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I Don't Know Where to Start with SaaS Marketing

There's nothing revolutionary in this guide, and it holds no secrets. It's standard, common practice. You could ask your favorite AI chat (ChatGPT, Claude, Grok) for a similar guide, and it would produce one from the huge amount of material already on the internet.

Key point: Marketing isn't a collection of secrets or hacks. It's simple, mundane, often boring work that you repeat over a long period.

What this guide gives you is an order. Instead of collecting more advice, you get a short sequence of tasks you can actually start today and finish one at a time.

At a glance

  1. Discover your product (~1 hour)Task: Answer four questions, write a positioning statementResult: One statement you can use everywhere
  2. Find where customers hang out (2-3 hours)Task: Search, list, and sort at least 20 sitesResult: A sorted spreadsheet of places to show up
  3. Create your media kit (2-3 hours)Task: Prepare descriptions, images, a useful post, tracking linksResult: A folder you can copy from for any site
  4. Work through your list (~1 hour a day, 1-2 weeks)Task: Two sites a day, the right action for each typeResult: 10-20 profiles, pitches, and posts
  5. Review what worked (~30 minutes)Task: Fill in results, pick the next stepResult: A clear decision on what to repeat

What are my first and next steps?

Here are the starting steps, in the order you should do them. You've probably done some of them already. Many will sound self-explanatory, but you need all of them in place before you start.

If you sell through calls or demos rather than self-serve signups, the steps are the same, but your goal changes: you want a conversation, not a signup. Wherever this guide mentions your product link, use your "book a call" or "request a demo" page instead.

Each section includes examples for three hypothetical products, so you can see how the same steps play out for very different businesses:

  • Example A - ChairTime: booking and client CRM for barbershops. Customers sign up and set it up themselves.
  • Example B - TripLedger: expense and employee-spending software for small and mid-size companies. Sold through calls and demos.
  • Example C - LotLink: back-office inventory and vendor management for independent used-car dealers. Sold through lead generation and phone calls.

Section I: Discover your product

About 1 hour.

You'll end up with: one positioning statement you can use everywhere.

  1. Answer these questions, in order:
    • a. My product/SaaS solves ___<describe the exact problem>___.
    • b. My advantage is ___ because I have ____.
    • c. My typical customers' frustrations are: _____, _____, and _____.
    • d. What end result will my customer get while or after using my product?
  2. Write a positioning statement you can use everywhere. You can:
    • Use AI by pasting in your answers from step 1.
    • Write it yourself based on those answers (preferred).
    • Do both and ask AI to combine them (ideal).
Example A - ChairTime (barbershop booking, self-serve)

Local-business scheduling tools can target many industries: barbershops, beauty and nail salons, personal trainers, yoga and pilates studios, massage therapists, tattoo studios, dog groomers. This example picks barbershops.

Step 1

  • a. ChairTime solves barbers losing money to no-shows and spending their breaks answering booking texts and DMs.
  • b. My advantage is that a shop can set it up from a phone in 15 minutes, because I built it alongside two working barbershops that refused to use anything requiring a laptop.
  • c. Typical frustrations: clients don't show up and the slot is lost; booking requests arrive by text, Instagram, and phone all at once; existing apps feel built for big salons, not a two-chair shop.
  • d. End result: fewer empty slots, clients book and reschedule themselves, and the barber stops managing the calendar between cuts.

Step 2 - positioning statement

ChairTime is a booking app for independent barbershops. Automatic reminders and deposits cut no-shows, clients book themselves, and you can set it up from your phone in 15 minutes.

Example B - TripLedger (expense management, sales-led)

Step 1

  • a. TripLedger solves finance and HR teams chasing receipts and reconciling employee expenses by hand at month-end, in companies with field workers, managers, or sales teams who travel.
  • b. My advantage is that approvals follow the company's existing spending policy and reimbursements flow straight into payroll, because I spent years building payroll integrations for mid-size companies.
  • c. Typical frustrations: month-end close is delayed by missing receipts; managers approve spending without context; traveling employees wait weeks to be reimbursed.
  • d. End result: expenses are captured when they happen, approved from the road, and paid out with the next payroll, so finance closes the month on time.

Step 2 - positioning statement

TripLedger helps finance and HR teams at growing companies track employee spending as it happens - receipts captured on the road, approvals on mobile, and reimbursements paid through your existing payroll.

Example C - LotLink (dealer back office, lead gen and calls)

Step 1

  • a. LotLink solves independent used-car dealers losing track of reconditioning: which car is at which repair shop, which parts are on order, and what each vendor charged.
  • b. My advantage is that it's built for the independent dealer's back office, not adapted from franchise-dealer software, because I spent years running the back office of a used-car lot.
  • c. Typical frustrations: cars sit at body or detail shops for days without anyone knowing their status; vendor invoices don't match agreed prices; parts and subcontractor work are tracked in notebooks, spreadsheets, and phone calls.
  • d. End result: every car's reconditioning status and cost in one place, cars ready for the lot sooner, and vendor relationships under control.

Step 2 - positioning statement

LotLink is a back-office system for independent used-car dealers. It tracks every car through reconditioning - parts, repair shops, and subcontractors - so cars reach the lot faster and vendor costs stay visible.

Section II: Discover where your customers hang out

About 2-3 hours.

You'll end up with: a sorted spreadsheet of at least 20 places where your customers already look.

  1. Search Google for:

    • a. "Alternatives to __<your competitor>__" - repeat for your top 3 competitors.
    • b. "Resources for __<your customer>__"
    • c. "Software reviews for __<your customer>__"
    • d. The customer frustrations you listed in Section I.

  2. Ask AI to suggest more Google search terms for finding where your customers hang out.

    Key point: Do NOT ask AI to do the research for you. You need to do this yourself, because you need to understand your customer's journey.

  3. List every website you find in a spreadsheet - you need at least 20. For each one, note:

    • a. What kind of site is it? Use one of: alternatives page or buying guide, review or comparison site, directory, newsletter, community, or other.
    • b. Can you participate in it (discussions, e.g. Reddit)?
    • c. Can you link out from it freely and legally without looking spammy?
    • d. Can you contribute a wholesome, valuable article, video, or chart without pitching?
    • e. Can you buy advertising there?
    • f. Is it a free community? Paid ones are fine too - keep them for later. Paid communities sometimes have good traction.

  4. Sort your list. Put places where people are already comparing or choosing tools first (alternatives pages, buying guides, review and comparison sites, directories), then newsletters and communities, then paid options. You'll work from the top.

Also add three empty columns for later: date done, visits, and signups or calls. You'll fill them in during Sections IV and V.

Example A - ChairTime

Step 1 - searches

  • a. "Alternatives to Booksy", "Alternatives to Fresha", "Alternatives to Square Appointments"
  • b. "Resources for barbershop owners"
  • c. "Booking software reviews for barbershops"
  • d. "How to reduce no-shows barbershop", "should barbers charge deposits"

Step 2 - AI prompt

I run a booking app for independent barbershops. My customers are owners of one- to three-chair shops. Suggest 15 Google search terms these owners might type when looking for help, advice, or software. Don't research or list websites - just give me the search terms.

Step 3 - kinds of places you might list

Online groups for barbershop owners, articles comparing booking apps for barbers, the salon-software category on software review sites, barbering trade newsletters and podcasts, and barber education platforms.

Step 4 - top of the sorted list

The booking-app comparison articles and the review-site category go first, because shop owners reading them are already choosing a tool.

Example B - TripLedger

Step 1 - searches

  • a. "Alternatives to Expensify", "Alternatives to SAP Concur", "Alternatives to Navan"
  • b. "Resources for HR managers", "Resources for small business finance teams"
  • c. "Expense management software reviews"
  • d. "How to speed up month-end close", "employee reimbursement delays", "per diem policy template"

Step 2 - AI prompt

I sell expense and employee-spending software to small and mid-size companies. Buyers are finance managers, controllers, and HR leads at companies with traveling staff. Suggest 15 Google search terms they might use when researching this problem or comparing tools. Don't research or list websites - just give me the search terms.

Step 3 - kinds of places you might list

The expense-management category on software comparison sites, HR and payroll communities, newsletters for finance managers and controllers, integration marketplaces of payroll and accounting tools, and buyer's guides to expense software.

Step 4 - top of the sorted list

Comparison-site profiles, buyer's guides, and integration marketplaces first. Note which ones let an interested reader book a demo directly.

Example C - LotLink

Step 1 - searches

  • a. "Alternatives to Frazer", "Alternatives to DealerCenter", "Alternatives to Rapid Recon"
  • b. "Resources for independent car dealers"
  • c. "Dealer software reviews"
  • d. "How to reduce reconditioning time used cars", "tracking cars at body shop"

Step 2 - AI prompt

I sell back-office software to independent used-car dealers and small dealer groups. It tracks reconditioning, parts, and repair-shop vendors. Suggest 15 Google search terms dealers or their office managers might use when looking for help with this. Don't research or list websites - just give me the search terms.

Step 3 - kinds of places you might list

State independent auto dealer associations, dealer trade publications and podcasts, dealer forums and online groups, partner or integration pages of dealer management systems, and vendor listings for dealer conferences.

Step 4 - top of the sorted list

Dealer software review pages and integration partner pages first. Many association and conference listings are paid - they go at the bottom for now.

Section III: Create your "media kit"

About 2-3 hours.

You'll end up with: a folder you can copy from whenever a site asks for a description, logo, or screenshot.

For a detailed walkthrough of this step, follow How to Create a Media Kit for Your SaaS.

You can use AI or do it yourself, but prepare a folder with:

  1. A document containing:
    • URLs for your site and flagship product(s) - or your "book a call" page if you sell through calls
    • A one-line tagline
    • A 2-3 line description of your product or flagship service
    • A short paragraph about your SaaS based on Section I - AI can help here
    • Your category (the label you'd pick on a review site or directory) and basic pricing information, such as "free trial, plans from ___" - directories and review sites often ask for both
    • Your list of customer pain points (for reference)
  2. Images:
    • Your square (1×1) logo - you will use this one the most
    • Your wide logo - you might need it in some places
    • 2-3 product screenshots showing the main screens
    • Banners. The minimum viable banner (the universal "safe core") is 640 × 191 px, or 1280 × 382 px at 2x resolution. Or you can create all the common sizes: 1128 × 191 px [~6:1], 1584 × 396 px [4:1], 1500 × 500 px [3:1], 820 × 360 px [~16:9], and 2560 × 1440 px [16:9]. If you don't want to make them by hand, use Pixelhunter or Canva Magic Resize.
    • Optional: your photo and name, if you're doing founder-led marketing
  3. One useful post with no link to your product. It should take about 30-40 minutes to write. Avoid AI here, except for proofreading. Focus on telling a story from your own experience. You'll adapt it for each community rather than reposting it word for word.
  4. A way to track each link. Add a UTM tag to your URL for every site you use, so your analytics shows where visitors came from. For example: yoursite.com/?utm_source=sitename&utm_medium=listing. Change sitename for each site. Free UTM builders exist if you'd rather not type them by hand.
Example A - ChairTime: the document
  • URLs: chairtime.example (site), chairtime.example/signup (free trial)
  • Tagline: Booking for barbershops, set up from your phone.
  • Description: ChairTime is a booking app for independent barbershops. Clients book themselves, reminders and deposits cut no-shows, and setup takes 15 minutes on a phone.
  • Short paragraph: ChairTime was built with two working barbershops for owners who'd rather cut hair than answer booking messages. Clients pick a slot from a link in your Instagram bio, get automatic reminders, and can pay a small deposit to hold their spot. Everything runs from your phone, with no laptop or front desk needed.
  • Category and pricing: salon and barbershop booking software; free trial, then a monthly plan per shop.
  • Pain points: no-shows and lost slots; bookings scattered across text, Instagram, and phone; tools built for big salons.
Example B - TripLedger: the document
  • URLs: tripledger.example (site), tripledger.example/demo (book a demo)
  • Tagline: Employee spending, tracked as it happens.
  • Description: TripLedger tracks employee spending as it happens. Receipts are captured on the road, managers approve on mobile, and reimbursements are paid through your existing payroll.
  • Short paragraph: TripLedger is expense management for growing companies with people on the move - field teams, managers, and traveling sales staff. It follows your existing spending policy, connects to the payroll system you already use, and gives finance a complete picture before month-end instead of after it.
  • Category and pricing: expense management software; priced per employee, quoted after a demo.
  • Pain points: delayed month-end close; approvals without context; slow reimbursements for traveling staff.
Example C - LotLink: the document
  • URLs: lotlink.example (site), lotlink.example/call (schedule a call)
  • Tagline: Reconditioning and vendor tracking for independent dealers.
  • Description: LotLink is back-office software for independent used-car dealers. It tracks every car through reconditioning, along with parts, repair shops, and subcontractors.
  • Short paragraph: LotLink was built for the back office of independent used-car lots and small dealer groups. It shows where every car is in reconditioning, which parts are on order, and what each repair shop or subcontractor has charged, so cars reach the lot sooner and vendor costs don't drift.
  • Category and pricing: dealer management / reconditioning software; priced per rooftop, quoted on a call.
  • Pain points: cars stuck at vendors with unknown status; invoices that don't match agreed prices; recon tracked in notebooks and phone calls.

Section IV: Work through your list, two sites a day

About an hour a day for one to two weeks.

You'll end up with: 10-20 completed profiles, pitches, and posts, each with a tracking link.

This is a short sprint through your list, not a daily habit for the rest of your life.

  1. Each day, take the next two sites from the top of your sorted list and do what fits that type of site:

    • Alternatives page or buying guide: find the author or editor and send a short, specific pitch asking to be included. Explain who your product suits and offer your media kit.
    • Review or comparison site, or directory: create or claim your profile, fill in every field from your media kit, and add screenshots.
    • Newsletter: check whether it accepts tool suggestions or sponsorships. Send a suggestion, or note the sponsorship price in your sheet for later.
    • Community: sign up, create a proper profile, and write an introduction (if appropriate) or your first post.

  2. Write each post or pitch for that specific site and lead with something useful - your post from Section III is a good starting point.

    Key point: Don't spam. Never copy-paste a generic sales message or product pitch. Communities treat that as spam, and you'll likely get your post removed or your account blocked.

  3. Use that site's UTM link wherever you include a link.

  4. Fill in the date done column for that row.

You're done with this section when you've worked through the top 10-20 sites on your list.

Example A - ChairTime
  • Day 1 picks: a comparison article of booking apps for barbers (buying guide) and the salon-software category on a review site.
  • Step 1: Email the article's author a three-sentence pitch: ChairTime is built for one- to three-chair shops, sets up from a phone, and here's the media kit. Complete the review-site profile with the description, category, pricing, logo, and screenshots.
  • Step 2: The pitch is about why ChairTime fits the article's readers, not a generic "check out our app."
  • Steps 3-4: Use ?utm_source=reviewsite on the profile link and fill in the date for both rows.
Example B - TripLedger
  • Day 1 picks: the expense-management category on a software comparison site and a newsletter for finance managers.
  • Step 1: Complete the comparison profile with the "book a demo" link. Check whether the newsletter takes tool suggestions or sponsorships and note the answer in the sheet.
  • Step 2: No cold demo pitch. These buyers hear from vendors often; a clear profile and a relevant suggestion work better than an offer.
  • Steps 3-4: Tag the demo link with ?utm_source=comparisonsite and fill in the date.
Example C - LotLink
  • Day 1 picks: an integration partner page of a dealer management system and a dealer forum.
  • Step 1: Contact the DMS partner team about being listed. In the forum, create a profile and share a practical post - for example, how to track how many days each car spends in reconditioning, using nothing more than a spreadsheet.
  • Step 2: No "book a call" message in the forum. Dealers who find the post useful can find you through your profile.
  • Steps 3-4: Tag the profile link with ?utm_source=dealerforum and fill in the date.

Section V: Review what worked

About 30 minutes, two to four weeks after you finish Section IV.

You'll end up with: a clear decision on what to repeat, what to follow up on, and what to drop.

Some placements take a while to show up - a pitch may get a reply weeks later, and a listing may take time to be found.

  1. Check your analytics and fill in the visits and signups or calls columns for each site, using your UTM tags.
  2. Note anything still pending, such as pitches without replies or listings under review.
  3. Decide your next step:
    • Repeat what produced visits, signups, or calls - look for similar sites and add them to your list.
    • Follow up once on pitches that got no reply.
    • Revisit the paid options you set aside. Now you have a better idea of which kinds of places reach your customers.
    • Drop types of sites that produced nothing.

Key point: Expect small numbers at first. A handful of visits from one site is still useful information about where your customers are.

Example A - ChairTime

If the review-site profile shows trial signups while community posts brought none, the next step is to find two or three more review and comparison sites for salon software and complete those profiles first.

Example B - TripLedger

Demo requests are rare and slow, so one or two booked calls from a single comparison site is a strong signal. The next step might be to ask that site about a featured placement, or to check sponsorship prices with the finance newsletter noted earlier.

Example C - LotLink

If the forum post brought a few profile visits and one call, while the DMS partner team hasn't replied, the next step is one follow-up email to the partner team and a second practical post in a different dealer forum.

Michael Kove

Michael Kove

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