How to Build a SaaS Brand People Love Without Burning Out - Photo by Kim Menikh on Unsplash

Building a SaaS brand is a marathon, not a sprint.

MARKETING: How to Build Strong Branding for a SaaS Product?

The secret sauce behind brands people love (and defend).

Constructing a brand, building something solid, is never easy. It takes perseverance and a constant drive to search, question, and improve. As a founder, you have to be 100% devoted to your brand, giving it your all, just as you would with your own child. Your brand deserves your full attention. If you neglect it, your brand won’t radiate the same energy as those that truly stand out.

At the start, your company’s movement begins with your brand. It must be unique and visible. When people visit your website, it should feel like walking into a store or a restaurant where they instantly sense the mission and values behind the service. They should feel that there’s something solid, something alive, and that by subscribing, they’ll get the best possible service because the brand is committed to delivering just that.

This feeling should be powerful. Your brand needs to be contagious. When your mission and slogan are everywhere, when you live and breathe your brand, it becomes part of you. Stickers on your laptop, your coffee cup, your notebook—everywhere you go, your brand goes with you. You should always be thinking about how to improve your mission and the service you offer. You need to feel your brand vibrating within you, from morning to night, always searching for ways to make it better for your users.

Success is not the result of spontaneous combustion. You must set yourself on fire.
— Arnold H. Glasow

When you do this, you’ll notice a drastic difference in how you share your message. Your slogan and message must be strong. If not, your brand will be bland, like a salad without dressing. You want the best dressing, the best solution. Sometimes, this takes time. You’ll need to try, fail, and try again. With my own service, retainer.io, I’ve worked hard on this every day, always thinking about how to offer a better service. You need to do the same for your product.

Talk to your users. Interview them. Ask what they like, why they use your service, and why some don’t use it as often. There’s always a reason, even if they can’t put it into words. Your job as CEO and brand ambassador is to guess that reason, to dig deeper. If people don’t use your service, it means your brand or product isn’t strong enough yet.

How to Build a SaaS Brand People Love Without Burning Out - Photo by Hank Paul on Unsplash

Think about the sound your computer makes when you turn on a Mac. That sound is unique to Apple. It’s instantly recognizable. Microsoft used to have the same effect with Windows in the 80s and 90s. Apple won that round, but the point is, you need to ask yourself: how can I be the best in my space?

Your brand must be so contagious that your message and mission are instantly recognizable. Whether it’s your slogan, your logo, or your way of working, people should know it’s you. Create your own manifesto—a set of rules or principles that your company lives by, something that sets you apart from everyone else.

Know your competitors. For me, I have four main competitors. It’s important to know who they are, but don’t let them influence you too much. If you constantly watch what your competitors do, you’ll lose your own identity. People come to you because you’re unique, not because you’re copying someone else.

Don’t be afraid to give up the good to go for the great.
— John D. Rockefeller

When I look at my competitors, I focus on those who share the same strong values I want to share. It’s not just about the service itself, but about the feeling you get when you visit their website. Some competitors are just clones, copying without understanding why. Those aren’t real competitors. The real competition comes from those who evoke the same emotions and values.

My top competitor, for example, has users who are 100% hooked on their service. That’s what I want for my clients. I want them to be so passionate about my brand that they defend it everywhere, on social media, in conversations, even against journalists who might criticize us. They do this not for money, but because they feel the brand is theirs too. That level of devotion takes a lot of work.

Your job is to constantly ask yourself: how can I make my brand so inspiring that it becomes like a virus, spreading from person to person? You want people to say, “I use this service because I know these people are 100% dedicated.” Being devoted to your service, to your mission, to solving your users’ problems—that’s what sets you apart.

How to Build a SaaS Brand People Love Without Burning Out - Photo by Kim Menikh on Unsplash

People don’t buy what you do; they buy why you do it.
— Simon Sinek

Key Takeaways

1. Treat your brand like your own child—give it your full attention and devotion.
2. Make your brand contagious by living and breathing your mission everywhere.
3. Interview users regularly to understand their needs and improve your service.
4. Know your competitors, but don’t let them shape your identity.
5. Create a manifesto that sets your company apart.
6. Aim for a brand so strong that users become your biggest defenders.

Reflection

• Are you truly living your brand every day?
• What makes your brand unique and contagious?
• How can you make your users feel like your brand is theirs too?