Are you a SaaS marketer looking for some inspiration?
But what kind of inspiration are you seeking?
How foolish of us to ask such a question. As a marketer, your only goal is to succeed in your marketing endeavors.
Therefore, to instill motivation and inspiration within you and kickstart your result-oriented SaaS marketing campaign, we have an exciting lineup of 10 mind-blowing SaaS marketing examples that will astound you!
These real-life success stories are brimming with valuable insights and actionable tips that you can implement in your own marketing strategies.
So, let's delve into these tales and discover how these SaaS industry heroes conquered the market, transforming into legendary figures!
Top 10 SaaS Marketing Examples you can take inspiration from
1. Wistia – Content Marketing
Wistia is a video hosting platform specifically designed for B2B marketers. With a focus on providing high-quality video solutions, Wistia helps businesses effectively use video content for marketing and communication purposes.
About the campaign
Wistia's standout marketing campaign, ‘One, Ten, One Hundred,' became a documentary video series.
In this series, Wistia challenged a video production company based in Los Angeles to create three marketing videos. These were for their product, SoapBox, with varying budgets: $1,000, $10,000, and $100,000.
This SaaS content marketing strategy aimed to explore the impact of budget constraints on the creative and production processes. Thus, offering valuable insights into the video marketing industry.
How has it impacted the SaaS brand?
At first, the campaign garnered recognition and was nominated for the Webby People's Voice Award for Branded Entertainment Series in the video category.
The 100-minute documentary series also gained further visibility as it got listed on Amazon Prime.
This campaign demonstrated Wistia's commitment to providing value to its audience through educational and engaging content.
Wistia became a leader in the video hosting industry by showing what can be achieved with different budgets. They demonstrated creative possibilities and showcased various outcomes.
It led to establishing themselves as experts and innovators in their field. This also helped them gain recognition and stand out among their competitors. This approach increased brand and product awareness among their target audience.
The ‘One, Ten, One Hundred' campaign serves as a prime example of a highly successful SaaS marketing campaign. It emphasizes the importance of delivering high-quality, value-driven content that resonates with the target audience.
Wistia's innovative approach showcased its expertise in the video marketing space. It also solidified its brand reputation and expanded its reach within the industry.
2. MailChimp – Content Marketing
MailChimp is a recognized email marketing and automation platform. It enables businesses to create and manage effective email campaigns.
With a user-friendly interface and a range of powerful features, MailChimp empowers businesses of all sizes to connect with their audience and drive engagement through email marketing.
With its 11 million users and counting, it encourages other businesses to create impactful email campaigns.
About the campaign
MailChimp's notable marketing campaign, ‘Did you mean MailChimp,' focused on their brand name's frequent mispronunciations and misspellings.
MailChimp came up with a clever idea to attract more people to their website. They created humorous videos and posters that played with different versions of their brand name. This made people curious and more likely to search for them online.
This example of SaaS marketing campaign intentionally omitted the actual brand name from the posters. This directed viewers to the corresponding video ads
How has it impacted the SaaS brand?
As a result, MailChimp saw an increase in organic search traffic. It means more people were finding them naturally without paid advertising. Examples included ‘MailShrimp,' ‘JailBlimp,' and ‘KaleLimp.'
The campaign won the prestigious Grand Prix at Cannes Lions in 2017, generated over 67 million organic searches, and achieved a remarkable $3.52 million in earned media value.
The campaign's immense reach and engagement highlighted MailChimp's ability to capture attention and resonate with a broad audience.
The campaign's success and recognition by industry experts make it as one of the best SaaS marketing campaigns ever produced.
The campaign's success and recognition by industry experts make it as one of the best SaaS marketing campaigns ever produced.
Marketers and businesses can draw inspiration from MailChimp's campaign. They can do so by recognizing the potential of humor and creativity and addressing common misconceptions in their marketing efforts.
Businesses can increase brand visibility and generate organic traffic by engaging and captivating their audience in unconventional ways. They can also establish a unique brand identity in the competitive SaaS landscape.
3. TypeForm – Product Marketing
Typeform is a popular form and survey maker that allows users to create interactive and engaging forms, quizzes, and surveys.
With its user-friendly interface and customizable design options, Typeform empowers businesses to collect valuable data and insights from their audience.
About the campaign
Typeform's noteworthy marketing campaign, ‘LockedIn,' showcased its video conversation platform, VideoAsk, in a unique and immersive way. They created a short film, ‘LockedIn,' where viewers could take part by making decisions that determined the outcome of the story.
This is a great example of an interactive approach that engages the audience. It also showed the capabilities and potential of its SaaS product VideoAsk as a platform for creating interactive video experiences.
Along with ‘LockedIn,' Typeform also launched another project called ‘Meaningful.' This initiative involved conversations with industry and thought leaders about their entrepreneurial struggles. Thus providing valuable insights and inspiration to the target audience.
These meaningful discussions focused on the audience's needs and interests rather than directly promoting a product. Thereby establishing Typeform as a thought leader in the entrepreneurial space.
How has it impacted the SaaS brand?
The campaign demonstrated Typeform's ability to provide innovative solutions beyond traditional forms and surveys.
The ‘Meaningful' project reinforced Typeform's position as a thought leader and valuable resource in the entrepreneurial world.
Typeform had important conversations with experts in the industry. They talked about the problems that entrepreneurs face and showed that they understand and care about these challenges.
This made people trust Typeform more and see them as a reliable platform to get valuable information and ideas for their businesses.
The ‘LockedIn' campaign and the ‘Meaningful' project highlight Typeform's creative and customer-centric approach to SaaS marketing.
Typeform stood out from its competition by giving people something valuable and interesting. They used interactive experiences and shared useful content relevant to their audience. This made Typeform unique and memorable.
Marketers can learn from Typeform by engaging their audience and providing interactive experiences. They should also focus on understanding their audience's needs and challenges and create content addressing them.
4. Zoho – Referral Marketing
Zoho is a renowned SaaS company offering a comprehensive cloud-based business application suite. Their product range includes CRM, marketing, sales, finance, HR, and more solutions, catering to the diverse needs of businesses across various industries.
About the campaign
Zoho's referral campaign is a prime example of its effective SaaS marketing strategy. It has a special way of rewarding its customers. You get a reward if you refer someone to use Zoho's products and services and they sign up.
The reward states, “You receive 15% of the subscription fee that your referral pays, and you can use that reward as credits in your Zoho Wallet. It's a way for Zoho to say thank you and encourage their customers to spread the word about their great products.”
“Each referral of yours will earn $100 in promotional credits in their Zoho account after they sign up, which they can use on any purchase of a new Zoho app.”
How has it impacted the SaaS brand?
This referral campaign is a win-win situation for existing customers and their referrals. On one side, the customers get rewards for their loyalty and advocacy. On the other side, the referrals enjoy exclusive promotional credits. These are to explore and use Zoho's extensive range of business applications.
Zoho has found a smart way to use its current customers to bring in new customers. They encourage their customers to tell others about Zoho's products and services by offering rewards.
When someone refers a new customer who signs up, the referrer and the new customer get great rewards. This helps Zoho grow its customer base and become more well-known.
Zoho's referral program is a great example of SaaS marketing. By offering rewards, Zoho makes its customers happy and builds strong relationships. This leads to happier customers who stay around for a long time and continue supporting Zoho.
5. HubSpot – Event Marketing and Inbound Marketing
HubSpot is a leading provider of marketing automation software and CRM solutions. Their platform offers a comprehensive suite of tools and features to help businesses attract, engage, and delight their customers.
It is known for its inbound marketing method. This method focuses on creating valuable content, building customer relationships, and driving organic growth.
About the campaign
Event Marketing
HubSpot's Inbound conference is a big deal in the marketing industry. It's an annual event that people look forward to.
Lots of companies set up booths, famous speakers give talks, and there are many educational sessions. Around 25,000 people attend each year. It's a special gathering for HubSpot users, who are sometimes called “HubSpotters.”
They come together to meet new people, learn new things, and stay updated on the latest marketing ideas . Inbound has created a community of HubSpot users and has become an important event for businesses that use HubSpot's software.
Inbound Marketing
HubSpot is good at inbound marketing, and blogging is one way they do it. They write blog posts tailored to different groups of people and cover many helpful marketing topics. They share valuable tips and advice to help people with their marketing strategies.
By consistently putting out great blog content like “50 ideas for your 2023 Small Business Marketing Strategy”, HubSpot shows they know what they're talking about. Thus, it becomes a trusted source for marketers and business people seeking useful information and resources.
How has it impacted the SaaS brand?
The Inbound conference has established HubSpot as a leader in marketing, drawing in professionals and building a community of HubSpot users. For the 2021 edition, there were 70,000+ attendees.
It is a platform to showcase its products and deepen customer relationships while demonstrating thought leadership.
They have established themselves as experts in the industry by providing useful insights, tips, and best practices that marketers find valuable and relevant to their work. This has helped them gain recognition and become a trusted authority in marketing.
This has developed their brand recognition, credibility, and increased website traffic and user engagement with their software solutions.
The success of HubSpot's marketing techniques highlights their ability to build meaningful connections and a community and establish thought leadership in the SaaS industry. With this, HubSpot has 177,000+customers i in 120+countries.
Marketers can learn from HubSpot by investing in events that unite their target audience. They can also learn to adopt an inbound marketing approach to position themselves as trusted authorities and attract a dedicated following.
6. Canva – Influencer Marketing
Canva is a popular SaaS graphic design platform that caters to both individuals and businesses. With Canva, users can easily create professional-looking graphics, presentations, and visuals for social media.
About the campaign
Canva's marketing technique involved using the influence of Guy Kawasaki. He is a well-known tech influencer and former marketing head at Apple.
Canva's founder, Melanie Perkins, noticed that Guy was using Canva for his social media graphics and reached out to him . Recognizing Guy's prominence and reach, Canva brought him on board as the “Chief Evangelist” to endorse and promote the platform.
Guy Kawasaki's association with Canva brought instant credibility and authenticity to the brand. As an early adopter and a respected figure in the tech industry, Guy's endorsement of Canva resonated with his followers and the broader audience.
His social media presence, including Instagram and his popular blog, showcased Canva's graphics and emphasized the platform's capabilities.
How has it impacted the SaaS brand?
Canva's influencer marketing campaign with Guy Kawasaki serves as an excellent example of how partnering with respected industry influencers can impact a SaaS brand.
By onboarding a trusted tech influencer with a large following, Canva expanded its reach and attracted a broader audience. Guy's endorsement brought in new users and validated Canvas's capabilities and quality.
This association elevated Canva's brand image and positioned it as a go-to graphic design platform. Through Guy's recommendations and social media presence, Canva gained increased exposure and generated positive word-of-mouth, further fueling its growth.
This campaign demonstrates the power of authentic endorsements. It also highlights the importance of building relationships with key influencers in the industry.
7. Zapier – SEO Marketing
Zapier is a widely used app integration and automation platform designed for small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs).
Since its inception in 2011, Zapier has integrated over 3,000 apps, constantly adding new ones on a weekly basis.
The platform helps users automate workflows and connect various apps to streamline their business processes.
About the campaign
Zapier implemented a highly effective SEO campaign to drive significant traffic to their platform, resulting in a remarkable.
Recognizing the importance of SEO in SaaS marketing strategies, Zapier focused on optimizing its website to enhance its search engine rankings.
Zapier created these three kinds of landing pages to implement its programmatic SEO strategy.
1. App landing page – A landing page for the app itself like this:
3.Workflow/Zap pages – Separate landing pages for every app to app-triggered workflow or “zap” between each app like this:
By avoiding duplicated content and employing context-specific calls-to-action (CTAs), Zapier ensured a seamless user experience without centralized or controlled dashboards.
In this series, Wistia challenged a video production company based in Los Angeles to create three marketing videos. These were for their product, SoapBox, with varying budgets: $1,000, $10,000, and $100,000.
This SaaS content marketing strategy aimed to explore the impact of budget constraints on the creative and production processes. Thus, offering valuable insights into the video marketing industry.
How has it impacted the SaaS brand?
Zapier's comprehensive landing page strategy, tailored for app landing pages, app integration pages, and workflow/zap pages, played a crucial role in driving organic traffic and improving their search rankings.
It resulted in an impressive 70,000+ landing pages, driving 343,000 high-intent organic traffic each month.
This approach allowed them to tap into the search universe of the integrated apps and leverage their keywords effectively.
The success of Zapier's SEO campaign showcases the power of targeted landing pages, strategic keyword usage, and programmatic SEO techniques.
It serves as a remarkable example for SaaS marketers, highlighting the importance of optimizing search engines and leveraging partner resources to create a comprehensive and user-friendly website.
8. Slack – Freemium Model-Based Marketing
Slack is a popular SaaS platform that offers team communication and collaboration tools. With over 4 million active users, Slack has become a widely used platform for businesses of all sizes to streamline their communication, enhance productivity, and foster collaboration among team members.
About the campaign
Slack's marketing technique revolves around the implementation of a freemium model. The freemium model allows users to access and use the platform's basic features for free, making it attractive and easily accessible to many users. Even the free plan provides significant benefits and can be used independently.
To convert free users into paid users, Slack focuses on two key elements: an excellent onboarding process and a non-salesy salesapproach.
Slack's onboarding process ensures users fully understand the product and its benefits. They provide tutorials, guides, and helpful resources to help users navigate the platform and maximize its features. By offering a smooth onboarding experience, Slack aims to assist individual users and encourage team adoption and usage.
Slack's non-salesy sales approach is another vital aspect of its marketing technique. They avoid overtlypushing users to upgrade to the paid plan. Instead, they set usage limits on certain features after users reach a specific threshold. This approach allows users to determine when they are ready for the paid plan based on their needs and usage.
Slack focuses on providing a comfortable and user-friendlyexperience, allowing users to recognize the value and benefits of the platform organically.
How has it impacted the SaaS brand?
Slack's freemium model and marketing technique have significantly impacted its SaaS brand. By offering a robust free plan with useful features, Slack attracts a large user base and generates widespread brand awareness.
The focus on a seamless onboarding process ensures that users understand the platform's capabilities and can effectively use it within their teams.
Slack's non-salesy sales approach creates a sense of trust and authenticity. Users appreciate that Slack doesn't aggressively push for upgrades but allows them to make their own decisions based on their usage and needs.
This approach has resulted in a high conversion rate, with 1.25 million out of 4 million active users becoming paid users.
Other SaaS marketers can take inspiration from Slack's strategy and focus on delivering a remarkable user experience while letting the product's value speak for itself.
9. Moz – Video Marketing
Moz is a well-known SaaS brand that offers SEO software and tools to help businesses improve their search engine rankings and organic traffic.
The company has established itself as a trusted authority in the SEO industry, providing valuable insights and solutions for marketers and SEO professionals.
About the campaign
Moz's marketing technique revolves around creating and promoting high-quality content, particularly its famous video series, Whiteboard Friday.
The series was initiated by Rand Fishkin, one of Moz's co-founders, when the company was still in its early stages. Through Whiteboard Friday, Rand shared actionable marketing advice, SEO strategies, and industry insights with the audience.
The Whiteboard Friday videos became highly popular and gained millions of views over time. They not only helped educate and train thousands of SEO professionals but also contributed to establishing Moz as a thought leader and go-to resource in the SEO community.
The videos provided valuable content that showcased Moz's expertise and positioned the company as a trusted source of SEO knowledge.
How has it impacted the SaaS brand?
Moz's commitment to creating and promoting high-quality content, particularly through the Whiteboard Friday series, has significantly impacted its brand.
By consistently delivering valuable insights and actionable advice, Moz has gained a strong reputation in the SEO industry. The campaign has helped establish Moz as an authority in the field, attracting a large and engaged audience of marketers and SEO professionals.
The success of the Whiteboard Friday series has increased brand visibility and played a crucial role in driving organic traffic to Moz's website. The videos continue to receive monthly searches, indicating their enduring popularity and the ongoing impact of the campaign.
The focus on delivering valuable insights and actionable advice can help position the brand as a go-to resource in the industry, driving organic traffic and establishing long-term success.
10. Basecamp – Email Marketing
Basecamp is a popular SaaS company that provides project management and collaboration software. It offers a suite of tools designed to help teams effectively manage projects, communicate, and stay organized.
Basecamp's user-friendly interface and focus on simplicity have made it a preferred choice for many businesses.
About the campaign
Basecamp's marketing technique revolves around an effective SaaS email marketing campaign, specifically targeting the end of the free trial period.
This campaign aims to convert prospective customers who have experienced the product during the trial and encourage them to subscribe to the paid version.
The email sent at the end of the free trial plays a crucial role in building trust, addressing customer doubts, and highlighting the benefits of the paid subscription.
How has it impacted the SaaS brand?
By communicating with prospective customers at a critical decision-making stage, Basecamp increases the chances of converting trial users into paying customers. The campaign helps build trust and credibility by addressing customer doubts and concerns.
Basecamp shows customers the advantages of upgrading to the paid version of their software. They explain the benefits that come with the paid subscription, highlighting the value customers can enjoy.
Basecamp addresses a common worry by assuring customers that their data is secure. It also helps to build trust and confidence in the brand.
Basecamp's approach inspires other SaaS companies to focus on nurturing leads, highlighting the value proposition of their paid offerings, and addressing customer concerns effectively through well-crafted email campaigns.
Ready to take your SaaS marketing campaign to the next level?
These are the best 10 SaaS marketing examples to inspire you and offer valuable insights and inspiration for success. From referral campaigns to influencer collaborations and event marketing, each example showcases effective strategies to drive growth.
Adapting and implementing these SaaS marketing ideas can elevate your brand and attract a loyal customer base.
Stay agile, target your potential customers, focus on your existing customers, and strive for continuous improvement. Take inspiration from these examples and set yourself to win the SaaS marketing game.
After studying the successful marketing strategies of these SaaS companies, you yourself are planning to leverage video marketing, content marketing, SEO marketing, or Inbound Marketing, then contact webdew.
Frequently Asked Questions
SaaS, or Software-as-a-Service, is used in marketing to deliver software applications and services to businesses through the internet. Instead of purchasing and installing software on individual computers, users can access and use software applications online via a subscription model. This allows businesses to streamline their operations, access the latest software updates, and scale their usage according to their needs. SaaS is commonly used for various marketing activities such as email marketing, customer relationship management (CRM), social media management, ad campaign, and analytics.
An example of B2B SaaS is Salesforce, a cloud-based CRM platform. Salesforce provides businesses with a comprehensive suite of tools and functionalities to manage customer data, track sales leads, and automate marketing processes. It caters specifically to the needs of businesses and offers features tailored for B2B marketing and sales activities.
SaaS, or Software-as-a-Service, refers to the delivery of software applications and services over the internet on a subscription basis. It eliminates the need for users to download and install software on their devices, as the SaaS provider hosts and maintains the applications. Examples of SaaS include popular business tools like Dropbox, Google Workspace (formerly G Suite), Slack, and Mailchimp. These platforms offer cloud-based solutions for file storage, collaboration, communication, and email marketing.
SaaS can be both B2B (Business-to-Business) and B2C (Business-to-Consumer), depending on the target market. SaaS solutions targeting businesses and providing software tools for their specific needs are categorized as B2B. Examples of B2B SaaS include project management software, HR management platforms, and CRM systems. On the other hand, SaaS solutions targeting individual consumers, such as entertainment streaming services like Netflix or productivity tools like Evernote, fall under the B2C category.
