Influencer marketing isn\u2019t just for tangible products, it can easily be adapted to software<\/strong> and SaaS<\/strong>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Research has found that <\/span>86% of B2B brands<\/span><\/a> see ROI with influencer marketing, so it\u2019s a channel you need to experiment<\/strong> with.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n In this guide, you\u2019ll learn the benefits of influencer marketing for SaaS, the different types of influencers you can work with, and see a proven step-by-step process to running an influencer outreach campaign<\/strong>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Ready?<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Let\u2019s dive in.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Influencer affiliate marketing is a powerful way to generate awareness<\/strong> and sales<\/strong> for your SaaS business. It\u2019s typically performance-based, which means the risk to you is low, and the benefits<\/strong> can be huge if your influencers drive new aisles for you.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n After partnering with them and agreeing on an affiliate commission, influencers will promote<\/strong> your product on their own channels, and take a cut of the revenue<\/strong> you generate.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n 84% of marketers<\/span><\/a> rate it as having higher ROI<\/strong> than their other marketing channels<\/strong>, which is why it\u2019s now a key pillar of any high-performance <\/span>B2B marketing strategy<\/span><\/a>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n If you can leverage it, you\u2019ll have a network<\/strong> of people promoting your brand to their own audience<\/strong> and you won\u2019t have to lift a finger.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n There are multiple types of influencers that a SaaS business can work with:<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n There\u2019s no single set of guidelines<\/strong> that makes for a good influencer for your business. The key<\/strong> is that they\u2019re active in your industry and can <\/span>drive highly qualified traffic to your website<\/span><\/a>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Creating an offer is the first step in any influencer or <\/span>affiliate marketing<\/span><\/a> strategy.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n This step is vital. Without a good offer, you\u2019ll struggle to onboard<\/strong> influencers to your program. You need to ensure that influencers want to work with you instead of other brands<\/strong> they\u2019re considering.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n When crafting your offer, consider:<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The average SaaS commission<\/strong> rate paid to affiliates is <\/span>15-25%<\/span><\/a>, and this is paid monthly.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Because SaaS affiliate commission is recurring<\/strong>, it\u2019s important to have good retention metrics<\/strong>. Affiliates and influencers may choose a competitor<\/strong> over your company if your new customers from affiliate marketing don\u2019t stay loyal<\/strong>, as they\u2019ll earn less commission per customer.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Always take time crafting your offer and value proposition<\/strong>. This will make your program an easy sell to influencers that you pitch to.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Once you have a good value proposition that you can pitch<\/strong> with, it\u2019s time to identify the right influencers to reach out to.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n There are several ways to do this.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n First, you could use a platform<\/strong> that connects SaaS businesses with qualified affiliates, such as <\/span>2Checkout<\/span><\/a>\u2019s <\/span>Avangate Affiliate Network<\/span><\/a> for digital<\/strong> goods<\/span>. You can choose from 55,000 relevant affiliates, and contact<\/strong> them directly through the platform.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Next, you could <\/span>use LinkedIn to prospect<\/span><\/a> for influencers. Using Sales Navigator, you can run a highly targeted<\/strong> search to identify people working in your industry and who post content<\/strong> regularly.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n A third strategy is to use an audience research<\/strong> tool like <\/span>SparkToro<\/span><\/a>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n You search for a keyword<\/strong> related to your industry \u2013 for example, \u201ceCommerce\u201d. The tool will then show you publications, individual creators, or media<\/strong> outlets that your audience is likely to follow.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n You can then use the tool to source verified email<\/strong> addresses for each influencer you want to contact, and save them to your list.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Once you have a list of influencers to contact, it\u2019s time to write your outreach<\/strong> emails.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Other strategies are: looking for relevant hashtags<\/strong> on social media, look for already existing influencers lists in your niche<\/strong>, etc.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n The fastest way to connect with influencers is with a personalized <\/strong><\/span>cold email<\/span><\/a>. You can cut through the noise of their social media<\/strong> inboxes and start a conversation via their personal business inbox.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Once you have their email address, you\u2019ll need to write a personalized email template<\/strong> and schedule it. And if obtaining the e-mail<\/strong> might be too problematic, reaching out on social media, like LinkedIn or Twitter, depending on the platform they use the most, becomes a great slope for personalized interactions<\/strong>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n In your email template, you need to include four main<\/strong> elements:<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Here\u2019s an example template that would work for influencer outreach to a media publication:<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n The email works because it\u2019s clearly personalized<\/strong> to the individual receiving it. You\u2019re open about the benefits of working with you, and show clear <\/span>social proof<\/span><\/a> in the form of real revenue<\/strong> for your other influencer partners.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The CTA<\/strong> makes it easy for your recipient to respond and move the conversation forwards<\/strong>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n All good email software will allow you to include personalized attributes<\/strong>, such as a recipient\u2019s first name, company name, or any other unique<\/strong> identifier. This means you can send your outreach<\/strong> to multiple people at once without compromising on personalization.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\nWhy Use Influencer Affiliate Marketing at Your SaaS?<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n
Types of Influencers For Your SaaS<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n
![\"influencer](\"https:\/\/blog.2checkout.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/influencer-marketing-300x200.png\")
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How to Run an Influencer Outreach Strategy<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n
1. Create an Offer for Your Influencers and Affiliates<\/span><\/h3>\n
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2. Identify Relevant Influencers and Affiliates<\/span><\/h3>\n
![\"sparktoro1\"](\"https:\/\/blog.2checkout.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/sparktoro1-300x199.png\")
<\/p>\n 3. Craft Your Outreach Message<\/span><\/h3>\n
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![\"cold](\"https:\/\/blog.2checkout.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/cold-mail-300x214.png\")
<\/span><\/p>\n 4. Send Follow-Ups After No Response<\/span><\/h3>\n