How to Build a Content Marketing Plan for a SaaS Company

For software-as-a-service (SaaS) companies, content marketing represents a major opportunity to attract and retain customers.

16:48 11 December 2023

For software-as-a-service (SaaS) companies, content marketing represents a major opportunity to attract and retain customers. By consistently publishing valuable content, SaaS businesses can position themselves as thought leaders in their space while also directly supporting their sales processes. However, realizing the full benefits of content marketing requires careful planning and execution. Here’s a step-by-step guide to building an effective strategy if you plan on undertaking this step in-house.

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Define Your Goals

Before creating any content, clearly identify what you want it to achieve. Common SaaS content marketing goals include driving website traffic, generating sales leads, and boosting brand awareness or perception. The more clearly you define ideal outcomes, the easier it will be to create aligned content down the line. Focus on one or two primary goals maximum to keep your efforts targeted.

Research Your Audience

Part of defining goals involves painting a clear picture of your target customer. Gather demographic and firmographic data on current and prospective users. Group them into one or two primary buyer personas, detailing information like role, pain points, and preferred content formats. These insights will allow you to create content precisely tailored to your audience’s interests and preferences. 

Conduct a Content Audit

Take stock of existing marketing content on your website, blog, and social channels. Identify top-performing pieces as well as any content gaps where you lack materials. This will provide a baseline understanding of current content strengths and areas for improvement. If in doubt about this process, work with a reputable saas marketing agency.

Map Out a Content Calendar

With your goals, audience research, and audit findings in hand, plot out a quarterly or annual content calendar. Outline specific themes and topics you want to cover, balancing evergreen and timely content. Planning out an editorial schedule will help ensure you take a strategic vs. scattershot approach to content creation. 

Align Teams and Resources

Content marketing requires collaboration across teams - ensure yours are aligned by designating roles and responsibilities around content development, especially for subject matter experts. Dedicate personnel and budget for both creation and amplification of content. Leverage existing resources first before investing in new tools or platforms. 

Create High-Quality Content

With your strategy defined, focus efforts around creating premium content that engages your audience and supports your goals. Employ a mix of formats like long-form guides, blogs, visual assets, videos, and more. Prioritize relevance and value over hard metrics like word counts. Develop promoting and distribution plans for each piece of content before publishing. 

Measure and Refine

Analytics tools and real-time listening provide ongoing visibility into how your audience interacts with content. Identify your most and least effective pieces. Look for trends and insights you can use to refine your strategy and optimize future content. Regularly realign your calendar and plans based on performance data and evolving audience preferences.

Making content marketing work for SaaS requires upfront planning paired with agile, data-driven strategy execution. Keep the above steps in mind, and your content efforts will be positioned to drive real value. Monitor results, learn from experience, and continuously improve over time. And if you need additional help, work with a marketing agency that specializes in SaaS marketing.