Influencer Marketing for SaaS Companies: What to Know

Influencer marketing can work for any kind of company, including SaaS companies. With the right influencer endorsing your software, you have the potential to reach a new audience, educate clients and drive sales. 

A SaaS company’s sales process differs from B2C companies, as do influencer marketing campaigns. If you’d like to collaborate with an influencer to promote software, here’s what you should know:

Look for top social media influencers within your niche

SaaS influencers aren’t as plentiful as, say, beauty or fashion influencers, but that’s ok. You may not have a large pool of influencers, but those who are available are likely highly engaged. Audience size may be smaller too, but engagement rates are more important than follower size; even larger brands see the value of working with nano- or micro-influencers. Here’s where to look:

Explore current clients

Take a look at your roster of clients. Is there a client on the list who loves your software? If so, the company owner or CEO might make a good influencer. 

Look at your social channels

Take a look at your social media channels. SaaS companies often rely on professional channels like LinkedIn. You might narrow your search to LinkedIn influencers instead of Instagram influencers or Pinterest influencers. 

Look at who’s interacting with your brand. There might be a customer or an influencer engaging with your brand that could be a good fit. 

Consider an employee

Are there employees with a strong social media presence and an understanding of your software that could double as influencers? If so, explore this opportunity. Check out this resource, How to Launch an Employee Influencer Program.

Use influencer marketing software

If you’d like to find someone not already in your inner circle, try influencer marketing software. Most platforms, like IZEA Flex, have a discovery tool where you can search for influencers based on keywords and filter them to match your needs. 

Define the campaign

Before you reach out to an influencer, you need to know what you want the campaign to accomplish. You should set goals, identify KPIs to monitor, and know how you’d like an influencer to endorse your software. 

The campaign will likely look different than a B2C campaign where an influencer shares an Instagram snap holding a product. A SaaS company has a longer sale process. Clients often need longer to “warm up” to the software and its features. As a result, you might have an influencer write a white paper, shoot a video demonstration of your software, or explain how they use it regularly.

Need an example? Canva, a DIY graphic platform, asked influencer Guy Kawasaki to explain how he uses the software. The result is a 2-minute endorsement of Canva on YouTube from a well-known marketing specialist and investor.

Focus on moving clients through the funnel, not deals

Deals don’t always move SaaS clients, so while offering a promo code is commonplace for B2C influencer campaigns; it’s not the best move here. Software is usually a higher-priced item, and customers know it. They’re not necessarily hunting for the best deal; they’re more interested in learning how the software fits into their business model. 

So, leverage that idea. Instead of offering 15% off with a promo code, your top influencers could direct interested customers to a video demonstration or encourage them to schedule an in-person demonstration.

Consider a long-term relationship with an influencer

With a more extensive sales funnel, you’ll likely need to work with an influencer on several occasions to drive sales. Before contacting an influencer, consider how you’d like the relationship to look. 

If you’d like to try a one-off campaign, you can, but you might want to consider a contract that includes several campaigns and several deliverables scheduled over time. 

In time, you might create a brand ambassador team that consistently educates and promotes your software. 

Put a contract in place

Once you’ve found an influencer, you want to work with, reach out and discuss the campaign. If he or she is on board, you need an influencer marketing contract. The contract should explain the campaign and what’s expected of the SaaS influencer. Specify the deliverable, due date, approval process, payment terms, and content ownership after publication. 

Influencer marketing for SaaS can help your software company connect with new clients and can easily become part of your overall marketing and sales cadence. If you’d prefer a little more guidance, IZEA Flex can help. See how our powerful platform can help your brand.