Category: Forward Launch Your SaaS Podcast

GUEST BIO

Ayush is the founder and CEO of Byldd. They’re trying to democratize software entrepreneurship by making it easier (and less capital-intensive) for non-technical founders to start software businesses. Our approach is to build very focused revenue-generating MVPs for bootstrapping founders. We define an MVP as the least complex product you can build that solves a problem well enough that customers are willing to pay for it. Once they manage to get that revenue, we help them take customer feedback, analyze it and use that to drive further product development.

Ayush started this as a side project in 2019 with one engineer and now leads a team of 35 people, with the company making over $50K MRR.

MAIN INSIGHT

To establish trust in partnerships, take a slow approach and requesting a single referral to test the working relationship before expanding.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

1. Identify the people your target audience hangs out with, i.e., professionals that your audience spends time with.
2. Attempt to have conversations with those professionals through LinkedIn, outbound cold emails, or direct outreach.
3. Share updates, success stories, and wins with the professionals to establish trust and credibility.
4. Follow up with them consistently, as 90% of people may not respond or refer someone immediately. Persistence is key in building the relationship.

MORE FROM Byldd

Startups often waste time building non-differentiating features, so Byldd automates that process and focuses on unique aspects of the product to launch new software products and features quickly and cost-effectively.

We all know the importance of engaging our audience and standing out in a crowded marketplace. One often overlooked strategy to achieve this is through the power of storytelling. Keirra recently invited Steve Hoffman, CEO of Founder's Space, to the podcast to discuss how SaaS companies can leverage storytelling to strengthen their marketing strategies. Here's a summary of the valuable insights and takeaways from their conversation.

The Importance of Storytelling in B2B SaaS Marketing 
When it comes to marketing a B2B SaaS product, it's easy to get caught up in the technical details and lose sight of the bigger picture. However, according to Steve Hoffman, storytelling is a crucial component of successful marketing campaigns. As humans, we're naturally drawn to stories because they help us make sense of the world around us. By weaving a compelling narrative around your product, you can create an emotional connection with your audience that transcends the limitations of traditional marketing methods.

Developing a Compelling Brand Story
Creating a captivating brand story begins with understanding your target audience's pain points and how your product can address them. Steve emphasizes the importance of developing a narrative that positions your product as the solution to your customers' problems. To craft an engaging brand story, consider the following elements:

1. The Problem: Clearly define the problem your audience is facing and create a sense of urgency around it.
2. The Solution: Explain how your product offers a unique and effective solution to the problem.
3. The Journey: Describe the transformation your customers will experience as they implement your solution.
4. The Success: Showcase the positive outcomes and results your customers can expect from using your product.

By incorporating these elements into your marketing materials, you can create a compelling narrative that resonates with your audience and motivates them to take action.

Utilizing Testimonials and Case Studies
One of the most effective ways to demonstrate the value of your product is by showcasing real-world success stories. Steve suggests utilizing testimonials and case studies as powerful tools to build trust and credibility with your audience. By sharing the experiences of your satisfied customers, you can validate your product's claims and provide tangible proof of its effectiveness.

When crafting testimonials and case studies, be sure to include:

1. The Customer's Background: Offer context by sharing the customer's industry, company size, and role.
2. The Challenge: Detail the specific problems the customer was facing before using your product.
3. The Solution: Explain how your product helped the customer overcome their challenges.
4. The Results: Highlight the positive outcomes the customer experienced as a result of implementing your product.

In the competitive world of B2B SaaS marketing, it's essential to differentiate your brand and create an emotional connection with your audience. By harnessing the power of storytelling, you can craft a compelling narrative that highlights the value of your product and drives customer engagement. Take inspiration from Steve Hoffman's insights and leverage storytelling, testimonials, and case studies to create an unforgettable marketing campaign that resonates with your audience and propels your business to new heights.

Disclaimer: This post was created using AI which utilized an interview transcript as a source. Keirra reviewed it for accuracy.

In today's fast-paced digital landscape, it's essential for businesses, especially B2B SaaS companies, to adapt and implement innovative marketing strategies. One such strategy that has proven to be extremely effective is video marketing. In this exclusive interview, we had the pleasure of speaking with Sarah Jenkins, a seasoned entrepreneur and digital marketer, who shared her insights on the power of video marketing and how it has helped her company grow exponentially.

Creating and Repurposing Video Content

According to Sarah, one of the most significant advantages of using video marketing is the ability to repurpose content across different platforms. By creating a single video, businesses can generate a wealth of content, such as transcriptions, social media snippets, blog posts, and podcast episodes. This not only saves time and resources but also ensures that the message is consistent and reaches a wider audience.

The key to successful repurposing lies in producing shorter clips, ideally two to three minutes long, offering valuable strategies and insights. These bite-sized pieces can be used to drive traffic back to longer podcast episodes or other in-depth content, allowing potential customers to engage with your brand more deeply.

The Power of Video Marketing: Short vs. Long Content

Sarah has observed that in the realm of video marketing, both short and long-form content can be highly effective. On one hand, shorter clips can quickly capture viewers' attention, providing immediate value and encouraging them to seek out more information. On the other hand, longer podcast episodes or in-depth videos can offer a more comprehensive understanding of the subject, fostering a deeper connection with the audience.

As a result, it's essential to strike a balance between these two formats, using both to target different segments of your audience and cater to their unique preferences and needs.

The Impact of Video Marketing on Business Growth

Throughout her 15 years in the marketing industry, Sarah has found that putting video marketing first has never let her down. By consistently leveraging video content, her company has experienced substantial growth and increased revenue. This can be attributed to the ability of video marketing to reach a wider audience, provide valuable content, and foster a deeper connection with potential customers.

Reach Out to Sarah Jenkins

If you're looking to learn more about Sarah Jenkins or her companies — WebinarJam and Kartra — she can be reached via LinkedIn or email. As an entrepreneur passionate about video marketing, she is always eager to connect with others and share her insights.

Conclusion

Video marketing has proven to be a powerful tool for B2B SaaS companies looking to grow and thrive in today's competitive market. By creating and repurposing video content strategically, businesses can maximize their reach and engagement, ultimately driving growth and success. As Sarah Jenkins' experience shows, putting video marketing first can lead to impressive results and long-term benefits for your company.

Disclaimer: The following post was created using AI which used an interview transcript as a source.

In today's fast-paced and competitive business environment, companies are always looking for innovative ways to expand their reach and generate more leads. One such method gaining momentum is partnership marketing. To better understand this powerful tool, we recently had an insightful conversation with Renee Bigelow, a seasoned marketing expert and fractional CMO, who shared her knowledge and experience on the subject.

Renee shared several key benefits of partnership marketing, including:

1. Cost-effectiveness: By working together, companies can share marketing expenses, making it a more affordable option for reaching a larger audience.
2. Increased reach: Partnering with other businesses allows companies to tap into each other's customer base, thereby increasing their reach and potential leads.
3. Improved brand reputation: Association with reputable partners can enhance a company's image and credibility in the market.
4. Shared expertise: Companies can learn from each other, share best practices, and improve their marketing strategies.

Creating a Successful Partnership Marketing Strategy

Renee emphasized the importance of understanding each partner's objectives and building a plan that aligns with both companies' goals. She recommended the following steps:

1. Identify potential partners: Look for companies that have complementary products or services and share the same target audience.
2. Establish clear goals: Define the objectives and desired outcomes for the partnership to ensure both parties are on the same page.
3. Develop a joint plan: Collaborate on a marketing plan that includes content, campaigns, events, and other initiatives that will benefit both companies.
4. Measure success: Track the performance of the partnership and adjust the strategy as needed to optimize results.

Going Beyond Traditional Tactics

Renee encouraged companies to think beyond traditional partnership marketing tactics, such as co-marketing webinars or joint content downloads, which can become tired and expected. Instead, she suggested integrating partnership marketing into the natural onboarding or prospecting flow of each company. By identifying key leverage points in the customer journey, businesses can create more meaningful and impactful experiences for their customers.

Leveraging Customer Advocacy

Renee also discussed the importance of leveraging existing customers as brand advocates. By identifying satisfied customers, businesses can engage them in testimonials, case studies, and other marketing initiatives. This can be achieved by talking to various departments within the company, such as sales, customer success, and product teams, to identify happy customers and gather feedback.

Conclusion

Partnership marketing presents a wealth of opportunities for businesses to grow and thrive. By collaborating with like-minded companies and leveraging the power of customer advocacy, organizations can significantly improve their marketing efforts and reach new heights. As Renee Bigelow highlighted, the key to success lies in understanding each partner's objectives, developing a joint plan, and constantly evolving the strategy to ensure optimal results.

If you'd like to connect with Renee and learn more about her expertise in partnership marketing, you can find her on LinkedIn. Don't miss out on her upcoming project to publish mental models and concepts that have proven successful in her work with clients. Stay tuned for more insights from industry experts like Renee!

GUEST BIO

Joran Hofman started his career in SaaS sales before moving into customer success. He became the Head of Customer Success at Leadfeeder, managing a team of 25 people. As an affiliate of around 80 SaaS tools, he noticed many issues with the current tools, hence he started his own affiliate management tool for B2B SaaS companies, Reditus. 

MAIN INSIGHT

Run experiments and track high-level impact. Leverage others rather than doing everything yourself.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Find early adopters by launching on AppSumo, building in public, sharing content on LinkedIn, and joining Reddit forums and Quora feeds.
• Create an inbound funnel engaging with potential customers.
• Find someone with experience to consult with and collaborate on creating an SEO strategy.
• Keep control of what you outsource, provide a detailed brief, and track the results.
• Don't spend money unless you know what results the project will produce.

MORE FROM Reditus

Reditus provides a convenient solution for managing affiliate programs and earning commissions from promoting SaaS products. Learn more at https://www.getreditus.com/

GUEST BIO

Tara is the Head of Marketing at GetAccept, and previously was the Director of Demand Generation & Customer Marketing, Community Brands 

At Community Brands, Tara was part of the management team propelling the business from 10M ARR to 32M ARR and built up their marketing department from 2 to 33 people during that time.

MAIN INSIGHT

The key to success in marketing is to prioritize collaboration and communication with the sales team, value everyone's input, and be transparent.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

1. Work closely with the sales team to align goals and objectives. Collaborate to improve company metrics, KPIs, and funnels.
2. Schedule regular meetings and daily checkpoints to communicate and strategize.
3. Share concepts, updates, and ideas with the sales team and involve them in the process from the beginning. Be honest and transparent about failures and admit when things don't work. 
4. Value everyone's voice and encourage cross-collaboration with other departments, especially in project-based work. Include people from different departments in brainstorming sessions to think outside the box and gain diverse perspectives on the customer.

MORE FROM GetAccept

GetAccept's digital sales room empowers revenue teams to increase

win rates by engaging and understanding buyers from opportunity to signed deal. Learn more about GetAccept at https://www.getaccept.com/ Reach out to Tara Pawlak on LinkedIn to connect.

GUEST BIO

Wilson Bright is the co-founder of BlockSurvey, and he has been building Web 3 projects for the last 3 years. BlockSurvey is one of the fastest-growing data collection platforms in the privacy ecosystem today, with over 10,000 registrations from individuals and organizations. Wilson is responsible for the product, growth, and marketing strategy of BlockSurvey.

MAIN INSIGHT

Use SEO to grow. Build micro-tools to bring traffic to your website and bring in customers.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

1. Use SEO to find and build an audience.
2. Understand your audience’s pain points to build micro tools that are helpful to your audience. Be prepared to support free users and receive feature requests.
3. Conduct competitive analysis and keyword research to optimize your micro tools. Wilson recommends the book ‘Product-Led SEO’ for tips on how to do this.
4. Track the performance of your micro tools. Quality is critical – do not compromise on quality even though these are easy-to-build tools.
5. Spend around 30% of your time on producing micro tools.
6. Use sub-directories to organize your micro tools outside of your main app.
7. Focus on building self-assessments, personality tests, calculators, templates, and assessments to attract audiences. Templatize your micro tools to streamline the development process. 
8. Building micro tools requires the whole team to be aligned around the strategy, but even without a development team, there are ways to build micro tools (e.g., using templatized tools or hiring freelancers).

MORE FROM BlockSurvey

BlockSurvey is an end-to-end encrypted forms and surveys platform that helps people run sensitive surveys. Follow BlockSurvey on Twitter @Blocksurvey or give the product a try at blocksurvey.io

GUEST BIO

Gregor is the CEO of Parallel Office, an International metaverse startup that combines AI, Blockchain, and VR to create a virtual office that is more immersive, productive, and inclusive. He is a mentor for New Chip and Impact hub, coaching web3 companies on go-to-market, equity fundraising, token sale, value proposition, and growth hacking. 

Gregor has mentored over 200,000 people on YouTube and has published several 5-star courses on NFTs on Udemy and Skillshare. He is a multiple-time founder with the most recent exit in the AI and Web3 space. Gregor has worked as a management consultant for over a decade at KPMG and EY on cutting-edge projects involving technologies like AI and Blockchain, and has been involved in the crypto space since 2016, mining, trading, and building.

MAIN INSIGHT

Interview at least 100 potential customers before building your product in order to understand their pain points and create a good value proposition.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

1. Create a hypothesis about who your target persona could be that is based on the problem your product solves.
2. Create an Excel sheet and reach out to 30-40 people you want to interview.
3. After a few people reply and you do a few interviews, evaluate and update your target persona as you learn more.
4. Repeat this process until you’ve done 100 interviews.

MORE FROM Parallel Office

Parallel Office allows you transform your remote work with virtual reality co-working. Reach out to Gregor Maric on LinkedIn or learn more at paralleloffice.io

GUEST BIO

From a trailer park to Sunset Blvd, Jeremy has founded three six-figure and one seven-figure no-code SaaS companies from nothing. While raising seven figures in venture capital for his latest venture, TaskMagic, an easy-to-use automation software, he has grown its revenue by 60% month-over-month, hitting $1 million. Jeremy is also a contributing author for Entrepreneur Magazine and shares his building journey on YouTube at The Jeremy Redman.

MAIN INSIGHT

Be authentic in your interactions with people. This will encourage people to talk to you and buy from you. It will also make you a better leader.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

1. Talk to customers, gather data points, build content and use cases around them, and figure out similarities between all customers and build ideal customer profile
2. Reverse engineer how you found the current customers to create a scalable system for customer acquisition
3. Beware of the pitfall of trying to scale too early without enough mature data
4. Overcome fear of vulnerability to be able to authentically connect with customers and create lasting relationships
5. Find people who mirror your energy and move on from those who don’t.

MORE FROM TaskMagic

TaskMagic helps you record yourself doing manual tasks so you can automate them. Learn more at taskmagic.com

Follow Jeremy’s content at The Jeremy Redman on YouTube or Twitter.

GUEST BIO

Nachum Kligman has over 25 years of experience in pioneering business ideas, developing patented technology, and working in video commerce and interoperable messaging. He is currently focused on Book like a Boss, an all-inclusive platform with over 60,000 users that supports entrepreneurs in over 100 countries. Kligman resides in Bet Shemesh, Israel with his wife and nine children.

MAIN INSIGHT

Treat your customers the way you would want to be treated if you were a customer of your own software.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

1. Create a culture and decision around the company that the customer always comes first and that everybody should treat customers as if they’re the only customer.
2. Provide a platform for customers to communicate with the company directly, such as using live chat, email, and a knowledge base.
3. Create a group where users can congregate and ask questions. Make it fun for customers by giving out gifts or posting funny videos. Consider giving rewards, such as a meeting with the CEO, to customers who participate in surveys or help others in the community.

OTHER IDEAS

1. Create a community for customers to congregate and talk amongst themselves or ask questions about the software, such as a Facebook group.
2. Interact directly with customers one-on-one, even as a CEO or founder, and communicate with them directly.
3. Consider doing live support sessions where anybody can come on and ask questions.

MORE FROM BOOK LIKE A BOSS

Book Like a Boss automates your scheduling and allows you to sell your services with customizable, branded booking pages that make it easy for your clients to book you. Reach out to Nachum Kligman on LinkedIn, or learn more at https://www.booklikeaboss.com/