Co-marketing, you may have heard of it. But what exactly does it entail, and how can it help your B2B SaaS business grow? Simply put, co-marketing is a collaboration between two companies that create and promote a marketing campaign together. The idea is: you bring value, your partner brings value, and together you create something greater than the sum of its parts.
For B2B SaaS companies, where trust and a niche market are often more important than large-scale campaigns, co-marketing is a smart way to reach new audiences quickly and cost-effectively. In this article, you’ll discover why co-marketing is so powerful, how to approach it successfully, and how to ensure that it also delivers measurable results.
What is Co-marketing?
Co-marketing means that two companies join forces to develop and promote a marketing initiative together. This could be anything: a joint e-book, a co-branded webinar or even a shared social media campaign.
The key difference from traditional partner programs? With co-marketing, both parties are on equal footing and both brands benefit from the campaign. Think of HubSpot and Canva developing a template library together, or two SaaS tools publishing a joint white paper on a shared topic.
For B2B SaaS companies, SaaS marketing is often about thought leadership and strengthening each other’s position in a specific market.
Why is Co-marketing Ideal For B2B SaaS Companies?
Why would you want to do everything on your own when you can get much further with a strong partner? Here are a few reasons why co-marketing is a smart move for your B2B SaaS company:
1. You Reach a Larger Audience
You’ve probably already built a loyal audience. By partnering with a complementary SaaS solution, you not only reach more people, but also more relevant prospects.
2. You Save Costs (And Who Doesn’t Want That?)
Marketing campaigns often cost a pretty penny, right? Ads, tools, content creation – it all piles up. But with co-marketing, you share those costs with your partner. That means you can do more, while spending less. Ideal if you have a tight marketing budget.
3. You Attract Better Leads
Here’s where it gets really interesting: the leads you bring in through co-marketing are often much higher quality. Why? Because you’re working with a partner who serves the same target market. Your prospects are already warm because they are already interested in what your partner does. And if their solution aligns well with yours, they are more likely to listen to you as well. No more wasting time on cold lists – you work directly with people who are ready.
4. Strengthened Expertise: You Combine Knowledge To Create Better Content
Two know more than one, right? Imagine this: you have a SaaS tool that optimizes sales processes, and your partner specializes in CRM software. If you create a webinar or e-book together on improving the sales pipeline, you bring dual expertise to the table.
That kind of valuable content not only attracts attention but also builds trust with your audience. And trust is exactly what you need to win over customers.
5. Trust Through Shared Authority
When you collaborate with a strong partner, it radiates to you as well. It shows that your company is trusted by others in the industry and that you are open to working together. That kind of partnership only makes your brand stronger and more trustworthy in the eyes of potential customers.
So co-marketing creates a win-win situation: you reach more people, save time and costs, and build your brand at the same time.
How To Find The Right Co-marketing Partner?
Okay, so you’re convinced: co-marketing is your next step. But … who will you partner with? You don’t want to just pick the first one, because a good partner can make or break your campaign. Here are a few tips to find the perfect match:
Find a Partner With The Same Target Audience
This is really the key to success. You want to partner with a company that is already reaching your ideal customers. Say you have a SaaS tool focused on project management. Then a partner that focuses on time tracking, collaboration tools or CRM software is a perfect match. You complement each other and appeal to the same audience – ideal!
Look For Shared Values And Goals
It may sound a bit soft, but trust me: shared values make a collaboration so much easier. If you and your partner both value customer focus or innovation, it’s much easier to be on the same page. And don’t forget to discuss shared goals up front. Whether you want more leads, downloads, or brand visibility, it’s important that you’re both working toward the same end point.
Use Tools And Networks To Find The Right Partner
If you don’t have a suitable partner in mind right away, you can use your network and tools. LinkedIn is a golden place to find companies that are complementary to your SaaS product. Search your connections or ask in your network who is open to collaborations. There are even platforms like PartnerStack where you can find companies actively seeking partnerships. This makes finding a match a lot easier.
Test a Small Partnership First
You don’t have to launch a large-scale campaign right away. Start small! For example, try writing a blog post together or running a joint social media campaign. This will give you a good idea of what it’s like to work together. Does it click? Then you can always scale up to larger projects, such as webinars or joint e-books.
In short: a good co-marketing partner does not have to be your competitor, but someone who complements you and already knows your target audience. Be critical, be strategic and above all: be open. Collaboration is the way to achieve more without having to do everything yourself.
Create a Successful Co-marketing Campaign in 5 Steps
Great, you’ve found a co-marketing partner! But how do you go about creating a truly impactful campaign together?
Step 1: Set Clear Goals Together
Start with the question: What do we really want to achieve? Do you want more leads? More downloads of a white paper? Or just more visibility in the market? Make sure your goals are concrete and measurable. Think about: “We want to generate 200 MQLs through a collaborative webinar within 3 months.” Clear goals ensure you know what you’re working toward – and prevent misunderstandings.
Step 2: Create a Content Plan
Now comes the creative work. What kind of content fits your goals AND appeals to your target audience? A few ideas:
- Webinars: Show that together you are the experts.
- E-books or white papers: In-depth content that brings in leads.
- Blog series: Alternate perspectives and capitalize on trending topics.
- Social media campaigns: Use each other’s channels to spread the message further. Choose what suits your products and what is feasible in terms of time and resources.
Step 3: Divide The Responsibilities
This is where things often go wrong if you are not careful. Make clear agreements from the beginning about who does what. For example, who takes care of content creation? Who handles the promotion? And who monitors progress? A simple shared planning tool (such as a Google Sheet, Trello or Notion) can already make a world of difference.
Step 4: Properly Coordinate The Promotion Activities
This is an important point. You need to use each other’s channels to boost the campaign. Make sure your content is aligned so that it sends the same message everywhere. Think joint email newsletters, shared LinkedIn posts and co-branded visuals. That way it feels like one entity to your audience.
Step 5: Measure and Analyze The Results
Once the campaign is running (or over), it’s time to measure what you’ve accomplished. Look at your KPIs: how many leads were generated? How did the different content components perform? What worked and what didn’t? This will not only help you calculate the ROI of your campaign, but also make your next co-marketing project even more successful.
Here are a few KPIs to keep an eye on:
- Number of leads: How many new contacts did you generate?
- Engagement: How well did the content perform (e.g., views, clicks, downloads)?
- Cost per lead (CPL): Was it more economical than running your own campaign?
- Sales: Did the collaboration generate new customers?
These steps will help you set up a co-marketing campaign that not only runs smoothly, but actually produces results. So, time to roll up your sleeves and create that stunner of a campaign together
Inspiring Examples of Co-marketing by SaaS Companies
Co-marketing may sound like a great idea, but what does it mean in practice? What do successful collaborations look like? Below I’ve collected a few examples for you that show how powerful co-marketing can be – and hopefully inspire you to start your own campaigns.
Example 1: HubSpot + LinkedIn – Launching a White Paper Together
HubSpot and LinkedIn joined forces for a joint white paper on lead generation. The result? An in-depth report that highlighted both HubSpot’s tools and LinkedIn’s benefits. Both companies shared the white paper through their channels, greatly increasing each other’s reach. What can you learn from this? Combine your expertise to create valuable content that really connects with your target audience’s challenges.
Example 2: Slack + Trello – Blog Series On Productivity
Slack (communication tool) and Trello (project management) joined forces in a series of blogs about productivity. In the blogs, they shared practical tips for teams combining Slack and Trello to work more efficiently. The message was simple: “Use us together, and you’ll get the most out of your team.” This kind of collaboration is a golden opportunity to show how your product seamlessly integrates with your partner’s.
Example 3: Asana + Dropbox – Webinar On Productivity For Remote Teams
Asana (project management) and Dropbox (cloud storage) collaborated on a webinar focused entirely on productivity for remote teams. Why did this work so well? Because their tools complement each other perfectly. Asana helps teams stay organized, while Dropbox ensures that files are available anytime, anywhere.
In the webinar, both companies shared practical tips for how remote teams can work better together, with, of course, a focus on how their tools make this process easier. Think workflows where you can link files directly from Dropbox to tasks in Asana.
What These Examples Have in Common
In all cases, the companies strengthen each other by joining forces. They target overlapping audiences, create valuable content, and leverage each other’s networks. Whether you create a white paper, a webinar, or a blog series – if you approach your collaboration strategically, you can create the same impact.
Conclusion
Co-marketing is the way to do smart marketing as a B2B SaaS company. It gives you the opportunity to expand your reach, share resources and collaborate with like-minded companies. Moreover, you create added value for your target audience by pooling joint expertise.
So, what are you waiting for? Look around your network. With whom can you create a successful co-marketing campaign?