B2B SaaS copywriters are the Swiss Army knives of the software used in a service industry. They go beyond typing words on a screen to help shape the narrative and increase the efficacy of entire campaigns.
Regarding market share and competitive edge, PayPal cofounder Peter Thiel once said, “Customers won’t care about any particular technology unless it solves a particular problem in a superior way.” It’s a SaaS copywriter’s responsibility to explain to readers the solution that’s available and why that solution is paramount in every way that matters.
As business trends continue to grow, so will the weighty roles of SaaS copywriters. Here’s what you need to know about this writing subspeciality, including how you can hire a SaaS copywriter or succeed in the niche as a freelancer yourself.
SaaS Copywriter vs. B2B SaaS Copywriter
SaaS copywriting takes a broader approach to content creation, reaching out to individual users and corporations. A single piece of content will have multiple applications — using universal language and focusing on how the software at hand can solve common pain points that exist across user segments.
A B2B SaaS copywriter jettisons more general terminology and messaging in favor of a narrowed scope. Pieces created with B2B in mind tend to speak to a specific audience or even a well-developed buyer persona. The writer has an intimate understanding of the client’s business challenge and can speak on a detailed level regarding how a particular SaaS solution addresses that specific problem.
Value propositions in general and SaaS copywriting
A general SaaS copywriter appeals to the masses, emphasizing how a product can help the typical user. It’s common to highlight core benefits, such as ease of use, affordability, and how well it integrates with popular apps and software.
For B2B copywriting, the value proposition is more metric-based. Business owners want to know how the SaaS solution will influence outcomes, such as ROI and customer conversion rates, as well as internal processes, such as cross-departmental collaboration and productivity.
Language and tone
General SaaS copywriting tends to be more conversational, making it easier for the average person to understand tech concepts and software specs. B2B SaaS copywriters speak to a more analytical audience — start-up founders and marketing managers are often more receptive to a professional pitch that’s less casual.
Understanding the Need for a SaaS Copywriter
SaaS products are often technically complex, with a laundry list of features that must be conveyed accurately without overwhelming readers. Software may be updated frequently, and the tech sector is always changing. Thus a strong SaaS copywriter must be agile and dedicate non-writing time to staying current and getting to know recent innovations.
Businesses must consider the following when looking for a talented SaaS copywriter:
- Differentiation: It’s not enough for a copywriter to rattle off a feature list. Conveying how features stack up in a saturated market is vital, and this requires a writer who’s adept at researching competitors, thinking critically, and building messaging that makes the client stand out.
- Onboarding: New writers need to be educated on the client’s standards and product portfolio. Doing this over and over is a major drain on resources.
- Strategic value: SaaS copywriters tend to charge more than general ghostwriters because they do more. They’re writers, but they’re also experts in conversion optimization, user experience, branding, sales techniques, and the overall intricacies of the software industry.
Identifying Your Copywriting Needs
Before you can connect with and onboard your own SaaS copywriter, you must figure out what you need from a freelancer to meet your internal goals. Consider the following questions:
- What’s your objective? Are you looking to acquire new users, boost your SERPs, introduce consumers to a new product, or something else entirely?
- Who’s your audience? Do you need a copywriter who can speak in general terms or one who knows how to dig deep into the pain points, motivations, and preferences of a select audience and shape messaging accordingly?
- What’s your USP? Your unique selling proposition sets you apart from the competition. The more specialized and nuanced your USP is, the more savvy your copywriter should be.
- What assets do you have, and what do you need to create? Businesses that are just beginning to construct a content marketing strategy probably need everything from basic website content to blog posts. More developed companies might be ready for assets that require a deeper mastery of the topics at hand — think highly persuasive content, high-converting landing pages, and in-depth user manuals.
Finding the Right SaaS Copywriter
Finding a skilled SaaS copywriter can be difficult — and finding one who suits your business’ needs can be even more challenging. In most cases, you have three options: Partner with a content marketing agency, hire an in-house writer, or contract a freelance writer directly.
Contracting directly with a freelance writer gives you a ton of freedom and skips over some of the drawbacks of onboarding a full-time hire, such as paying for benefits and providing physical office space. But an in-house writer is in a prime position to know your product, audience, and quirks inside and out.
For many companies, content agencies and content marketing platforms offer the best of both worlds. You can go fishing in an existing talent pool, using project and content briefs to educate writers and editors on your product and campaign. You can even create your own satellite team that doesn’t work directly under your corporate umbrella but is committed to creating content for you long-term.
Vetting freelance SaaS copywriters
Vet every candidate you want to seriously consider for your project. You’re looking for overall talent, industry-relevant experience, and other characteristics (e.g., a sense of humor, reliability, and a proven track record with high-converting campaigns) that align with your goals and branding.
The vetting process will be your sole responsibility unless you partner with an agency or content marketing platform. That means you’ll be interviewing prospects, checking references, looking at portfolios, assigning sample tasks, reviewing submissions, and sending out offers. That takes a lot of time, but vetting is important — this is how you avoid paying for subpar content or accidentally hiring a writer that isn’t right for B2B or SaaS content.
The Hiring Process
Once you’ve found a writer that checks all your boxes, it’s time to bring them on board. How this process unfolds depends on whether you’re contracting a freelance SaaS copywriter or partnering with an agency that already has writers on staff.
Freelancer hiring process
With each new professional relationship you have with a freelance copywriter, you’re starting from scratch. There’s a fair amount of negotiation to be done, and you’ll be discussing the following terms and conditions of your agreement.
- Project details: Now’s the time to lay out exactly what’s expected from the project. This includes the assets to be created, deadlines for each milestone, communication methods, and revision instructions.
- Payment: Freelance writers can charge whatever they want. That can include a flat fee, hourly rate, or a monthly retainer fee. You’ll need to decide when payment will take place and how it will be made (direct deposit vs. company check, for example).
- General guidelines: All clients should give their new SaaS copywriters the information they need to represent the company properly. Branding information, style guides, approved content samples, customer testimonials, case studies, and product specs are just a few of the items writers can use to get up to speed and shape custom content.
- Contracts: Sign a contract that covers availability, pricing, when content ownership transfers from the writer to the client, nondisclosure clauses, and anything else needed to protect all parties.
Agency collaboration dynamics
Collaborating with a content marketing agency or platform provides a less-personalized experience compared to working with an individual writer, but what you lose in direct access you more than make up for in scalability and streamlined operations.
Overall, you’ll follow most of the same steps listed above, but the contract involves an agency — working with the writer and you as the client. Pricing is typically standardized, according to content type, writer specialty, and/or quality level, and you’ll likely need only one contract for the length of your relationship, with addendums as needed for short-term campaigns or certain sub-clients.
The biggest difference you’ll encounter working with an agency versus working directly with a writer is a huge reduction in the effort required to scale your content program — and this applies to talent as well as clients. Crowd Content uses existing project briefs and onboarding materials to expand our clients’ writing teams in just hours. Everyone on our team is already vetted, and general agreements are already in place. Our clients can also tap into additional services such as SEO research and graphic design without starting from square one.
Content Creation Process for SaaS Content
A strong and effective content creation process is tailored to each client and project, yet it’s as templated as possible. That doesn’t mean you’ll be able to use the same process for every project, but the more standardized each element is, the easier it will be to go from concept to finished content over time.
Crafting an effective brief for SaaS projects
Project-specific briefs are the lifeblood of quality content. Without this key document, writers are left adrift, trying to understand what the client really wants. Sometimes, the output is on target, but often, this approach leads to time-consuming revisions and shared frustration.
Content briefs replace ambiguity with step-by-step or section-by-section instructions. Your brief may include:
- A description of the project
- Project objectives
- Target audience
- Style preferences
- Milestones and deadlines
- SEO guidelines, such as primary keywords and linking opportunities
- A full outline or suggested H2 and H3 headers
- Requests for associated metadata
- Key resources
Starting actual content creation
Once the writer has a brief on hand, it’s time to kick off content creation.
- Brainstorming and research: Leverage keyword research and review SERPs to see what’s ranking and why. Use that information to begin shaping content that addresses user intent, shared pain points, existing content gaps, and potential client-related solutions.
- Drafting: Create content that includes a compelling introduction, engaging copy, and concepts that make key points as clear and impactful as possible. Note where visual elements such as images and infographics might go and use the client’s value proposition as your lodestone.
- Incorporating SEO: Include all required keywords, optimize metadata, and add backlinks to authoritative, high-value sites.
- Revising SaaS-specific content: Work should be proofed for structure and flow, as well as tone/language and SEO optimization. A/B testing can show how new content is being perceived, allowing content teams to make adjustments based on user behavior and other performance metrics.
Cost of Hiring a B2B SaaS Copywriter
The cost of hiring a B2B SaaS copywriter hinges on several factors, including the writer’s level of experience, the scope of the project, the complexity of the content, and even payment structure.
- Hourly rates: Copywriters might charge anywhere from $50 to $200-plus per hour, but don’t get too stuck on the numbers — a writer who’s new to SaaS may charge less but take far longer to create content that’s up to par, leaving you with an unexpectedly large bill compared to an experienced writer who may charge more but can finish a blog in a couple of hours.
- Word count rates: It’s common to pay by the word, but rates for specialty content, such as SaaS, are typically higher — think $.20/word at a bare minimum.
- All-in-one rates: If you collaborate with a content marketing agency, you may be able to save money by bundling services.
Collaborate With Crowd Content for Exceptional SaaS Content
There’s more than one way to hire a B2B SaaS copywriter, but only one option helps you reach your goals faster and with less challenges. Partnering with Crowd Content gives you access to a talented team of SaaS copywriters who are pre-vetted, experienced, and ready to get to work ASAP. Whether you work directly with writers via our Marketplace or use Managed Services to take advantage of our three-step quality control process, we can help you create publish-ready content that speaks to prospects in a language they’ll understand.
For more information on hiring SaaS copywriters, become an enterprise client today.
