You built a SaaS product. Now what?

If you're a developer or founder who just launched an app, you've probably realized the hardest part isn't the code. It's getting people to actually use it.

You need marketing. But here's the problem: most marketing advice assumes you have a budget, a team, or years of experience. Most beginners don't.

This guide is different. It assumes you know nothing about marketing. We'll cover what SaaS marketing actually is, which channels work best for beginners, and why LinkedIn should be your first focus.

By the end, you'll have a clear 30-day plan to start getting your first users without spending a dollar on ads.

What Is SaaS Marketing? (The Basics)

SaaS marketing is how you get people to discover, try, and subscribe to your software.

Unlike physical products, you're not selling something once. You're building ongoing relationships. Your goal is recurring revenue, not one-time purchases.

Here's what makes SaaS marketing different:

Free trials matter. Most SaaS companies let users try before they buy. Your marketing needs to get people into the product, then convince them to stay.

Customer lifetime value is everything. A customer who pays $50/month for two years is worth $1,200. This changes how much you can spend to acquire them.

Education drives sales. People need to understand your product before they buy. Content marketing, demos, and tutorials become critical.

Retention is as important as acquisition. If you're losing customers as fast as you gain them, you don't have a marketing problem. You have a product problem.

For beginners, this means one thing: focus on channels that build trust and demonstrate value. Not just traffic.

The SaaS Marketing Funnel

Every SaaS company moves users through roughly the same journey:

1. Awareness – They discover you exist
2. Interest – They explore what you do
3. Trial – They sign up and test your product
4. Conversion – They become paying customers
5. Retention – They stay subscribed
6. Advocacy – They recommend you to others

Different marketing channels work at different stages. LinkedIn is powerful because it hits the first three stages simultaneously.

When you post valuable content on LinkedIn, you create awareness. When people click through to your profile and website, that's interest. When you engage in comments and DMs, you're warming them up for trial.

The Beginner's Channel Problem

Here's the trap most founders fall into: trying to do everything at once.

You read that you need SEO, so you start a blog. Then someone says paid ads work, so you set up Google Ads. Then you hear podcasts are hot, so you plan a show.

Three weeks later, you've made zero progress on any of them.

The truth is, different channels require different resources. Some need money. Some need time. Some need expertise you don't have yet.

Here's an honest breakdown of the most common SaaS marketing channels:

Channel Comparison for Beginners

Notice the pattern? The fastest channels either cost money (ads) or require consistent content creation (LinkedIn, Twitter).

For beginners with no budget, the best ROI comes from content channels that target your exact audience.

That's why LinkedIn wins for B2B SaaS.

Why LinkedIn Should Be Your First Channel

If your SaaS targets businesses or professionals, LinkedIn is the obvious starting point.

Not because it's easy. Because it's the fastest way to reach decision-makers without spending money.

Here's why LinkedIn beats other channels for beginners:

Direct Access to Buyers

LinkedIn is where B2B buyers spend time. If you're selling to founders, marketers, HR professionals, or executives, they're already on the platform.

You don't need to interrupt them with ads. You don't need to rank on Google. You just need to show up in their feed with content they actually care about.

No Advertising Budget Required

Organic reach on LinkedIn still works. Unlike Facebook or Instagram, where you need to pay to be seen, LinkedIn's algorithm actually rewards valuable content.

If you post something useful and people engage with it, LinkedIn shows it to more people. For free.

This makes it perfect for bootstrapped founders who can't afford a $3,000/month ad budget.

You Build Personal Credibility

When you post on LinkedIn, you're not building a faceless brand. You're building your own reputation.

People buy SaaS from people they trust. When your target customers see you consistently sharing insights, answering questions, and helping others, they remember you.

Then when they need a solution like yours, you're the first person they think of.

Faster Feedback Loop Than SEO

SEO is powerful, but it takes months to see results. You write a blog post in January and maybe it ranks in June.

LinkedIn content works differently. You post something today, and within hours you know if it resonates. People comment, share, or message you directly.

This feedback helps you understand your audience faster. You learn what problems they care about, what language they use, and what solutions they're looking for.

That knowledge makes everything else easier, from your content marketing strategy to your product positioning.

Conversations Turn Into Demos

The goal isn't just likes and comments. It's conversations.

When someone engages with your LinkedIn post, you can reply and start a genuine conversation. If they're a good fit for your product, that conversation naturally leads to a demo.

This is how many SaaS founders land their first 10, 50, or 100 customers. Not through funnels and automation. Through real conversations that start with helpful content.

How to Actually Do LinkedIn Marketing (Step by Step)

Knowing LinkedIn is valuable doesn't help if you don't know what to post or how to start.

Here's a practical framework for using LinkedIn to market your SaaS as a complete beginner.

Step 1: Optimize Your Profile for Credibility

Before you post anything, fix your profile. People will click through to see who you are.

Your headline should clearly state what you do and who you help. Not your job title. Your value.

Bad: "CEO at [Your SaaS]" Good: "Helping B2B founders get their first 100 customers through content"

Your About section should tell your story briefly. Why did you build this product? What problem does it solve? Keep it under 300 words.

Add a custom background image with your SaaS name and tagline. Include a link to your website or free trial.

This takes 30 minutes. Do it once and you're done.

Step 2: Decide What to Post About

You don't need to be a marketing expert to create valuable LinkedIn content. You just need to share what you already know.

Here are three content types that work for SaaS founders:

Problem-solution posts. Share a specific problem your target customers face and how to solve it. Even if your product isn't the only solution, being helpful builds trust.

Lessons learned. What did you figure out while building your SaaS? Mistakes you made? Decisions that worked? People love seeing the behind-the-scenes process.

Quick wins and frameworks. Give people something they can implement in 10 minutes. Checklists, templates, short tutorials. Actionable content gets saved and shared.

You can build an entire LinkedIn content strategy around just these three formats.

Step 3: Post Consistently (Not Perfectly)

Consistency beats perfection on LinkedIn.

Posting three times a week for three months will get better results than posting once a week for six months.

Set a schedule you can actually maintain. Monday, Wednesday, Friday. Tuesday and Thursday. Whatever works for your calendar.

Your posts don't need to be long. 100-200 words with a clear point works great. Break up the text into short paragraphs so it's easy to scan.

Don't overthink it. Write like you're explaining something to a friend who asked for advice.

If you're struggling to create content consistently, tools like Postiv can help you draft LinkedIn posts faster. You feed it your ideas, it helps structure them, and you edit to match your voice. It's like having a content assistant that makes posting three times a week actually doable.

Step 4: Engage Before You Expect Engagement

Here's what most beginners get wrong: they post content and wait for people to show up.

That's not how LinkedIn works.

You need to engage with other people's content before they'll engage with yours. It's a social platform, not a billboard.

Spend 15 minutes a day:

• Commenting on posts from people in your target audience
• Answering questions in your niche
• Sharing thoughtful reactions, not just "Great post!"

When you consistently add value in other people's comments, they notice you. They check out your profile. They start engaging with your posts.

This is how you build momentum without having an existing audience.

Step 5: Turn Engagement Into Conversations

When someone comments on your post, don't just hit "like." Reply with something thoughtful.

If the comment suggests they might be a good fit for your product, take the conversation to DMs.

Not with a sales pitch. With a genuine follow-up.

"Hey, saw your comment about struggling with [problem]. We're actually building something that might help. Would you be open to a quick call to see if it's a fit?"

Most people say yes. Because you've already provided value publicly, they're open to continuing the conversation privately.

This is how you get demos and early customers from LinkedIn.

Other Channels to Consider (Once LinkedIn Is Working)

LinkedIn shouldn't be your only channel forever. But it should be your first.

Once you're posting consistently on LinkedIn and seeing conversations turn into demos, you can layer in other channels.

Here's what to add next, depending on your goals:

SEO and Blogging for Long-Term Traffic

If you want to reduce your dependence on creating content every week, SEO is your next move.

Start a blog. Write articles that target search terms your customers actually use. Optimize them for Google. Over time, they'll rank and bring traffic on autopilot.

The key is patience. SaaS SEO takes 6-12 months to pay off, but once it does, it's one of the best ROI channels.

Focus on keywords with low competition and high buyer intent. Things like "best [solution] for [specific use case]" or "how to [solve problem] for [industry]."

Unlike LinkedIn, where your reach depends on posting regularly, blog content works for you 24/7 once it ranks.

If you're ready to dive into SEO, check out our guide on how to promote your SaaS product for a broader channel strategy.

Paid Ads Once You Know What Converts

Paid ads can scale fast, but they're risky for beginners.

Unless you know your conversion rate, customer lifetime value, and ideal customer profile, you'll burn money testing things you could have learned organically.

Wait until you have at least 20-30 customers from organic channels. Then use ads to amplify what's already working.

Start with LinkedIn Ads if you're B2B. Target specific job titles and industries. Run campaigns that send people to a free trial or valuable lead magnet.

Google Ads work well if you're targeting high-intent keywords. But expect to spend at least $1,000/month to see meaningful results.

Don't run ads just because everyone else is. Run them when you have proven messaging and know your numbers.

Community and Partnerships for Leverage

If your SaaS benefits from network effects or integrations, community building can be powerful.

Start a Slack group, Discord server, or Circle community where your users can connect. Or find existing communities where your ideal customers already hang out.

Partnerships work similarly. Find complementary SaaS products and explore co-marketing opportunities. Guest posts, webinars, integration spotlights.

These channels take time but compound over months. Someone who discovers you through a partner's recommendation is already warm.

Your 30-Day LinkedIn SaaS Marketing Plan

You don't need a complex strategy to start. You just need to take consistent action.

Here's a simple 30-day plan to launch your LinkedIn marketing from scratch.

Week 1: Setup and Research

Day 1-2: Optimize your LinkedIn profile. Fix your headline, About section, and background image. Make it clear what you do and who you help.

Day 3-4: Research your target audience. Find 20-30 people who fit your ideal customer profile. Follow them. Study what they post about. What problems do they mention?

Day 5-7: Engage with their content. Leave thoughtful comments on at least three posts per day. Don't pitch anything. Just add value.

Week 2: Start Posting

Day 8: Write and publish your first post. Share a problem your target customers face and one way to solve it. Keep it under 200 words.

Day 10: Post your second piece of content. Share a lesson you learned building your SaaS. What mistake did you make? What would you do differently?

Day 12: Post a quick win. Give your audience a framework, checklist, or tip they can use today.

Day 9, 11, 13-14: Continue engaging with other people's content. Spend 15 minutes per day commenting and building visibility.

Week 3: Build Momentum

Day 15-21: Post three times this week (Monday, Wednesday, Friday). Alternate between problem-solution posts, lessons learned, and actionable tips.

Daily: Engage with at least five posts from your target audience. Reply to every comment on your own posts.

End of week: Review your analytics. Which post got the most engagement? What did people comment about? Double down on that topic next week.

Week 4: Start Conversations

Day 22-28: Continue posting three times per week. But now, when someone engages meaningfully with your content, follow up in DMs.

Not with a pitch. With curiosity.

"Saw your comment about [topic]. Are you dealing with [related problem]? I'd love to hear more about your experience."

Goal for the week: Have at least three real conversations with potential customers. Learn about their challenges. Offer help, whether or not it involves your product.

Day 29-30: Reflect and plan your next 30 days. What's working? What topics resonate? How can you refine your approach?

By the end of 30 days, you should have:

• 12+ LinkedIn posts published
• A growing network of engaged followers
• Real conversations with potential customers
• A clear understanding of what content resonates

This is the foundation. Keep going for another 60 days and you'll start seeing demo requests and trial signups.

If staying consistent feels overwhelming, consider using a tool to help streamline the process. Postiv helps founders create and schedule LinkedIn posts without spending hours every week. You can plan a month of content in one sitting, then let it post automatically while you focus on building your product.

Common SaaS Marketing Mistakes Beginners Make

Even with a solid plan, it's easy to sabotage your own progress.

Here are the most common mistakes beginners make and how to avoid them.

Trying to Do Everything at Once

You see other SaaS companies running ads, posting on Twitter, sending newsletters, and appearing on podcasts. So you think you need to do all of that too.

You don't.

Pick one channel. Master it. Then add another.

Doing three channels poorly gets worse results than doing one channel well.

Giving Up Too Early

Most beginners quit after 2-3 weeks when they don't see immediate results.

But LinkedIn, SEO, and content marketing are long games. You need at least 8-12 weeks of consistent effort before you can judge if something works.

If you're not willing to commit to 90 days, don't start. Pick a paid channel instead where results are faster.

Posting Without Engaging

Content without conversation is just noise.

You can post the best insights in the world, but if you're not engaging with your audience, you're invisible.

Spend as much time commenting and replying as you do creating content.

Talking About Your Product Too Much

Nobody wants to follow someone who only talks about their product.

Share valuable insights. Help people solve problems. Build trust first.

Mention your product when it's genuinely relevant, but don't make it the focus of every post.

The goal is to be known as someone who helps, not someone who sells.

Ignoring the Data

You post for weeks without looking at what's working.

Check your LinkedIn analytics. Which posts got the most engagement? What topics drove comments? What did people share?

Do more of what works. Less of what doesn't.

Marketing isn't about guessing. It's about testing, measuring, and iterating.

Advanced Tactics (When You're Ready)

Once you've nailed the basics and LinkedIn is consistently generating conversations, you can level up with more advanced tactics.

Repurpose Your LinkedIn Content Everywhere Else

Every LinkedIn post can become:

• A Twitter thread
• A newsletter section
• A blog post (with more depth)
• A YouTube script
• A podcast talking point

Don't create new content for every platform. Repackage what already works.

This multiplies your output without multiplying your effort.

Use LinkedIn Ads to Amplify Your Best Posts

Find your top-performing organic posts. The ones with tons of engagement and comments.

Turn them into sponsored content. Spend $10-20/day to show them to a larger audience of your ideal customers.

This combines the trust of organic content with the reach of paid ads.

Build an Email List From LinkedIn Traffic

Add a lead magnet to your LinkedIn profile and posts. A free template, checklist, or mini-course.

When people download it, they join your email list. Now you can nurture them outside of LinkedIn.

Email gives you a direct line to your audience that doesn't depend on any algorithm.

Collaborate With Other Founders

Find non-competing SaaS founders who target the same audience. Co-create content.

Write a post together. Host a joint webinar. Share each other's insights.

You both get access to each other's audiences, and the collaboration adds credibility.

Track Everything in a Simple CRM

As conversations happen, track them. Who engaged? What did they care about? When should you follow up?

You don't need a fancy CRM. A simple spreadsheet works.

Columns: Name, Company, Problem, Conversation Date, Next Step.

This prevents leads from falling through the cracks as you scale.

Tools to Make SaaS Marketing Easier

You don't need a massive tech stack, but a few tools can save you hours every week.

Content Creation and Scheduling

Postiv – Create and schedule LinkedIn posts with AI assistance. Draft a month of content in one session, then automate posting. Especially useful if you struggle with consistency or spend too long writing posts. Try it for $1.

Notion or Google Docs – Plan your content calendar. Brain dump ideas. Organize topics by theme.

Analytics and Tracking

LinkedIn Analytics – Built into LinkedIn. Check what posts perform best. Track profile views and engagement trends.

Google Analytics – Track website traffic from LinkedIn. See which posts drive the most clicks to your site.

Plausible or Fathom – Lightweight, privacy-friendly analytics if you want something simpler than Google Analytics.

Email and Lead Capture

ConvertKit or Mailchimp – Collect emails from lead magnets. Send newsletters. Automate welcome sequences.

Tally or Typeform – Create simple forms to capture emails or feedback.

Engagement and Outreach

LinkedIn Mobile App – Engage on the go. Spend 15 minutes during lunch scrolling and commenting.

TextExpander or Alfred – Save templates for common replies to speed up DM conversations.

Project Management

Trello or Asana – Track your marketing tasks. Plan weekly content. Set reminders for engagement.

Start with the free versions of these tools. Upgrade only when you're actually hitting limits.

How to Measure If Your Marketing Is Working

Beginners often track the wrong metrics.

Vanity metrics like follower count or post impressions feel good, but they don't tell you if your marketing is actually driving business results.

Here's what actually matters:

Leading Indicators (Early Signs of Progress)

• Engagement rate – Comments, shares, and meaningful replies on your posts
• Profile views – How many people are checking out your LinkedIn profile each week
• Conversation rate – How many engaged users turn into DM conversations
• Website clicks – Traffic from LinkedIn to your site or trial page

These tell you if your content is resonating and attracting the right people.

Lagging Indicators (Business Results)

• Demo requests – How many conversations turn into product demos
• Trial signups – Users who actually try your product
• Conversion rate – Trial users who become paying customers
• Customer acquisition cost (CAC) – How much time or money you spent to acquire each customer

These tell you if your marketing is actually driving revenue.

Track both. Leading indicators show you're on the right path. Lagging indicators show you're getting business results.

If your engagement is high but demos are low, your content is interesting but not converting. Adjust your calls to action.

If your demos are high but conversions are low, your marketing is working but your product or onboarding needs work.

What to Do After Your First 10 Customers

Once you've landed your first 10 customers, your marketing strategy shifts.

You're no longer in "get anyone to try this" mode. You're in "double down on what works" mode.

Here's what changes:

Analyze Your Best Customers

Look at your first 10 customers. What do they have in common?

• Industry or job title?
• Company size?
• Specific problem they were solving?
• Where they found you?

This is your ideal customer profile (ICP). Everything you do next should target more people like them.

Get Customer Stories and Testimonials

Ask your happiest customers to share their experience.

• What problem were they facing?
• How did your product solve it?
• What results did they see?

Turn these into case studies, testimonials, and LinkedIn posts. Social proof makes your marketing 10x more effective.

Refine Your Messaging

You now know what language your customers use to describe their problems. Use that exact language in your marketing.

If five customers said they were "drowning in manual work," that's your headline. Not "increase efficiency" or "save time."

Real words from real customers beat marketing jargon every time.

Explore Paid Channels Strategically

Now that you know who converts and why, you can test paid ads with less risk.

Run small experiments. $500/month on LinkedIn Ads targeting your ICP. Or Google Ads for high-intent keywords.

Measure your CAC and compare it to your customer lifetime value (LTV). If LTV is 3x your CAC or higher, you can profitably scale ads.

Build Systems for Growth

You can't manually DM everyone forever. Start building systems:

• Email sequences for trial users
• Onboarding flows that drive activation
• Content marketing strategies that compound over time

The goal is to move from founder-led growth to scalable, repeatable processes.

But don't build systems too early. Get to 10 customers manually first. Then systematize what worked.

The Bottom Line

SaaS marketing doesn't have to be complicated.

If you're a beginner, the best strategy is this: pick one channel, commit to it for 90 days, and focus on conversations over vanity metrics.

For most B2B SaaS founders, that channel should be LinkedIn.

It's free. It targets decision-makers. It builds your credibility. And it turns conversations into demos faster than almost any other channel.

You don't need a perfect strategy. You just need to start posting, engaging, and talking to people who might benefit from what you built.

The first 30 days will feel slow. But if you stay consistent, by day 60 you'll start seeing real traction. By day 90, you'll have a system that generates leads every week.

Then you can layer in other channels like SEO, paid ads, or email marketing. But start with LinkedIn. Prove it works. Then expand.

And if you need help staying consistent with content creation, Postiv can help you plan and schedule posts so you're never staring at a blank screen wondering what to write.

Your product deserves to be seen. Start putting yourself out there.

The first post is the hardest. After that, it gets easier.