How do SaaS startups acquire their first customer?
I’m with TFSBS, a SaaS company that has sold its product to 22,000 clients since 2019. Right from the start, my firm has tried various methods to gain customers. Some of them worked very well, others turned out to be unprofitable. With the benefit of hindsight, I can say that following activities should help:
Talk with the local community. You need to inform the world about your existence. Look for some interesting events that are connected with your subject area. Come in contact with other entrepreneurs as there is a chance of cooperation with some them. New companies tend to practice mutual promotion and that’s a profitable deal cause you don’t need to spend additional funds on promotion.
Find your business angels. There are plenty of big fish that keenly invest in young companies, especially in these that have a good product and plan. Additional financial resources will let you hire more content specialists whose work will surely result in better sales.
Write a blog. If you provide valuable articles and detailed reviews people will find you cause they will look for answers provided in your content. Offering precious knowledge will also build your credibility and will prove that you’re a specialist.
Try guest-posting. That’s a common practice in this trade. There are many sites that accept good articles cause for them it’s free content. For you, it’s a great possibility to promote yourself and a chance to generate traffic to your website.
Organise webinars – they will build your credibility and help to build your company’s image.
Buckle down to social media. Ask your social friends to share your posts and like your profile. It costs nothing. What’s more, it would be good to hire a specialist who can take care of your social media presence. Many people underestimate this position thinking that running social media is a piece of cake. Surely, it’s easy for somebody who knows how to conduct successful promotion that results in sales. Therefore, you need a person who can carefully observe the trends, join conversations and prepare suitable materials. It’s not about the length, it’s about the quality and creativity.
Use word-of-mouth. That’s a marketing weapon as people are generally more willing to purchase a product when they hear a recommendation from people they know. You should make sure people talk positively about you.
Cold mailing and cold calling. It didn’t help our company, but there are firms which claim it works.
Offer your product for free. People don’t trust newcomers. But humans like getting things for free, therefore, if you make your offer available for a limited time, you give users a possibility to learn about your product and help yourself to sell.