Is your SaaS business stuck in a growth plateau despite having a healthy marketing budget? For many B2B SaaS companies, especially those in crowded markets, there comes a point where the tactics that once fueled growth start falling flat.
You’re still spending $$$ each month. But leads are down. Revenue has flatlined. And your investors are starting to ask difficult questions.
Here’s what’s really happening – and how to fix it.
The real problem: you’re only marketing to 5% of the market
Most SaaS companies focus their entire marketing effort on the sliver of their market that’s ready to buy right now. That’s roughly 3% to 5% of your total addressable audience.
This works great – until it doesn’t.
You start off strong. Google Ads, LinkedIn campaigns, gated content. Your demand capture engine does its job. But over time, you hit a ceiling. You’ve exhausted the in-market buyers.
From here, no amount of “book a demo” ads will fix the problem.
Step 1: Rebalance your budget with the 60/40 rule
The first shift you need to make is strategic. It’s time to reallocate your budget.
Use the 60/40 rule:
- 60% for demand creation and brand-building
- 40% for demand capture and bottom-of-funnel efforts
This isn’t theory – it’s a proven model backed by the Ehrenberg-Bass Institute and the LinkedIn B2B Institute.
If you’re currently putting 80% of your budget into ads pushing demos, you’re not setting yourself up for long-term growth. You’re just squeezing more out of a shrinking group of leads.
Step 2: Stop funding channels that no longer work
Many SaaS companies carry legacy marketing spend. Just because something’s been in the budget for 12 months doesn’t mean it’s still working.
If you’re spending £4k a month on LinkedIn Ads and they haven’t driven revenue in 8 months, switch them off. Immediately.
Audit your channels:
- Double down on what’s working (Google Ads often still perform for intent-led leads)
- Pause or reduce underperforming activity
- Unlock budget for new experiments and brand content
Sometimes, a quick reallocation frees up thousands – enough to fuel an entirely new approach.
Step 3: Build a demand creation engine
Once you’ve got the budget in the right place, it’s time to build your demand creation engine.
Here’s what that looks like:
- Identify the key problems your product solves
- Create content that teaches people how to solve those problems – without your product
- Show up consistently with that content on the platforms your audience spends time on
The goal is to build familiarity and trust long before prospects enter the buying cycle. When they’re finally ready to buy, you’re already top of mind.
This is how you grow with the 95% who aren’t ready to purchase – yet.
Step 4: Use subject matter experts to cut through
Creating good content is hard. Creating content that cuts through is even harder.
The fastest way to stand out? Use subject matter experts.
Whether it’s a founder, CTO, product manager or external expert – real insights from real people drive results. People trust people, not brand logos.
Repurpose SME content into multiple formats:
- Short-form LinkedIn clips
- Webinars
- Email nurture sequences
- Long-form guides
- Hero videos
And always aim for consistency over perfection. A B+ video that goes live every week beats an A+ video that never ships.
Step 5: Prepare for tough internal conversations
This isn’t a “switch it on and wait for magic” strategy. Demand creation takes time.
You may need to reduce demo-focused activity in the short-term while you build top-of-funnel awareness. That can be hard to justify to stakeholders who expect immediate leads.
Here’s how to manage it:
- Run pilot campaigns first
- Set expectations clearly
- Track early signals (branded search, engagement, pipeline quality)
- Prove the current approach won’t get you to the next growth milestone
Sometimes, the most effective marketers are the ones willing to be unpopular in the short-term.
Step 6: Remember – demand creation isn’t optional
If your business has hit a plateau, this isn’t a nice-to-have strategy. It’s essential.
Staying reliant on demand capture means you’ll always be chasing leads, always fighting for scraps, and always wondering why scale is so difficult.
Creating demand gives you control. It builds pipeline before your competitors even get a look-in. It turns cold outreach into warm conversations. And it fuels sustainable growth over the long haul.
Final thoughts
You don’t need more budget. You need a smarter strategy.
Start by:
- Shifting your focus to the 95% of the market not yet in buying mode
- Rebalancing your budget
- Killing underperforming spend
- Creating helpful, non-salesy content
- Empowering your subject matter experts
- Having the hard conversations early
It takes guts to move away from what’s safe. But if you want to scale, this is the path forward.
Ready to turn things around? Start building your demand engine today.