5 Successful SaaS Marketing Tips For Your LMS
This article provides SaaS marketing tips on how organizations might boost their online presence and unleash their inner rock god (or position themselves as leaders within their sector). Success can be orchestrated through increased brand exposure and showcasing expertise on relevant topics.
Top SaaS Marketing Tips To Launch Your LMS
1. Every Move I Make
So, to be clear, we’re not suggesting stalking here, but repeated exposure to a brand name/logo helps to place it in the all-important long-term memory (like a catchy chorus). Research indicates prospective customers should be exposed to a brand six or seven times before recognition and recall occur. Becoming highly visible should, therefore, be a primary objective for your corporate eLearning business. The goal is to ensure that your brand exists in the buyers' evoked set even before they are in the market to purchase a new solution or upgrade an existing one.
Organizations should aim to be center stage everywhere prospective (as well as existing) customers might be. Alongside HubSpot’s hugely successful annual conference, the company partners with and sponsors events where digital marketing, service, and commerce professionals congregate. Similarly, Salesforce attracts attendees from a wide range of sectors to its popular event. Leading SaaS platforms also encourage and incentivize advocacy across professional online communities and host gated industry-specific webinars.
Organizations seek to build highly recognizable brands to remain top of mind when the buyer is shortlisting solutions at a later stage. Find out where and with whom your prospective customer hangs out.
- Identify where and how your ideal customer profiles (ICPs) keep up-to-date on industry news and network–remember, Learning and Development (L&D) professionals may also attend generic education, marketing, or people development events, so aim to have a presence in these spaces.
- Participate in active professional LinkedIn networking communities, or host your own with loyalty rewards, to boost advocacy.
- Consider organizing your own community brand events/webinars (online or offline)
- Produce encore-worthy content (encouraging increased engagement, shares, referrals, etc.)
2. You’re On the Top of the World (Top Of SERPs)
How can Learning Management System (LMS) platforms fine-tune their digital footprint to harmonize with Google (and increasingly social media and search generative experience (SGE)) algorithms? Many current Google searches start with a specific question (e.g.. "which is the best AI-driven CRM for healthcare 2024?") rather than a branded name search. Similarly, SGE enables users to submit in-depth queries to produce concise contextual answers in addition to general information.
Ranking organically at the top of Google/Artificial Intelligence (AI) takes time and effort for generic searches (e.g., "best Learning Management Systems" only features organizations with high domain ratings). Recent SGE and Google search trends indicate, however, the future prioritization of content based on more specific user intent (providing opportunities for less established players).
- Try to rank organically for more specific search queries (e.g., "impact of LMS on skills development in healthcare 2024")
- Create bite-sized snippets (e.g., summary and listing sections) to provide quick answers to SGE user queries
- Increase focus on bottom-of-funnel content (i.e., commercial and transactional), such as "see our LMS in action demo", or "LMS starter pricing plans."
- Design PPC-targeted ads using more specific long-tail search terms (e.g.. "LMS options for UK small retail businesses"). Although these may be more expensive, they tend to drive higher rates of conversion.
Prominent SaaS players are not overly dependent on a single source of traffic. Although many are highly visible on Google, they also drive traffic through SEO-optimized social media accounts. Vary traffic sources to reduce SGE dependence (remember YouTube is the world’s second largest search engine).
3. You’re Simply The Best
A platinum award (aka, a top-five rating) on a trusted review site not only increases visibility but helps build credibility around a product or service offer. A standing ovation from a star-studded cast of judges can quickly turn a supporting organization into a headliner act.
Let's consider the example of the fictional XYZ, which is not organically ranked on page one of Google under the generic search term "CRM platform" but does appear in three separate ranking lists that feature on the first page. Additionally, the company features in YouTube clips and the "related searches" section at the bottom of page one. How can you replicate its success?
- Become familiarized with comparison/review sites within the corporate eLearning niche and keep them updated on the repertoire of services you offer.
- Encourage/incentivize customer reviews on your website.
- Embed links/star ratings from independent review sites.
- Produce and distribute alt-tagged image and video content that can also rank highly on Google.
Leading SaaS organizations also build trust through customer testimonials (applause is especially valuable when customers have migrated from other solutions). Short embedded video clips featuring glowing customer reviews add authenticity. Or how about a moving ticker screen style of testimonials which can certainly catch the eye. There is only one thing better than blowing your own trumpet, and that is when others do it for you.
- Incentivize referrals from existing customers and trusted influencers who are active in spaces inhabited by your ICPs.
- Offer free content access (for a limited period) in exchange for honest client feedback and testimonials (hopefully based on ongoing stellar performances).
4. It Takes Two
Such accolades are, however, outside most organizations' control. SaaS platforms adopting a more proactive approach connect with top-performing influencers/affiliates in their niche. These can range from industry bloggers to content creators, community organizations, or associated professional service firms and consultants. In addition, many influencers are established authors for widely-read industry publications (e.g., Forbes, Harvard Business Review, etc.) with high ranking status on Google also.
- Follow and connect with a range of thought leaders and influencers within your industry sector–these might include content developers, project managers, Instructional Designers, corporate development coaches, etc.
- Influencer collaborations can extend beyond the corporate education sector to related areas such as talent management, consultancy, Motivation/productivity coaching, entrepreneurship, etc.
- Leverage an affiliate program to amplify your message among selected audience segments.
Start-ups or less established eLearning businesses may not be able to currently match the commission rates of more established providers (nor have the opportunity to collaborate with top-tier influencers) but could, perhaps, offer lower rates to mid-tier or nano-influencers. Engage with prospective partners who are industry specialists, renowned for their superior content and with similarly aligned objectives. The desired outcome is credibility enhancement through the association (like a well-harmonized duet).
5. Do You Want To Know A Secret?
Primary research and executive interviews are good content options (citing new stats and inserting quotes help build authority). These approaches also help to gain backlinks from relevant and authoritative sites. Expert industry insights on topical issues can be presented through eBooks, white papers, or by literally stepping up to the mic through events, webinars, podcasts, etc..
Hubspot’s content strategy was initially created around its expertise in "inbound marketing," a term now wholly associated with the company. Freshbooks publishes a proprietary annual "Self-employment in US" trends report, thereby positioning itself as an expert on key issues faced by small businesses. Drift.com’s webinar series attracts views through catchy titles, appealing imagery and bold colors.
- Produce relevant, visually appealing, SEO-optimized content highlighting strengths and expertise. Focus on building topic authority within niche areas (e.g., AI data privacy)
- Create valuable, original content with your ICP in mind, extending beyond the obvious L&D leaders and sales directors to perhaps engage with a range of decision-makers in related niche sector(s).
- Distribute content with link building in mind–downloadable assets/tools are useful (e.g., templates, learning style quizzes, competence-portfolios)
- Media remix opportunities can strike chords with new audiences, so tweak content for different audiences, and update and refresh content regularly with innovative perspectives.
Don’t Stop Me Now
You’re now on the radar and slowly gaining trust. But others are also desperately trying to gain customer attention. Time to stop playing second fiddle and grab that mic, using the SaaS marketing tips listed above!
Editor's Note: This article follows on from the previous installment.