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How to grow your SaaS without marketing

6 min read

Are you looking to grow your SaaS business without spending time or money on marketing?

Discover how to get affiliates for your SaaS and let others do the marketing for you.

This guide is for SaaS founders and marketers who want to scale their business efficiently. Learn how to leverage affiliate marketing to acquire customers effortlessly.

Leverage Affiliate Marketing to Grow Your SaaS

Affiliate marketing allows you to outsource your marketing efforts to others who promote your product for a commission. By building an affiliate program, you can have a network of promoters working to bring in customers for you.

Why Affiliates Are the Key to Customer Acquisition Without Marketing

Affiliates can reach audiences you might not be able to. They have established trust with their followers, and their recommendations carry weight. By leveraging affiliates, you can tap into new markets without investing in traditional marketing campaigns.

How Affiliates Enable Customer Acquisition Without Traditional Marketing

By partnering with affiliates, you bypass the need for traditional marketing channels. Affiliates use their platforms to promote your SaaS product, allowing you to reach new customers without investing in ads, content marketing, or SEO efforts.

Affiliates Do the Marketing for You

Affiliates are motivated to promote your product because they earn a commission on sales. They create content, run ads, and engage their audience—all to drive traffic to your SaaS. This means you can focus on product development and customer service.

Cost-Effective Growth Strategy

Since you only pay affiliates when they bring in sales, it's a cost-effective way to grow. Unlike traditional marketing, there's no upfront cost or risk of spending money without results.

How to Find the Right Affiliates for Your SaaS

The first step is to identify individuals or organizations that align with your product and target audience. Reach out to influencers, bloggers, and industry experts who have an engaged following.

Reaching Out to Potential Affiliates Directly

Start by emailing potential affiliates. Personalize your outreach to show how your SaaS product can benefit their audience. Don't be discouraged if you don't hear back immediately; follow up consistently until you receive a response.

Leverage Your Existing Customer Base

Your current customers are already using and appreciating your product. Encourage them to become affiliates by offering incentives such as commissions or discounts. They can provide authentic testimonials and referrals.

Create an Irresistible Affiliate Program

Design a program that offers competitive commissions, ideally at least 30% recurring revenue. Make sure the terms are clear and the process is straightforward. Provide your affiliates with marketing materials and support.

Promote Your Affiliate Program Organically

Include information about your affiliate program on your website, especially in the footer or dedicated pages. Optimize these pages for SEO so that potential affiliates can find them easily.

Utilize Affiliate Networks and Platforms

Consider listing your affiliate program on popular affiliate networks. These platforms can help you connect with affiliates who are actively looking for products to promote.

Provide Value to Your Affiliates

Offer resources such as banners, email templates, and content ideas. The easier you make it for affiliates to promote your SaaS, the more likely they are to succeed.

Monitor and Optimize Your Affiliate Program

Track the performance of your affiliates and the traffic they bring. Use analytics to understand what's working and where improvements can be made. Adjust commission rates if necessary to motivate top performers.

Build Strong Relationships with Affiliates

Maintain open communication with your affiliates. Provide them with updates, new features, and exclusive offers. Strong relationships lead to long-term partnerships.

Avoid Common Pitfalls

Ensure that your affiliates adhere to your brand guidelines. Prohibit practices such as bidding on branded keywords in ads, which can harm your brand's reputation.

Grow Without Traditional Marketing Efforts

By leveraging affiliates, you can focus on improving your product while others handle the marketing. This approach allows you to scale efficiently without the overhead of a marketing department.

Conclusion

Getting affiliates for your SaaS is a powerful strategy to acquire customers without direct marketing efforts. By creating a compelling affiliate program and fostering strong relationships, you can grow your SaaS business efficiently.

Ready to scale your SaaS without marketing? Start building your affiliate program today and watch your customer base grow.

Author's avatar

Ondrej Bartos

Founder of FastWaitlist