November 30, 2023
The Best SaaS Conferences You Can't Miss In 2024
Explore must-attend conferences in 2024, including the renowned SaaStr Annual. Follow SaaSMQL for insights into SaaS events 2024.
Your marketing “tech stack” is the set of technologies your organization uses to execute and analyze marketing across the customer lifecycle, and scale your business. The key goal of your marketing tech stack is to measure the impact of your marketing activities - making difficult processes easier.
What we call a marketing “tech stack” is the set of technologies/platforms an organization uses to execute and analyze their marketing across the customer lifecycle, and scale their business. The key goal of your marketing tech stack is to measure the impact of your marketing activities - making difficult processes significantly easier along the way.
The process of deciding which tools will make it into your tech stack can seem daunting when the marketing technology landscape is growing at such a rapid pace. As of 2020, there are over 8,000 Martech solutions available -- up 13.6% from 2019, (source: Scott Brinker).
Before deciding which marketing technologies are right for your organization, one key component you should have in place is a solid customer relationship management software, also known as a CRM. The purpose of the CRM is to manage a company’s interaction with current and potential customers, and help companies stay connected to customers while streamlining processes and improving profitability. Your prospects and customers may be contacting you via a multitude of platforms including email, phone, or social media. Without a common platform to house all of the data surrounding customer and prospect interactions, communications can be missed or lost in the flood of information.
You will need a solid CRM that can integrate seamlessly with the rest of your marketing stack. The most popular choice is Salesforce CRM, however this depends on the size of your organization and the technical experience of your team. If you are not in a position where paying for Salesforce makes sense yet for your company, we recommend using HubSpot’s free CRM tools. With their free version you can store up to a million contacts in your HubSpot database with an unlimited number of users on your team that can access that data. You also have access to some of the main tools you need to manage your database:
The next most important portion of your Sales and Marketing tech stack is your marketing automation software. Marketing automation software is a type of platform designed to help marketers capture leads, nurture them as they move down the funnel, and analyze lead behavior and campaign performance. Several key functionalities are: marketing emails, social media, web marketing, multi-channel marketing, and analytics. This software is often compared to the CRM as the two can have overlapping functions, but the main difference is that the CRM is often the main platform for Sales departments, while marketing automation platforms are made to scale and accelerate marketing efforts while making them still feel personalized and focused.
While Marketo is one of the most widely used marketing automation tools, it’s not very “startup friendly” as you would need to spend a minimum of $15K/year - and that’s without many of their functionalities. We recommend HubSpot Marketing Hub, as their pricing starts at $50/mo.
Another marketing automation alternative that we recommend is focused mainly on email marketing, called ActiveCampaign. We connected it to our DemandGen Club website, so that we can automate the sending of newsletters and welcome emails. You can make every campaign feel personal by sending messages targeted to each contact’s interests, and you can also set up a series with email automation. Segment your contacts, or use simple workflows to automate the marketing day-to-day no one has time for. On the right is an example of a B2C workflow of which emails to send when a customer a) places an order, or b) abandons their cart.
If your company is at the phase where you are just looking to nurture leads via email and engage them with content on dedicated landing pages, we recommend using ActiveCampaign email marketing and automation with a landing page solution, such as the ones below.
Our main SaaSMQL website is hosted on Webflow, which allows us to quickly create new landing pages when needed for only $16/mo. There are other cheap options to consider such as Wordpress, but we have found these to be less user-friendly than Webflow, where you can build production-ready experiences without coding. If your team ends up investing in the paid version of HubSpot, you can take advantage of their landing page builder. If not, another great option we recommend is Leadpages. Their platform can be used to easily build websites, landing pages, pop-ups, alert bars, and more for $48/mo.
For more advanced data management and manipulation, we use AirTable to segment accounts and contacts, and to keep track of campaign records and responses via a system integration (such as Zapier). With AirTable, we are able to house all target accounts and link contacts/accounts to specific data such as location, account tier, revenue, and more. Moreover, we can integrate it with other systems such as our CRM, marketing automation software, and others to keep all data accurate and up to date on all platforms, and build real-time reports and dashboards..
The key to integrating all of these systems into our ABM Engine (shown below) is Zapier. This tool allows us to create “Zaps” that connect our apps to automate repetitive tasks, saving hours of work. It starts with a trigger ( i.e. someone registers for your event), and then a series of actions, such as send a welcome email, wait one week, send a reminder email, etc. You can also create more complicated workflows with custom UTM fields, such as:
LinkedIn Lead → Send to HubSpot (with UTMs) → Send to ActiveCampaign → Enroll in Nurture Sequence
Each time your Zap runs, it will automatically (and securely) send the information from one app to another. There is no coding required, making it a user-friendly tool for all levels of sales and marketing users. There is a free plan for up to 5 zaps, and then $19.99 for the Starter plan with 20 zaps.
There are thousands of tools and systems out there that could help you grow your business. However, instead of selecting tools based on just price or features, marketers must now consider all kinds of factors when building your “stack”. The first step is to ensure your team is working off of a solid CRM. Next, take a look at which stage of growth your organization is in, and decide on the right marketing automation, email marketing, and web/landing page softwares for your company. Finally, you will want a system that can tie all your other tools together, solidifying your marketing engine.
Explore must-attend conferences in 2024, including the renowned SaaStr Annual. Follow SaaSMQL for insights into SaaS events 2024.
In this comprehensive guide, we'll equip you with the tools and knowledge to get started with ABM, delving into how ABM works, key components of successful campaigns, and best practices for marketing to high-value accounts.
If you’re a small business in the SaaS space, the marketing landscape can seem overwhelming. There are countless platforms and apps out there that claim to help your business grow, but not all of them will be right for you.
As a SaaS company, you know that the success of your business depends on the number of new customers you get. You also know that it's getting harder and harder to get those leads because your competition is fierce.
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No matter what stage your SaaS startup is in, landing a whale–a big client that will account for a majority of your revenue–will help you generate the ARR required to keep growing. At this year’s SaaStr, the team at SaaSMQL showed hundreds of SaaS leaders an effective way to do just that. 🐳
Last year we shipped over 27,000 boxes on behalf of our clients. and learned a few lessons along the way. In this article, we’ll lay it all out for you.
SaaS demand generation is an essential part of getting new customers and growing your business, but it's not easy to do well. Read these 7 precious tips on how to build a powerful SaaS demand generation machine.
Let's take a look at the components of a great SaaS direct mail campaign that you can implement today to spur new growth.
In this piece, we will explore 15 of the most common mistakes beginners make with SaaS Marketing, and how to avoid them, so you can save time and energy lost by following ineffective methods.
What does it actually cost to get a new customer? This is a vital metric to master if you are looking to scale up your business in the near future. If you are a SaaS startup looking to build a predictable customer acquisition engine, or a SaaS Company that is ready to scale, this article is for yo
Demand generation is the most crucial role for every SaaS company. Startups need to get on board with key strategies that promote SaaS lead generation, and generate a consistent pipeline to feed the growing sales team. Do you have all the necessary elements in place to run a successful demand gene
In the following guide, we walk you through the basics of ABM and customer lifetime value — and why CLV is so critical for an effective account-based marketing strategy in the world of SaaS ABM.
SaaS demand generation can be complicated, but there are many ways to get your product to the front of your potential customers’ minds. Here we’ll go over some SaaS lead generation techniques that you can use to increase sales and beat the competition.
This article will discuss why direct mail marketing is so important for ABM's success and how to create an effective campaign. We'll also share some tips on measuring the success of your direct mail marketing campaigns.
SaaS direct mail is also a powerful way to reach decision makers and influencers at companies that aren’t currently using your product or service. When used as part of an account-based strategy, your integrated direct mail has the ability to amplify your results exponentially.
In this article we explain why it's so important for SaaS companies to use outbound strategies and the six steps you need to follow in order to execute effective outbound campaigns.
If you are serious about growth in 2022, and who wouldn’t be with what the global economy just endured, then plan to attend at least one of 2022’s Top 12 SaaS Conferences.
When it comes to SaaS growth, you want to make sure that you are putting your best foot forward. This means working with the best account based marketing agency possible. How do you choose?
We have compiled a list of the top platforms for every SaaS companies interested in launching and scaling their Account-Based Marketing strategy.
Nurturing enterprise accounts requires continuous education through multiple channels before they might see a need for your solution. Here we discuss the most effective ways to use multiple channels to nurture your target accounts.
The shift to virtual events in 2020 and 2021, along with uncertainty about when live events will resume, makes this year’s budget planning a bit tougher than others. However, you can use the same methodology to set your team up for success in 2022.
If you’re targeting mid-market or enterprise companies, you can't rely on a single channel to drive engagement and qualified leads. Here we share examples of campaigns with solid ROI and show how to integrate different channels into a unique workflow.
HubSpot and Marketo are considered the #1 and #2 marketing automation softwares in the world. ActiveCampaign, on the other hand, is a powerful and easy-to-use marketing automation & sales CRM platform designed for small businesses on a budget. How do you decide which is right for you?
You might have a golden list of accounts that the sales team wants to focus on, but you don’t have the budget for a shiny new ABM platform. Jasmine Chung, Demand Generation Manager at Openprise, showed us how they are doing it at their company and the results they are seeing.
Intellimize used SaaSMQL’s expertise to launch targeted ABM campaigns, integrating Direct Mail with automated emails and LinkedIn ads to engage with 800 accounts within their ideal customer profile. Their investment generated $4.6M in ARR pipeline.
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By tracking and taking action in improving essential metrics you can position your team for better performance and productivity. Here we provide some insights into what we believe are the most important KPIs every young B2B SaaS company should track as soon as revenue streams arise.
Here we explain step-by-step how at SaaSMQL we are able to consistently generate over $1M in new sales pipeline every month by using a targeted direct mail approach. We also discuss mistakes to avoid during the process and how to track the campaign performance.
Direct mail is the best-performing direct response channel, bringing in results “10 to 30 times better than email”. Most companies don’t leverage direct mail because it's hard to execute, and requires plenty of time and resources. Here we will go over the 7 steps to launching a direct mail campaign.
In a recent webinar for DemandGen Club, Arun Sivashankaran (Founder & CEO of FunnelEnvy) shared the good, bad, and ugly from his years of experience with B2B demand generation teams tackling account based analytics & personalization.
How do you know which programs are generating qualified leads and pipeline, and which aren’t? How can you make sure a lead is tagged correctly throughout the entirety of their buying journey? Here we discuss the basics of B2B marketing attribution.
Modern ABM marketers are seeing direct mail emerge as an effective channel for B2B companies to engage and convert target accounts. When direct mail campaigns are integrated into a broader account-based marketing strategy, they become a powerful channel to break through noise and reach prospects.
Given the special nature of a direct mail package, it’s no wonder the average response rates are higher than email. Receiving a nice gift right at your desk in the middle of the work week is memorable, and shows that the sender made the effort to do something different.
A strong Demand Generation program allows a company to predictably scale the number of Opps sourced by simply increasing marketing spend. Whether you’re just starting out or have been running Demand Gen programs for years, here are a few core “sins” that your team should avoid at all costs.
Intent data can tell you when your target accounts show strong buying signals, allowing you to target the right people at the right time. Yet, many sales and marketing teams still aren’t sure how to include this new type of data in their workflows, let alone incorporate it into actionable programs.
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The lead handoff process is one of the biggest bottlenecks for every company trying to grow their sales pipeline. Marketing has invested money and resources to generate qualified leads, but they are not always properly assigned to the Sales team and followed-up with.
Low confidence in marketing attribution and ROI often causes SaaS companies to cut investments on demand generation. By tracking your CAC and the value of each stage of your marketing funnel, you can allocate your budget to drive real growth.
When direct mail campaigns are integrated into a broader account-based marketing strategy, they become a powerful channel to break through the noise and reach your ideal contacts.
Learn how to build effective Account-Based Marketing campaigns using LinkedIn Ads. We'll present specific examples and step-by-step instructions on how to target your named accounts and drive qualified leads.
In this video you'll learn how you can leverage intent data to increase conversion on your ABM campaigns and engage with your target accounts. We'll provide an intro about buyer intent data, the difference between 1st party data and 3rd party data, and how to track customers' offsite behaviors.
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In this video you'll learn how to build the right target account list. By focusing all your efforts toward the ideal accounts, you'll maximize campaign's efficacy and conversion.
In this video we'll share lessons on how to generate pipeline sponsoring third-party conferences, how to best manage follow-ups and track results, and how to scale the strategy to 100+ events per year. We'll also discuss about best practices on how to run your first user conference successfully.
Direct mail has been emerging as an effective channel for B2B companies to engage and convert their target accounts. When direct mail campaigns are integrated into a broader account-based marketing strategy, they become a powerful channel to break through the noise and reach your ideal contacts.
The 8 most common sales mistakes that I frequently notice in venture-funded SaaS startups. These include adding territories too early or hire a bunch of AEs when there is no pipeline. Avoiding these early mistakes will impact your ARR from the beginning.
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SaaSMQL is an Account-Based Marketing agency that helps SaaS startups scale recurring revenue with high-impact multichannel campaigns.
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