XaaS. It sounds incredibly complex but if you aren’t using a XaaS product in some way in your life, I’m the next Queen of England. (and let’s be honest that ain’t happening.) So what is it? XaaS is your business as a service online. So if you aren’t using an ‘Everything-as-a-Service’ product, you have created one for your business. It’s highly likely this is something you’ve had to do, due to a pandemic pivot so you can keep afloat.
2020, for obvious reasons (COVID anyone?), saw an explosion of services moving from in-person to virtual. As businesses struggled to harness an audience that was stuck at home, being able to offer anything from DIY hair color instruction to online exercise classes became the new normal.
‘Everything-as-a-Service‘ (which is the term for services and applications that users can access on the Internet upon request) has become a booming industry.
Now not to get too techy, while ‘Everything-as-a-Service’ (XaaS) may seem confusing, it’s not that hard to get your head around. You may have heard the computing terms SaaS (Software-as-a-Service), PaaS (Platform-as-a-Service), and IaaS (Infrastructure-as-a-Service).
This basically means through a network, users can have ready-made software, a platform for development, or a comprehensive computing infrastructure.
What’s the Difference with Everything-as-a-Service?
Also known as ‘Anything-as-a-Service’ XaaS covers just about, well everything. It’s not just confined to digital products. The term includes any service you can access from your computer, or even your phone via the web, without being in the physical business. So now the “Everything” becomes pretty self-explanatory. There are probably a huge number of you right now that are reading this and realizing that business pivot you needed to make…that is your XaaS. You are doing it!
Why Is XaaS Such A Booming Industry?
The XaaS market is expected to exceed $340 billion by 2024.
Health and wellness, lifestyle brands, even home improvement, have all hopped on the XaaS business bandwagon. It’s not really surprising given the current climate.
According to the 2019 Capitalization on Health and Wellness Trends Nielsen Report, businesses are trying to maximize their ability to tap into the well being market.
This began in the US with “a rise in self-care to combat escalating health care costs. With a sharper focus on health.”
However, with the onslaught of COVID, everyone was having to get mindful of their health at home. And using a XaaS product provided for you by the yoga studio you now couldn’t go to was the perfect way to do that.
However, while the value in recurring revenue is crystal clear, marketing can be tricky. And monetizing can often be problematic. How do you illustrate the value of an online exercise class, when your client base is paying for the in-person experience?
Here are some ways you can make sure you are en pointe with your XaaS marketing and nailing it with your audience.
Understand Your XaaS Service Back to Front so Your Client Does Too
It really helps to know everything there is to know about your business. Why? Because when you are doing everything online, you are connecting ONLY through a virtual medium. So you have to work extra hard to get your message across. Now here is the other really important aspect of this. Don’t speak to your audience like they are going to get all that fancy jargon if you use it. You need to imagine you are having a conversation with a friend over a glass of wine or a coffee.
An example is if your SaaS is to do with an eating plan your clients are using. Or a fitness regime you are putting together. Being really well informed about the advice you’re giving puts you in a strong position to explain to them why they are getting one option over another. However, it can meanwhile you are all-seeing and all-knowing, you forget your clients might not understand what you’re asking.
Keep it simple. If you are a personal trainer or have a gym, your audience won’t know what a tricep plyo lunge kickback is. All they want to know is “Will this give me a tight ass and great arms?”
Get Your XaaS Content Killer
So this is where those dastardly keywords come in. Which ties into your SEO (Search Engine Optimization)
Keep this in mind: the content structure of your page may change over time. You need to modify it as you get more feedback from customers on what they like and don’t like.
Your ultimate goal, of course, is your copywriting leads to sales.
This is where your funnels come in. Nope, not what you pour stuff through in cooking. And definitely, nothing to do with ocean liners.
I’m talking about using the TOFU, MOFU and BOFU methods to put out the text content in your funnel:
- Top of the Funnel ( TOFU) – middle traffic and informational keywords
- Middle of the Funnel (MOFU) – More long-tail informational keywords
- Bottom of the Funnel ( BOFU) – use mainly low-traffic keywords
Ok, so let’s explain this if it’s gobbledygook to you.
TOFU keywords – you use these to attract more customers. So you get to see these in your headlines, your banners, and in short sentences.
MOFU keywords – these can be used in all of your blog posts. These long-tail keywords are well researched. They can also be reviewed monthly as they can change. This can bring you fantastic results, as more and more people read your content.
BOFU keywords – these are what you are using for your landing pages and promotional pages. This gives you the inside track on your customers’ purchasing habits.
CTA’s – these are your calls to action. For these, you need power words. Action words: “Get Access Now”, or “Download for FREE Instantly.”
However, don’t go overboard. And keep them diverse. Plus don’t use them too many times. This is known as “keyword stuffing.” And it can lead to your page getting penalized by those search bots looking at content.
Tell it Like a Story
Storytelling is such an intrinsic part of your upbringing wherever you are from in the world. So as consumers we devour it like a kid eating cotton candy. We cannot get enough of it, and you are left with a warm fuzzy feeling.
This is your opportunity to connect with your customer. But you need to remember you aren’t trying to write a novel here. Your storytelling should be straight to the point.
Give your example with your success story. Talk up the benefits of your XaaS then the features. Whether creating a sense of urgency or taking it slow will depend on your audience. This is where your research into your clients comes in. And you can always tweak as you get more information in.
You can even incorporate storytelling into your testimonials. And if you have created a funnel for your XaaS, get those on it stat! Then say nice things about them, their results, their service to you as your audience. This shows you are compassionate, professional, and grateful. This is ultimately going to lead to more conversions for you.
If you are using storytelling in your brand, you need to keep it tight. Never underestimate how hard it is to say everything you need to in a few sentences. Your brand is the kingdom of your business, so make sure you have got your brand voice at the forefront true and strong through your marketing.
Be Active Not Passive
This is a fact. There has been no big advertisement in advertising and marketing history that has made a cultural impact and won the audience by using the passive voice.
Think about the big hitters – Nike, for example. Everything is in the present: “Just do it.”
So when you are doing your marketing, you want to be in the active voice. You want it to encourage people to feel action will happen in their lives in a positive way with your product.
An active voice uses fewer words. So keep it short and sweet (yes I’ve said it already.)
Keep It Personal And Emotional
If you use emotion in your copywriting, you are going to tug at the heartstrings of your reader. You will connect with their private thoughts and feelings and they will feel you are speaking to them personally.
Then they will feel you understand them. And this means they will feel you get what they need with your service. That makes them more likely to purchase.
Everyone has two needs when it comes to buying something. They are thinking about the functional needs and emotional needs of the product. What tends to happen is the functional needs lead. But then the emotional needs follow.
Consider this. You are looking at two identical pairs of boots. They both list the same color, size, leather. They both keep your feet warm. And they are both waterproof. You need a pair of black boots as your other pair has an irreparable hole in them.
But the description on one of the pairs of boots says: “Designed to give you a spring in your step whatever the weather. These boots will make you feel like you have the world at your feet. You’ll walk tall with every stride full of confidence whatever the situation.”
Now, which pair are you going to buy if they are identical?
Conclusion
If you have a XaaS product for your business, congratulations! You’ve entered an expanding world of business which has given you an extra option to combat the impact of the big C on your finances.
Use these marketing tips to help give your audience the knowledge and support they need so they decide to use it!
If you liked reading this blog post, please check out my blog post on 9 Ways A Blog Increases Your Sales On Your eCommerce Site.
Recent Comments