Best SaaS marketing strategies: How this startup founder generates $4.8M in annual profit using social media sales funnel

Launching a successful SaaS startup in today’s competitive landscape relies heavily on not just the quality of your product but also on the effectiveness of your SaaS marketing strategies and campaigns. The strategy of “If you build it, they will come” no longer holds true. Today, the SaaS industry thrives on innovation, agility, and smart promotional strategies that capture attention and drive user engagement.

Crafting compelling marketing campaigns tailored specifically for your SaaS product requires a blend of creativity, data-driven insights, and a profound understanding of the target audience. Currently, the internet (and especially social media) is full of complex, messy advice on how to create the best marketing campaigns and build income online. At the same time, getting potential customers to buy your SaaS products doesn’t have to be complicated.

With so many SaaS marketing campaigns out there, we think the best way to do this is to learn from a successful founder with a track record. In this piece, we explore the journey of solopreneur Justin Welsh, who built a one-person business to $5 million in annual profit using only a social media sales funnel.

Using a 4-step business model that can fit on a single sheet of paper (shown below), Justin has generated $4.8 million in revenue over four years using just Twitter (now X) and LinkedIn.

Credit: Justin Welsh

SaaS Marketing Strategy: 5 Steps to Grow Your SaaS Product

Below is a step-by-step of how Justin’s simple business model works.

Step 1: Write Quality Content

According to Just, a good SaaS marketing campaign starts with focusing on producing consistent content that revolves around a central theme: solopreneurship and building a thriving online business. I don’t aim for wit or trendiness. Instead, I try to engage readers by offering meaningful insights and solutions to their problems. The goal isn’t just to get likes, but to attract people to my way of thinking. Consistency in resonating with your audience is the key.

“When I write, I don’t try to be witty or current. I just talk about the same thing every single day, five times a day: Solopreneurship and how to build a thriving business online. I always stick to my theme. My goal is to say something meaningful that engages readers, causes them to think, and helps them solve a problem,” Just explained.

He goes on to say: “Sometimes I offer insights into why some solopreneurs fail (or succeed), or share a time-saving trick that people overlook. But the message always ties back to the big picture. When you nail content that resonates with your audience, you don’t just get likes; you get people attracted to your way of thinking. And that’s your real goal, isn’t it?”

Below is a tweet of how his plan generated $4.8 million in annual profit.

My entire $4.8M business plan:

(feel free to steal it) pic.twitter.com/azEWmzk0IF

— Justin Welsh (@thejustinwelsh) October 9, 2023

Step 2: Link to Relevant Articles

Creating great content is just the beginning. Justin didn’t stop there. He also followed up with a link to an article on his website that delves deeper into the topic thirty minutes after sharing content. The article provides valuable, new information that adds depth to the initial content. Here’s how Justin described this step:

“Half an hour after I share a piece of content, I follow up with a link to an article on my website. I never send people to some run-of-the-mill article, rehashing the same old, boring advice. Instead, each article aims to dive deeper into the point made in the original content, adding several layers of new information that’s valuable to the reader.”

He also included an example of a tweet and the follow-up that leads to an article on his main website where he plans to do the call to action for his SaaS product.

I know solopreneurs doing $10k/month with nothing more than:

– Good content
– A strong landing page
– A well-priced product & service
– A simple way to accept payments

That’s literally it.

As always, resist the urge to overcomplicate.

— Justin Welsh (@thejustinwelsh) October 5, 2023

Step 3: Link to A Product in Article

After linking to relevant articles, the next thing Justin does is subtly reference one of his products and explain how it can solve the problem addressed for prospective customers and buyers. The mention is more of a natural progression and not a pushy sales tactic, providing readers with an actionable step.

“Many people assume the transition from content creation to sales has to be complex. Are there times where that is true? Sure. There’s no one-size-fits-all business strategy. But I’m here to show you that (most of the time) it doesn’t have to be complicated. In the articles I write, I often include a link to one of my products, and some context about why my product solves the problem addressed in the article. And sometimes I just offer a gentle reminder at the end of the piece. It’s a natural, non-salesy progression that gives readers an action step if they’re ready to start fixing the problem they just read about,” Just explained.

Credit: https://www.justinwelsh.me/

Step 4: Make It Easy To Buy Your Product

Unlike other convoluted and complex landing pages, Justin’s products’ landing pages are simple and direct, outlining what the products offer, the problem they solve, the cost, and testimonials. Call-to-action buttons are strategically placed to make buying easy. Here’s how Justin describes it:

“When readers click on the links to one of my products, my landing pages are simple and direct. I tell you what to expect, what problem it solves, what’s inside, how much it costs, and what other people think about the product. Straight to the point. Then I make sure it’s easy to buy by placing CTAs (calls-to-action) at each stop on the page. For example, this course page has 11 CTAs in total, making it easy to buy should the right customer visit the page. A simple “Get Instant Access” button works well.”

Step 5: Over-Deliver on Value

The aim isn’t just to make a sale but to exceed customer expectations. My products, usually priced around $150, are designed to deliver a value worth at least $15,000. Customer satisfaction is the ultimate goal.

“My end goal isn’t just to make a sale. Never has been. It’s to blow the socks off of my customers with more value than they ever expected. It’s to take someone from skeptical to ecstatic in less than 90 minutes. My products usually costs around $150, but the value inside must be worth at least $15,000. Remember, when someone buys something from you, they’re spending their money AND their time. Give that value back to them 100x over. With 24,000 students rating my courses 4.98 out of 5 stars, I’d say that’s a mission accomplished,” Just said.

In summary, simplicity is key. As a startup founder, complexity can be overwhelming. Yet, remember, success doesn’t always demand complexity. The path from social media content to satisfied customers needn’t be complex. Try simplifying your approach, and you’ll be surprised at how well everything falls into place.