What’s the secret behind why some software companies make it and others don’t?
There are plenty of startups that have great products, but some fail, ending up in that virtual graveyard and others go on to be the next big hit.
It’s a combination of hiring quality people who believe in the product, investment in customer satisfaction, and a stellar marketing campaign that targets their ideal customer.
While the first two components are important, let’s focus on some marketing ideas for software startups that can send you on the path to success.
1. Invest in Inbound Marketing Collateral
Your online presence through a great website and social media will help drive your inbound marketing efforts.
Rather than paying sales reps to make cold calls and rely on the rare response from a prospect, successful software companies lean on their inbound marketing presence to bring them qualified leads.
It’s a more efficient way of doing business, which is what all startups should do. Lean operations mean leveraging the automation capabilities of an inbound marketing campaign with SEO at the forefront of efforts.
Practicing an inbound marketing strategy with a SaaS SEO agency leading the charge provides value to website visitors and creates a scalable, long-term marketing funnel that generates real revenue.
2. Value-Driven Email Marketing Campaigns
How about an email newsletter? As long as you do it the right way: Don’t Spam, Give Value.
Use your core customers to share the good news about your company. Include social sharing buttons at the bottom of every newsletter so that your readers can share it on whatever social media channel they like and watch your contact database grow.
While you want to share industry news, product updates, and occasional promotions, don’t bombard your leads with this.
If you wanna run email marketing campaigns for leads, use drip sequences that drive the lead to download another content offer or watch a demo video of your software.
3. Keyword-Rich & Page-Supporting Blog Content
Are you writing consistent content internally linked to your core site pages (check out the internal links in this post you’re reading!)? Blogs are a critical method to drive qualified traffic to your site from many sources.
It’s one of the best investments of your time because, with the right promotion on social media and proper page optimization, your blog posts will start ranking for high-value keywords. Remember not to use your blog as a forum for how great your company is, but rather share valuable information that solve problems.
Try doing some interviews with thought leaders in your industry, or feature a tactic you use to grow your own business. If you’re not convinced of the value of having a blog, read our post on why blogging is a best practice for good SEO that will definitely change your mind!
4. PPC & Display Advertising
One of the most simple and cost-effective marketing strategies for new software companies is by buying visits to your site than earning them organically. One of the most popular forms of PPC advertising is bidding for ad placement in search results.
If you’re going to use this strategy, take some time to research the right keywords, choose those words and place them into well-organized campaigns, and then set up PPC landing pages that are optimized for converting those visitors to leads.
5. Invest in Your Thought Leadership
Using your website as an educational tool is a helpful way to drive business because it provides your viewers with valuable information while simultaneously builds your brand authority. You can also link a YouTube channel to your site, or share it in your email newsletter to get even more readers checking out your company. Whatever way you go, keep the information relevant and brief so as not to bore your potential customers.
7. Keep Your Marketing Tactics Humble
Be careful not to over-market yourself – it turns people off and makes you look arrogant. While it’s important to set precedent for thought leadership in the marketplace, if you overdo it people will be turned off to the company.
We recommend having a triple-check of any piece of content to be released by someone on your team who is intimately aware of the voice your content needs.
8. Consistently Publish New Marketing Content
Keeping you and your team on schedule by publishing new content regularly is critical to the marketing success of software startups. Try using a Content Calendar, which is free and easily available with a simple Google search.
You can also invest in software like AirTable, HubSpot, CoSchedule, or Curata. No matter what route you choose, it’s important to stay consistent in publishing new content. Google search algorithms love new content – it keeps people engaged with your site, which they know adds more value.
Any time you can add more value to Google’s perception of your website, the better you’re going to rank.
Software Marketing FAQs
What do you recommend for tracking my marketing?
We highly recommend monitoring all of your website’s marketing tactics via Google Analytics and the implementation of GA goals based around actions that are shown to help drive valuable customer conversions.
How is software marketing different from traditional marketing?
Software marketing is considered to be more difficult than traditional marketing. There is no tangible item the client is purchasing. This makes it even more important to invest in an intelligent branding and marketing strategy that educates your target customers on the benefits of your product.
What is the sales cycle for software?
Software marketing and sales moves quickly. Your target customers are likely looking for a solution to a pressing problem and are ready to buy now.
How important is customer retention?
Customer retention is incredibly important to the health of your software company. Small increases in customer retention can lead to huge increases in overall profitability.
Build Brand Awareness & Search Visibility With SEO
SEO is a critical marketing strategy for software startups, connecting you with people you need your services. Make sure your site is properly optimized and driving crucial organic traffic, use our SEO checklist to better optimize your website. Or, skip to the front of the line and schedule a free SEO consultation.
