Effective SaaS copywriting can be the difference between a great product that languishes and a mediocre one that still keeps potential customers engaged throughout their buying process. However, if you’ve been feeling let down by your copywriter, you’re not alone. Many SaaS companies wrestle with copy that fails to meet expectations, oftentimes wondering where the issue lies.
This article seeks to uncover the nine common reasons why you might be dissatisfied with your SaaS copywriter’s work, delving into issues that range from strategic alignment to industry understanding, and from tone of voice to adaptability. Understanding these potential pitfalls can illuminate the path to improved content that not only captures attention but also converts leads, propelling your SaaS business’s growth.
SaaS Copywriting Pitfall #1: Lack of Strategic Thought
A common problem you may face with your SaaS copywriter is the lack of strategic thinking. Instead of thinking as a strategic partner, they might have focused mainly on attractive wording or specific deliverables. The real question here is whether they sought to understand the business goals driving your project. For example, did they inquire about your ideal customer profile(s), the most lucrative product or service lines, opportunities to upsell or cross-sell, or how the success of the project would be gauged? Their role is not just to create content, but to anchor that content in the strategic objectives of your business.
SaaS Copywriting Pitfall #2: One-Size-Fits-All Approach
Not every SaaS customer is the same, especially in B2B SaaS where there are often several stakeholders involved in purchasing decisions. Your copywriter may not have fully captured the perspectives of all the roles involved in the buying process, or the specific outcomes that each of these stakeholders are seeking. In doing so, they may have missed out on demonstrating how your SaaS can solve problems for different types of users and stakeholders.
SaaS Copywriting Pitfall #3: Limited Access to Sales Team Insights
Your sales team can provide invaluable insights for your copywriter. They have first-hand information about the sales process, common objections, switching costs, preferred use cases in the target market, and the way potential customers talk about pain points your system addresses. Without access to the sales team or a sales-minded leader, your copywriter might be missing out on key elements that directly address customer needs.
SaaS Copywriting Pitfall #4: Lack of Interaction with Customer Success Team
The customer success team provides insights on the link between product features and return on investment (ROI). Without access to such insights, your copywriter may have focused more on the features rather than the unique value that those features can deliver. Consequently, the copy may lack the persuasion required to demonstrate the real-life benefits and potential ROI that customers can achieve with your product. For SaaS products with a substantial onboarding process, implementation specialists on the customer success team can also provide information that addresses the apprehensions of potential customers.
SaaS Copywriting Pitfall #5: Misaligned Tone of Voice
A crucial element in copywriting is establishing the right tone that resonates with the target market. Was there a mismatch in your copywriter’s understanding of your audience’s preferred communication style? If your copywriter’s tone didn’t align with the tone that resonates with your target audience, it could create dissonance that prevents the target audience from engaging with the content and, by extension, your product. From the moment someone lands on your website or looks at a piece of your marketing collateral, they should see familiar language that assures them that they are in the right place and their problems are understood.
SaaS Copywriting Pitfall #6: Absence of Customer-Centric Copy
Your copywriter may have failed to put themselves in the shoes of your customers. Every customer wants to feel valued and understood. Is your copywriter highlighting the solutions your SaaS product provides from the customer’s perspective? They need to demonstrate how your SaaS product can solve the customer’s problems and improve their lives or businesses.
SaaS Copywriting Pitfall #7: Inadequate Competitive Analysis
Understanding the competitive landscape is an essential part of creating compelling SaaS copy. If your copywriter did not understand your competitive landscape, they likely produced bland, generic copy that didn’t differentiate your product.
SaaS Copywriting Pitfall #8: Lack of SEO Expertise
In a world where search engines drive web traffic, your copywriter should have a solid understanding of SEO when writing website copy. They need to be able to work closely with your SEO team or your SEO strategy to use keywords effectively, understand SERP features, and create content that can rank well organically.
SaaS Copywriting Pitfall #9: Inattention to Measurement and Adaptation
Finally, it’s essential that your copywriter understands how to measure the impact of their work. This involves using various metrics to track engagement and conversions, and then adapting the messaging based on these metrics. If your copywriter isn’t comfortable with measuring and adjusting their work based on data, this could be a significant obstacle.
Conclusion
Many of these situations are problems associated with the discovery process– either your copywriter failed to ask the right questions or delve deep enough, or they weren’t provided with the necessary access, resources, or dedicated time to do so. An effective discovery session with a proficient copywriter should leave you with a renewed sense of inspiration about the value of your product and your company’s mission. It should also challenge you, whether that’s in articulating your strategic thinking or gathering more information from your customers and team members. A top-notch copywriter will ensure they have all the required materials and insights.
In addition to a good discovery process, success in competitive SaaS markets requires a copywriter possessing strategic acumen, competitive awareness, adaptability, SEO familiarity, and a deep understanding of the customer, all hallmarks of exceptional copywriting. However, achieving these benchmarks is not solely the copywriter’s responsibility. It’s equally crucial for the SaaS company to provide the necessary collaboration to enable the copywriter to fully understand and articulate the product’s value proposition. Armed with this comprehensive support, a proficient copywriter can craft clear, personalized content that not only engages and resonates with potential customers but also drives conversions.
At JHMG, we understand these challenges. We have a Storybrand certified guide on our team who specializes in helping B2B SaaS companies clarify their messaging. If you’re looking to enhance your SaaS copywriting and effectively communicate your value proposition, we’re here to help. Reach out to us today about how we can assist in transforming your copywriting into a powerful tool for business growth.
