MorningRoar #5
Let’s face it—being a SaaS business today is like showing up to a party where everyone’s dressed the same, and it can be awkward sometimes .
You might have the best moves, but if no one notices you, you’re just another face in the crowd. If you’re tired of blending in, it’s time to make some noise and show your competition who’s boss.
Buckle up, because Today we’re about to dive into two bold moves that can make you stand out but also have your competitors scrambling to keep up.
Playing it safe is the fastest way to get ignored. If you want to outshine your competition, it’s time to take bold, unconventional steps.
Move #1: Shock the market with radical transparency—put It all out there
Nowadays with the “build in public” movement everyone claims to be “transparent,” but let’s be real—most businesses only share the good stuff and sweep the embarrassing and rest under the rug.
But what if you turned this on its head and became radically transparent? Share your successes and your struggles, your pricing breakdowns, and even the nitty-gritty of how your SaaS product works.
This kind of bold honesty builds trust but also makes you stand out as the genuine article in a sea of too-good-to-be-true claims.
Start by publishing detailed case studies that show not just your wins, but also the challenges you faced along the way.
Create a blog series or a video diary where you openly discuss the development process, including the mistakes and setbacks.
And here’s the kicker—make your pricing model completely transparent, with a clear breakdown of what every dollar is funding.
Buffer, the social media management tool, did exactly this when they made their entire salary structure public.
They even shared their revenue numbers, their funding process, and the challenges they faced as a startup.
This level of openness didn’t just build trust—it made Buffer a brand people wanted to root for.
Customers loved their honesty, and competitors were left trying to figure out how to compete with a company that had nothing to hide. You can do the same.
Move #2: Steal the spotlight with guerrilla marketing
Traditional marketing is like walking up to a stranger and trying to sell them a vacuum cleaner in the middle of a party.
It’s awkward, intrusive, and most people will avoid you. Guerrilla marketing, on the other hand, is like setting up a dance-off in the middle of the dance floor—you get attention, you’re memorable, and people can’t stop talking about you.
It’s bold, it’s in-your-face, and if done right, it can catapult your SaaS into the spotlight.
You can start for example, by launching a snarky, tell-it-like-it-is campaign that takes your competitors’ biggest pain points and turns them into viral gold.
Think of a mini mockumentary that exaggerates the frustration of using their clunky software, with over-the-top dramatics and laugh-out-loud moments.
Then, swoop in with a smooth transition that showcases how your SaaS product effortlessly fixes these issues.
Keep it sharp, irreverent, and oh-so-shareable.
The objective? To get your audience nodding, laughing, and hitting that share button—making your competitors wish they’d thought of it first, all without breaking the bank on ad spend.
One of the best examples of this strategy in action is from Zendesk.
Back when they were up against a slew of competitors in the customer support space, Zendesk took a playful jab at the trend of anti-corporate sentiment by creating a fictional rock band called “Zendesk Alternative.”
The band’s fake website claimed they were “against big business” and urged people not to use Zendesk, while humorously showcasing the very issues Zendesk solves.
This tongue-in-cheek campaign didn’t just highlight Zendesk’s strengths—it also mocked the idea of people being unhappy with corporate solutions, cleverly positioning Zendesk as the likable, effective choice.
The campaign was funny, shareable, and made Zendesk stand out in a crowded market, all while subtly taking down their competition.
That’s all for Today, there you have it, go ahead and shake things up—you’ve got nothing to lose but your obscurity.