The B2B SaaS Marketing Channels Most Founders Are Completely Ignoring

If your B2B SaaS marketing channels strategy starts and ends with LinkedIn ads and Google ads, you’re likely fighting for the same crowded space as thousands of other businesses. 

The good news? There are highly effective SaaS marketing channels sitting largely untapped, and reaching them doesn’t require a huge budget. On a recent episode of the SaaS Marketing Weekly podcast, Ryan, founder of Rocket SaaS, broke down exactly where SaaS founders and marketing leaders should be showing up and, just as importantly, how to do it well.

Why the Standard Playbook Is Letting You Down

Most SaaS founders, when they think about marketing, default to the obvious: run some LinkedIn ads, set up Google campaigns, fire off a few webinars. Ryan calls this “in the box thinking” and argues it’s costing businesses the chance to reach their audience in places where competition is virtually non-existent.

The foundation of any alternative approach is a properly defined ideal customer profile (ICP). Not a vague notion of who you’re targeting, but a genuinely granular picture.

Ryan says:

“Knowing specifically the industry, the job title, their pain points, what keeps them up at night, what their goals are, what type of people they are. And when you’ve got all of that, it becomes much easier to find out where they spend their time.”

Once you genuinely know your ICP, you stop guessing about where to find them and start making deliberate, targeted decisions about which B2B SaaS marketing channels to invest in.

Six SaaS Marketing Channels Worth Adding to Your Strategy

1. Guest Appearances on Podcasts

Podcasts remain one of the most powerful B2B content marketing channels, particularly for reaching decision-makers. Ryan’s recommendation isn’t to build your own show first (though that has its place) but to appear as a guest on podcasts your ICP already listens to.

Here’s how to approach it:

1. Build a shortlist of relevant podcasts using Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google, and LinkedIn.
2. Listen to at least one episode of each and note what you enjoyed about it.
3. Find the host on LinkedIn and log their profile URL alongside the podcast details.
4. Create a speaker kit: a two-page PDF with a professional headshot, topic options, links to any articles, research or books, and testimonials from previous appearances.
5. Start small and work up. Smaller shows are easier to get on and help you build credibility for the bigger ones.

Crucially, Ryan emphasises that podcast hosts are not looking for someone who’ll pitch their product. You need to lead with value, whether that’s strategies, a controversial take on the industry, or a compelling story about scaling.

In the podcast, Ryan adds: 

“You can’t be pitching your product. You have to pitch a topic that genuinely helps or entertains the audience of that show. You have to stand out. You have to give value.”

2. Newsletter Sponsorships and Collaborations

Industry newsletters that your ICP subscribes to are an underused SaaS distribution channel. Rather than only sponsoring them, consider contributing guest content or partnering with newsletter writers on joint promotions. The audience is warm, engaged, and often exactly the niche you’re trying to reach.

3. LinkedIn Groups and Slack Communities

LinkedIn groups and Slack communities are home to concentrated, engaged audiences of professionals. Ryan points to communities like Pavilion (formerly Revenue Collective) as examples of spaces where genuine conversations happen and where being an active, helpful member can drive real business results.

The keyword is genuine. These communities have moderators who will remove anyone perceived as being there purely to sell. The approach that works is showing up consistently, contributing useful insights, and letting people come to you when they’re ready.

“The more you lean in, the more you get out of it” is how Ryan puts it, and it applies equally to LinkedIn groups, Slack channels, and Reddit communities.

4. Events and Conferences

Attending industry events is a classic for a reason, but Ryan’s advice goes beyond simply showing up. Aim to get a speaking slot. As with podcasts, you’re not going to land a keynote spot by being a CEO who wants to talk about their product. Bring original research, a compelling case study, or a viewpoint that genuinely challenges conventional thinking.

Even without a stand or a speaking slot, attending and actively networking puts you in front of your audience in a way no digital channel can fully replicate. Smaller events are lower cost and often easier to speak at, making them a smart starting point.

5. Reddit Communities

Reddit ads are hit and miss in B2B, and Ryan is candid about his experience: they tend to drive cheap traffic but rarely generate leads for SaaS businesses. Where Reddit does work is in the communities themselves.

Niche subreddits can house exactly the ICP you’re after. The same rules apply as with Slack and LinkedIn groups: be a real member of the community, provide helpful answers, and let your subtle calls to action do the work over time. The fact that Reddit moderators are strict about promotional content is actually a positive, it means the audience is engaged and trusting of people who genuinely contribute.

6. Piggybacking on Non-Competing Brands

This is one of Ryan’s personal favourites and arguably the highest-leverage tactic on this list for earlier-stage SaaS businesses with limited marketing budgets.

The idea is simple: find a non-competing brand that shares your target audience, and collaborate on something together. A co-hosted webinar is the easiest format. If the other brand has an established audience, say 10,000 LinkedIn followers or 20,000 newsletter subscribers, your content gets promoted to an audience you haven’t had to spend years or significant budget to build.

For example, a SaaS platform helping HR teams might team up with an accountancy firm that specialises in HR companies. Both businesses speak to their area of expertise in the webinar, and both tap into the other’s audience.

Ryan adds:

“That is one of the most effective ways to get in front of your audience without spending money. It should be baked into your strategy, doing monthly webinars with these partner companies.”

How to Find Out Where Your Audience Actually Hangs Out

The smartest shortcut to identifying the right SaaS marketing channels for your business? Ask your existing customers directly. Survey them, or put a simple poll on LinkedIn asking what podcasts they listen to, which newsletters they read, what events they attend, and which Slack groups or LinkedIn communities they’re part of.

If you don’t have enough customers to survey yet, do the research yourself. Start with the audience profile you know and work backwards to the platforms and communities they’re most likely to be active in.

Where to Start If You’re Not Sure

Ryan is clear about which of these B2B SaaS marketing channels offers the best return over time: the podcast circuit. Being a regular guest on relevant podcasts builds credibility, expands reach, and positions you as a key voice in your industry. But it takes time to build up to, particularly as you need some combination of a strong LinkedIn presence, original content or research, and a track record of previous appearances.

For faster results with less setup, getting active in communities, whether on Slack, LinkedIn, or Reddit, is the lower-barrier option. Pair that with co-hosted webinars and conference appearances, and you’ve got a diversified approach to SaaS audience targeting that most of your competitors simply aren’t doing.

The common thread across all of these channels is this: show up with value first, and the business results will follow.

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By Ryan James

Founder of Rocket SaaS