When is it time for your SaaS business to use a marketing agency?

For small or startup SaaS companies, thinking about when to engage the services of a professional marketing agency can take them round and round in circles; you need help to get your product seen in order to generate more revenue, but you need funds coming in to meet the costs of hiring the people who can make that happen.

Should you invest in a marketing team before you push your product forward, or build up a DIY strategy to hand over when the business becomes more established? If you’re unsure when to call in the expertise of an agency, use our checklist to see if you’re ready to benefit from hiring industry insiders.

1. You have a budget in place

If you already have enough money in place to accommodate the use of third party marketers, then you’ll be able to capitalise on agency know-how early on. Many SMEs undertake their own online and offline marketing in order to save money that they just don’t have, but if you have already factored this into your startup plan, then you’ll have the power of an agency behind you as you launch into the market.

2. Your core time is being taken up by marketing

Doing your own marketing, PR and social media can be a great way to initially save money, but it can also be a detailed and time-consuming task. If you find yourself only remembering to Tweet in the middle of the night, or writing blog posts when you could be following new customer leads, it’s probably time to delegate. Outsourcing the marketing department of your SaaS business will give you back the time you need to focus on your core business activities.

3. Your approach has become too ad-hoc

When you’re building a SaaS business, you’ll be working on so many different projects at once that you can be forgiven for having a scatter gun approach to marketing. You may be trying out all sorts of different techniques and styles as and when you have time, with not enough emphasis placed on producing a targeted and consistent campaign. A marketing agency will be able to produce a focused strategy, driven by specialists who understand exactly what needs to be done, and when.

4. You lack the relevant know-how

Whilst marketing may seem like an inexact science when you’re starting out, you may quickly find yourself out of your depth as you juggle website analysis, customer profiling, advertising ideas and thought leadership content. There’s no substitute for using an agency of professional writers, talented designers, digital strategists and website developers to ensure that the marketing work you’re producing is of the standard expected by your customers and peers, and that your brand is only being represented in the right ways. 

5. Your marketing just isn’t working

You may be trying everything you can think of to get your business noticed, but somehow your marketing attempts aren’t coming together, or worse, may be actively harming the perception of your brand. You may be putting the hours in, but not communicating the right messages, or implementing a cohesive campaign, and seeing little to no response. A marketing agency will be experienced in understanding your audience and how to engage with them, and where you’ve been unable to generate interest, you’ll quickly see successful results.

You’re not alone when you outsource with Xander Marketing

Marketing your SaaS startup yourself can be tough, which is why you need the support of a professional marketing agency to drive awareness and bring in leads. Xander Marketing works with many SaaS businesses to improve their websites, create thought leadership content, and execute marketing campaigns that engage new and ongoing business prospects. If you’d like to put your marketing safely in someone else’s hands, get in touch.