How to Use Social Media for Retaining SaaS Customers

By Gaurav Belani

Do you feel you are in control of your social strategy for your SaaS? Think again.

Sure, it's great for blasting marketing messages. But if you truly want to connect with your existing customers, think about building a strong community — a platform for your customers to express their views, learn from others, and derive real value.

The goal is to retain them by providing help and giving them the sense that they're part of something bigger than the software.

That's what keeps customers coming back for more. It's what separates the churn-and-burn SaaS companies from the ones building something truly special, led by the people they serve. 

Old-school social media tactics just won't cut it anymore.

This is especially true if you are a SaaS business struggling to keep up with industry benchmarks of 92-97% retention rates. Consider using social media to reduce churn.

Whether you're a seasoned SaaS professional or just exploring new strategies, this article will provide you with actionable insights for social media to keep your customers returning.

Turn Followers Into a Community (It's Not About Numbers)

Chasing a massive social media following isn't enough. Those big numbers are vanity metrics and have no meaning if your audience doesn’t connect with your content.

Instead, consider your social media as a members-only club. You’d want more users to follow your brand on social media — those who get what your product does, see the value, and aren't afraid to ask questions on the platform. 

Also, introducing community-building activities like quizzes and product trivia would eventually help customers stick around for the long haul.

How do you do that?

• Get crystal clear on your ideal customer: To understand your ideal customers, go beyond demographics. You’d need to know their common problems, the languages they use, and what adds value to their business. You can leverage data from the sales module of your ERP solution to get an exact demographic picture along with their subscription history.

• Ditch the generic content: Your social media posts should spark conversations, offer genuine help, and address your product's shortcomings head-on (this shows you're listening). For this, you can create demo videos that show (not tell) users how to use your product and engage them effectively. Leveraging AI to create studio-quality how-to videos can help communicate relevant product updates to your users. Sharing such engaging content will not just answer customer queries but also help in conversions. Next comes product-specific assets like case studies, knowledge base, feature updates, etc., that take center stage in your social media posts.

• Provide value: Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, etc., to publish exclusive content like webinars or Q&A sessions with your team. Provide product walkthroughs, tips & tricks for getting the most out of your product. Make your users feel they are getting something special from being part of your social media circle.

Turn Social Media into a Support Powerhouse

Did you know you can make social media your secret weapon for killer customer support?

For this, you’ve to adopt a ninja mentality — remaining proactive.

This means that when a customer comes to you with a question or a problem, you must have a plan of action to address it. 

Imagine all this happening with utmost transparency over social media. A few tweets and DMs can make customers feel like they are being heard and catered to.

Not only does it make the customer feel all warm and fuzzy inside, but it also shows them you care about their precious time. 

So, when you use social media for support —

• It shows you're available: Publicly solving problems tells everyone you're not asleep at the wheel. Even other users not having the issue feel reassured that their concerns will be addressed.
• It builds trust: Negative feedback is rough. However, handling a cranky customer with grace on a public thread can be a masterclass in brand loyalty.
• It acts as a feedback goldmine: You'll see pain points, feature aspirations, and the workarounds users invent. Feed this to your product team to deliver what customers expect.

You can't just slap a support desk on Twitter and call it a day.  

To do this well, you need —

• A dedicated team (or person): Hire social media experts who are product specialists. They should go beyond offering mere tech fixes; they need to exhibit empathy and work with the customer to achieve their goals.
• Clear expectations: You’ll need a social media support team on their feet. Because nearly 40 percent of users expect a response within an hour. So, set clear expectations on how soon you can escalate users’ issues and avoid chaos.
• Celebrate success: Amplify every positive experience a customer shares. Retweet or share their posts, and thank them for their feedback to create a positive atmosphere and encourage others to share their stories.

Leverage User Generated Content (UGC)

User-generated content extends the concept of customer retention through social media beyond product usage. The conversations must go beyond products. They should work towards creating a sense of community and giving a voice to customers.

Stand out on social media by sharing users’ testimonials, case studies, and posts showing how they use your SaaS product daily. When people see others like them loving your product, that social proof is worth more than anything you could say about yourself. 

But here's where it gets advanced: UGC needs a strategy to boost retention, not just general hype.

Here's how:

Different goals will have different UGC

• Early-stage retention: Focus on testimonials and reviews highlighting ease of onboarding, quick wins, and responsive support. This should calm the anxiety and nerves of new users.
• Long-term retention: Use case studies and user stories demonstrating ongoing value. The key is to share how your SaaS helped their business grow. This will validate your product's effectiveness while addressing the common issues of upgrade fatigue.

Incentivize the Right UGC

• Contests: Contests can be fun, but are they getting you content that keeps customers around? Instead, consider rewarding in-depth case studies, thoughtful feature suggestions, or referrals (a double benefit where users can also get discounts on upgrades, etc.)
• Promote honest words: This is to combat the “too good to be true” syndrome wherein super polished UGC can backfire if it feels fake. For this, encourage customers to be honest – even a minor struggle they overcame with your product becomes relatable and trustworthy. And then provide concessions on future updates or free upgrades.

Conclusion

The old-school way of doing social media isn't a cut for customer retention. The needle needs to move beyond promotion, wherein you pivot to strategic, focused, and relationship-driven user engagement. 

While payoffs don't happen overnight, they contribute to building a loyal, engaged customer base. 

Are you ready to leverage social for customer retention?

Thriving in the churn-and-burn world of SaaS requires creating a difference by building genuine connections. So, go ahead and implement the key pointers discussed above.

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