The world as we know it is changing in front of our eyes.
The course of history has shown us that technological advances will always be a major driver of progress and change. And despite technology's role in improving our lives, some things have remained constant.
For one, we crave social interaction. You could even argue that connecting with other humans is a big reason behind our survival as a species. According to Sangram Vajre, the need for connection and belonging is how SaaS brands drive efficient, smart growth.
Sangram Vajre is a leading expert and voice in the world of go-to-market (GTM) strategy. Formerly Head of Marketing at Pardot and later co-founder of Terminus, Sangram is currently CEO of GTM Partners. He is a best-selling author, contributing columnist for Inc., and hosts Move: The Go-to-Market Podcast.
In the inaugural episode of GTM Innovators, G2 Chief Revenue Officer Mike Weir sat down with Sangram to discuss different ideas that every revenue and marketing professional needs to know. This article breaks down two strategies Sangram believes to be game-changing for SaaS brands: event and community-led growth.
Source: YouTube
Building trust with a sense of belonging and shared spaces
When creating a more efficient growth engine, Sangram says that placing a greater emphasis on customer success is crucial. Companies can achieve this through their inbound and outbound efforts, but there’s a way to connect with customers more deeply.
“People want to do business with people they trust. Events and community marketing create environments where brands can build that trust. I think these are incredibly undervalued go-to-market motions.”
Sangram Vajre
Co-founder and CEO at GTM Partners
You may have heard about the benefits of event marketing and community marketing. In Sangram’s eyes, these are two techniques that companies absolutely need to embrace in the coming years. According to Sangram, the erosion of trust is one of the biggest hurdles to overcome in the current market.
The common thread between community and events is that technology has made it easier than ever for folks to create spaces where they feel included and want to belong. In these online spaces, brands can foster greater trust with current customers and prospects.
Creating memorable experiences with event marketing
It’s easy to see why events like Inbound and Dreamforce have become such a big deal. Marketing and revenue professionals travel from all over the world to these and many events like them because these experiences connect them with the brightest minds and gain exposure to novel ways of thinking.
These events are an excellent way of creating growth for the companies hosting them. Events can strengthen the authority and credibility of these brands by creating memorable experiences jam-packed with valuable content that attendees will take with them.
Sangram’s tip for events: Favor meaningful discussion over product messaging
Believe it or not, attendees didn’t sign up to hear a pitch from an event’s sponsors.
In the case of Go-To-Market Made Simple Roadshows presented by GTM Partners, Sangram talks about how every event has sponsors, but there are no booths or presentations by vendors. Instead, he offers vendors at the end of the event to highlight one of their customers where they talk through one specific use case. Then the customer shares their full tech stack and how they use it to solve that particular problem.
By focusing on the problem-solving brought up in sharing a specific use case, attendees will gain useful context about the vendor and are more likely to engage in meaningful discussions.
Rallying around your customer through community
Another concept to think about is the proliferation of online communities. From messageboards in the early days of the web to invite-only Slack channels, people will always gravitate to engaging with communities they care about.
One trend Sangram has noticed in recent years is a rise in companies hiring evangelists who emphasize building community rather than the product. The idea is to have a brand advocate who focuses solely on evangelizing the category and the problems within it.
It can be hard to prove ROI for the activity of evangelists in this manner, but Sangram thinks this is a more authentic way of approaching community-building. Authenticity is essential if your goal is to build stronger trust with your customers.
Why niching down is crucial to community and events
Sometimes, conventional tactics just work as intended. Rather than go broad with your events or community efforts, Sangram says the best thing you can do with either approach is to get specific and niche down.
One example he gives is about a new webinar experience he created at Terminus. The idea was to have a weekly, 30-minute webinar with CMOs from the financial services industry. Instead of giving a presentation or pitching a product, this webinar served as a safe, exclusive environment where attendees were encouraged to have authentic, meaningful conversations where everyone was encouraged to join in.
“If you understand their problems well, you can be a good listener. From there, you can create content that will bring them into a community that drives that engagement forward.”
Sangram Vajre
Co-founder and CEO at GTM Partners
Sangram says that the key is understanding your target audiences and figuring out how you can create those safe spaces for them.
Developing meaningful experiences and communities with technology
When you’ve read as many SaaS brand boilerplates as Sangram, you’d think that the world should have no problems whatsoever. At least, that’s what companies want you to think, based on how they talk about themselves.
Trust is becoming one of the most critical factors driving success for SaaS companies. As we heard from Sangram Vajre in this episode of GTM Innovators, building trust will become crucial, especially since customer retention will only grow in importance. For GTM operators, Sangram suggests that the best way to build trust is through events and community to achieve smart, efficient growth.
Watch the full episode on YouTube and learn more about Sangram and other GTM experts by subscribing to the GTM Innovators podcast today - available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, iHeartRadio, Amazon Music, and more.
