How SaaS Companies Use Viral Marketing to Gain Early Traction
You’re on the verge of launching your brand new SaaS product. You’ve spent countless hours perfecting the design, the functionality, and the user experience. But how can you ensure that all your hard work pays off and the world takes notice? The answer lies in a little-known marketing tactic that’s been used by some of the most successful SaaS companies in the world: the viral waiting list.
In this blog, I will show you how a viral waiting list can successfully launch your SaaS product. We’ll break down exactly what a viral waiting list is, how it works, and the steps you can take to set one up for your own product. We’ll also take a look at some real-world examples of SaaS companies that have used viral waiting lists to generate buzz, create anticipation, and ultimately launch their products to massive success.
What is a Viral Waiting List?
A viral waiting list is a marketing technique that encourages people to sign up for your product before it’s launched by leaving their email addresses. However, to increase their position on the waiting list, they can invite their friends to sign up too.
The idea behind the viral waiting list is to create a sense of urgency and exclusivity around your product. Making people wait for access to the beta creates a sense of anticipation and desire. By allowing them to improve their position by inviting friends, you incentivize them to share your product with others.
How Does a Viral Waiting List Work?
Here’s an example of how a viral waiting list might work:
- A SaaS company creates a landing page for its upcoming product and includes a sign-up form for the waiting list.
- When someone signs up, they receive a unique referral link.
- They can also share this link with their friends, family, and colleagues to encourage them to sign up for the waiting list.
- The original sign-up moves up the waiting list for each person who signs up using their referral link.
This creates a powerful incentive for people to share the product with others. They want to improve their position on the waiting list, so they’re likelier to share the product with people they think will be interested.
Steps to Set Up a Viral Waiting List
Here are the steps you can take to set up your own viral waiting list:
Examples of Successful SaaS Companies That Used Viral Waiting Lists
Many successful SaaS companies have used viral waiting lists to generate buzz and create anticipation for their products. Here are a few examples:
Dropbox
In just one night, Dropbox used a viral waiting list to grow its user base from 5,000 to 75,000. They offered extra storage space to users who invited their friends to sign up for the service.
Robinhood
Robinhood, a popular trading app, used a waiting list to generate buzz before launching its product. They had over 1 million people on their waiting list before they even launched.
Superhuman
Superhuman, an email client for power users, used a waiting list to create exclusivity and anticipation around their product. They only allowed a limited number of people to sign up each week, creating a sense of scarcity and demand.
A viral waiting list can be a powerful marketing tactic for SaaS companies looking to generate buzz and create anticipation for their products. By incentivizing people to share the product with others, you can create a sense of urgency and exclusivity that can help launch your product to success.
However, it’s important to note that a viral waiting list is not guaranteed success. It may not work for every product or audience. Nonetheless, it’s a low-cost and effective way to create buzz and generate interest before launching a product. So why not give it a try?
