SaaS is one of the booming sectors of the digital economy - and the majority of software vendors use content as part of their marketing mix. But how do you write effective content for this sector? Let’s find out.

Software as a Service, or SaaS, is where tech meets business. Briefly, SaaS is software that makes businesses more efficient or more productive. However, where it differs from traditional software is through its delivery. SaaS products are delivered over the web, with data stored in a cloud that can be accessed from anywhere with an internet connection. Users pay for SaaS solutions using a monthly or yearly subscription rather than buying it outright, as you would with traditional software products.

SaaS as a sector is booming. In 2020, total revenues in the industry were $105 billion. By 2022, this is predicted to reach $145 billion. The Coronavirus pandemic has actually boosted the fortunes of many SaaS companies, especially those with products that help teams work remotely.

For several reasons, many SaaS, software and tech companies create content to help win customers. But crafting content that works in these industries may require a slightly different approach from other industries.

Examples of software content

When you visit a software company’s website, it’s likely you’ll find a wide range of content to educate you about their software solution, including:

• Articles and blogs – providing information and comment that appeals to potential buyers. Companies can also republish articles on LinkedIn

• eBooks and whitepapers – more in-depth pieces of content that potential customers can download in exchange for their email address

• Videos and podcasts – because some buyers prefer to watch or listen rather than read

Content creators at software companies may also create other pieces of content such as email sequences that educate potential customers about their tech solution, or newsletters that keep subscribers updated on new features and industry developments.

Why software companies love content

Software companies create content because it fits in with the way their potential buyers want to buy.

People who buy tech solutions for their business prefer to do their own research rather than shop around. They’ll complete approximately 60% of the buying process before they engage with a salesperson. So, software companies need to start a relationship with a buyer, educating them and nudging them along the journey to becoming a customer, without any human contact. Content is the ideal way to do that.

By creating evergreen content that can sit on your website and not go out of date, optimised to rank well on Google and give the reader the information they want to see, software companies can generate leads and turn them into customers.

However, with so much content out there, you have to get your content right, stand out from the crowd and connect quickly with your potential customer. Here are four tips for getting it right.

1. Know your audience

This is a golden rule for content writing in any sector, but in SaaS, software and tech, it’s essential. Because these products tend to perform quite specific functions, companies tend to target extremely narrow niches. They create ideal customer profiles (ICPs) that go into considerable depth. When you craft content for software companies, you need to know who you’re writing it for and tailor it to match.

You also need to think of where the ideal customer you’re writing for is on their customer journey. Ask questions such as:

• Does your reader know anything about your company or your product?

• Are they aware that your product may be able to help them?

• Do they even know that they have the problem that your product solves?

• Are they at the stage where they’re comparing you to competitors?

• Could they benefit from talking to your sales team?

The answers to questions like these will dictate how you write your piece of content.

2. Keep it simple

Many products are pretty complex, performing specific tasks and offering benefits that can be difficult to quantify. It’s the job of the content writer to make it simple, explaining these complex factors in ways that everyone can understand. You can’t educate your ideal prospect or nudge them towards becoming a customer if they can’t understand a word you’re saying!

When you’re writing content for the software industry, the best advice is to keep it simple, keep jargon to a minimum, and get to the point quickly. Your potential customer’s time is precious and if they can’t find what they’ll need, they’ll go somewhere else.

3. Solve a problem

Great content in the software sector isn’t an advertisement. It will barely mention the company’s product. Instead, it solves a problem that the reader (the ideal customer) is facing and promises something more if they continue their relationship with your content.

Think about what your ideal customer does every day and offer them advice on doing it better. Share new ideas and developments in the industry. Give them something they can use straight away. When you solve a problem, you build authority. It makes you look like you know what you’re doing. Potential customers like that – and they remember it.

You don’t have to go on about how great your product is. Save that for the sales team.

4. Tell them what to do next

If someone has got to the end of your piece of content without switching away, they probably like what they see. Now, you have the right to nudge them in the direction you choose. It’s time to move your relationship along a step.

You must end every piece of content with a call to action (CTA). For software content, this will not be ‘buy this product now’. Instead, it will match the stage the ideal reader is at on their customer journey.

Possible calls to action include:

• Read another article

• Download an eBook or whitepaper

• Book a call or product demo

Find out more from Sookio

Follow our tips and your content will stand out in the competitive world of SaaS, software and tech.

If you’re launching a new tech product or want to give an existing one some sparkle, you need the Sookio team in your corner.

Talk to us today.