So you want to do SaaS Marketing? Paid Channel Mix for SaaS to win Q3 2025
SaaS growth may seem all about throwing money at every channel, chasing that mythical super-low CAC and legendary LTV. But you can't always vibe your way to it. Promoting a SaaS product in the age when anyone can say "Claude, create me a Trello alternative" demands rigorous, classical approach to positioning and promotion - it's all about picking your battles, getting the right ammunition, supply lines, and striking where it counts. In 2025, the smartest SaaS marketers are ruthlessly focusing on the channels that deliver real, measurable lifts. You can't afford fluff just because everyone is used to promote on LinkedIn, you need those demos and you need them now.
Zero in on the Metrics that Matter
Forget vanity metrics. Brand needs to cause positive sentiment change and ad recall, so it has to be everywhere and it has to be entertaining. For everything else, SaaS north stars are trial sign-ups, demo sign-ups, and Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC) payback. If a channel can’t drive trials at a CAC pace you can live with, kill it or optimize it. There is no sentimental value to giving a huge corporation more of your money simply because you already invested a lot.
Battle-Tested Channel Playbook
Paid Search: The frontline. Branded terms give you the cheapest trial sign-ups—defend them fiercely. Then bid on feature-specific queries (think “SaaS invoicing automation”) to capture buyers mid-decision. Layer in smart bidding and remarketing to reclaim lost trials without shooting in the dark.
Paid Social: LinkedIn and Facebook are your precision strikes and retargeting nets. It's still possible to use LinkedIn Lead Gen Forms with single image, video, and conversation ads to snag decision-makers without them ever leaving the platform. Then hit your site visitors with dynamic Facebook ads: testimonial videos, product demos, whatever turns a maybe into a "hell yeah, brother".
Content Syndication & Native Ads: Ditch the junk leads. Syndicate whitepapers and case studies on platforms like TechTarget, but only after vetting publishers for quality. Keep forms short at first, then peel back extra firmographic questions once you know the lead is prime. But never forget - downloading a pdf =/= sales readiness & purchase intent.
Webinars & Virtual Events: Your secret weapon for moving MQLs down the funnel. Run targeted (to the point of ABM) LinkedIn promos to fill seats, deliver high-value content, then within 48 hours, hit attendees with trial offers or product demos. Live polls during the event? Non-negotiable for engagement - people need to be entertained while being informed and there is nothing more sad than a boring webinar.
Invest Where It Matters
Aim for a budget split that mirrors performance: 35% search, 30% LinkedIn, 15% Facebook/Instagram retargeting, 10% syndication, and 10% events/experiments. Every month, shift spend toward channels beating your target CAC by at least 15%.
Take a lesson from the merciless practices of e-commerce advertises and affiliate marketers - pull back ruthlessly on duds, experiment endlessly on creative, kill what doesn't work, scale what works..
Optimize or Perish
- Weekly: Scan performance dashboards for cost-per-trial spikes and lead velocity trends.
- Bi-Weekly: Swap out underperforming creatives—test new headlines, swap video for static, change CTAs.
- Monthly: Reallocate budgets based on CAC and LTV data—double down on winners.
- Quarterly: Audit your entire mix. Retire channels that never made good and bet on emerging platforms if they show promise.
Final Word
We at based.marketing are not theorists, we practice everything written above, so it’s a battle plan that we know works.
Other than that, just stay obsessed with your KPIs, demand accountability from every channel owner, and never stop testing.
Execute this mix with precision, and you’ll turn trial sign-ups into a growth juggernaut for 2025 and beyond.
