When it comes to building a successful business presence online, there are plenty of things you can do. Companies thrive with access to everything from social media marketing, to email newsletters. However, at the heart of every growth strategy, one thing remains essential: content. With so much competition in the world of SaaS, content marketing is more important than ever.
Content marketing offers some of the best ROI of any promotional strategy. Not only does it cost 62% less than the standard outbound marketing strategy (like cold calling), but it also generates up to 3 times the volume of leads according to DemandMetric.
The only problem?
There are still companies out there that don’t think content marketing is suitable for SaaS brands.
We’re here to prove otherwise.
Today, we’ll be looking at 20 SaaS companies consistently churning out sensational content.
- Neil Patel Digital Marketing
The Neil Patel blog is one of the most valuable places online for gaining inspiration and insights into great content marketing. Neil has started various successful SaaS businesses with things like Quick Sprout and KissMetrics.
Each of Patel’s resources online thrives because of a commitment to not just content, but engaging, in-depth guides that go above and beyond the resources anyone else can provide. Neil regularly publishes guides that are thousands of words long. According to Neil, though he spends up to $30,000 on content (and gives it away for free), the results are worth it.
With the help of content, Neil has built a formidable brand for every SaaS venture he engages in online. These days, it’s hard to find anyone who doesn’t know Neil’s name.
- Groove HQ
Groove HQ is a customer service solution designed to support businesses by enhancing their response times, boosting inquiry numbers, and improving customer service. While there are plenty of people that love the Groove SaaS service, the company’s blog has value to offer in its own right.
Each piece of content posted on the Groove blog dives into crucial customer service concerns and queries, helping businesses to overcome the latest issues in their experience strategy. This is a company that knows how important it is to drive value with their posts.
Groove isn’t afraid to get into the nitty-gritty parts of customer service that its customers most want to learn about.
- Copper
Copper is a CRM suite built specifically for users of the G Suite portfolio. Like Groove HQ, the focus of this business is helping companies to get to the bottom of their customer experience strategies and figure out what’s actually driving sales.
The Copper website comes with a huge resources page, packed full of information about everything from productivity strategies to sales and marketing techniques.
Copper’s content is in-depth and well-organized, so you can easily find the guides that are most relevant to your needs. However, the best thing about these posts, is how personal they are. Though written by different people, the blogs on Copper’s website all have the same friendly tone of voice.
- Buffer
If you’ve heard of social media automation before, then you’ve probably heard of Buffer. Buffer’s blog is one of the most comprehensive of the web. It includes access to everything from videos to guide you through website analytics, to webinars. You can even check out Buffer’s new “Breaking Brand” podcast if you prefer to listen to your content.
The best thing about Buffer’s approach to content is that the business isn’t afraid to experiment with different styles and methodologies. If you don’t want to read the content that Buffer provides – that’s fine, you can listen or watch it instead.
On top of that, everything within the Buffer content library is beautifully organized, so you can easily find pieces on everything from social media science to Instagram.
- Slack HQ
Collaboration technology like Slack and Microsoft Teams represents one of the fastest-growing areas of the SaaS landscape today. A freemium model that allows companies to test the power of instant messaging in their own environments is one of the things that has helped tools like Slack to grow.
However, the company also has a dedication to content marketing too. The Slack HQ blog is packed full of information on everything from engineering to marketing, and how the right tools can help teams to grow.
The best thing about Slack is that it organizes its content library into various different sections. You can check out the latest blog posts about the collaboration industry, or you can check out tips and tricks that are related specifically to using Slack.
- Hubspot
It’s almost impossible to talk about SaaS content marketing without giving a shout-out to HubSpot. Although HubSpot is well-known around the world for its amazing software, the company also stands out thanks to its sensational user blog.
Within the Hubspot blog, you’ll find numerous long-form blogs that are designed to help you learn everything you need to know about marketing, technology, and so much more. You can decide whether you want to learn about marketing strategies specifically linked to Hubspot technology, or not.
What’s more, there’s the option to subscribe to the Hubspot blog via email and choose what kind of content you receive in your inbox. Overall, Hubspot provides its customers with endless opportunities to learn. We particularly like how Hubspot tells you exactly how many minutes you’ll spend reading each post before you click in.
- Contently
Contently might have started life as a marketplace for people who needed to source creative talent – but today, it’s so much more. If you need help driving a better presence for your online brand, then Contently can probably help you with that.
Since Contently is all about the power of content and blogging, it would be a surprise if the business didn’t also have an amazing content marketing plan. Fortunately, Contently doesn’t disappoint. The blog is packed full of amazing in-depth pieces from numerous guest authors.
What’s really exciting about Contently, however, not just it’s blogs, but its dedication to promoting original research. Reports and studies help Contently to stand out as one of the thought leaders in the content marketing landscape.
- Movable Ink
Like collaboration tools, email marketing tools are also growing increasingly popular these days. The most valuable email solutions are the ones that can help you to better understand and strengthen your relationship with your target audience. That’s what you get from Movable Ink.
Movable Ink studies and learns from customer behavior, to help companies change their branding to suit their audience. The company is also incredibly good at segmenting its own content marketing. Through in-depth targeting, the brand can ensure that it is sending the most relevant messages to people in specific industries.
Another great thing about Movable Ink’s content marketing strategy is that they’re committed to delivering value in every channel. They don’t just post blogs, they also showcase content on social media, email their audience, and more. There are infographics, case studies, and even webinars to explore within the Movable Ink library.
- Moz
Moz is a well-known and highly-respected marketing analytics software company. The organization uses its blog to expand brand visibility and highlight its position as a thought leader in SEO. Although you can find numerous kinds of content on the Moz website, the best thing about this company’s content strategy is its consistency.
Moz publishes a specific kind of content on a regular basis, so you know exactly what you can expect every day of the week. For instance, Whiteboard Fridays are a popular favorite among customers. In these videos, experts share helpful tips and tricks on topics that are connected to the SEO landscape.
You don’t have to watch the video to access information with Whiteboard Fridays either. You can also access audio clips, transcriptions, and color-coded notes too. This means that Moz appeals to a multitude of learning styles at once.
- Trello
Trello is a productivity tool that supports and encourages business growth by helping to organize everyday employees. Trello has its own blog, where you can learn how to make the most out of your teams. There’s also a newsletter where you can keep up to date on the latest features that appear within the software.
What’s particularly inspiring about Trello, however, is how active the company is on every social media channel. Because the Trello team knows that countless people use social media to stay connected, the brand ensures that it’s available wherever its audience might be.
Most importantly, within those social media posts, Trello also uses feedback, reviews, and testimonials from real-life users. That means that the company has endless pieces of social proof to share.
- Ahrefs
Ahrefs is one of the most valuable tools on the web for analytics and marketing growth. On the Ahrefs blog, you’ll find countless long-form pieces of guide content that often cover several thousands of words. According to the Chief Marketing Officer, Tim Suolo, the crux of the Ahrefs content marketing strategy is to reference the tools that Ahrefs can provide in as much content as possible.
Each Ahrefs blog post makes references to the various tools that the kit can offer, from competitor analysis to keyword research. The blogs are both informative and promotional at the same time. This strategy might seem obvious, but it helped Ahrefs to achieve around 1136% improvements in blog traffic over the course of 3 years.
While the articles from Ahrefs are inherently promotional, they’re not painfully pushy either. They don’t tell you that you have to invest in Ahrefs. Instead, the blogs just highlight how you can solve your problems with these tools.
- Zendesk
Zendesk is a CRM software provider that helps companies to strengthen relationships with customers. The company is fully committed to helping its audience make the most out of their services, with a resource library that includes everything from videos and guides, to webinars.
Like Contently, the great thing about Zendesk is that it doesn’t just re-hash more of the same content that you can find elsewhere. This leading company constantly produces new reports and studies that help you to learn more about the industry. For instance, the business recently published a new State of Messaging Report for 2020.
Another fantastic thing about Zendesk’s content? It’s fun! Exciting visuals and casual language make every piece much easier to read. You feel as though you’re learning about marketing and relationship management from a friend.
- Dropbox
Cloud storage and file sharing solution, Dropbox uses its content marketing strategy to highlight the latest news and updates from the brand. The company is also excellent at leveraging and building social proof – demonstrating how other businesses use the Dropbox solution to grow.
In our opinion, the most exciting thing about the Dropbox content marketing strategy is how the company expands its own reputation and brand reach, by connecting with other thought leaders and influencers.
With guest posts and interviews from some of the world’s biggest names – like Kickstarter’s co-founder, for instance, Dropbox demonstrates its position in the digital world.
Dropbox is also constantly incentivizing its social media followers with things like account updates and VIP giveaways, just to thank them for their loyalty. It’s this kind of innovation that has made Dropbox one of the leading cloud storage options in the world.
- Blackboard
Blackboard is a learning management system for online education. Although the SaaS company is dedicated to providing other experts with what they need to teach and inspire online, the business is also happy to share plenty of lessons of its own.
Sections of the Blackboard blog have been organized based on the kind of information that they provide. You can check out guides for everything from Higher Education, to Corporation and Government support.
Like Dropbox, Blackboard also benefits from a fantastic guest blogging strategy, where it features thought leaders from around the world. This way, Blackboard can highlight its expertise and reputation, while sharing valuable information for readers.
- Databox
Another SaaS content marketing example from a business committed to company data and analytics. Databox stands out in the content landscape for its commitment to a very specific kind of sharing. This company focuses almost exclusively on roundup posts.
With Databox, you can find huge posts dedicated to things like the top 100 tips from expert marketers, or the leading tools that you need to transform your marketing strategy. With this roundup approach, Databox can highlight innovative thought leaders and ideas in an easy-to-consume way.
What’s more, because Databox’s roundup content is so in-depth, it ensures that it can stand out from the crowd when it comes to competing against other marketing analytics tools.
- Shopify
9 out of 10 times, if you’re reading a blog about content marketing and SaaS companies, you’ll find at least some reference to Shopify. That’s because this company doesn’t just provide one of the leading eCommerce tools in the industry. Shopify also provides one of the best content marketing examples too.
Shopify doesn’t just have a blog for content sharing; it also has podcasts, a business encyclopedia, academies where you can learn new skills, guides, and even a comprehensive help center. The tools that you use within the Shopify library will depend on what you’re trying to accomplish with your business.
Shopify’s approach to SaaS content marketing highlights the idea that sharing content is one of the best ways to cement your position at the top of the food chain in any industry. It’s Shopify’s commitment to educating its customers, that makes it one of the market’s most valuable companies.
- Close
Close might not be as well-known as Shopify, but it’s definitely a brand worth checking out when you’re looking for successful examples of SaaS content marketing. The Close company is committed to helping sales teams communicate with clients. The blog for this brand further that aim, by delivering advice and guidance for sales teams in a friendly and engaging tone.
While Close might not go as in-depth with its content as some of the other companies that we’ve covered so far – it’s very good at understanding its niche. The unique tone of voice in every blog post makes it feel as though you’re listening to someone who really understands you and your pain points.
Close are committed to converting complicated topics like sales culture and business intelligence, into straightforward concepts that anyone can understand and leverage.
- Copyhackers
Another excellent example of a company with an amazing personality in their blogs is Copyhackers. This business knows how to use content marketing to build a reputable and memorable brand. That’s important in a digital world where many marketing posts often come across as dry and boring.
While Copyhackers still concentrates on delivering the valuable and in-depth content that you need to make marketing decisions, the company does it with a friendly voice. Check out how relaxed and engaging this post sounds:
Adding a little friendliness to a somewhat daunting concept like marketing can increase the connection that you build with Your target audience. The right tone of voice makes content more accessible and ensures that your audience feels as though they can trust you.
Take a leaf out of Copyhackers’ book with your content and combine useful facts and statistics with a voice that your customers can relate to.
- Wistia
Wistia provides businesses around the world with professional tools for video marketing and hosting. Like many of the SaaS brands that we’ve mentioned so far, Wistia goes beyond the basics of content marketing to provide a full learning center. That center is packed full of videos, guides, and blogs that help you to better understand the Wistia service.
The great thing about Wistia is how focused the content is. The video series answers questions that always come up for Wistia customers. The blog posts are focused on things like production and marketing – crucial considerations for any Wistia user. The content experience feels as though it was built for a very specific user.
Despite their focus, Wistia’s team also isn’t afraid to inject a little humor and fun into their posts from time to time too. It’s that extra touch of personality that makes highly niche posts feel more engaging and appealing – when they could otherwise be deemed boring.
- IBM
Finally, IBM shows that you can truly create content about anything, whether it’s the connection between technology and Rugby, or a guide to tech and Brexit. IBM has a habit of connecting its industry (technology) with some of the most important trending topics in the landscape. This ensures that the brand can constantly demonstrate it’s thought leadership on the cutting edge.
Since a lot of SaaS companies can struggle with coming up with ideas on what to write about or what to record for their next video series, IBM demonstrates an excellent source of inspiration. The more you understand your company and what you can accomplish for your customers, the easier it is to connect your content to the topics that matter to endless readers.
IBM is also an excellent example of how innovation can be crucial in content marketing. The company broke the Guinness World Record for creating the world’s smallest film. Additionally, IBM’s marketing team is constantly taking topics that would otherwise be seen as dull and dry, and transforming them into something captivating.
If IBM can do it – then so can you.
Make the Most of Your Content
Content marketing might not be the newest promotional strategy on the landscape today, but it’s something that’s at the heart of the growth of most major businesses. From IBM to Shopify, countless software brands have built both their reputation and their consumer base with the right content.
Experimenting with some of the tips and tricks you saw above could help you to take your content strategy to the next level too.
Don’t forget, when you do start adding new content strategies into your plan, make sure that you track the results. That’s the best way to know for sure which investments are paying off, and which need to be taken back to the drawing board.
