Marketing in the Valuation Crunch Era of SaaS
As a number of macro-economic factors have decreased the valuations of startups and established SaaS companies, we have already started to see the impacts. Companies at all levels are:
- Doing an early round of layoffs to extend runway
- Pulling back on ad spend
- Putting a freeze on hiring
Because of this, many SaaS marketing leaders are starting to think through how they will navigate the need to tighten their belts while continuing to grow.
As I thought through this over the last couple of weeks, I realized that a lot of the advice I have for companies is within some of my former writing.
So, here are 5 things I would recommend to marketers facing this time ahead, with links to detailed posts on each.
7 Ways Your Marketing Team Can Outperform Competitors by Being More Efficient
Efficiency will be important, so here are my suggestions on how you can achieve higher performance through efficiency.
Dual-Track Marketing
There should always be things you are doing to drive performance in the short term and in the long term. The key during times like this is to not cut all long-term investments, but keep a balanced approach that is scaled back equally.
Why SaaS Marketers Need to Understand CAC Payback Period
If you don't already understand the CAC payback period for your marketing channels and campaigns, now is the time. Don't just think in terms of driving revenue, but how to drive the most valuable revenue.
Why Marketing & Growth Teams Should Analyze Closed Lost Deals
This is a 'no stones left unturned' time for a lot of teams. One area that you should be digging in is deals marked as closed - lost. The more you can understand channels or campaigns that are driving highly-qualified opportunities that were lost for other reasons, the better you can keep your investments focused in the right areas.
Resend Emails to Non-Openers
This is more of a singular tactic than a strategy or mindset, but I wouldn't shrug it off. Average open rates are 25-30%, which means the majority of your recipients did not open it. When it is critical to get emails to prospects and customers, this can be extremely helpful.
I suspect there will be a lot more to come on this topic in the next 12-18 months, but for now, I hope this is helpful to you as you gear up for a new era of SaaS marketing.