1.62a4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.885 5.884l1.62-1.62L7.45 9.886zM5.527 5.135L7.17 3.492c.92-.92 2.418-.92 3.339 0 .92.92.92 2.418 0 3.339L8.866 8.473l1.272 1.273 1.644-1.643A4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.897 2.22L4.254 3.863l1.272 1.272zm-.66 3.998a.749.749 0 0 1 0-1.06l2.208-2.206a.749.749 0 1 1 1.06 1.06L5.928 9.133a.75.75 0 0 1-1.061 0z\" style=\"\"\/><\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n<p><h2>9. Do growth marketing (not growth hacking)<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>Growth marketing is the process of increasing a company\u2019s revenue by applying an experiment-driven and integrated approach to all stages of attracting customers.<\/p>\n<p>To understand this type of marketing better, let\u2019s compare it to traditional marketing and <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/growth-hacking\/\">growth hacking<\/a> (the close variant I don\u2019t recommend).\u00a0<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1600\" height=\"1988\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/saas_marketing_strategies_2-1.png\" alt=\"A chart of the differences between traditional marketing, growth marketing, and growth hacking\" class=\"wp-image-156239\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/saas_marketing_strategies_2-1.png 1600w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/saas_marketing_strategies_2-1-342x425.png 342w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/saas_marketing_strategies_2-1-768x954.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/saas_marketing_strategies_2-1-1236x1536.png 1236w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\"\/><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1600\" height=\"1988\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/saas_marketing_strategies_2-1.png\" alt=\"A chart of the differences between traditional marketing, growth marketing, and growth hacking\" class=\"lazyload wp-image-156239\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/saas_marketing_strategies_2-1.png 1600w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/saas_marketing_strategies_2-1-342x425.png 342w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/saas_marketing_strategies_2-1-768x954.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/saas_marketing_strategies_2-1-1236x1536.png 1236w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\"\/><\/figure>\n<p>While the obvious solution for more sales is getting more visitors, this is not always the best one. If the product lacks competitive features and if there are obstacles on the path to purchase, money spent on getting more people through the door will always lead to low conversion and high churn. This is where growth marketing comes\u00a0in.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>A great example of growth-oriented thinking is LinkedIn\u2019s Reconnect Flow. It\u2019s a nickname for the early onboarding process where new users were asked questions about their personal experiences and offered connections to existing LinkedIn users based on that. This simple tactic engaged both new and old\u00a0users.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Another interesting growth tactic LinkedIn used in the early days was encouraging users to import their email contacts (not a common thing back then). It was enough for 7% of new users to import their contacts to increase the overall number of invitations to\u00a030%.<\/p>\n<h3>How it\u00a0works<\/h3>\n<p>The idea behind growth marketing is based on the scientific method: propose hypotheses and validate them through experimentation. In marketing, it\u2019s known as the growth hacking cycle.\u00a0<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1600\" height=\"1622\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/saas_marketing_strategies_3-1.png\" alt=\"A chart of the growth hacking cycle\" class=\"wp-image-156240\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/saas_marketing_strategies_3-1.png 1600w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/saas_marketing_strategies_3-1-419x425.png 419w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/saas_marketing_strategies_3-1-768x779.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/saas_marketing_strategies_3-1-1515x1536.png 1515w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\"\/><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1600\" height=\"1622\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/saas_marketing_strategies_3-1.png\" alt=\"A chart of the growth hacking cycle\" class=\"lazyload wp-image-156240\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/saas_marketing_strategies_3-1.png 1600w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/saas_marketing_strategies_3-1-419x425.png 419w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/saas_marketing_strategies_3-1-768x779.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/saas_marketing_strategies_3-1-1515x1536.png 1515w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\"\/><\/figure>\n<p>The whole cycle starts by gathering data on the <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/buyers-journey\/\">buyer\u2019s journey<\/a>. Next is generating ideas on how to improve and then testing those ideas (for example through A\/B testing).\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>It may seem like an obvious way to do marketing. But it\u2019s not always that easy: Some tests may be hard to perform, and discipline is required. Also, it\u2019s always faster (but not better) to go with your\u00a0gut.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>An important part of the growth mindset is the ability to analytically break down big problems into smaller pieces. This approach allows for setting more achievable goals.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>For instance, a goal to increase sales is too vague because sales rely on many factors and not all of them are controllable. Instead, growth marketers may want to discover what \u201cmoves the needle.\u201d Depending on the product, this may be encouraging the user to perform specific actions in the product or gearing pricing and communication toward a new audience.\u00a0<\/p>\n<h2>Final thoughts\u00a0<\/h2>\n<p>Sustainable growth doesn\u2019t rely only on the strategies or tactics you choose. You need to give them time to work out the returns. You also need to experiment with them to see what works best for\u00a0you.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>There\u2019s a <a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/aNdgSxLVarc\">great talk by Rand Fishkin<\/a> on the concept of the flywheel in marketing; how the first push is the hardest, but it builds momentum that makes things easier in the long run. Sustainable growth strategies are just like that. As you build more value into your product and your brand, you gain momentum that acts as a multiplier for every new thing you\u00a0do.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Got questions or comments? Ping me <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/m_makosiewicz\">on Twitter<\/a> or <a href=\"http:\/\/mako@seocommunity.social\/\">Mastodon<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><script async src=\"\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><br \/>\n<br \/><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/saas-marketing-strategies\/\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Sustainable growth for a SaaS company is about creating long-term value that is a) profitable and b) able to be maintained over time without compromising the brand\u2019s reputation. In other words, by building growth, you\u2019re building a foundation for more growth as you\u00a0go. We\u2019ll talk about nine marketing strategies that are perfect for achieving and [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2129,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[22],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2128","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-seo"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ewebtoolz.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2128","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ewebtoolz.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ewebtoolz.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ewebtoolz.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ewebtoolz.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2128"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/ewebtoolz.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2128\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ewebtoolz.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2129"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ewebtoolz.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2128"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ewebtoolz.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2128"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ewebtoolz.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2128"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}