Digital Marketing Agency for SaaS: How to Make the Right Choice

Are you finding it challenging to convert new clientele for your business?

According to Forbes, Americans are exposed to between 4,000 and 10,000 ads daily.

If you’re thinking about hiring a SaaS PPC agency to manage your SaaS PPC campaigns, you will likely know the immense value of PPC in driving traffic to your website and increasing your leads and sales.

But with Google’s constantly changing algorithm, the cost of bidding on competitive keywords can skyrocket. Hence, it is more critical than ever to ensure that you’re partnering with an experienced digital marketing agency for SaaS that knows how to optimize your campaigns with proven SaaS strategies that will get you results and keep your costs low.

This decision can be tricky, and it’s common to second-guess your choice later on or realize that you should have gone with someone else. To make the right choice, you must consider what matters most to you and your budget and time frame.

This article will show you how to choose the right SaaS advertising agency just as soon as we are done covering the basics of PPC for SaaS brands. Here’s what you can look forward to learning:

• What is SaaS marketing?
• The concept of PPC advertising
• Benefits of PPC advertising for SaaS brands
• Understanding the differences between PPC goals for B2C and B2B-focused SaaS brands
• PPC best practices
• How SaaS PPC works in different stages of the sales funnel
• 15 Key metrics to monitor the performance of your SaaS PPC campaign
• When to consider hiring a PPC agency
• Pros of hiring a PPC agency
• What to expect from the best PPC agency:
• Factors to consider before hiring a PPC agency for your software company
• Top tools PPC Agencies use to achieve success
• The fee structure of a SaaS PPC agency

Let’s start by answering a vital question–what is SaaS marketing?

What is SaaS Marketing?

Based on the business model of software as a service, SaaS marketing isn’t just another buzzword—it’s an integral part of ensuring that your product or service reaches the right audience and converting them into sales and lifetime customers.

SaaS (software as a service) is a term that refers to business models where software applications are provided via Internet-based subscriptions, as opposed to physical storage media (like CD-ROMs or DVDs) or rented on a per-use basis.

In the software industry, Software as a Service (SaaS) refers to an application that provides services to the customer over the internet, rather than requiring the customer to install software on their computer’s hard drive or another external device.

All customers can use these applications, including small and mid-sized businesses that may not have access to extensive IT teams.

In SaaS, marketers focus on nurturing customer relationships. They can effectively understand their customers’ needs and patterns by employing predictive analytics based on data collection and large sets of consumer behavior history.

(Source: Mario Peshev)

As part of SaaS marketing, it’s essential to educate your target market about SaaS applications and how they can benefit them and their business operations.

Now that we’ve dealt with the question “What is SaaS marketing,” let’s move into PPC marketing for SaaS.

The Concept of PPC Advertising

PPC advertising, or pay-per-click (PPC) advertising, is one of the best ways for SaaS brands to connect with new leads effectively.

(Source: Knowmad)

When you advertise on search engines like Google, you can use ad words that generate interest in your products and services. These SaaS ads can appear in various places: at the top and sidebars of search engine result pages (SERPs), as sponsored listings on websites, and within social media feeds. In addition, the SaaS ads often contain text and images from a brand’s website.

Advertisers only pay when someone clicks their SaaS ad – but there are some tricks to landing these clicks!

Every PPC for SaaS campaign aims to make money through increased conversion rates and decreased costs per click. With careful planning, businesses can maximize profits by increasing overall sales while keeping costs low. It’s also essential to understand how different campaigns affect conversions differently.

As far as online SaaS marketing goes, PPC for SaaS is relatively inexpensive because advertisers only pay when someone clicks their ad. And it can be very effective if used correctly; according to a survey conducted by Clutch, 75% of people (three-fourth) said paid ads have helped them find the information they are looking for online.

(Source: Clutch)

With thousands of online properties from which to choose—and hundreds of millions of internet users worldwide—it’s vital to have access to various SaaS marketing channels when promoting your business online.

Here are five paid advertising platforms that stand out as some of today’s best options:

• Facebook Ads (Facebook)
• Google Ads (Google)
• LinkedIn Ads (LinkedIn)
• Twitter Ads (Twitter)
• Bing Ads (Microsoft Bing)

Benefits of PPC Advertising for SaaS Brands

More than any other type of SaaS advertising, PPC ads give you a clear idea of how much it costs to acquire a customer or lead, allowing you to control your costs better.

Unlike other forms of advertising like print ads or TV commercials, with SaaS PPC advertising, you only pay when someone clicks on an ad (or takes another desired action). This advantage makes it such a cost-effective form of marketing for SaaS brands like yours.

(Source: Addon Solutions)

Let’s talk about some key benefits of PPC marketing for SaaS brands:

1) Better ROI:

The real advantage of using PPC for SaaS ads is measuring your return on investment (ROI). You can also easily track how much it costs you to acquire a customer and how much profit you make from each customer.

Besides, you are likely to make an average of $8 for every $1.60 you spend on ads.

This advantage is not possible with other forms of SaaS advertising like print ads or TV commercials.

2) Competitive Advantage Over Non-PPC Advertisers:

Statista reports that the software as a service (SaaS) market, estimated to be worth about $152 billion in 2021, could reach $208 billion by 2023.

Technavio announced its latest market research report titled Software as a Service (SaaS) Market by Deployment and Geography – Forecast and Analysis 2021-2025

(Source: Technavio)

Many SaaS brands think they can rely solely on organic search results to bring in leads, but most searches are conducted through paid ads.

Organic results usually appear in search engine results pages (SERPs) at least below third place. Therefore, your SaaS ad will have more visibility if you use PPC instead of relying solely on organic results.

3) Increase in the Number of Leads and Sales:

One of the most significant advantages of PPC for SaaS brands is that PPC ads help them get more leads than any other form of SaaS advertising.

According to HubSpot, 33% of all marketers say they use paid ads to increase brand awareness.

4) Cost Savings in Terms of Both Time and Money:

Using PPC ads will save you money because you only pay when someone clicks on an ad or takes another desired action. If no one clicks on your ad, you don’t pay anything.

5) It Allows You to Run Specific, Targeted Campaignsz

Another advantage of PPC marketing for SaaS brands is allowing you to target potential customers with particular ads.

For example, suppose your product is designed for small businesses with 20 employees or less and is based in New York City. In that case, you can optimize your SaaS ad to show up only when someone searches for keywords related to small businesses in NYC.

In addition, you can use Google’s Custom Segments to create a custom audience on Google and Facebook. These audiences will allow you to reach people who already know about your brand, increasing conversions and sales!

6) Allows Quick Responses to Changing Trends in Buyer Behavior:

When buyers search online, they often do so with precise questions and needs. As these needs change over time, you must stay ahead of them by tailoring your messaging accordingly. The best way to keep taps on changing trends is through SaaS PPC advertising.

7) Allows You to Run Geo-targeted Campaigns so that People from Specific Areas Can See Your Ads as Well as Locals:

For example, if a person lives in Boston, why would they want to see an advertisement from a company based out of Los Angeles?

With geo-targeting, companies like yours can increase visibility among their ideal customer base while saving money by not wasting money showing SaaS ads outside their target area.

Understanding the Differences between PPC Goals for B2C and B2B-focused SaaS Brands

As a SaaS startup business owner, you understand the importance of investing in your digital marketing for SaaS startups campaigns.

It allows you to reach potential customers, but it can also provide valuable data about what messaging resonates best with your target audience and how much those users are willing to spend when they decide to make a purchase.

SaaS PPC campaigns are a popular and effective way to increase brand awareness, drive website traffic, and generate leads. When implemented correctly, SaaS PPC campaigns can achieve all of the goals that digital marketing strategists intend to accomplish.

There’s a lot of confusion regarding marketing a SaaS business. There are two camps: B2B and B2C. But before we dive into those SaaS strategies, let’s talk about what they mean.

A business-to-business (B2B) company sells to other businesses, while a business-to-consumer (B2C) company sells to end users/consumers—not other companies. This distinction is vital because SaaS b2b marketing sales cycles are typically longer than B2C sales cycles.

There are often subtle differences in both SaaS marketing strategies that should be considered when deciding which types of keywords to bid on and how to structure your bids.

(Source: Postcron)

Understanding the differences between the goals of B2C and B2B SaaS marketing strategy, however, requires looking at PPC from a slightly different perspective than most companies are used to doing.

Here’s what you need to know about B2B vs. B2C PPC goals and why they matter in your SaaS marketing campaign:

#1 – Marketing Objectives

A B2B SaaS marketing strategy typically looks for a more direct lead generation approach, so PPC campaigns must incorporate powerful lead capture tactics. These tactics include collecting leads via email and forms, integrating tracking pixels for attribution, and allowing users to contact your business quickly through phone numbers or chat features.

#2 – Method of Creating Content Around Keywords

While most of these SaaS strategies can be used by both businesses, digital marketing for B2B Saas brands tend to focus on generating traffic through keyword-specific landing pages (rather than blogging) and capturing information about their customers as soon as possible.

While B2C SaaS brands may succeed with content creation surrounding targeted keywords, targeting specific customer groups may help boost conversion rates among buyers who already know what they want.

#3 – Customers’ Needs

While B2C customers typically want fast solutions or quick fixes—such as a website built quickly—B2B customers want something else entirely: value.

They don’t just want their problem solved; they want their problem solved well. It takes longer to close sales because your potential clients will ask more questions before agreeing to purchase.

They might ask for references or testimonials from other companies who have worked with you. Hence, it’s essential to have a great landing page that can answer all these questions while providing enough information so your prospects can make an informed decision without calling you directly.

#4 – What Are Your Customer Service Needs?

When it comes to customer service, B2B companies have a lot more on their plate than B2C companies—and they need to be prepared for it! For example, if you sell accounting software, you’ll likely need to offer 24/7 support because many businesses operate around-the-clock.

#5 – Buyer Persona

The typical buyer persona for a B2B company is an executive or director in charge of purchasing products or services. On the other hand, the buyer persona for a B2C company is an end-user/consumer who makes buying decisions on behalf of their household (e.g., buying groceries).

#6 – Marketing Strategy

In SaaS B2B marketing, it’s critical that your marketing appeals to a buyer persona’s professional needs—not their personal needs. For example, if you sell accounting software, don’t show pictures of smiling families on vacation; instead, highlight how much time and money business owners can save by using your product.

In B2C marketing, it’s critical that your marketing appeals to a buyer persona’s personal needs—not their professional needs.

#7 – How Do Customers Buy from ou?

In SaaS B2B marketing, buyers typically purchase products or services directly from a company’s website. In B2C marketing, buyers usually buy products or services in-person at retail stores or online through an eCommerce platform (e.g., Amazon).

PPC Best Practices

One of the essential parts of running an online business, especially in the digital marketing for B2B SaaS space, is understanding your customers and how to best reach them.

While social media marketing, search engine optimization (SEO), and content marketing are essential parts of this puzzle, paid search (PPC) can impact your bottom line. But you must set it up correctly and manage it consistently over time.

PPC stands for pay-per-click advertising and refers to Google Ads, Facebook ads, Instagram ads, LinkedIn ads, etc. For SaaS brands that sell their product online, PPC is the most direct path to acquiring new customers on the internet.

(Source: Tulip Shree Infotech)

Let’s walk you through PPC best practices used by top SaaS brands to see if they make sense for your business.

#1 – Understand Your Ideal Customer

One of your goals in creating a successful PPC campaign is to find and bring into your funnel new people who might be interested in buying your product.

So how will you build an effective SaaS advertising campaign if you don’t know who these people are or have a general sense of what they’re like?

The best way to identify your ideal customer is to use data about existing customers — such as their demographic profile and psychographic profile (i.e., lifestyle, hobbies, tastes, and interests). In other words, it will help if you can define characteristics that all of your customers share in common.

#2 – Create a Persona and Buyer Journey Map

One of your first steps in planning a SaaS PPC campaign should be to create buyer personas and a buyer journey map.

Buyer personas are hypothetical representations of your ideal customer based on market research, surveys, and demographic data.

(Source: AWeber)

A buyer journey map is essentially a diagram that shows how customers move through various points of their buying journey. It maps their behavior, goals, interests, feelings, and needs along their path to becoming loyal customers.

(Source: CED Commerce)

Conduct keyword research to make sure you’re going after search terms your customers use—and spend a little extra time on tools like Google Trends to get a handle on what other related search terms might work well in addition to your core keyword phrase.

#4 – Create Your Landing Page

Landing pages are where a visitor clicks from an ad and converts into a customer. The goal of a landing page is to answer one question: “What do you want me to do?”

Landing pages can be as simple as a single form with minimal design or as detailed as dozens of pages packed with information.

Increasing the number of landing pages you have leads to an increase in leads. HubSpot reports that companies that increased their landing pages from ten to fifteen saw a 55% increase in leads.

Landing pages are vital for PPC success, so take your time creating one.

#5 – Identify Keywords with Low Competition

While you’re building out your PPC account, there are a couple of essential best practices to keep in mind: identifying keywords with low competition is one.

First, create multiple ad groups and ad campaigns that focus on different keyword themes. It helps ensure that you don’t burn through all of your budgets on one or two ad groups or strategies, and it also allows for greater granularity in terms of ROI tracking.

If you have 10 topic-based ad groups with particular keywords, it is easier to see which keywords perform well and which ones should be pruned from your account.

And suppose there is a keyword theme that isn’t performing well. In that case, you can easily remove just that group of keywords without worrying about potentially hurting performance in another campaign by accident.

#6 – Create Your Ad Groups and ads

To make sure your bids are aligned with your campaign goals, you must set up your ad groups and ads before creating your campaigns.

Ad groups help you organize similar products to create more relevant ads, which leads to a better user experience and more clicks on your ad.

In Google Ads or any other PPC platform of choice, create ad groups and define keywords/phrases, types of products within each group, and why they belong there. Set up product price ranges per group, minimum bids per group/per keyword phrase, or start dates if applicable.

There is no right way—or wrong way—to do it; do what works best for you.

#7 – A/B Testing

The most crucial element of any SaaS PPC optimization campaign is testing. The only way to find out which keywords and SaaS ads are performing best is to test them.

It’s time-consuming but essential, so take a few minutes to review your campaign and ensure you aren’t missing out on opportunities to improve your ROI by focusing too heavily on one platform or approach.

(Source: Devopedia)

A/B testing tools can help you build a custom segmentation strategy to target specific groups of customers based on their online behaviors. Then all you have to do is identify which group performs best and focus your SaaS advertising strategy there!

If you don’t have time to do all of your tests yourself, some solutions let you crowdsource your A/B tests! It’s a great way to get unbiased results from multiple perspectives.

#8 – Monitor Performance and Optimize

With all of that data flowing back and forth, it’s easy to forget your goals when you first started with SaaS PPC optimization. So instead, remember why you wanted to drive traffic in your dashboard and optimize accordingly.

Take a look at which keywords generate conversions versus those with high click volume but no conversions, and spend less money on those that aren’t working. Then, try experimenting with new ad copy and different landing pages to boost performance.

How SaaS PPC Works in Different Stages of the Sales Funnel

When it comes to the importance of paid search and driving traffic, many people think it’s most crucial in the beginning stages of the sales funnel. After all, potential customers need to know that you exist to learn about your product or service.

(Source: VMG Studios)

You can achieve this awareness through sponsored search ads on Google and other search engines and social media advertising on Facebook and Twitter.

But what about later on in the sales funnel? After the customer becomes aware of your company, you still need to persuade them to become customers and make a purchase.

SaaS PPC can sometimes be tricky to understand, especially if you’re new to the concept of digital marketing for SaaS. To help simplify this SaaS advertising strategy, you must understand how SaaS PPC operates in all sales funnel stages.

Here, we’ll examine each stage separately and break down why it’s so important to have effective SaaS PPC strategies at each step along the way.

Starting Out – New Visitors

To convert a new visitor, you’ll need to capture their attention and interest. It means showcasing product benefits, presenting value propositions, and creating a sense of urgency for your visitors.

How well you convert new visitors into leads will determine how many people reach Stage 2.

If you’re not capturing enough traffic at Stage 1, analyze Google Analytics data for organic search keywords that bring you high-quality traffic. Then, create landing pages based on those keywords and optimize them for conversions from your landing page content down to your call-to-action (CTA). 

To best utilize PPC while capturing new users, try keyword bidding strategies to target relevant terms with a low competition level. You can pay less per click than if you were to bid on more competitive keywords.

Middle Ground – Page Visitors

A user lands on your site, but they’re not yet a lead. Instead, they’re most likely looking to see if you can solve their problem or provide them with what they need. Therefore, you want to target keywords that educate users about your product and answer questions potential customers might have.

Use high-quality content to address these concerns and answer any concerns they might have at that stage in their buying cycle. Also, make sure your site loads quickly and is easy for them to navigate.

(Source: Convert)

These are two critical aspects of conversion.

If you’ve incorporated other digital channels into your SaaS marketing strategy, test how they impact your click-through rate from search engines since different types of traffic have different conversion rates from search engines.

Bottom Line – Leads And Conversions

Perhaps one of your goals is to increase leads and sales. One way to do that is by making sure that potential customers can find you and learn about your business. If a buyer can’t find you, they can’t buy from you, plain and simple.

By directing high-quality traffic to your website, paid search ads (also known as pay-per-click or PPC ads) can put your business in front of exactly who you want at just the right time. These visitors are ready to hear what you have to say and make a purchase—it’s up to you to convert them into buyers.

If you’re looking to use paid search to grow your business, you first need to be focused on leads and conversions. In other words, you need a strong call-to-action (CTA) on each landing page and a clear understanding of how each SaaS ad will drive potential customers towards that CTA.

(Source: Digital School of Marketing)

Your calls to action should vary based on where people are in your sales funnel (i.e., a different CTAs might be appropriate for someone researching versus someone who has already decided they want to buy).

When it comes to paid search, you want your SaaS product marketing campaigns to target leads at every stage of the funnel – meaning that your SaaS ads are constantly being retargeted or driving new traffic into one central landing page, which enables you to collect more leads.

18 Key Metrics to Monitor the Performance of Your SaaS PPC Campaign

When it comes to SaaS PPC optimization, there are many metrics that you can look at to determine how effective your SaaS product marketing campaign is and how well your business is doing overall.

While these metrics will all provide data you can use to make informed decisions, they’re not all created equal. Some are more important than others, and some may be too specific to offer relevant information on your business.

We will discuss 18 key metrics that you should keep an eye on to gauge the performance of your SaaS PPC campaign and evaluate the health of your business as a whole.

A. Clicks:

It is how many times people click on your ad. It’s essential to monitor clicks because it’s an excellent way to determine whether or not people are seeing and clicking on your ads.

If you’re spending $1/click and getting zero clicks, perhaps it’s time to try something new. Note that some keywords may have high CPCs but low impressions, which means that although you’re paying a lot per click, very few people are seeing your ad.

B. Conversion Rate:

It is also referred to as Conversion or Conversions. It refers to how many people click an ad versus how many people visit a landing page.

So if you spent $50 on advertising but received 60 clicks, your CTR would be 10%. If 20 of those clickers (10% of 60) landed on your site and became customers, you have a conversion rate of 25% ($500 divided by $50).

You can use Google Analytics or any other tracking software to determine how many users visited various pages within your site. If your conversion rate is low, try optimizing it. A good conversion rate optimization approach can make a lot of different for your company.

(Source: Boostrust)https://www.tulipshree.com/pay-per-click-ppc/

You can find the number of conversions in a table under Acquisition.

C. Click-Through-Rate (CTR):

The click-through rate is how many times a user clicks on your SaaS ad to view your site. This rate is expressed as a percentage of total ad views.

(Source: WebFX)

For example, if 10 users viewed your SaaS ad and 1 person clicked through to view your site, you would have a CTR of 10%. However, if that 1 person signed up for your trial offer or purchased a product from you, it’s safe to say that your CTR was 100%!

Therefore, every visitor who saw your SaaS ad took action on your website.

What makes CTR so important is that search engines also weigh it heavily when determining which ads will appear above others and how much they cost per click. So it doesn’t matter how relevant an ad is if no one sees it!

D. Quality Score:

Google gives you a score based on keywords’ relevance and target. It ranges from 1-10, with 10 being the best. You can see it in Google Ads under Keywords and Quality Score. The higher the quality score, the better chances of showing up on page one.

(Source: Lead Squared)

So if you’re bidding $1/click, but someone else is bidding $0.50/click and has a higher quality score than you, they’ll likely show up before you. A high QS will also help your conversion rate by increasing how often people click on your SaaS ad versus another ad in search results.

So if someone searches best accounting software but sees yours as #2 out of ten SaaS ads shown because yours has a high QS while others don’t, they’re more likely to click yours over others’ even though yours might be priced more expensively than theirs (because they’re judging them by their QS).

E. Return on Ad Spend (ROAS):

ROAS calculates how much you spend on advertising versus how much you make from those ads. So, for example, if you spent $500 in advertising and made $1000 in revenue, your ROAS would be 2x ($1000 divided by $500).

It is essential because it’s an excellent way to determine whether or not your ads are effective. If they aren’t producing at least a 1x ROAS, it might be time to adjust them or try something new.

(Source: Ignite Visibility)

F. Cost Per Click (CPC):

CPC is how much you’re paying each time someone clicks on your ad.

(Source: The Online Advertising Guide)

If you’re bidding $1/click and someone clicks on it, you’ll pay $1. If they don’t, then you won’t pay anything.

It’s crucial to monitor CPC because it might be time to adjust your bids or try a different ad if it gets too high. You can see what others are bidding in Google Ads under Keywords and Ad Groups.

G. Impression Share:

Impression share is how often your SaaS ad appears out of all ads shown.

(Source: PPC Hero)

So, for example, if you’re bidding $1/click and someone else is bidding $0.50/click, but they have a higher impression share than you do, they’ll likely show up before you in search results even though they’re paying less per click.

It’s vital to monitor impression share because it’s an excellent way to determine how often people see your ad versus others’. So if you’ve been running a SaaS ad for two weeks and no one has clicked on it, then perhaps it’s time to try something new.

H. Cost Per Conversion:

Cost per conversion is how much you’re paying each time someone completes a desired action on your website. 

(Source: Quora)

For example, if you’re running an ad that brings people to a landing page where they can sign up for a free trial of your product, you’ll want to track how many people are signing up and at what cost.

It’s vital to monitor cost per conversion because you may have to adjust your SaaS ads or try something new if it gets too high.

I. Total Conversion Value:

Total conversion value is how much you’re making from each conversion. So, for example, if you have a free trial of your product and people can sign up for it in two ways, one of which costs $5 and one of which costs $0, you’ll want to monitor the total conversion value.

If someone signs up through the $5 channel and spends an average of $100/month during their free trial period, that’s a total conversion value of $500 ($100 x 5).

It’s important to monitor total conversion value because it’s an excellent way to determine whether or not people are signing up for your paid plans after using your free trial.

J. Returns on Investment (ROI):

ROI is how much you’re making from each dollar spent.

(Source: Air Focus)

So, for example, if you’re paying $1/day and making $2/day, your ROI would be $1/$2 = 50%. It’s vital to monitor ROI because it’s an excellent way to determine whether or not what you’re doing is working.

If you’re spending money but not making any, perhaps it’s time to try something new.

K. Cost per Acquisition (CPA)

A key metric to monitor is CPA (cost per acquisition), or how much you spend on a particular click. Ideally, your cost per acquisition should be less than $1.00, though it can fluctuate between 0.30 and 0.50 dollars depending on factors like industry and traffic quality.

(Source: KJ Rocker)

L. Average Revenue Per User (ARPU)

Another metric to keep an eye on is average revenue per user (ARPU), which measures how much a typical customer pays you over their lifetime within your product – usually in monthly installments.

(Source: Smart Karrot)

But regardless of whether you’re looking at monthly or yearly figures, ARPU will give you a good sense of how well (or poorly) things are going with your marketing efforts.

M. Retention Rate

Retention rate measures how well your product or service converts trial users into paying customers.

(Source: Lexer)

Most software-as-a-service companies have ARPU (average revenue per user) as their most important metric. Still, for your business model to thrive, you must also focus on LTV (lifetime value).

N. LTV:

LTV stands for Lifetime Value, which means it’s what your customer will spend with you over their lifetime.

(Source: Crealytics)

So, for example, if someone spends $50 on your product during their first month using it and then continues to pay you $20/month afterward until they cancel their subscription, then their LTV would be $60/month ($50 + [$20 x 4]).

O. Churn Rate

Too many customers leaving your product or service is a big problem that can sink any business. Fortunately, there are two quick ways to track churn rates: automatically (through billing data) and manually.

Tracking churn rate over time will help you understand how different variables affect customer loyalty, so you can improve retention or identify problem areas in need of attention.

(Source: Putler)

For example, if your sign-up conversion is low, perhaps you’re not offering enough free trials—or maybe they aren’t long enough for customers to get fully invested in your product.

P. LTV/CAC Ratio

Understanding your customer’s Lifetime Value (LTV) against Cost Per Acquisition (CAC) will give you insight into how many customers you need to acquire each month.

(Source: eSparkBiz)

If you can acquire a new customer at less than their lifetime value, every future sale will be a profit. On the other hand, if you pay more than their LTV, future sales are less profitable. Another way to think about it is monthly recurring revenue (MRR).

CAC tells us how much MRR we need to make one sale; LTV tells us how much MRR we get back on average per customer over their lifetime as a subscriber. The higher our LTV/CAC ratio, the better! And if we want to calculate our overall profitability, simply take our MRR and subtract out our CAC.

When to Consider Hiring a PPC Agency

Choosing a SaaS PPC agency can be a big decision for a small digital marketing for SaaS startups team. However, as more companies discover their potential by offering SaaS products, marketers working on those SaaS product marketing campaigns must understand all of their options.

But is there any reason NOT to have an in-house team handle my paid marketing?

You are right—you can save a lot of money by handling most of your marketing in-house. But, there are some key reasons that you might want to outsource part or all of your paid marketing efforts.

The short answer is no. There’s no reason you can’t handle most of your paid marketing in-house. You can even handle all of it yourself—but it will take a lot of time and effort that could be better spent growing your business.

When does it make sense to handle your PPC campaign? That should be when you have a relatively small budget or a straightforward SaaS product marketing campaign.

But if it’s complicated or expensive to set up and run, there’s no reason not to hire someone to manage it. You don’t need to be a Google Ads expert—you just need someone who can help you get started.

If you are trying to do something fundamental like drive traffic from Facebook or Twitter, handle it yourself!

So, at what point should you consider hiring a SaaS PPC agency to help optimize the campaign of your SaaS brand?

We suggest waiting until you better understand what a successful campaign looks like for most early-stage startups. It means having some data on which keywords are performing well and analyzing your traffic sources.

At that point, it may make sense to bring on an expert who can take over campaign management but not necessarily day-to-day management of ad placements.

You might consider hiring an outside SaaS advertising firm if you already have a few years of experience running PPC campaigns in-house and are looking for something new and fresh.

A good case study would be a social media manager looking to move into more traditional marketing methods like paid advertising.

Pros of hiring a PPC Agency

When you have a growing demand and are trying to increase sales, hiring a professional digital marketing agency for SaaS is probably one of the best decisions that you can make.

(Source: Kloud Portal)

Many SaaS entrepreneurs try to manage their campaigns and develop them themselves, but they cannot do it alone because they lack experience, training, or both. When they start with these campaigns, they may get into trouble if something goes wrong.

If you don’t know how to do PPC properly, you might lose money instead of making a profit. So why not hire an expert? Here are some reasons why:

1. You will save time:

There are many tasks involved in running a paid marketing campaign. You’ll need to spend time sourcing potential vendors and building relationships with them if you’re managing it yourself.

You’ll need to manage a bidding process, keep track of how much money is going out every month and make sure that what you’re getting in return is worth it. That takes a lot of time! And if you don’t have any experience doing any of these things, there will be an adjustment period.

Managing your campaign by yourself takes a lot of time and effort. If you need to focus on other aspects of your business, hiring someone who has experience and knowledge about running such campaigns will save you time.

2. It is cheaper:

We all know that running such campaigns can be expensive, especially when many other things need attention from management team members. Hiring someone else will help reduce costs and give more space for other items within your budget.

3. Expertise:

Outsourcing gives you access to expertise that may not be available in-house. For example, it takes years to develop an expert understanding of Google Ads or Facebook Ads—and even longer if there aren’t other people at your company who understand these platforms.

By hiring someone with experience, you can tap into their knowledge and gain a considerable advantage over competitors trying to do it all themselves.

Additionally, outsourcing gives you access to experts who manage large-scale campaigns. If you’re running a small SaaS marketing plan (say $10,000 per month or less), there’s no reason not to handle it yourself. But as soon as your budget grows beyond that level, you may want someone else managing your account.

Having someone who knows what they are doing working on your SaaS marketing plan means seeing results faster. In addition, they understand what works and doesn’t, meaning that you get better ROI than before.

4. Experience:

Most agencies come with years of experience in developing online SaaS marketing strategies, which means that they can handle any issue quickly without wasting any time or resources.

5. Marketing skills:

Professionals understand how to market your brand effectively, meaning that you won’t have to worry about spending too much on SaaS ads or attracting potential customers.

6. Better performance:

If you want good performance from your campaign, you must do everything correctly and professionally. Having someone experienced work on your account will ensure that everything runs smoothly and gives good results.

7. Peace of mind:

It costs less to hire an digital marketing agency for SaaS, but you also have peace of mind knowing that someone is taking care of your campaign while you take care of other areas.

It lets you focus on what matters most: growing your business. But unfortunately, paid marketing is one of those things that has a lot of moving parts and can quickly get out of control if left unchecked.

An outsourced team will help keep things under control so that you can focus on more critical tasks like customer acquisition and retention.

What to Expect from the Best PPC Agency

With millions of dollars being paid to top-notch PPC agencies every month, it’s good to know how you can spot a good one. To do so, check out these nine qualities that all top PPC agencies have in common.

These characteristics will give you an idea of what makes a digital marketing agency for SaaS great.

(Source: SEMrush)

Not all great PPC agencies share these characteristics, and some may even lack some of them. However, if a SaaS advertising firm has most or all of them listed below, they are genuinely on top of their game and could help your business succeed.

1) They constantly stay up-to-date with PPC updates:

Updating is vital for running a successful PPC campaign because if your ads aren’t optimized properly, they won’t be able to reach their full potential.

2) They have an excellent track record of success:

No matter how great a digital marketing agency for SaaS may seem, you should always look at what kind of results they have achieved in the past.

3) They are knowledgeable about SEO and Social Media Marketing as well:

While PPC agencies specialize in search engine marketing, many of them also know how to use social media sites like Facebook and Twitter, as well as other methods of internet marketing such as email marketing and blogging.

4) Their clients are happy with them:

The best way to tell whether or not a SaaS PPC agency is good at what they do is by asking their clients about them. If you can find some reviews online, even better!

5) They have a good reputation in their industry:

Another thing that will give you a great idea of how skilled and professional a digital marketing agency for SaaS is will be if they have any awards or recognition from other companies in their industry.

6) They have a lot of experience working with startups and small businesses:

One thing that most startup owners look for when hiring agencies is someone who has worked with other small businesses before because those agencies tend to understand how digital marketing for SaaS startups work and what makes them unique.

7) They are transparent about their pricing structure:

Before you hire a SaaS advertising company, it’s essential to know how much they charge per month and what you get in return for that price.

8) Their services are customized to meet your needs:

It’s not always possible or even necessary for every business to use the same type of PPC campaign, so make sure you find a SaaS advertising agency to create a tailored campaign to fit your brand.

9) They have access to high-quality leads:

The last quality any good SaaS PPC agency should possess is access to high-quality leads. If they don’t know where they can find potential customers, then chances are you won’t be able to either!

The best way to ensure that you hire an excellent digital marketing agency for SaaS is by asking them all of these questions and then comparing their answers with what other people say about them online. If they pass with flying colors, then it’s safe to say that they will be able to provide excellent services and help your business succeed in search engine marketing.

Factors to Consider before Hiring a PPC Agency for your Software Company

Knowing how to choose the right SaaS PPC agency can make a difference in growing your business at the rate you desire. However, finding the right SaaS advertising company can seem overwhelming due to the number of agencies and their varying pricing strategies.

To choose a SaaS advertising agency to help you manage your SaaS PPC campaigns, you have to know what you’re looking for in a SaaS advertising firm and how you’ll see if they can meet your needs or not.

To help you make that choice, here are six things to consider when hiring a saas advertising company to help run your PPC account(s).

Is Experience Important?

Not all marketing agencies are created equal. However, the better-known ones have extensive experience working with companies in your niche and will more likely have tested processes that you can benefit from.

However, small, newer agencies can be more agile and eager to take on challenging projects.

One way of mitigating risk is to determine how many accounts each SaaS PPC agency manages at any given time (if they won’t tell you outright). If they’re comfortable revealing it, that information should tell you how flexible their workload is.

If you want more control over how your ads look, advertising on Google for financial advisors gives flexibility in designing creative content for your campaigns.

Financial advisors can choose from multiple formats, including text only, image only, text + image, and even video options, to cater to each campaign specifically toward their target audience.

Does it Matter Where the Company is Located?

If you live in a very different time zone than your campaign, you may run into issues. For example, if they’re based in Canada and their working hours are during East Coast business hours, it will be challenging to be on call when you need them.

If time isn’t an issue for you, where companies are located shouldn’t factor into your decision—they should have people on hand 24/7.  However, if you care about location, make sure that the SaaS advertising company has someone available around-the-clock. You don’t want to pay for services that aren’t being used because of timing issues.

What About the Budget?

Before you begin your search for a SaaS digital marketing agency, it’s essential to set your budget. Many SaaS advertising agencies ask for cost and project details before they agree to work with you. So if you’re not prepared with information on your budget, they might not be willing to take on your project.

Make sure you know what your company can spend on a SaaS digital marketing agency before calling them up. The last thing you want is to hire a digital marketing agency for SaaS to discover that you can’t afford their services—and then have them decide not to help you.

What Specific Skills are Neded?

Before hiring a digital marketing agency for SaaS, it’s crucial to ensure that their skillsets align with what you need. For example, are they experienced in your field or niche? How much do they know about your target audience?

It might seem simple at first, but getting everything aligned is essential for getting top-quality results. After all, SaaS advertising agencies are pricey, and if you’re not working together effectively, it will cost you more in lost time and marketing efforts.

How Can I be Sure They’re Good at What They Do?

SaaS advertising companies often make complex decisions on behalf of your business, so you want to make sure they know what they’re doing. Ask for client references and check with them to see how happy they were with their results.

SaaS advertising agencies should be able to demonstrate proof of an impressive history in both organic and paid search and case studies showing real-world examples of how they’ve done work for other companies like yours.

A proven success record gives you confidence that their performance will match their promises. And because success is (at least partly) dependent on taking advantage of new tools, services, and platforms available online, good digital marketing for SaaS companies should continually upgrade their skills by participating in training events and webinars.

Top Tools PPC Agencies Use to Achieve Success

As businesses increasingly focus on growing their digital presence, they have started using pay-per-click (PPC) marketing as an effective way to gain more exposure, traffic, and conversions.

Pay-per-click advertising (PPC) has become an essential tool in the marketing arsenal of any SaaS company with millions of customers. However, as PPC grows in popularity, competition increases, forcing businesses to rethink their SaaS marketing strategies and adopt new tools and tactics to stay ahead of the curve.

Suppose your business model involves selling products to other businesses. In that case, it’s a good idea to invest in PPC software that will enable you to deliver insights about how your product is being used. This type of information is vital for user acquisition.

But while it might seem straightforward at first glance, PPC marketing can be complex, with various campaign types, targets, and tracking systems.

PPC marketing will be the lifeblood of most SaaS companies in 2022, but which tools you use might change from today’s landscape.

For example, if you see that many people are signing up for trial accounts but not completing them, you’ll know that users aren’t satisfied with your product; it might be time to reevaluate and tweak. Or maybe they don’t understand what your product does.

In either case, data-driven insight will help inform an action plan for improving user experience and increasing retention rates among users who try out your app during their free trial period.

PPC tools can help drive more traffic to your website or landing page by allowing you to create SaaS ads that appear on Google search results pages, social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter, blogs, news sites, and more.

To help you get the most out of your PPC campaigns, we’ve rounded up some of the best PPC tools for SaaS brands to help small businesses stay on top of their game, measure performance, and optimize ROI across paid search channels like Google Ads and Facebook Ads.

Keyword Research Tools

Google Ads can be tricky, but it’s one of Google’s most potent and practical tools for PPC marketing. Keyword research is an integral part of your PPC campaigns and driving traffic to your site, but researching keywords isn’t always easy.

Luckily, these tools can help you find long-tail keywords with minimal effort.

1. WordStream’s Free Keyword Tool

WordStream’s Free Keyword Tool allows users to generate new keyword ideas based on their current search terms or website content by simply entering a URL or keyword into its text box.

It also offers some additional features, such as a PPC ad comparison feature, allowing users to compare different SaaS ads they could use when bidding on a given keyword. There is also an option to see if certain words will trigger specific search results from Google Ads.

You can also see if specific phrases would trigger ads from Bing Ads or Yahoo! Search Marketing.

2. Google Keyword Planner

Google Keyword Planner is another free tool that helps you find new keywords for your PPC campaigns.

It offers users an easy way to generate a list of relevant keywords based on their website content or existing search terms, helping them determine which keywords they should use when creating SaaS ads or choosing a bidding strategy for their campaigns.

3. Long Tail Pro

One of our favorite paid tools for finding long-tail keywords is Long Tail Pro. The software gives users access to keyword suggestions and related search terms, how many searches each word gets per month, and how much competition there is in specific markets, such as Amazon and eBay.

Long Tail Pro also has a few extra features, such as keyword clustering, which allows users to see similar keywords that you can use together. It also gives automatic updates, so it stays up-to-date with changes made by Google. The competitive research feature allows you to compare different products against one another.

4. SEMrush Keyword Magic Tool

SpyFu Keyword Tool is a paid tool that offers users access to information about competitors’ ad campaigns, including their ad spend, the average cost per click (CPC), and ad position data for different keyword categories.

5. SpyFu Keyword Tool

Keyword Tool is another free tool that helps you find new keywords for your PPC campaigns by entering your existing search terms or website content into its text box and generating related keywords based on those terms.

6. Keyword Tool

Keyword Tool is another free tool that helps you find new keywords for your PPC campaigns by entering your existing search terms or website content into its text box and generating related keywords based on those terms.

7. Keyword Discovery

Keyword Discovery also allows you to enter your existing search terms or website content into its text box and generate related keywords based on those terms. Still, it also gives you information about how many searches each word gets per month and how much competition there is in specific markets such as Amazon and eBay.

8. KeywordSpy

Finally, KeywordSpy is a paid tool that gives users access to a vast database of keywords, search volume, and estimated CPC information. It allows you to see how much you’ll have to pay for your ads if you want to show up on top of search results when someone searches for one of those terms.

Reporting Tools

There are many tools available for reporting, and it can seem overwhelming when you’re trying to choose between them. However, a good digital marketing agency for SaaS that has worked with many PPC tools will know what’s good and what isn’t.

So here are our top 5 picks for PPC reporting tools:

1. Google Analytics

Google Analytics is an excellent tool for reporting and analyzing your data, as it’s free to use and provides a lot of helpful information.

It’s easy to set up, so there are no costs involved. Google Analytics can track everything from social media activity to conversions, giving you a complete picture of how your marketing efforts are performing. 

2. Search Console

Search Console is an essential part of any SEM expert’s arsenal, as it allows you to monitor what keywords are performing well (and which ones aren’t).

Search Console also provides detailed information about traffic sources, top landing pages, key phrases, and even mobile performance data (which isn’t available from other reporting tools). 

3. Google Trends

Google Trends is another handy reporting tool that allows you to analyze keyword trends over time.

4. Ahrefs

Ahrefs is a comprehensive SEO platform that also includes competitive analysis functionality and keyword research. So, Ahrefs is ideal for analyzing your competitors’ SEO strategies and identifying new opportunities to grow your site.

5. Moz Pro

Moz Pro allows you to do everything from keyword research to competitor analysis – all in one place! It includes all of the most important SEO metrics, including SERP features like links, citations, and social shares.

6. Raven Tools

Raven Tools offers something different – it allows you to access all of your campaign data in one place. The significant benefit here is that you don’t have to login into multiple accounts or export and import files – you can access all of your information via Raven Tools (which means fewer errors).

7. Adobe Target

Adobe Target lets you segment your customers based on their behavior. So if someone has visited more than 3 pages on your website but hasn’t converted yet, they will appear under customers who haven’t purchased yet within Adobe Target reports.

Hence, it allows for precise targeting options, which helps boost conversion rates!

8. AdRoll

AdRoll is another excellent tool that gives you flexibility and control over your campaigns. One of our favorite features is how easy it is to set up retargeting campaigns with AdRoll.

You can set up a campaign to target users who have visited certain pages or viewed specific products, making it easier to get them back on track and convert them into paying customers.

Landing Page Optimization Tools

If you’re selling a B2B product or service online, it can be beneficial to have a landing page tool that allows you to analyze your pages and optimize your conversions.

For example, did you know that adding color contrast to your pages can increase your conversion rates? If your landing page tool doesn’t offer analytics reports like these, consider switching to one that does.

Two good options are Optimizely and Unbounce. Both of these tools offer free trials, so you can try them out before committing.

1. Optimizely

Optimizely is a top landing page optimization tool for conversion rate optimization, A/B testing, and personalization.

Optimizely is a cloud-based software platform that helps you build high-performing landing pages, forms, and more by continuously testing your changes against each other to see which ones deliver better results. No coding is required.

2. Unbounce

Another popular landing page tool, Unbounce, lets you build and publish high-converting landing pages without any technical skills or web development experience. Their drag-and-drop editor is easy to use and has built-in templates that look great on mobile devices.

Retargeting Tools

Retargeting is a sophisticated form of SaaS advertising strategy that focuses on consumers who have already visited your website or engaged with your brand. You can encourage them to return to their virtual shopping cart and complete their purchase by serving ads.

Use retargeting software to serve these ads—and remind potential customers why they’re interested in purchasing from you!

You can also use social media platforms like Facebook to create custom audiences for retargeting purposes. This way, you don’t just target people who have been on your site but also those who may know about it through word-of-mouth marketing efforts.

Here are some of the best tools you can use for retargeting:

1. Google Ads

Google Ads is one of the most popular retargeting platforms on earth. It gives you many options to retarget based on people’s search history, what they did and didn’t click on, and even where they were when visiting your site. What’s more, Google Ads for SaaS offers you deep insights into how well your ads are performing.

You can also choose from several SaaS ad formats, including text ads, video ads, and mobile app install ads. In short: If you want to use retargeting as part of your SaaS marketing strategy in 2022 or beyond, there’s no better platform than Google Ads for SaaS.

2. Rival IQ

Rival IQ lets you create custom audiences based on website visitors or customers interacting with your brand online (like Facebook).

It allows you to target specific individuals who have already shown interest in your product or service without paying for additional impressions (which can get expensive).

The platform also lets you set up remarketing campaigns across social media channels like Facebook and Instagram. In addition, it has a built-in CRM feature that helps you keep track of leads as they move through their buying cycle.

Overall, it’s an excellent tool for both retargeting and lead generation!

3. Google Analytics

Google Analytics is another excellent tool for retargeting efforts. In addition to giving you valuable insights into how well your website is performing overall (e.g., how many visitors you have), Google Analytics also allows you to set up custom audiences based on what people do when visiting your site:

Did they visit certain pages? Did they add items to their shopping cart? Did they complete their purchase?

4. HubSpot

Email marketing is still a compelling way to engage potential customers, build your list, and drive sales, if done right.

HubSpot’s free email marketing software is one of our favorite platforms for sending out automated emails at scale—and it even comes with some retargeting capabilities!

You can create a series of follow-up messages that target people who haven’t converted to your site yet, based on what pages they’ve visited and what products they’ve added to their cart. Doing this allows you to remind them about your product after a while has passed—and hopefully get them back on track toward making a purchase.

Customer Engagement Tools

Customer engagement is critical in ensuring your SaaS brand makes money. Here are three of our favorite customer engagement tools:

1. Intercom

This customer communication software allows you to track how customers interact with your product and segment users based on their activity and preferences.

Intercom also allows you to send targeted messages to users at specific points during their customer journey, which helps them become more engaged with your brand over time. The platform is a little pricier than some of its competitors, but if your marketing budget is big enough, it’s worth it for what Intercom can do for your business.

2. Drift

It is a visual messenger that makes it easy for brands to have conversations with customers through chatbots or text messages.

With Drift, you can create automated workflows to keep users engaged and answer questions as they arise. Like Intercom, Drift has a hefty price tag, but it’s worth considering how much value you’ll get from its features if your marketing budget is big enough.

3. UserTesting

UserTesting helps companies understand how real people use their products in their homes and businesses. The platform allows users to screen share while using your product and talk through their experience as they go along.

You can then use these recordings to see what works well and what doesn’t so that you can improve your product over time based on user feedback.

Brand Monitoring Tools

Brand monitoring is an essential aspect of SEO and PPC, and these PPC software solutions are ideal for keeping tabs on your brand.

Each offers a variety of features that help you keep track of conversations and keywords surrounding your brand, competitor monitoring, conversion tracking, and more.

Here are five PPC software platforms for brand monitoring:

1) Brand24

The Brand24 platform helps you monitor all your online mentions across major social media channels and search engines.

2) Kenshoo Social PPC

Skai’s Kenshoo Social PPC has keyword and competitive data for organic and paid searches within its interface, making it easy to review competitors’ strategies quickly.

3) Conductor Searchlight

Conductor Searchlight provides detailed reports on your brand’s health over time through keyword performance, competitive insights, and demographic segmentation reporting.

4) Market Samurai

Market Samurai is a desktop application with powerful keyword research capabilities, which means you don’t have to use another tool to find new keywords or research competitors. This tool works particularly well if you want access to comprehensive keyword data.

5) Ontolo

Ontolo focuses primarily on helping marketers conduct competitor research and analyze their digital marketing efforts by leveraging their competition’s content as inspiration for their posts and campaigns.

It automatically scans any web page and finds related content from other sources across your industry. Doing this allows you to quickly identify potential influencers within your niche and plan ways to reach out to them

The Fee Structure of a SaaS PPC Agency

Most SaaS companies are familiar with outsourcing their SEO and social media work to independent digital marketing for SaaS companies. In many cases, agencies specializing in these fields can charge a premium price for their services.

But what about SaaS advertising agencies specializing in paid search? It may be harder to find a SaaS PPC agency that not only works exclusively on Google Ads but also one that fits into your budget. Luckily, it’s not impossible!

Software companies have different needs when it comes to paid search marketing. For example, if you’re working with a small budget, you may want a SaaS digital marketing agency that will work with you on a performance-based basis.

Meanwhile, there may be more need to set monthly retainer fees on more extensive campaigns. Be sure to discuss both options with prospective SaaS advertising companies so that they can customize their service offerings accordingly.

Total costs depend on the duration and complexity of the project and the level of integration/access/control you want to have over your campaigns. 

The Ball is in Your Court!

If you own or operate a SaaS brand, one of the most critical marketing tactics you can have at your disposal is Pay-Per-Click (PPC) advertising. After all, you only pay when someone clicks on your ad, which means that getting people to click becomes the highest priority; if no one clicks on your SaaS ad, you don’t pay!

At some point in their life, every business owner interested in search engine marketing will have to choose which digital marketing agency for SaaS to work with. Unfortunately, with over 500 PPC agencies and thousands of options, choosing the right one for your SaaS brand can be tricky.

How do you know which ones are best?

By partnering with Flying V Group, you can rest assured you’ll get amazing results from your SaaS PPC campaign. Contact us!

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