This Is the SMARTEST SaaS Marketing Strategy I’ve Ever Seen… 🤯
In this summary (3)
TL;DR
- Map content to the five levels of awareness (unaware to most aware) from Eugene Schwartz's framework.
- For early-stage SaaS, focus on solution aware and product aware content to capture high-intent traffic.
- Avoid content marketing before acquiring first 10 customers; use outbound instead for faster results.
- Create "alternative to" and "versus" pages to piggyback on competitor searches and educate prospects.
- Content marketing is one channel among five; timing and audience intent determine its effectiveness.
The Five Levels of Customer Awareness
[0:00] Rob Walling opens with a confession: he wasted thousands of dollars on content marketing for his last startup, an email service provider, because he had no strategy. He was "spraying and praying" at any topic related to email marketing. The turning point came at a Tiny Seed kickoff event, where a founder asked how to kickstart marketing efforts. Walling grabbed hotel stationary and bucketed content ideas into the five levels of awareness from Eugene Schwartz's Breakthrough Advertising. These levels describe how aware a potential customer is of their problem and your solution: Unaware, Problem Aware, Solution Aware, Product Aware, and Most Aware.
At the unaware level [0:39], people don't know they have a problem — you'd target broad keywords like "how to get more business". At problem aware [2:30], they know they have a problem (e.g., "I have too many leads to organize") and want content like "how to organize sales leads". At solution aware [3:07], they know software exists and search for "top five CRMs" or "cheapest CRM systems". At product aware [3:40], they know your product (e.g., Bump) and search for comparisons like "Bump vs HubSpot". At most aware [4:44], they are industry insiders or consultants who might become partners. Walling emphasizes that these levels form a funnel, and the content you create should match where your audience is.
Where to Start: The Sweet Spot for Early-Stage SaaS
[5:37] Walling advises early-stage founders (MVP to 10–50 customers) to start at the solution aware and product aware levels. These people are already searching for a solution and are close to buying. By creating content like "alternatives to HubSpot" or "best CRM for small businesses", you capture intent-rich traffic. He cautions against starting at the unaware level (too broad, conversion takes years) or the most aware level (too niche, usually for partners). He also notes that even if you run ads or rely on word of mouth, customers will naturally compare your product to competitors, so solution and product aware content serves as education, not just marketing.
[7:00] For founders who already have some brand recognition, Walling suggests moving into product aware content like integration guides or "how to accomplish X with your software". The key is to focus on content that converts quickly, because early-stage companies need momentum. He also mentions "alternative to" and "versus" articles as powerful tools for piggybacking on competitor brand equity.
When Content Marketing Is a Distraction
[7:53] Walling identifies one segment that should hold off on content marketing: founders who have not yet acquired their first 10 customers. In the pre-revenue phase, outbound methods like cold outreach, forum participation, and direct conversations work faster. Content marketing takes months to pay off, and when you need to validate your product and get initial traction, you need results in weeks, not months.
"Every hour spent creating content is going to pay off in five, six, eight months" [8:20].
He summarizes that content marketing is one of five major channels, but not the right one for every stage. For pre-10-customer startups, the priority is building something people want and will pay for, and outbound tactics deliver that feedback loop more rapidly.