The Ultimate Guide to SaaS Copywriting 2024
If you’re writing for SaaS companies, you know how important it is to write copy that persuades and converts potential customers.
I’ve been writing for SaaS products for a good decade now, and I’ve been collecting a few tricks of the trade.
In this guide, you’ll learn my SaaS copywriting strategies for creating webpages that resonate, drive conversions, and make money!
Key Takeaways:
Master SaaS copywriting by focusing on product benefits, using simple language, and writing for your target audience.
Use social proof, compelling headlines, and clear CTAs to drive conversions.
Make your text scannable, highlight USPs, and use visual aids and storytelling for engagement.
Optimize for SEO, reflect brand values, showcase your product roadmap, and maintain transparency.
Inject personality, avoid copying competitors, analyze what works, prioritize clarity, and use an active voice.
Support your copy with numbers for credibility and trust.
Essential SaaS copywriting tips:
What is SaaS, and how does it work?
SaaS, or Software as a Service, has been widely used in the tech industry since its introduction over 20 years ago.
It's a distribution technique in which a third-party provider hosts apps on the Internet for consumers to use.
With SaaS, customers can use the software through a web browser while the provider handles the infrastructure and security.
This has revolutionized the way we use and buy programs.
Previously, if you wanted to use a particular app, you had to purchase it, install it on your computer, and maintain it regularly.
With a monthly subscription, you can access and use the latest and greatest apps without making an upfront investment.
SaaS has made software more accessible and affordable for everyone.
What is SaaS copywriting?
SaaS copywriting is both an art and science of creating written content that communicates the unique value proposition of a SaaS (Software as a Service) product to potential customers.
It involves using persuasive language to highlight the product's benefits, address pain points and objections, and ultimately encourage conversions.
SaaS copywriting can benefit your company in several ways, including:
Driving more traffic to your website
Reducing your cost per click (CPC) and increasing your click-through rate (CTR)
Convert visitors who are only slightly aware of your SaaS tool into customers who are ready to solve their problems with it.
A thorough SaaS copywriting strategy considers the buyer persona, the stage of the buyer's journey, and the company's brand values.
Effective SaaS copywriting can significantly improve a company's conversion rates, user engagement, and customer retention.
What can a SaaS copywriter help you with?:
1. Messaging and positioning:
SaaS product messaging is crucial for selling software. A SaaS copywriter crafts a compelling message using data, testimonials, and social proof to showcase the product's value.
2. Web pages:
SaaS webpages are vital marketing assets where potential customers learn about a company's offerings. A skilled copywriter creates persuasive, keyword-rich content encouraging visitors to act, such as signing up for trials or demos.
3. Emails and drip campaigns:
Emails play a key role in SaaS marketing. A proficient copywriter develops influential landing pages and drip campaigns that effectively communicate product benefits.
4. Technical Documentation:
Documentation and knowledge-based copywriting are essential. They serve as proof of user-friendly tools and powerful features. Think of the knowledge base as informative blog posts.
SaaS copywriting strategies to implement:
1. Know your product inside out
Knowing your product inside out is the foundation for creating outstanding SaaS copy that converts visitors into customers.
Having a deep understanding of your product means that you can address your target audience's pain points and explain how your solution can help.
You can do this by:
Interviewing product owners
Examining your product roadmap
Listening to Sales calls
Speaking with your already existing customers.
The more you know about your product, the better equipped you are to craft persuasive messaging that resonates with your ideal customer.
2. Focus on benefits over features
When writing copy for a SaaS product, it's important to emphasize the benefits users will gain from using it rather than just focusing on its features. Focusing on features is a really common mistake and can alienate the user. Check out the 5 mistakes SaaS start-ups make with their copy.
Benefits ultimately motivate users to invest in a product and can help differentiate your product from competitors.
For example, instead of simply listing the features of a project management tool, highlight how the tool can help users save time and increase productivity by streamlining their workflow. T
Source: Wordstream
3. Use simple language
SaaS copy must be understandable and accessible, which means adopting a user-centric writing style.
Avoid using complex jargon or technical terms that may be unfamiliar to the average person. Instead, opt for simple, straightforward language that communicates your message.
This can help ensure your copy is accessible and engaging for many users, regardless of their technical expertise.
4. Write for your target audience
While writing for your audience may be given, it’s essential to put yourself in the shoes of the people you’re trying to reach and thoroughly understand how they operate.
Consider their:
demographics
pain points
motivations
Use this information to craft copy that speaks directly to their needs and desires.
This can involve using language and tone that resonates with your audience, highlighting the most important benefits, and addressing any potential objections or concerns they may have.
Additionally, understanding your target audience can help you tailor your copy to different stages of the sales funnel, such as awareness, consideration, and conversion, to ensure that you reach users at each stage of their journey.
5. Use social proof as a foundation
Social proof is a powerful tool for persuading potential customers to try your product.
It refers to any form of evidence that demonstrates that other people have used and benefited from your product, such as:
customer reviews
case studies
testimonials
Incorporate the language used by existing customers in testimonials into your SaaS copywriting.
Doing so will help you resonate more with your target market and understand which benefits to highlight in your copy.
6. Write compelling headlines
Your headline is the first thing potential customers see, and it can make the difference between engaging with your content or moving on to something else.
To create effective headlines, it's important to keep them:
clear
concise
attention-grabbing
How to write compelling SaaS webpage headlines:
Focus on benefits: In the headline, highlight the benefits of your SaaS product. This will give the reader a reason to continue reading and learn more about how your product can solve their problem.
Be clear and concise: Keep your headline short and to the point. It should be no more than 10 words, and ideally, it should be around 6-8 words. Use clear language that your target audience will understand.
Use strong action verbs: Use strong action verbs that convey the value and benefits of your SaaS product. For example, "Streamline Your Workflow with Our Powerful Automation Tool" is more powerful than "Our Tool Helps You Automate Your Workflow."
Make it specific: Use specific numbers, facts, and details to make your headline more compelling. For example, "Save 50% on Your Marketing Costs with Our Analytics Platform" is more specific than "Save Money with Our Analytics Platform."
Use statistics: Back up what you’re saying with numbers so the reader can see a tangible benefit.
Speak directly to your target audience: Use language that speaks directly to your target audience and their pain points. This will make your headline more relevant and compelling to them.
Test different headlines: Test different headlines to see which one performs best. Use A/B testing to understand which one gets the most clicks and conversions.
7. Use CTA’s that remove objection
A well-crafted CTA can help guide potential customers toward a specific action, whether signing up for a free trial, scheduling a demo, or making a purchase.
To create effective CTAs, use action-oriented, concise, and clear language. But also removes any objections the customer may have to click on the CTA.
Take Basecamp as an example:
By highlighting the low stakes for the customer and removing any barriers, more people will be willing to sign up for Basecamp and ultimately convert into paying customers.
8. Keep the text scannable
Not a fun fact: no one will read all of your copy word for word.
Many potential customers will only skim your copy (which I’m sure you’re doing to this blog!).
So, it's important to make it easy to scan and digest.
Use clear headings and subheadings to break up your content, and consider using bullet points or numbered lists to make your key points stand out.
Avoid using paragraphs.
Source: Mailchimp
9. Focus on the Unique Selling Propositions (USPs)
One effective way to differentiate your SaaS product from the competition is to focus on your USPs.
A USP sets your product apart and can be a factor in persuading potential customers to choose it over competitors.
When crafting your SaaS copy, highlight your product's unique benefits and features and emphasize how they can solve specific pain points for your target audience.
For example:
HubSpot positions itself as an all-in-one inbound marketing software that includes tools for blogging, SEO, social media, email marketing, and more. Highlighting the breadth of its capabilities.
Similarly, Slack's USP is its real-time messaging platform that improves team communication and collaboration.
Source: Tractionwise
10. Use visual aids
Visual aids like images, infographics, and videos are powerful tools for enhancing your SaaS copywriting strategy and making your content more engaging and memorable.
By incorporating visual aids alongside your copy, you can provide customers with a complete understanding of your product's features and benefits.
For example, you could include screenshots or videos of your product to help potential customers visualize how it works and what it can do.
Additionally, visual aids can help break up large blocks of text and make your content more scannable and easy to read.
11. Use storytelling techniques
Storytelling can be a powerful tool in SaaS copywriting to create an emotional connection with potential customers and make your product more memorable.
How to use storytelling in your copywriting:
Start with a hook: Just like in a good novel or movie, your copy should start with a compelling hook that draws the reader in and piques their interest. This could be a surprising statistic, a provocative question, or a vivid image that captures the reader's attention.
Identify your protagonist: In storytelling, the protagonist is the main character or hero of the story. In copywriting, the protagonist is your target customer or a fictional character that represents your target audience. By creating a relatable and compelling protagonist through personas, you can help potential customers see themselves using your product and achieving success.
Show, don't tell: Use descriptive language and sensory details to help your audience visualize your story. This can make your copy more engaging and memorable.
Highlight the transformation: Every good story has a transformation or change that occurs. In your SaaS copywriting, this could be the transformation that your product enables for your customers. For example, if your product helps small businesses save time and money, you could highlight the before-and-after effects of using your product.
End with a call to action: Once you've told your story, be sure to end with a clear CTA that removes objections and encourages your audience to take the next step, whether that's signing up for a free trial or scheduling a demo.
12. Optimize the text and page for SEO
Optimizing your SaaS copywriting for search engines can help improve your website's visibility and attract more organic traffic. Remember that you don’t have to do this when writing landing pages attached to ad campaigns - as you only want paid traffic to visit those pages.
How to optimize your copy and page format for search engines:
Do keyword research: Use tools like Google Keyword Planner or Ahrefs to identify relevant keywords and phrases that your potential customers are searching for. Incorporate these keywords into your copywriting, but use them naturally and organically.
Optimize your title and meta descriptions: Your title and meta descriptions are what appear in search engine results, so make sure they accurately reflect the content of your page and include relevant keywords.
Use header tags: Use header tags (H1, H2, H3) to structure your copywriting and help search engines understand the hierarchy of your content.
Use internal and external links: Link to other relevant pages on your website and external sources to help search engines understand the context of your content.
Optimize your images: Use descriptive file names and alt text for your images to make them more easily understood by search engines.
Optimize for local search: If your SaaS product has a local component, be sure to optimize your copywriting for local search by including location-specific keywords and phrases.
Consider long-tail keywords: Long-tail keywords are longer, more specific phrases that people search for. Incorporating these into your copywriting can attract more targeted traffic and improve your chances of ranking for niche search terms.
13. Use language that reflects your brand values
Using language that reflects your brand values is crucial for effective SaaS copywriting. Every word and phrase should be carefully selected to ensure consistency throughout your messaging.
For example, if one of your brand values is innovation, use words and phrases that convey progress and forward-thinking. Alternatively, if you value simplicity, use straightforward and jargon-free language.
To easily choose your brand voice, check out how archetypes are used in branding.
14. Highlight your product roadmap
One effective way to keep your SaaS customers engaged and excited about your product is to highlight your product roadmap in your copy. Sharing your plans for upcoming features and updates generates interest and builds anticipation among your customer base.
By prioritizing what's most important to your customers and being transparent about your plans, you can facilitate trust and foster stronger relationships with your audience.
15. Be transparent
No one likes being let down or feeling that their expectations aren’t being met. Therefore, transparency is a critical element of effective SaaS copywriting.
Customers want to feel that they can trust the companies they are doing business with, and being transparent is a great way to build that trust. By being honest about your product, pricing, and policies, you can build a relationship with your customers based on mutual trust and respect.
16. Injecting personality
Create a more engaging user experience by injecting personality into your copy. Use a conversational tone that speaks directly to your audience. Humour, anecdotes, and pop culture references can also help make your copy more relatable and memorable.
However, remember not to go too far, as you don’t want to alienate customers. Remembering your brand values and target audience when injecting personality into your copy is essential to ensure your messaging is appropriate and resonates with your customers.
17. Don’t look at your competitors for inspiration
While it can be tempting to emulate the messaging and strategies of successful competitors, this approach can lead to a lack of originality and a failure to differentiate yourself in the market. Instead, focus on brands that share your mission, target audience, and values.
Look for inspiration in various industries, and pay attention to how other companies communicate with their customers.
By broadening your horizons and seeking inspiration from like-minded brands, you can create more original and compelling SaaS copy that speaks directly to your target audience and sets you apart from the competition.
18. Examine what’s already working and what’s not
By analyzing user behavior using tools like Hotjar, you can gain insights into which pages are most engaging, where users are dropping off, and what elements are most effective in driving conversions.
This information can be used to refine your copy and create more targeted messaging that resonates with your audience.
Additionally, evaluating your existing copy for clarity, consistency, and overall effectiveness is essential. Look for areas where the messaging can be simplified, and ensure that your brand voice and values are consistently reflected throughout your website.
You can create a more effective SaaS copywriting strategy that drives user engagement and business growth by evaluating your existing copy and using data-driven insights to refine your messaging.
19. Prioritize clarity over cleverness
While it's important to inject personality and creativity into your SaaS copy, it's also vital to avoid being too clever or using language that may alienate your audience.
We all like a good pun, joke, or creative wordplay, and they can be effective in certain contexts. But they can also be confusing or off-putting to people who may not share the same sense of humor or cultural references.
Additionally, using overly technical or jargon-filled language can create a barrier to entry for users who may not be familiar with your product or industry. Instead, focus on using clear and concise language that clearly communicates the value of your product.
20. Throw grammar rules out the window
While proper grammar and syntax are important in many forms of writing, throwing these rules out the window when writing SaaS copy is often beneficial. You can create more engaging copy by focusing on a conversational tone and using language that feels natural and relatable.
This may mean using sentence fragments, starting sentences with conjunctions, or breaking other traditional grammar rules. The key is to prioritize clarity and authenticity over strict adherence to grammatical conventions.
By writing in a conversational tone, you can create a more approachable and human SaaS copy. Of course, it's still essential to ensure that your copy is understandable and free of major errors but don't be afraid to break the rules a bit.
21. ALWAYS use an active voice
An active tone of voice is a writing style where the sentence's subject is acting rather than the action being performed on the subject. This creates a sense of immediacy and urgency and can help engage the reader and communicate the benefits of the product or service more compellingly.
Here's an example of an active tone of voice:
Passive: "Our software can be used by businesses of all sizes."
Active: "Businesses of all sizes can use our software."
22. Use numbers to back yourself up
Numbers are easily digestible and help to add a sense of specificity and credibility to your claims. Whether highlighting the benefits of your product with specific statistics or showcasing your success with impressive numbers, incorporating numerical data into your copy can help build trust with your audience.
Phew - that was a lot!
Congratulations if you made it to the end, and I hope you learned something new!
An effective SaaS copywriting strategy is crucial when introducing a SaaS product to the market. To ensure success, it's important to remember the tips outlined in this article while working on your SaaS copy. Additionally, hiring a professional copywriter to assist you in crafting compelling and persuasive copy that will resonate with your target audience may be helpful.
SaaS Copywriting FAQ’s
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To write effective SaaS copy, there are several tips and best practices to follow. First, know your product inside and out, and emphasize its benefits in clear, simple language. Use social proof such as testimonials and case studies to build trust with potential customers. Write compelling headlines and use clear calls to action to guide readers towards conversion. Highlight unique selling points and be transparent with your product roadmap. Use visual aids and inject personality into your copy to make it more engaging. Avoid using competitors as inspiration and instead look towards like-minded brands. Finally, examine what's already working and what's not on your website and use tools like Hotjar for feedback. By following these tips, you can create effective SaaS copy that drives conversions and builds brand awareness.
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SaaS copywriters are professionals who specialize in writing copy specifically for SaaS businesses. Their primary goal is to create engaging, persuasive, and informative content that resonates with the target audience and drives conversions. Some of the tasks that SaaS copywriters may undertake include researching the target audience, developing brand voice and tone, writing website copy, crafting product descriptions, creating marketing materials, and optimizing content for search engines.
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Conversion copy is successful when it effectively communicates the value and benefits of the product or service to the target audience, persuading them to take a specific action, such as signing up for a free trial or making a purchase. Successful conversion copy is typically customer-centric, focusing on the needs and pain points of the target audience, and uses clear, concise language to convey the product's unique selling points.
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There are several tools that can help improve your SaaS copy, such as:
Grammarly: an online writing assistant that checks for grammar, spelling, and punctuation errors.
Hemingway Editor: a tool that analyzes your writing and provides suggestions for making it more clear and concise.
CoSchedule Headline Analyzer: a tool that helps you craft attention-grabbing headlines.
Hotjar: a tool that provides insights into how users interact with your website, allowing you to optimize your copy for better engagement and conversions.
Google Analytics: a tool that provides data on your website traffic, allowing you to track the performance of your copy and make data-driven decisions.
These tools can help you write more effective and engaging copy, but it's important to remember that they are only a part of the equation. Ultimately, the best way to improve your SaaS copy is to understand your audience and communicate your unique value proposition in a way that resonates with them.
Get SaaS copy that converts 🚀
I’m always up for new projects. So, if you want to collab, book a call at a time that suits you and tell me a bit more about your content needs. We can have a chat to see if we’d make a good team. No meeting is unwelcome, and I reply to everyone!
