SaaS copywriting is a form of writing to sell software products and services. It shows readers the benefits of using a new software.
For example, usually, this software enhances either your personal life, a business workflow, or helps you make more money or saves you time.
Something that took hours now takes minutes.
Plus, it’s done with precision in a modular way so you don’t miss any steps.
What Do All Great SaaS Companies Have in Common?
Effective copywriting and a bulls-eye on product-market fit.
Copywriting is one of those things that’s easy to ignore until you really need it.
This usually happens after you spend a bunch of money on ads, and no one’s interested. Or you have a bunch of traffic for your site but no one’s clicking to sign-up.
All the best software service brands understand the sooner you surrender to your NEED for a SaaS copywriting professional.
The faster you grow the business.
Plus, build better relationships with customers and make loads of money for your stakeholders (and yourself).
Hell, even possibly change the way the world works. How cool would that be?
In this guide, I’ll show you how to find the message that converts.
I’ll also talk briefly about product-market fit. Then give you some tips about SaaS copywriting that you can start using today, in order to get more subscribers and premium sign-ups for your software.
Saas Copywriting
What do all great SaaS companies have in common?
Effective copywriting, and a bulls-eye on product-market fit.
Copywriting is one of those things that’s easy to ignore until you really need it.
This usually happens after you spend a bunch of money on ads, and no one’s interested. Or you have a bunch of traffic for your site but no one’s clicking to sign-up.
All the best software service brands understand the sooner you surrender to your NEED for a SaaS copywriting professional.
The faster you grow the business.
Plus, build better relationships with customers and make loads of money for your stakeholders (and yourself).
Hell, even possibly change the way the world works. How cool would that be?
In this guide, I’ll show you how to find the message that converts.
Also, talk briefly about product-market fit for your target audience. And give you some tips about SaaS copywriting that you can start using today, in order to turn more subscribers into paying customers.
The Relationship Between SaaS Copywriting and Conversions
Don’t think for one second all copywriting is the same.
You can’t just go out and hire a writer and say “okay now speak the language of my audience” A few Google searches and website reviews will not get your customers to believe you understand their pain or what they need.
The real relationship comes from the research process a saas copywriter knows how to do.
This includes understanding your value proposition…or creating a new one.
Then swan diving from a skyscraper view into a deep methodical connection with your saas company reviews and customer personas.
Then in come the real customer buyer priorities, which funnel into leveraging the right marketing process or angle for your content.
SaaS copywriting isn’t about using a few pieces of software to write copy for you. I’m excited we have made strides, but we’re not there yet.
Thousands of new potential customers slip through the cracks because of saas companies trying to save a buck, instead of paying for copywriting skills exclusive to their industry.
I have several saas clients that can’t believe the difference in conversions after a few email campaigns and content tweaks occur when targeting the right approach to software as a service.
Your Target Audience’s Language
Say you don’t want to hire a saas copywriter. That’s cool, but if that’s the path you want to take I want you to know a few things about how to write copy that will get your prospective customers to care about what you’re saying.
Here’s what I mean.
Your ideal customers use a particular set of words when talking about solving problems.
You must find out what those words are.
That can be done with research from surveys, hanging out on social sites, or just plain calling up a few customers and asking why they decided to go with your product over someone else’s.
If you’re just starting out and you don’t have a budget for surveys or any customers.
Then you have to head over to the search engines and look for competitor case studies.
This is the fastest way to find out how your potential customers think and what they care about.
Despite what you read all over the internet, it’s not about the newest copywriting formula.
It’s really about saas products that fit your target audience research and personalized content that speaks the language of your ideal customer.
Simple language.
A Great Example
When I started writing saas copy exclusively I thought I could just take the copywriting formula I used for generic writing and plug and play.
But the problem was I did not look deep enough into the language and the simplicity of it all.
I tried to use fancy words, and jargon to sound smart so the client would know I wasn’t a fraud. But that type of saas copywriting did not sell.
In fact, during my first crack at this industry, I bombed.
I did worse than I could ever imagine. My campaign was laughable. And it wasn’t because I lacked the skills. It was because I didn’t appreciate the differences in the subtle details it took to write copy for this industry.
You won’t make that mistake.
The SaaS Industry Is Only Getting Bigger
Writing copy, saas copy, isn’t going away.
It’s moving in the right direction. It’s funny because It’s like copywriting is now on everybody’s lips. Now Saas landing pages, saas product reviews, and ideal customer personas are marketing jargon thrown around on a daily basis.
When before copywriting was this mystical spell of words people only heard when surrounded by people in the know.
In 2022 saas sales are projected to reach $482 billion.
And if you want better outcomes for your business you’re going to need more than a few random pain points splattered all over your web pages.
What do you need then?
You need a strategy.
You need to build trust, add value, and explain why your product is different.
Your messaging needs to be about your customers, not you. If there was a way to not mention a single word about yourself I’d recommend it. But saas copywriting needs some sort of social proof from you as a business owner so some areas of your copy need to prove you are legit.
By now you know in marketing, customers care about themselves. Clients want what’s best for them, even if you lose time and money. It’s true.
So even though you might think your saas is the savior to the problem your potential customers face (it might be) you need to be discreet in how you say it.
Keep that in mind when you are going over the benefits of your software when adding it to your copy.
To be fair, I’m saying everyone only cares about themselves, but the majority do.
So how do you write saas copy that will find your tribe, your 1000 faithful followers?
Let’s talk about how your saas product needs to be different, not grand canyon size different. But in some way that speaks to your ideal customers in a way your competitors are not.
Time To Differentiate Your Product
If you do this your copy is going to speak from a bullhorn to your readers.
That’s because we as humans are wired to pay attention to the unexpected and firsts. Like the two leading cola companies in the world. Or our first president.
If you have the first task management software to color-code each task by importance, then that should be in the copy.
If you have a process that uses a cryptocurrency algorithm to get transactions processed on the blockchain faster than everyone else, dammit, that should be in the copy.
Saas copywriting isn’t about being clever and coming up with witty ways to say things.
It’s about extracting the best customer research and product features. Then it’s about finding things that other saas companies are not seeing, don’t have, or did not sense users would find important.
It’s important to talk about benefits, but it’s the thinking you do about your messaging about those benefits in the copy that makes all the difference.
For example, as a saas copywriter, you can’t just make a claim and say an app is easier and saves time. That is an empty claim and holds no weight.
You need to show why it’s easy.
For instance, “task management that uses a one-click copy-and-paste feature, that lets you create 20 different templates so you can generate hundreds of tasks in 2 minutes.” That’s just an example of ease of use.
Claims without reasons are weak attempts at credibility. Don’t be on the list of saas companies or saas marketing teams that allow this to happen.
Give Features The Right Amount of Attention
Before I start to write for a client I scour their website saas landing page or saas business overview, looking at customer features for a full day.
Why? because you need to understand which feature makes the largest impact on trial users and current customers.
Meaning which feature gives them a quick win? You want them to feel your software is worth the price tag. And fast. Honestly as fast as possible. Copywriting should highlight this every chance it can.
This is one of the best ways to show value. You talk about benefits all day, but if you can show how customers are getting quick wins through example that’s even better.
You will read all over the web that you should never spend as much time on features as you do anchoring the benefits to them.
I disagree.
Because if you spend the same time outlining the features, and looking for features that might not be as clear.
You’ll find the difference in your brand that your target audience needs to see. Remember, customers, care about what they get out of the deal.
How can you properly mention that to them, without knowing the ins and outs of the features because of thorough saas research?
This goes for saas owners too. Just because you’re close to the product doesn’t mean you know every feature a customer will gain from it right away.
Benefits for the Left and Right Side Of The Brain
As I mentioned earlier, most of us have seen plastered all over the most searched copywriting formulas that a feature without benefits explained is a sure-fire way to lose your audience’s attention.
But what side of the brain does that feature talk to?
In her award-winning book metaphorically selling author “Anne Miller” talks about your logical and emotional committee in your mind. And how both parties of that committee need to be satisfied.
After you select your features, you need to know what kind of benefits to discuss and you want to be clear on which side of the brain you’re targeting. It should depend on your target audience research.
If you know that most of your readers are left-sided thinkers you want to address benefits that speak to logic. But also want to offer a few areas that will get them emotionally invested as well.
In the book, she breaks down an ad for a new airplane that will have a few more inches of leg room added to the seats in coach.
For the logical side of the brain, you would talk about how many seats were removed to make this happen. You’d talk about how many months it took to make this happen, etc.
This appeals to the left side.
For the right side of the brain, it was much easier. In her words “Fly coach on National (the name of the fictitious airline) and cross your legs in comfort.”
The right side of the brain needs to see the benefits, it needs to feel the difference. Saying you will be more comfortable doesn’t cut it.
The same goes for writing copy about your software benefits. You need to ask yourself how is this going to affect your reader, and what side of the brain will light up when they read this. Is it giving them what they want?
Your product’s features should be attached to benefits, but your product’s features should also be specific to how your prospects like to receive information.
Customer Content Fit: Match Your Reader’s Expertise
Your saas copywriting research process should include demographic information. But that’s not what makes your content a match for readers. A step-by-step guide might be unnecessary if your target audience already knows how to complete the steps to what you’re talking about.
What’s my point? If you write content for everyone you’re not going to get the ideal customers you want.
You must match your content to the expertise level of the people you want to sell to.
You’re not going to fill your calendar with demo requests if you don’t show your ideal customers why they should have one. And the only way to do that is to teach them something new.
For example, let’s say your ideal customer are decision-makers in the real-estate space.
You have an app that scans the entire house and creates a 3d model of the property, it lists measurements and even gives all of the specs for remodeling if they want to.
If you are writing content about “17 ways to find out if a home is right for you” and that’s the messaging you put on your saas landing page, do you think site visitors that happen to be decision-makers are going to as for a demo?
Nope! they don’t need to know that.
They need to know how it’s going to increase their bottom line. How it’s going to bring in more customers.
And how it’s going to save them time and money because they don’t need to hire inspectors anymore to take pictures.
Get me? Make content for your perfect customer and that means putting the details that matter to them.
I’m not saying you can’t make catchy headline articles, by all means, go for it. But don’t be upset when your conversion rates are not what you expect them to be.
What about content structure, does that really matter?
The Structure of your Content Matters Just as Much as the Content Itself
Let me explain something to you. Google doesn’t rank content with a crappy structure. The value you add to people that search for a page to help them matters.
When you start your content outline (and you shouldn’t be writing content without one) you want it to flow in such a way that it makes sense.
Great copy always makes sense when you read it.
So if you want your business to grow like a weed, you need to make your saas copywriting flow like a class 4 wild river. In one direction where you don’t get turned around with crap readers don’t need.
Your process needs to be repeatable. You might think sitting down to write is supposed to just flow like your pen is possessed by E.B White. One take and you’re done.
But it’s rarely like that. It’s a windy road of thoughts and ideas that can get out of hand if you don’t follow a clear outline.
Put as simply as I can put it.
Don’t start writing until you map out exactly how you want your thoughts to be received.
Think about your copy, then lay the flow down on paper or google doc, then and only then, should you get to work.
Copywriting formula Go Ahead
Now that you have your structure all laid out you want to begin looking at what you want to say and how to say it.
The PAS copywriting formula it’s used by top copywriters every day. Remit Sethi swears by it and you would be starting on the right foot if you learn it upside down and inside out. It’s a great way to start any ad, landing page, email, or blog post.
Here’s how it works.
It begins with the pain points your target audience is struggling with, once you set that boulder in motion you want to agitate the problem.
Now let’s get something straight because so many copywriters get this part wrong.
When I say agitate the problem I mean make it bigger than life.
I mean paint the picture of what will happen if your reader continues to ignore it. Get down in the dirt with it.
Rub it in their face.
Because if you don’t make it real no one will act on the next part which is the solution. Your solution.
I read tons of landing pages and it always baffles me how quickly the value proposition gets mentioned and dwarfs the major problem you should be harping on for at least two paragraphs.
It’s like you’re in such a rush to tell readers about your wonderful solution without twisting the knife on why your solution relieves the unrelenting stress your reader is facing.
Don’t do this. Talk about it. Make them uncomfortable.
If you don’t have enough proof to write about that really agitates the problem in the language your reader uses, then you do didn’t do enough research and you should go back and find more.
After you have dug your heels in and you feel you’ve captured the essence of the problem that your customer research has awarded start on your solution.
SaaS copywriting isn’t rocket science it’s all about explaining what your customers really want to solve, and providing them with a solution that actually solves it.
Then painting a picture of their life, work environment, or relationship with their peers that is so picture-perfect they can’t help but signup. But and this is a BIG but, you have to show proof of how your solution does solve the problem.
Be it, testimonials, case studies, statistics, quotes from trusted industry authorities, a walk-through of your workflow, or something else.
Don’t rush your solution explanation. Really put the picture into the reader’s mind of how your product’s features work.
Because the value you offer starts in the prospect’s mind. They have to see the product being used in their everyday life. How it fits, how it changes things, how it makes them look, feel, work, and behave differently.
Some other noteworthy copywriting formulas are:
- The before and after bridge
- AIDA: Attention, Interest, Desire, Action (The mother of copywriting formulas)
- The 4 P’s: Picture, Promise, Prove, Push
- SLAP: Stop, Look, Act, Purchase
These are just a few, for an exhaustive list check out the CopyHackers Ultimate Guide here.
You want to find one and stick with it. Or you will end up with saas copywriting soup of approaches that will leave people more confused than begging for more.
You’ll find other places online that tell you it’s ok to mix and match to add a persuasive punch to your copy. I’ve found simplicity reigns supreme and followed correctly solid research and a good understanding of your offer is most important.
Speaking of your offer let’s riff on that for a minute.
What is your Offer and is it So Good Readers Can’t Say No?
In the book $100M offers, author and serial entrepreneur Alex Hormozi teaches “how to make offers so good people feel stupid saying no” that might sound like a stretch but it’s true.
I’m not saying you have to tell a client their offer sucks or if you are a business owner to change your offer right now. But it’s uber important to consider if the offer is worth what it’s being sold for.
To find that out ask yourself one important question. Are you giving great use-value for a small cash value?
As long as your offer is presented as giving more value than what the prospect feels he is paying for your offer is solid. If they don’t you might want to find a new angle.
When writing for saas it’s all about perceived value and it’s your job to show your reader they are getting more than what they are paying for.
Consider this, would you pay $1200 for a pair of bed sheets? You might if you knew they would not fade in the wash, ever shrink, and felt as soft on day 425 as they did on day one.
You would also pay that hefty price if you thought you were doing a good deed because 25% of the proceeds went to feeding underprivileged kids in your hometown.
See how that offer changes things?
I’m not saying you have to give away money.
But I am saying you want to create an offer so good people feel compelled to act. And that offer needs to be explained in your copy as a win for them. It’s more than the money, it’s the confident feeling you give the reader for doing business with you.
SaaS copywriters are masters at this.
Take it from me, after reading this book my copy took a 5x jump in quality. Besides, if Russell Brunson says $100M offers is “SO GOOD”, maybe you want to check it out.
The Desire To Move
Phil M Jones is a prolific writer and persuasive genius. He talks about motivation in his book exactly what to say.
He confirms that “if you want to get people to do things they typically would not do, first you need to find an honest reason that’s big enough.”
This means that before you just slap a call to action on a button or you ask someone to try you out, you must include what motive they have to take action.
Don’t just ask for the sale. Sales reps do this all the time when they don’t understand why someone should buy. They think “if I just ask for the sale, someone will soon or later say yes”
That’s a rookie mistake and if you are going to make boatloads of money for your business, or write for saas companies, you don’t want to shoot blanks at the target.
So here’s what you do.
You lead into your call to action with the biggest motivator your readership has. How do you know what that is? You find out through research.
Yep, I know you just cringed, but there’s no escaping it.
If you want to really help people solve their problems then you MUST know what motivates them to solve them.
Once you lead up to the call to action with the true motivator for your target audience you will get customers that really want your product and really use your saas religiously.
That’s what you want right?
Lead up to the close with what they really want then ask for it. If you do it right, and your value added is worth more than the dead presidents in their pocket they willingly will fork it over.
The Recap
So here we are, you’ve made it. Let’s recap all you learned.
- You learned what saas copywriting is
- You learned the real relationship between saas copywriting and conversions
- You learned how to use your target audience’s language
- You learned how to maximize your copy for an industry that’s only getting bigger
- You learned how to differentiate your brand voice and product from your competitors
- And a buffet of other quality tips and techniques
Your next steps are to take action and start writing better saas copy today, or hire a professional like me to do it for you, because by now, you know I’ll do a good job 🙂
