One way small SaaS products can approach growth

Following an interesting discussion at work about marketing strategies and growth, I've been contemplating why some SaaS (Software as a Service) products have outsized success compared with their team size.

It often come down to word-of-mouth - letting your customers share your product organically.

As an analogy, I can share two personal examples from my own life:

My dog groomer: He comes in a van to my location, saving me time and minimizing distress for my dog. I've recommended him to at least 5 other dog owners. He is typically booked 2-3 months in advance throughout the year.

My accountant: - Proactively saving me money, using online systems for timely reminders, and handling everything efficiently. I've successfully referred him to around 15 people in the last 12 months, without any personal benefit.

What's the secret to their success?

They excel at the basics and consistently deliver on their promises.

The common thread is their deep understanding of customer pain points. For example, in my cases, it's about saving time and reducing worry about timely submissions.

So how does this relate to Marketing?

Regardless of the medium - text, video, or images - marketing is a set of activities that make people believe you understand and cater to their needs.

If you listen to and address your customers’ needs and show up when you say you will, you’ll outperform most other businesses.

While it may seem obvious, delving into customer challenges, focusing on their concerns, and what drives their success, resonates with people and makes them feel understood.

So how do I achieve this?

To achieve this, staying close to customers through ongoing conversations and pain-point/value discovery is essential. That's a book-length topic for another post.

As Product Designers and Marketers, aligning the product design process and marketing with these insights will set our products apart, attract natural referrals, and differentiate us from competitors.