SAAS MARKETING GUIDE BY: JUSTIN TALERICO Third-Party Events Events organized by third-parties include online and off-line trade shows. SaaS companies often generate new leads and solidify existing prospects by exhibiting at off-line trade shows. These leads typically have mixed quality and a high cost-per- lead. Virtual trade shows typically deliver a higher number of lower quality leads (low cost-per-lead). A strong upside for off-line trade shows is the rally-round effect of hosting brand-specific, private gatherings where current customers and key prospects mix and mingle face to face. A significant downside of off-line exhibition events is the high cost of exhibiting, logistics, travel, and support. Off-line events also take a soft toll on marketing and sales teams as they require outsized time and attention to execute well. Each event must be objectively measured and evaluated both economically and against brand and social benefits. Both sales and marketing must contribute to these evaluations. Event budgets may potentially be split between sales and marketing, or even within marketing between demand-gen and brand buckets. A cautionary note that events can be challenging to attribute, although direct bookings/event is relatively straightforward. The challenge lies in deals that are solidified or cemented by event interactions. These types of influential moments can be hard to quantify but should be considered when evaluating overall value. Owned Events Owned events are those that the organization creates and executes. The most common owned events in SaaS marketing are webinars. Other common types of owned events include customer conferences, seminar series, and road shows. Both online webinars and off-line seminars serve to educate prospects and generate demand. Owned events are also excellent fits for co-marketing or partner marketing — where each organization contributes to reach and demand-gen, and all organizations share in the leads from the group’s effort. A challenge with co-marketing is ensuring that contributions and benefits are balanced for all participating brands. 23 Execute Better. Grow Faster.