How to Gain Traction for Your SaaS via Co-Hosted Events
Donatas Jonikas, PhD
Helping SaaS founders get customers before writing a single line of code | Investor | Author | World's Top30 Startup Coach for 2024
If you've been following me, you might have noticed that I've been involved in several co-hosted events, and I plan to continue this trend.
I've already interviewed or scheduled interviews with many incredible individuals who excel in their fields, including Frank Smit , Omeed Tabiei, Esq. , Mike Handa , Hlieb Vashkevich , Greta Zaikauskait? , Mika ??♂? Poghosyan , Iman Pouya , Katrina Nacci, CPA , Ian Jarmoszczuk , Stuart Kerslake , etc.
In this article, I want to share how you, as a SaaS founder, can leverage co-hosted events to attract early adopters and scale your business.
Let's keep it short and sweet! ;)
What the heck is it?
A co-hosted event is an online event you and a partner run together, focusing on a specific topic.
The primary goal isn't to promote your SaaS directly but to provide valuable solutions to the specific challenges your target users are facing.
By addressing these challenges and offering practical solutions, you naturally introduce your software or platform as a tool that makes everything easier, faster, and more effortless.
Think of it as a cross-promotion opportunity with another SaaS company that serves a similar customer base and complements your offerings.
If you both target the same audience but aren't direct competitors, you can form a co-marketing partnership, such as a co-hosted event. This strategy enables you to reach more potential customers by leveraging each other's networks, followers, and owned channels.
Who can you partner with?
A consultant, for example, might help your target users solve a specific problem and recommend your tool as an additional solution—something that could expedite problem-solving and add value.
Freelancers, who provide various services such as creating and managing social media posts, can influence which software their clients choose to adopt, such as social media scheduling apps and platforms.
"Anything" means identifying other products and services your target customers use. Find the context to connect these with your software and develop an idea for a highly relevant online event that resonates with your audience.
Virtual summits are great but...
Running a virtual summit with 20 or more speakers has never been easier. But there's a lot more involved.
You can offer these summits for free and still break even by selling VIP tickets that provide access to recordings and partner bonuses (which you can negotiate without spending money out of pocket).
Check out this short video for additional tips. However, I recommend starting with a few co-hosted events instead of a large-scale summit.
LinkedIn video live events suck but still...
I have to admit, LinkedIn video live events can be challenging for several reasons:
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Instead of hosting live video events directly on LinkedIn, I'll use external platforms like Zoom for our co-hosted interviews.
Attendees will need to register via Zoom to join our live discussions. This way we collect leads (including even their answers to any questions we want to ask on a registration page) and have two additional ways to remind about the event:
However, to maximize exposure, we'll explore the option of live-streaming these Zoom meetings directly to my LinkedIn profile. While technically feasible, the true effectiveness of this approach will only be revealed through practical experimentation. Stay tuned for updates! ??
Practical tips to get the most value out of it
1. Use Zoom Registration Forms
When organizing your event on Zoom, utilize the registration form to capture leads and gather additional information without the need to create a landing page for each event.
2. Livestream to Your Profile
Increase visibility by live streaming the event from Zoom directly to your profile, attracting additional viewers.
3. Record and Gate the Event
Record the event and gate access to it, requiring viewers to opt in and provide contact details. Alternatively, share the recording for free on platforms like YouTube for wider accessibility. It's your choice but the more valuable the content the more likely it will be gated.
4. Clear Call-to-Action (CTA)
Ensure a clear and repeated CTA during the event, considering that many viewers will watch the recording later.
7. Offer Live Bonuses
Encourage live attendance by offering bonuses exclusively to those who join the event in real time. This not only boosts motivation but also provides a natural segue for follow-up interactions.
8. Engage via LinkedIn DMs
Reach out to attendees via LinkedIn DMs with open-ended questions, such as offering access to the recording and additional gifts shared during the event. Engaging in DMs increases the likelihood of organic visibility on LinkedIn.
9. Moderate Event Frequency
Avoid hosting events every week unless you have nailed the system. Weekly events can be overwhelming because you need time to promote the event, take care of logistics (registration, reminders, sharable links, slides, questions, etc.,), and do the follow-up.
Join our live event on co-marketing partnerships
Even though this event is tailored for coaches and consultants, SaaS founders with a win-win mindset will definitely find value as well. ??
Who knows, you might meet a coach at this event who is open to collaborating with your SaaS company. ??
Join us live or at least sign up to access the recording. ???
And start running your own co-hosted events to get some traction! ??
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5 个月thanks for the tag Donatas Jonikas, PhD - I think we still need to regroup to get something in the calendar and start sorting out our Google Doc of topics!