With more startups than ever entering the market, it’s getting harder and harder for SaaS brands to cut through the noise.
This is why many have realized that PPC can be a great way to build brand awareness and attract new customers.
However, a more strategic approach is required to execute campaigns effectively and gain a competitive advantage.
It’s not enough to set and forget campaigns. There is much more that SaaS brands can do to increase their performance.
Here are five ways SaaS brands can get the most out of PPC campaigns.
1. Create a cold audience display campaign
Dear SaaS Companies: Not everyone knows your brand.
Most people are aware that there are solutions available to solve their problems. But they are less likely to know specific brands that provide a suitable product.
To build brand awareness and influence consideration with these types of individuals, you need to reach them through your marketing efforts.
One way to do this is to run a cold audience display campaign in Google Ads.
The term “cold audience” refers to people who have not yet engaged with a brand and, in this case, still fall within the parameters of the brand’s target audience.
By running display campaigns targeting these people, SaaS brands can build brand awareness with new potential customers and influence their purchasing decisions.
Display campaigns allow brands to showcase their software through image and video assets, which can be more engaging than text-based ads.
Through these visual assets, SaaS brands can give potential customers a sense of how their software looks and feels.
In addition, SaaS brands can use a number of targeting options to reach their target audience as they browse the web.
To effectively run a cold audience display campaign, consider targeting your campaigns to:
Custom segments
Custom segments allow advertisers to target audiences based on a range of online behaviors, including:
What they searched for on Google. What websites have they browsed. What apps have they used?
Creating a new custom segment in Google Ads
Use keyword conversion in your search campaigns and research the websites and apps your target audience uses frequently to create these segments.
Public in the market
In-market audiences allow you to target people who are actively researching or comparing SaaS products or services. Relevant segments include antivirus and security software, video software and accounting software.
The people in these groups have been classified by:
The types of websites they use. The content they interact with. How often they visited relevant websites.
This indicates that they have a relevant intention to convert in the near future.
Like-minded audiences
Lookalike audiences let you reach people based on who they are, what their interests are, and what kinds of habits they have.
Use affinity audience matching options with people in your target audience. For example, high-end computing enthusiasts, PC gamers or power users of cloud services.
2. Use customer match exclusions
With the average CPC for a PPC campaign in 2023 at $4.22, you need to make sure every click counts.
One thing you don’t want to do is pay for clicks from existing customers who want to log into their accounts.
By excluding current customers from seeing ads, you can ensure that your budget is spent on reaching new potential customers, not those who are already using your software.
To do this, create a new audience list by uploading a list of your current customers using your own data, such as email addresses, phone numbers, and user IDs.
Then manually add them as exclusions in the Audience tab of each of your active campaigns.
Consider creating exclusions for those currently in the “lead to sale” process.
For example, those who have already claimed a free trial, are newsletter subscribers or are in contract discussions with the sales team.
There is little value in spending money on those who already are:
Interaction with the software. Communication with the sales team. Receiving marketing communications via emails/newsletters.
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Rarely will a person interacting with your website for the first time be ready to convert.
They are more likely to need time to learn more about your brand, continue to research their situation, consult with alternative suppliers and discuss their options with other stakeholders.
During this period (which can be weeks or months), it is vital to maintain primary awareness. You can’t afford to fall off a prospect’s radar before the final consideration stage.
One way to reach past site visitors and remind them of your product is through remarketing lists and as targeting for display campaigns (Google Ads) or audience ad campaigns (Microsoft Advertising).
The biggest advantage of running these campaigns is that the audience has already shown interest in the software and will therefore have a higher intention to convert.
By contacting these previous site visitors again, you can encourage them to return to your website to convert.
Creating a remarketing list in the Microsoft Advertising platform
To take this to the next level, consider offering something extra in your ad messages that wasn’t available during initial website visits.
This could be more information about your brand, such as a glowing customer review or website rating review, or an extended trial or discount code.
For example: If a website offers a 7-day free trial, remarketing display campaign messages can offer an exclusive 14-day free trial.
While a 7-day trial might not have persuaded a person to convert, an exclusive extended trial might just be what it takes to bring them on board.
4. Participate in competitors’ offers
SaaS is a true dog-eat-dog industry. Brands must do everything they can to outdo their competitors. One way to do this is to participate in competitors’ offers.
Competitor bidding refers to running search campaigns or ad groups with keyword lists targeting competitors’ brand keywords.
So when someone searches for a particular software vendor, they’re presented with an ad for an alternative vendor.
This can be an effective strategy in SaaS, as it allows you to get in front of an audience that is actively looking for a solution that you can offer.
A Jira ad that appears for a search on Monday.com
Consider creating designated landing pages when using competitor offers, where the content is focused on differentiating them from your competitors.
This could include a breakdown of your exclusive features and industry-recognized rating cards, such as those available through G2.
The goal of the page should be to demonstrate what makes your software great, not to be a despairing comment about the competitor’s product.
While this can be a successful way for SaaS brands to steal attention from competitors, it’s always worth remembering that the competitor can retaliate and do the same in return.
This can lead to an aggressive bidding situation where brands end up paying inflated CPCs for their own brand. It is a powerful strategy but should be used with caution.
5. Optimize your ad copy
As the saying goes: you never get a second chance to make a first impression.
Make sure you make the most of your first interactions with potential customers by using copy that is both persuasive and informative.
The message must be demonstrated how your software solves their problem and Because they should choose you over competitors.
Learn how to communicate these points by reading and analyzing reviews and comments left by real users of your software.
These people are in the best position to describe how they have benefited from the product. They will also use terminology and adjectives that will resonate with your target audience.
For example, a Google Ads review on Capterra states:
“Google Ads is very useful in my business as it helps me in advertising, in this era of digital advertising it is very intuitive. Bidding strategies are flexible enough for a variety of businesses, making it easy to run different campaigns. Real-time tracking has also been made easier. Customers and customers can easily find our products online.”
A review of Google Ads on Capterra
This could be used to create messages such as:
Intuitive and easy to use platform. Flexible advertising solutions. Help potential customers find your products online. Campaign types suitable for all businesses.
This type of messaging can help your brand show relevance and relevance to potential customers, helping to reassure them that you’re the solution they need.
PPC strategies to make your SaaS shine
You will need to work hard on your PPC accounts to build brand awareness and influence consideration in a rapidly expanding industry.
Fortunately, there are many types of campaigns and strategies you can implement to help you get there.
The views expressed in this article are those of the guest author and not necessarily Search Engine Land. Staff authors are listed here.
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