Hi there,
Saw your questions about advertising your new workflow management app. It's a common hurdle for SaaS founders, especially in a crowded space like productivity tools. Happy to give you some initial thoughts and guidance based on my experience running these sorts of campaigns.
It's not just about picking a platform and throwing money at it. You need a proper plan. Here’s how I’d break it down.
I'd say you need to sort out your offer and website first...
Before you even think about spending a penny on ads, your foundations need to be solid. I’ve seen so many campaigns fail because the website or the offer just wasn't right. For a B2B or pro-level SaaS, this is even more important.
First off, the offer. You're selling a workflow management solution. That's a massive commitment for a business or a professional. They're not just going to buy it sight-unseen. You absolutely must have a frictionless way for them to try it out. Your competition is offering free trials, sometimes for months, plus big discounts. If you’re just offering a demo, you're already behind. A completely free trial, no credit card required, is usually the best way to get people in the door. You can then use email onboarding and in-app messages to convert them to paying customers later. Without a trial, your conversion rates will be abysmal.
Next, your landing page. The copy needs to be incredibly persuasive. "Workflow management solution" is a feature. What is the benefit? Does it save project managers 10 hours a week? Does it reduce errors for business owners by 50%? You need to speak directly to their pain points. I'd seriously consider getting a profesional copywriter who has experience with B2B SaaS. They can make a huge diference. The page needs to load fast, look trustworthy, and have a single, clear call-to-action: "Start Your Free Trial".
Honestly, if your website isn't optimised for conversions, any traffic you send there from ads will just bounce. You'll be burning cash with very little to show for it.
You'll need a clear plan for who you're targeting...
You mentioned your audience is "project managers, business owners, and professionals." That's a good start, but it's far too broad. To get good results from paid ads, you need to get much, much more specific. Who is your ideal customer?
Think about drilling down into niches. For instance:
- Project Managers: In what industry? A project manager in a construction firm has very different needs to one in a software development agency. Targeting "Project Managers in the UK working in IT Services for comapnies with 50-200 employees" is a much stronger starting point.
- Business Owners: What kind of businesses? Are we talking about freelance graphic designers, owners of small marketing agencies, or e-commerce store owners? Each group has unique workflows and problems your app could solve.
- Professionals: Again, this is vague. Are they lawyers, accountants, consultants? The more specific you are, the better you can tailor your ad messaging and the more effective your targeting will be.
The goal here is to create a detailed Ideal Customer Persona (ICP). Once you know exactly who you're trying to reach, picking the right platform and crafting the right message becomes a whole lot easier. This initial thinking will save you a fortune in wasted ad spend later on.
We'll need to look at the right ad platforms...
Okay, once your offer is compelling and you know exactly who you're after, you can choose where to find them. You mentioned Google, Facebook, Reddit, and X. Here’s my take based on what works for B2B SaaS.
LinkedIn Ads
This should probably be your first port of call. For reaching specific professionals like project managers or business owners in certain industries, it's unmatched. The targeting options are built for B2B. You can target by:
- Job Title (e.g., "Project Manager", "Chief Operating Officer")
- Industry (e.g., "Marketing and Advertising", "Information Technology and Services")
- Company Size (e.g., "11-50 employees")
- Specific Company Names
I remember one campaign we ran for a B2B software client where we got leads from decision-makers for about $22 CPL, which was fantastic for them. The quality of leads from LinkedIn is often higher because you’re reaching people in a professional mindset. It’s more expensive per click than other platforms, but the precision targeting often makes it worth it.
Here’s what some initial targeting might look like on LinkedIn:
| Audience Idea | Targeting Layers | Rationale |
|---|---|---|
| PMs in Tech SMEs | Job Titles: Project Manager, Program Manager AND Industries: IT Services, Computer Software AND Company Size: 11-200 Employees |
Targets a core user group in a high-value industry that is likely to adopt new tech. |
| Agency Owners | Job Titles: Owner, Founder, CEO AND Industries: Marketing & Advertising, Design AND Company Size: 1-50 Employees |
Focuses on decision-makers in small, agile businesses that need workflow efficiency. |
Google Search Ads
This is your other top contender. The power of Google is that you capture intent. You're reaching people who are actively searching for a solution to their problem right now. Businesses don't switch workflow tools on a whim; it's a big decision, usually prompted by an urgent need. Google Search is where they go to find a solution.
The key here isn't to bid on broad, expensive terms like "project management software". That's a battle you'll lose against giants like Asana and Monday.com. Instead, focus on long-tail keywords that match your specific ICPs. For example:
- "best workflow tool for marketing agencies"
- "trello alternative for remote teams"
- "simple project management app for small business"
This gets you highly qualified traffic. I remember one case where we reduced a SaaS client's Cost Per Acquisition from £100 down to just £7 by refining their keyword strategy and improving their funnel. It shows how powerful getting the targeting right is.
Meta (Facebook/Instagram) Ads
This is trickier for B2B but can work, especially if your target audience includes small business owners. I recall generating over 4,600 registrations for a B2B software for a client at just $2.38 each. The targeting is less precise than LinkedIn. You'd use broader interest categories like "Small business owners" or target people who are admins of a Facebook Business Page. It's often cheaper to get clicks and impressions on Meta, so it can be a good channel for scaling once you've found what works on LinkedIn and Google. It's more of an experemental channel to start with.
You probably should think about your funnel and ad creatives...
The platform is only part of the puzzle. What you show people matters immensely. For B2B, your ads can't be fluffy. They need to be direct and benefit-driven.
For ad formats, I'd test a mix of single image ads and video ads. Video often works well to quickly demonstrate the main benefit of your software. You don't need a high-budget production; sometimes, a simple screen recording with a voiceover explaining how it solves a specific problem can be very effective. We've seen some SaaS clients get great results with simple User-Generated Content (UGC) style videos.
Your ad copy should mirror the pain points you identified earlier. Instead of "Try our new workflow app", try something like "Tired of chasing your team for updates? Our tool automates status reports so you don't have to." It’s about the problem and the solution, not just the product.
Split testing is non-negotiable. You should always be testing different audiences, different ad creatives, and different headlines to see what resonates. Turn off what doesn’t work and double down on what does. This constant optimisation is what seperates successful campaigns from failed ones.
This is the main advice I have for you:
I know this is a lot to take in. To make it clearer, here is a phased approach I would recommend for launching and scaling your ads.
| Phase | Actionable Solution | Rationale |
|---|---|---|
| Phase 1: Foundation | - Finalise your Ideal Customer Personas (ICPs). - Implement a free trial offer. - Optimise your landing page with persuasive, benefit-driven copy and a single CTA. |
Without a solid foundation, all ad spend will be inefficient. This sets you up for success. |
| Phase 2: Initial Testing | - Launch campaigns on LinkedIn, targeting your top 1-2 ICPs with specific job titles/industries. - Launch a Google Search campaign targeting long-tail, high-intent keywords. - Set a modest initial budget ($1-2k/month) to gather data. |
Tests the two most promising channels to find initial traction and learn what messaging works. Focuses on capturing high-quality, high-intent leads first. |
| Phase 3: Optimise & Scale | - Analyse initial data to identify winning audiences and ads. - Pause underperforming assets. - Test Meta ads targeting small business owners to see if you can acquire users at a lower cost. - Gradually increase budget on winning campaigns. |
Uses data to make informed decisions, improve efficiency (lower CPA), and begin scaling up the advertising efforts profitably. |
This structured approach minimises risk and ensures you're learning and improving with every dollar you spend. It's a marathon, not a sprint.
As you can see, running successful paid ad campaigns for a SaaS product is complex. It involves deep strategic thinking, constant testing, and a thorough understanding of multiple platforms. It’s a full-time job to get it right.
This is where working with an expert can make a real difference. Instead of spending months and thousands of dollars on trial-and-error, an agency can apply proven strategies from day one, helping you get to profitability much faster. We handle the entire process, from strategy and audience research to creative development and ongoing optimisation, so you can focus on building your product.
If you'd like to discuss your specific goals and how we might be able to help you navigate this process, we offer a free, no-obligation consultation. We could walk through your plans in more detail and give you some more tailored advice.
Regards,
Team @ Lukas Holschuh
