The term SaaS might well be familiar to you if you’re in this field. The idea of Software as a Service came about as the security and strength of our internet connections grew. It meant that no longer did we have to go out, buy a disc and install software on our computers, but rather we could pay a fee and access everything that we needed online. This method of providing a digital subscription service has become so popular now that the term XaaS is widely used, literally meaning anything as a service. So, if your business is in the XaaS field it can understandably be hard to stand out. You’ll need a brilliant marketing plan to set you apart. Here are some pointers.
If you’re struggling to attract customers in the first place then you need to come up with a plan to catch people’s attention. Online gaming sites are masters at this, the allure of five minutes of fun is often hard to resist. Why not take a leaf out of their book? Casino sites are a similar business model if you think about it. You pay them in the form of a deposit and their service to you is ‘fun’. Whether that’s in the form of spins of the roulette wheel, a round of poker, or a crank of the slot machine handle.
Whilst their loyal customers don’t need more encouragement, they have a clever way of attracting new customers; offering something for nothing. Many sites offer hundreds of free spins, and therefore the chance to win real money, to new sign-ups. This means that the customer can use the site for a limited time for free and if they decide they enjoy it, they’ve won a new customer. Your site could work exactly like this. Offer customers who show interest a 7-day free trial to the digital subscription service, and ask if they’d like to be signed up to a limited newsletter that is usually paid for. If the subscription that you are offering is good, then many of those free trials will convert to paid ones.
Another way to gather new customers is to realize the power of a great review. If you’re looking to buy something and there’s a store that gets pretty consistent 5-star reviews, then you’ll go to that one over the one that has none. Some of us are terrified to open up reviews in case we get a bad one. The important thing to remember is, having no reviews at all, sometimes reads even worse than a handful of good reviews and one stinker. Hopefully, your service is the kind of service that would get all 5-star reviews anyway, in which case, what are you waiting for?
If you already have a base of existing customers then ask them if they could write an online review for you. Google reviews are great because they land right at the top of Google Searches, but snippets for your website or even a testimonials page are all useful. If you have a Facebook page for your site, get reviewing on there too. There is no end of places that your customers could spend just a minute writing a kind word or two. These serve as word of mouth recommendations that the whole world can read, so it’s really worth asking.
If your business is a digital subscription service then the single most important factor of your plan should be ensuring that your customers are well catered for. Have you ever signed up for something and a couple of weeks, or months, in started to really regret your decision? Being stuck in a subscription that you don’t want is incredibly frustrating. Frustrating enough to warn off your friends, leave a bad review, or stop payments? That’s exactly what you want to avoid and the best way of doing so is to ensure that you are offering a quality service with impeccable customer service.
While business used to begin at 9 am and end at 5 pm, customers now expect you to be there for them 24/7. If you’re in the early stages and still managing all contact yourself, then something as simple as a message to state clearly when you will be able to reply is far more of a comfort than radio silence. If your business is further on then consider employing people to man the phones and field emails, enabling you to stick to the parts of the job where you really add value. Hold focus groups, conduct customer surveys, any information that you can glean on the customer experience is absolute gold dust.
Source : https://www.mikegingerich.com/blog/market-your-digital-subscription-service/
