Finding a quality SaaS marketing agency isn’t as easy as some people might think. A common thing about these service providers is that they rarely receive online reviews and mentions, making it hard to assess their work before a project. Another risk factor is that many SaaS agencies hail from other countries, which complicates any type of contract signing.
Despite these inherent issues, outsourcing software marketing is still the right move. If you manage to find the right partner, you’ll never have to go through the tedious business of building an internal team. Besides cutting your expenses, the right provider can also boost your lead generation and brand awareness.
Most entrepreneurs are very tactical when interviewing SaaS marketing agencies. They take their time revising available options and finding an ideal for their vertical. Some veterans even use the 10-step rules mentioned in this article, which will help them separate the wheat from the chaff.
Should I Even Outsource SaaS Marketing?
Before we get into the rules for hiring SaaS providers, we want to answer the most important question – Should you outsource your marketing to another company? In most cases, the answer is a resounding yes, although there are a few situations where forming an in-house team would be a better option.
Benefits of SaaS Marketing Outsourcing
Here’s a breakdown of all the reasons why you should outsource:
- Unless you’re willing to spend lots of money to onboard top-tier talent, your team’s results will usually be inferior compared to those of an outsourced agency. Specialized providers know a lot about your vertical and have numerous projects under their belts. As such, they are a simple plug-and-play solution that will provide fantastic results in a short amount of time
- New SaaS companies hire an outsourced marketing team right off the bat to generate leads quickly for their business. If you’re waiting to form an in-house marketing department, you’re losing an opportunity to skyrocket your brand upon software release
- Forming an internal team will bind your marketing money without anything to show for it. You’ll spend weeks without end looking for talent, creating workflows, and looking for marketing software before you can send the first email or create your first article
- Hiring an outsourced agency also minimizes your micromanagement. You can focus on software development and adding new features instead of losing time on processes you know little about
- Outsourcing is especially great for smaller providers. These businesses don’t benefit from having a large internal team and having a comprehensive marketing strategy that involves numerous tactics. So, by going with a smaller provider, they can utilize a customized package based on their particular needs
Drawbacks of SaaS Marketing Outsourcing
Unfortunately, there are also certain cases where partnering with a SaaS marketing agency isn’t the best choice:
- If you’re looking for a solid, long-term solution, it’s much better to create an in-house team. Although forming a team will be more expensive at first, you will eventually become more efficient than if you were to outsource the service. This is especially true if you hire beginner marketers and slowly start teaching them the craft
- With an in-house team, you can exercise much more control. You know what’s happening at all times, and you have veteran project managers who oversee the campaigns. Unlike external providers, who are sometimes sloppy with sending reports, you’ll always be in the loop
- Internal teams are also much better if you want to be proactive. When you have your own marketing department, you can tinker with various strategies as you’re looking for one that is best suited for your business
10 Hiring Rules
Like with any other external service provider, you need to be very careful when looking for SaaS marketing agencies. Some of them aren’t even registered, and besides their website, there aren’t many ways you can get in touch with their representatives if anything goes awry. What’s worse is that the providers rarely offer any guarantees or sign contracts.
Because of that, we’ve decided to share the following 10 rules that will help you out immensely during interviewing and hiring!
1. Ask for Recommendations
The first thing you need to do is ask your colleagues for recommendations. Simply put, the risks of hiring an external agency can be really high, which is why you need to be certain that a provider won’t mess up your site or social media accounts.
If you don’t know anyone who can help you out, you might try visiting online marketing forums or popular groups. After connecting with several guys, you can figure out which ones of them are legit.
2. Perform a Thorough Google Search
Another great way to find good providers is going through Google search and focusing on page one results. Good agencies know how to perform search engine optimization and use ads, so you’ll find great businesses at the top of the rankings. Make sure to use relevant SaaS queries to find agencies that specialize in software promotions.
3. Check Third-Party Reviews
Most marketing agencies don’t get that many reviews in Google, Yelp, and other general aggregates. However, they might receive a few reviews from specialized sites that do deep-dive analysis of marketing and software companies.
Not only do these reviews have scores, but they often break down the biggest strengths and weaknesses of a business. You can learn more about their best services, how much time they need to show results, and how they handle clients.
4. Assess Their Website
If a marketing provider can’t take care of its website, how will it improve its own? One of the simplest checkups is site analysis, where you’ll go through their platform to see if it’s working properly. Besides design, you should also pay attention to user experience, loading speed, errors, and mobile optimization.
If you can, it wouldn’t be bad to hire a marketing assistant for this one. A proficient marketer can analyze a website’s links, content, and other elements you might’ve not noticed.
5. Assess Their SaaS Expertise
Marketing agencies are willing to serve any client that comes through their doors. However, that doesn’t mean you should hire a company that does all sorts of jobs. Focusing on specialized SaaS providers ensures that you’ll get the best support and results during campaigns.
So, how do you check if a marketing agency focuses on software marketing? It’s simple; all you have to do is check their landing pages and the name of the company. If they often talk about SaaS, there’s a good chance this is their primary specialization.
6. Pay Attention to Testimonials
Using testimonials on the homepage has become a common strategy for marketing providers, as well as other types of service businesses. In fact, lacking testimonials is often seen as potentially suspicious as it might indicate that a company hasn’t had a noteworthy client.
While on the marketing agency’s site, scroll down to the bottom of their homepage to look for testimonials. You might also check their About Us and Contact pages. While the lack of testimonials isn’t a nail in the coffin, it is usually seen as a bad sign.
7. Conduct Thorough Interview
You can learn a lot about the agency during the interview. Set aside an hour or two to interview their manager and look for small signs about the company. For example, you should check if they’re working from home or from the office, how the owner dresses, and whether he’s respectful during the chat.
8. Listen to Their English
Strangely enough, a limited understanding of English can be a major issue when working with marketing agencies. Software businesses often outsource their services to foreign countries, which is why this issue occurs in the first place. Misunderstanding each other during planning phases can completely ruin your project before it starts.
9. Ask About Software
Marketing has become a heavily data-driven activity. Companies use real-time software for just about any minor process, ranging from content generation to scheduling, predictive analysis, and link building. That being said, you should always hire agencies that use numerous, expensive programs, as this increases the chance of success.
10. Ask About Prices
Price can be a good indicator of qualities. Cheap marketing companies almost never produce good results, while expensive agencies might come off as greedy. We always suggest users find the golden middle, as you’ll be able to save some money while ensuring that the service is good enough.
Conclusion
As long as you follow our 10 golden rules, you’ll have no trouble finding a reputable SaaS marketing agency. A quality provider can make such a major difference for your brand, ensuring a steady generation of leads and, with that, an increase in revenues. Take your time analyzing potential partners and find the one that specializes in the software industry!
