The Insider Guide for Choosing a SaaS Advertising Agency

You may be wondering if you really require a SaaS marketing agency if you are a growing SaaS business. It's clear that you have made great strides without the help of an expert. However, it is more cost-effective and efficient to keep your marketing efforts in-house.

Not necessarily. A marketing specialist can help your business achieve a higher ROI, even if it's already thriving. You may be too busy to learn the art of digital marketing if you are trying to grow a startup, or managing a large client list.

It's possible that your competitors have an existing marketing and lead generation strategy. After all your hard work, you don't want to lose an opportunity to beat the competition.

A SaaS marketing agency gives you the flexibility to grow your business while still keeping your core business priorities in mind. The best part? SaaS marketing agencies are typically less expensive than traditional in-house marketing. This won't eat into your marketing budget.

Are you ready to improve your marketing strategy? This article will help you choose the right SaaS marketing agency for your company based on your specific needs.

Quick Takeaways

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  Feeling overwhelmed with marketing tasks, uncertain about your marketing ROI, declining traffic and leads, are all signs that you should consider a SaaS agency
  
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  Common services offered by SaaS marketing agencies include content marketing, SEO and PPC.
  
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  The first step in your agency search is to define your company's needs.
  
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  Check that your SaaS marketing agency works with your company's culture and processes
  
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  The best agency services are expensive, so if an agency seems cheap it is likely to be a red flag
  

SaaS marketing agencies can increase brand awareness, visibility and organic traffic, which will help your business succeed.

Do I need a SaaS Marketing Agency to help me?

Take a moment to ask yourself if this is what you want:

• Brand Awareness
• Audience education
• Credibility and trust
• Customer loyalty
• Sales
• Email lists

Image Source: Viisme

You do. A SaaS marketing agency will implement a strategy that aims to achieve the above quality.

How do you know if you really require an agency to help you? There are several signs that will tell you it's likely time.

1. You Feel Overwhelmed

If you feel overwhelmed, it is a sign that outsourcing might be the right choice. You may need agency support if marketing is not your forte or you have too many responsibilities.

SaaS marketing agencies have the resources and knowledge to quickly get you started, keep you on track and scale up and down as necessary.

2. There is no plan.

Are you letting your marketing strategies fly by the nose? You're likely missing huge growth opportunities. Consistency is the hallmark of a successful digital marketing strategy. You should hire an agency to help you create a plan that you stick with.

3. Your Current Strategy Isn't Working

If you don't see results from your plan, outsourcing may be the right option. SaaS marketing agencies can help you audit your strategy and recommend new strategies that will increase its effectiveness.

4. You Aren't Sure If Your Strategy Is Working

Poor results can be just as damaging as no results. Do not just throw spaghetti at it and hope it sticks. An agency might be the solution if you feel like you aren't doing enough and don't know how your efforts are paying off.

Marketing agencies are best known for reporting on their performance. You can rest assured that any SaaS agency you hire will report regularly on its performance.

5. Your Metrics are Declining

SOS! If you are losing, it is time to consider hiring a SaaS-based marketing agency.

• Traffic
• Keyword rankings
• Leads
• Conversions

There is no time to waste in this instance. An agency of quality will help you quickly assess the situation, stop the bleeding and then create a strategy to address the challenges and turn the tide.

What services do SaaS Marketing Agencies offer?

It is important to understand the services that SaaS marketing agencies offer in order to fully appreciate the benefits of hiring them and ultimately choose the best one for you. Let's take a look at each one.

Content Marketing

Content marketing is without doubt the most important and effective part of any digital marketing strategy. According to research, content marketing generates 3x more leads than other methods and costs 62% less.

Image Source: Viisme

SaaS companies that operate almost entirely online need to connect with customers through content marketing. A blog with regularly updated posts is the heart of great content marketing. How often should you blog, then? It is best to blog between 11-16 times per year. Companies publishing at this rate get 3x as much traffic than those who don't.

SaaS content marketing agencies can create, deliver, and publish content for you. They are also capable of creating other types content, such as:

• Videos
• Ebooks
• Infographics
• Whitepapers,
• Case studies
• Reports
• Newsletters

It is obvious that creating content takes time. Handing it off to an agency alone can allow you to focus on your strategic business priorities.

SEO

Search engines are essential for optimizing content for impact. Search engines account for 93% of all online interactions. Search engine results pages are a great way to make sure your brand is visible to potential customers.

A SaaS marketing agency is able to provide SEO expertise, which is one of the most valuable and common services. You can be certain that the content you publish will be optimised. An agency will also help you to build a website optimized for SEO and integrate important SEO steps (such as keyword research) into your overall strategy.

PPC

Organic traffic is the best, and we are hearing a lot today about why brands should concentrate on organic. Sometimes, however, your brand may need a boost and pay-per click (PPC), advertising can help. Pay-per-click advertising is simply running ads across multiple platforms and only paying for clicks.

PPC is often associated with Google. However, you can also use paid ads on social media platforms that fall under the PPC umbrella. PPC ads are particularly effective in a few areas, such as remarketing to visitors who have visited your site, expanding into new markets or testing different messaging. It can also help you in your content marketing efforts to increase brand awareness and visibility for startup SaaS companies.

PPC campaigns are complex.

• Ad design
• Copy
• Keywords
• Targeting
• UX optimization
• Metrics reporting

This process can be handled by a SaaS marketing agency.

Inbound Marketing

All of these tactics are part of inbound marketing. SaaS marketing agencies can help you to implement a holistic approach to inbound traffic.

What are your strategies working together to increase engagement? What are some other lead generation strategies you can use? What are the best ways to target your efforts and make sure they align with your buyer journey? These are crucial questions for effective B2B marketing strategies. An agency can answer them with proven reporting and results.

Branding

Many SaaS companies don't do thorough branding. It is assumed that a great product/service will sell itself. While this may be true in some cases, it is not the case for all SaaS companies selling these products or services. Your brand is what you present to your customers. It's what differentiates you from other companies and makes you stand out in the eyes of your potential customers.

Your brand should be consistent across all your marketing channels. This includes your website, content, and emails. It should have a consistent brand that authentically reflects who you are. These channels are a great way to connect with your audience, and make you stand out in crowded markets.

It is a difficult task that requires a lot of creativity and experience. SaaS marketing agencies can help you get to know your company, and create a brand that shines. Watch the video to learn more about the importance and benefits of great branding.

Video Source: Big Think

How to Choose the Right SaaS Marketing Agency

The key to success is choosing a SaaS marketing agency that meets your company's needs. Consider these things when weighing your options.

1. Be aware of your own needs

You must first identify your needs in order to choose the right agency. You may not need all services. However, you should know your most pressing needs. You might have a brand but need help creating and publishing consistent content. Or, perhaps you don't have the time or resources to create content and you lack a personality to support it.

Second, set goals. This is something you'll do with your agency after you have chosen one. But before you start looking for one, it's important to know what you want. To set clear goals and keep you accountable, I recommend the SMART framework.

Image Source: CMC

When you know what your goals and needs are, you will be better equipped to find an agency that offers the services you require.

2. Know your budget

It's obvious that hiring a SaaS-based marketing agency will cost money. It is money well invested to achieve the ROI you desire in your marketing efforts.

Before you get mad at the expense, remember that outsourcing is usually cheaper than hiring full-time employees, which will require paying for.

• Salaries
• Benefits
• Office space
• Management

You'll also have less flexibility to scale up or down as necessary. Do your research on potential costs. You need to know what your budget is before you can decide how much you are willing to spend. This will ensure that you don't waste time and money on potential agencies.

3. Ask for Referrals

Referrals are a common way for 84% of B2B buyers to find new solutions. Referrals work! Referrals work because your peers know you and can recommend agencies that are a good fit. Referring can increase your confidence in the quality of the agency and their follow-through. A bad experience is not something that anyone would recommend.

Image Source: Nutshell

Instead of starting from scratch, ask for recommendations. If you don't know anyone, you can ask online referral networks like LinkedIn groups and industry discussion boards. Avoid "Top 10" and "Best X Agency" lists on Google. These lists often have hidden motivations, such as agencies that pay to be included.

4. Evaluate Your Compatibility

Before you meet with potential SaaS marketing agencies you need to assess your compatibility. This should be done from multiple perspectives. Is there cultural compatibility? Are their core values and goals in line with yours? Will your processes be compatible? Are their programs compatible with yours? How do they communicate, report, and operate the services they provide?

Good working relationships are built on mutual compatibility. Before you sign a contract with a new agency, it is important to evaluate your compatibility.

5. Check out their track record

An experienced SaaS marketing agency won't hesitate to show past results. They will be more than happy to share client references and case studies with you, as well as show the metrics that back up their claims about what they can do. Do not be afraid to ask for these resources. You can also do your own research by visiting company websites. Most will have testimonials and case studies posted on their sites.

6. Ask how they report results

Data-driven marketing leads to greater accountability and a better marketing ROI. Regular reporting, as we have already mentioned, is as important for your agency and their clients as it is for yourself. It is the main way they show their effectiveness. Not every agency reports on the exact same metrics, or does it in a similar way. Your goals and preferences should be reflected in the frequency, mode, as well as the metrics that your agency reports on.

7. Do Not Buy A Bargain

This will be short and sweet. If an agency promises you the world for less than anyone else, don't hesitate to run. This is a red flag. It takes a lot of time and experience to produce high quality content. Both of these things are expensive. You get what you pay when you hire a SaaS marketing agency.

8. Follow your gut

After you have done your research thoroughly and vetted all options, it is time to trust your gut. Even the most highly-regarded agencies may not be the right choice for every client. After comparing the capabilities of several options, you can choose the one that is most suitable for your company, your team and you.

The Benefits of Working with a SaaS Marketing Agency

A SaaS marketing agency can help increase brand awareness, drive revenue and add value to customers. But those aren't all the benefits.

Image Source DataDab

Access to a team of experts

SaaS marketing agencies have the expertise and tools to promote and sell your products and services. The marketing agency team includes experts in many areas such as:

• SEO
• Social media
• Content Marketing
• PPC

Partnering with a SaaS-based marketing agency means you have access to their expertise and resources.

Capability to leverage specialized knowledge

A SaaS marketing agency can be a valuable resource for SaaS startups and SaaS businesses looking to expand. Agency's deep knowledge of SaaS strategies can help your business to add SaaS-specific value through their marketing campaigns.

Opportunities to Concentrate on Core Business

A SaaS marketing agency will allow you to focus on your business and not your products or services. It can be time-consuming to create a marketing strategy that works, especially if you do it yourself.

Outsourcing SaaS marketing frees up time for other tasks such as customer service or product development. Small businesses that have limited resources can benefit from getting their time back.

Rapid Scaling of Your Marketing Team

A partnership with an agency will save you time not only on your marketing strategy but also on the hiring process. It is a major decision that can consume a lot of your time and take up a lot of your precious time.

The hiring process for a marketing agency usually involves a few calls to ensure that they are a good match. They will then support you as your business grows.

It's also much easier to cut ties with agencies than hiring in-house staff to help you off the payroll if things don't go as planned. Working with a SaaS agency to market your product is usually less binding than a traditional marketing agency.

Start Growing Your Business Today

SaaS marketing agencies could be key to your company's growth. It is essential to navigate today's digital marketing landscape. High-quality content can help increase brand awareness, visibility and organic traffic.

Are you ready for a content marketing revolution? Our SEO and writer experts can help you create optimized content every week. Start today with our weekly blog content service. Or schedule a consultation to learn more.