Solved: Best non-paid growth channel for SaaS product?

Hi there,

Thanks for getting in touch. I saw your query about growth channels for your SaaS and thought I’d give you some of my initial thoughts and guidance based on what we've seen work for other software companies. It’s a bit of a long one, but hopefully it gives you a proper steer.

First off, it sounds like you’re doing a lot of the right things already. Focussing on organic channels like founder-led content and community engagement before pouring money into ads is exactly the right approach. It proves you have a product people are actually interested in. Building that initial traction and audience is the hardest part, so well done on that.

We'll need to look at what's already working for you...

You mentioned founder-led content, Reddit, and some outbound. This is a solid foundation. In my experience, founder-led content can be absolutly brilliant for SaaS, especially in the early stages. It positions you, the founder, as the authority in your niche. People buy from people they trust, and when the top person at the company is sharing genuine expertise, it builds a huge amount of credibility.

I remember a client we worked with in the software space. The founder started writing detailed blog posts addressing the specific pain points of their target audience. Over time, these posts ranked well in Google searches, becoming a primary source of qualified leads. This was achieved through providing genuine value rather than direct selling. It’s a slower approach, but the leads generated tend to be of higher quality.

The same goes for Reddit. Being an active, helpful member of relevant subreddits is a great way to get your name out there without being salesy. It’s all about adding value to the conversation. But you know this already, since its working for you.

I'd say you will eventually hit a ceiling...

The thing with organic-only growth is that it almost always plateaus. There’s a natural limit to how many people you can reach through content and manual outreach. You put in more and more effort for smaller and smaller returns. This is a very normal part of growing a software business. We see it all the time.

This is where paid advertising comes in. It’s not about abandoning what’s working. It’s about amplifying it. Think of paid ads as pouring fuel on the fire you’ve already started. You’ve proven there’s demand with your organic efforts; now you use paid channels to systematically reach a much larger audience of people just like your existing customers.

When you're ready, you can take what you’ve learned from your organic traction—what messaging resonates, what problems people have—and use that to build paid campaigns that work from day one. You're not guessing; you're using data. A lot of companies jump into ads too early, without this foundation, and just burn through cash. Your in a much better position.

You probably should sort out your offer and website first...

Before you even think about spending a single pound on an ad, your website and your offer have to be completely on point. Ads just send traffic; its your website’s job to convert that traffic. If the site isn’t persuasive, you’ll just be paying to send potential customers to a dead end.

I’ve run quite a few campaigns for B2B SaaS companies, and the ones that succeed have a few things in common:

-> A No-Brainer Offer: You mentioned you're a SaaS. The biggest hurdle for a business to switch software is the effort and risk involved. Why should they take a punt on you? A free trial is almost non-negotiable in most SaaS markets now. I recall consulting for a client that was selling an accounting system. They had a great product but only offered a demo, no trial. Their ads were failing miserably. Why? Because their competition was offering 30 or 60-day free trials. No one is going to commit to a demo, let alone a purchase, for something as disruptive as a new accounting system without trying it first. A free, frictionless trial gets people in the door. Then your product and your onboarding can do the selling.

-> Persuasive Copy: Your website needs to speak directly to your ideal customer's pain points and show them exactly how your software solves their problem. "Founder-led content" is great, but the main pages of your site need professional sales copy. It’s a different skill. It's about guiding the visitor towards one single action – signing up for that trial. We often bring in a copywriter who specialises in SaaS for our clients, because getting the messaging right can easily double or triple conversion rates.

-> A Laser-Focussed Landing Page: For your ad campaigns, you dont want to send traffic to your homepage. You want to send it to a dedicated landing page with one goal and one button. No navigation menu, no links to your blog, no distractions. Just a killer headline, compelling copy, and a big, obvious button to start their free trial. Every extra click you ask for is a chance to lose them.

You'll need the right advertising channels...

Once your foundation is solid, the next step is choosing where to advertise. For B2B SaaS, it usually comes down to two main platforms, and they serve very different purposes.

1. Google Search Ads: This is for capturing intent. You’re targeting people who are *actively searching* for a solution to a problem your software solves. They're already problem-aware and looking for help. This is often the best place to start because the traffic is highly qualified. You’d target keywords like "[your competitor] alternative", "[your industry] software", or "how to solve [problem]". The downside is that it can be competitive and expensive, and the search volume might be limited.

2. LinkedIn Ads: This is for generating demand. You’re not waiting for people to search; you’re putting your solution in front of the exact right people based on their job title, company size, industry, etc. The targeting options for B2B are unmatched. Want to reach Marketing Directors at software companies with 50-200 employees in the UK? You can do that. It’s perfect for reaching decision-makers who might not even know a solution like yours exists yet.

I recall a campaign we ran for a B2B software client on LinkedIn where we achieved a cost per lead of around $22 by targeting specific decision-makers. For a high-ticket service, that's incredibly effective. You can test different ad formats—an image ad pointing to a landing page often works well to start, or a video ad to better qualify leads. LinkedIn Lead Gen Forms are another option; they autofill the user's details, which makes signing up easy, but the lead quality can sometimes be lower because there's less friction.

What about Meta (Facebook/Instagram)? It can work for B2B, especially if you’re targeting small business owners or have a lower-priced offer. We drove 4,622 registrations at just $2.38 each for a B2B software client using Meta ads. But for most high-ticket B2B SaaS, the targeting isn't as precise as LinkedIn, so I'd usually start with Google and LinkedIn first.

This is the main advice I have for you:

As you can see, there’s a lot to consider. Getting this stuff right from the start can save you a huge amount of time and wasted ad spend. It's the difference between ads being a cost centre and them being a predictable, scalable engine for growth.

This is where expert help can make a real difference. We do this day in, day out for SaaS companies and can help you navigate this process, avoiding the common pitfalls and getting to profitability much faster.

If you'd like to discuss your specific situation in more detail, we'd be happy to schedule a free, no-obligation consultation to review your strategy and see how we might be able to help you scale.

Regards,
Team @ Lukas Holschuh