As a SaaS business, you have an array of stakeholders looking for proof that you’re the clear winner in the space. And they don’t just want that proof once, they want it over and over. From employees to customers, you need to continue giving reasons for them to choose you. After all, the SaaS space is so saturated now that one of your customers could walk out your door and straight into the arms of another brand that does essentially the same thing you do — just with better marketing. The same goes for your employees and partners.
Arguably the most volatile stakeholders on your roster are your investors. It’s imperative for your brand to continuously show value to new and existing investors in order to survive. Investors are a key pillar within your business, giving it the backing it needs to keep growing and improving.
One of the best ways to show your compounding value to investors is through your PR program. Outside of showing success metrics like revenue and headcount, you can use PR to attract investors.
Build up your CEO/founder’s personal brand
Your business isn’t just your brand. Your leadership team is your brand too. Investors want to put money into companies with solid leaders who can withstand the trials and tribulations and who have the expertise to grow a SaaS business into something great. And you can give them this reassurance by establishing your core leaders’ individual voices and expertise through interviews and content placed with key media — like a podcast interview on their unique leadership insights or a contributed article in an industry trade publication about their predictions on future innovations in the space.
Highlight your forward-looking vision
At the same time, investors want to know you have a true vision for your company. PR is the perfect way to promote that vision through forward-looking commentary about your brand. This could be calling out your goal to IPO in an interview or even revealing a secret or two about your growth strategy in a contributed article in TechCrunch+. Being bold with your commentary can help you get noticed by VCs looking for their next investment opportunity.
Show how you’re helping customers
Showcasing customer stories through PR is a great way to spotlight your business’s value to investors through third-party validation. This allows you to actually show, not just tell, investors how valuable your solution is for your target market. This storytelling can happen through media coverage that stems from customer interviews or even just soundbite-style quotes they share with media about a larger industry trend that your solution plays into for them.
Create product differentiation
Too many brands distribute press releases that say nothing. They’re full of jargon and generic phrases that are meaningless on their own. When was the last time you read a press release that claimed a new product would help the company “better serve customers” but never actually explained how? I’ve read three already this week. Use PR to draw attention to product news that actually says something real — giving specific details on how the product works, differs from other solutions, and benefits customers — to help investors realize why your business is a worthwhile investment.
SaaS PR isn’t just about announcing funding rounds and IPOs (even though that part is really fun). It’s also about laying the groundwork to get you to the point where you can announce those exciting milestones — like creating an appealing brand presence to attract investors.
Want to know more ways you can engage with your key stakeholders? Download our whitepaper on how PR influences the SaaS customer journey!
