Maybe you’ve been putting out your own paid ads so far. Or if you’re anything like 3 out of 4 of our clients, you’ve hired a SaaS ad agency and were disappointed with the results.
Either way, you’ve wasted money on ads. And this is what really annoys us at Yatter, because so many of our clients come to us having worked with an agency that hasn’t delivered them results, and hasn’t communicated with them during the process.
This is why we’re writing this article, because we want you to find the right SaaS B2B ads agency that’ll deliver leads or customers – and that actually delivers on its promises.
- Understanding SaaS B2B advertising
- Why aren’t your current paid ads working – and how do you find a better SaaS ad agency?
- Collaborating with Yatter as your SaaS ad agency
Understanding SaaS B2B advertising
By SaaS B2B advertising, we simply mean running paid ads to help other businesses find out about your software as a service – and take action. You need to generate leads for your SaaS business, and advertising is one of the best ways to do that.
By creating the right ads for your specific target audience and managing them successfully, you will:
- Reach more people and much faster than if you were to rely on organic marketing alone
- Increase your engagement on social media
- Maximise your brand awareness
- Boost your lead generation
- Get more sales
That’s the same for both B2C and B2B SaaS marketing and advertising.
However, there’s a big difference: while B2C focuses on grabbing the attention of the end consumer, SaaS B2B ads must impress busy founders or managers… who are already bombarded with all kinds of SaaS promotions!
And, of course, these ads must get them to understand why this product would be the right investment for their business and why they should choose you.
Why aren’t your current paid ads working – and how do you find a better SaaS ad agency?
If you’ve already been putting out ads but aren’t happy with the results, we’re pretty sure it’s because of one (or more) of these problems.
1. You’re not creating ads that stand out against your fierce competition
The SaaS industry has increased in size by 500% in only 7 years. Because it’s getting more and more saturated, that means A LOT of competition for you.
Your target clients already see plenty of ads and promotions from other B2B SaaS companies, often offering extremely similar solutions.
So, you can’t expect to stand out with an average or generic ad!
How to find the right SaaS ad agency to fix this problem
You need a social media or SaaS ad agency that goes beyond “managing” ads: they must create the right scroll-stopping ads to begin with.
So, look for a creative ad agency. A company that specialises in bringing video, graphics and copy together – and strategically.
2. Your copy isn’t making your software easy to understand
B2B SaaS marketing must overcome a big challenge: making a “complicated” product sound simple. Ironically, this industry is also plagued by jargon and vague buzzwords that make it even harder to understand!
But your audience will decide in only 1.7 seconds whether or not to keep engaging with your ads. So, if your current copy and visuals don’t help them understand what your SaaS product is about – and fast?
You’ll lose them. Simple.
How to find the right SaaS ad agency to fix this problem
Choose an ad agency that relies on specialist copywriters – the kind who’ll use the right words to stop your audience from scrolling away.
And yes, even if you think ‘oh, AI can write my ad copy,’ you still need someone with a good understanding of what compelling copy looks like AND knows how to use good prompts to get there.
3. You’re losing your audience after a free trial
Most SaaS B2B companies put all their paid ad eggs in one basket: signing up for a free trial. And don’t get us wrong! In most cases, encouraging free trials is the most logical solution.
But what happens? Many people will click on your ad (which will cost you money, of course), sign up for the free trial, and then… disappear forever.
This might be happening to you if:
- Your audience doesn’t fully understand your SaaS
- They aren’t onboarded correctly
- They don’t see the value in the software
- They don’t make time to use it during the free trial
But without the right strategy and exit questionnaire, you’ll never find out. You can’t afford to rely on guesswork!
How to find the right SaaS ad agency to fix this problem
Unfortunately, some agencies are only interested in getting you clicks to show you that their ads “are working”.
Instead, look for agencies that understand both the SaaS B2B industry and your specific product.
You need an agency that can work with you, understanding these problems and how you can fix them. Not one that says, ‘well it’s not our fault!’
4. Your landing page is poor
Maybe you do have a decent click-through rate (so, your audience is clicking on your ads) but your conversions are low (i.e. not enough of them join or sign up for the free trial).
If that’s the case, your problem has less to do with the actual ad and more with the landing page it links to.
Ideally, you want your conversions to be at around 30%. Let’s say, 100 people have clicked on your ad? 30 of the ones who see your landing page should sign up and see your ‘thank you’ page, too!
Otherwise, it means there’s something wrong with your landing page copy, images or videos – or all three of them.
How to find the right SaaS ad agency to fix this problem
The wrong agency starts running ads that link to whatever landing page you give them.
The right agency? They understand what an effective landing page should include and look like. So, they’ll also give you some honest feedback and recommendations before your ads go live.
Remember, you need an ads agency that doesn’t only focus on the ads, but the bigger picture.
5. Your ad content might be wrong in the first place
You need to really understand your target audience and be realistic with what you’re asking from them.
For example, have you got the type of SaaS business that requires your clients to book a demo? Expecting them to part with a chunky sum of money after only hearing about you once… Well, that’d be like asking someone to marry you on the first date!
So, if your ads are currently directing people to a ‘book a demo’ landing page, that’s probably why they aren’t working.
Instead, it’d be more effective to offer your audience a free lead magnet (like a targeted whitepaper, an engaging video series, an intensive workshop, or a fun and insightful quiz) in exchange for their contact details.
That way, you can build trust and a stronger relationship with them – and then ask them to sign up for that demo.
How to find the right SaaS ad agency to fix this problem
Stay clear of agencies relying on a cookie-cutter approach and “get rich quick” promises.
You need a social media or SaaS LinkedIn agency that goes beyond ads. An agency that understands wider SaaS marketing strategies (like content marketing and email marketing), the buyer’s journey and, most importantly, how and where your ads fit with both.
6. Your current ad agency just isn’t guiding you
If you’re not getting regular feedback from your agency, that’s probably why you aren’t seeing the right results from your ads.
Maybe your agency isn’t sharing important stats with you, like the reach and click-through rate of your paid ads or the landing page views they’re getting you.
Or perhaps the ads do attract a lot of free trial sign ups… but too many of those clients leave as soon as that’s over.
How to find the right SaaS ad agency to fix this problem
You shouldn’t rely on an agency that disappears after putting your ads out.
Look for an ad agency that reports back to you regularly, keeps you involved, and delivers excellent customer service.
The right agency will always be honest and transparent, too. They’ll keep a close eye on your ads and let you know what is and isn’t working – and actually fix the latter instead of ghosting you for weeks or months.
Collaborating with Yatter as your SaaS ad agency
We do things a little differently because… most of our clients come to us when they’re THIS close to losing faith in the entire paid ad industry! All because their previous ad agency had caused some of the problems we’ve just analysed together.
So, at Yatter, we don’t try to wow you with fancy buzzwords or the promise of quick wins – only to then take your money and disappear.
Instead, we’ll always recommend the right approach for your specific business and focus on getting you actual leads and sales (not just vanity metrics). We’ll also keep you in the loop with weekly check-ins, monthly reports, and quarterly planning meetings.
If you’ve had enough of wasting money on the wrong ads or agencies, let us help. We’ll start by discussing your current marketing, identifying what can be improved and telling you how we’d fix it to boost your sales. Sounds like a plan? Book a free strategy call with one of our SaaS ad agency specialists.
