50 Knockout SaaS Business Blogs for Ideas and Inspiration
The internet is full of companies of all sorts. I'm constantly over here telling everyone to start a blog, and I give a lot of advice, but by necessity a lot of what I say is generic. There are a ton of specifics about every industry, niche, and even type of business that I can't possibly cover in a single post.
I've decided to start getting narrower in some of my content. For example, this post focuses on a particular business model: SaaS. Software as a Service is a great business model that has only been made possible in recent years, with the proliferation of high-speed, always-available broadband saturating the world.
One of the best things you can do to help develop your own business is to look at others doing something similar. In the case of SaaS, what are other SaaS sites doing for their blogs? Do they have gimmicks, specific tones or voices, or anything else to help them stand out?
Good SaaS blogs do share a few things in common.
- They publish frequently. The best blogs publish multiple times per week. Some aim for 2-3 times each week, while others publish every day, and a few even publish multiple times per day. I always recommend at least once per week, myself. Looking over existing blogs that publish frequently is a good way to understand how they can do it without running out of things to talk about.
- They build a distinctive voice and branding. Some of them are more personal; Neil Patel's services often rely on his personality as a thought leader. Others build a brand personality, like Buffer, and make sure that brand personality comes through no matter who is writing for the site at the time.
- They dig deep. Most blog posts on successful SaaS blogs are T-shaped. They have a broad, general overview of their topic, and then they drill down on one aspect of it as deeply as they can with the information, resources, and expertise available to them. Given that some of the more potent SaaS companies out there are among the largest in the world, this can be very deep indeed.
- They take SEO seriously. Headlines are tested, images have alt text, meta fields are populated, sites load quickly, and more. The best SaaS blogs take big lists of Google Search Ranking Factors and use them as checklists to optimize.
- Their content is broad across the user journey. I often say that every post needs to have a purpose. Each post needs to reach users, and thus needs two things: the target user profile they want to reach, and the stage of the user journey that profile is in. Every single post considers these two factors and derives purpose from their conjunction. Watch how different blogs tackle this issue.
Keep an eye out for these kinds of aspects on each blog I've linked below. I've put together a list of 50 SaaS blogs that you can use for inspiration, but that only helps if you're willing to apply a critical eye to them as you read. Trust me, that can be hard, especially when the content is compelling enough you just want to read it. The key is to pause occasionally and ask yourself: why does this work? What are they doing, and how are they doing it? With some thought and some attention, you can uncover their secrets.
The List of Blogs
This list of 50 blogs is presented in no real order. I don't have broad categorizations to apply or even specific reasons to flag these blogs. I just know they're all blogs I've read, cited, and otherwise used as a resource at some point. Everyone can learn something from someone on this list. So, without further ado, here it is.
We create blog content that converts - not just for ourselves, but for our clients, too.
We pick blog topics like hedge funds pick stocks. Then, we create articles that are 10x better to earn the top spot.
Content marketing has two ingredients - content and marketing. We've earned our black belts in both.
1. Zapier – An incredible blog with coverage from the highest levels of automation to the most technical dives into what is possible with their engine.
2. Sprout Social – A great blog focused on all aspects of marketing, ranging from the basics of PPC to how current events can affect business success.
3. Close – A solid business-focused blog covering topics of deep relevance to businesses looking to close more deals.
4. Venngage – A wonderful blog with topics covering everything from tutorials for business processes in MS Word to high-level overviews of marketing techniques.
5. SparkToro – A new company started by Rand Fishkin, the mastermind behind Moz, and a potent blog full of examples of deep thinking on complex subjects.
6. Single Grain – A marketing blog that includes a lot of deeply insightful content on all aspects of marketing, while examining cutting-edge technologies like AI.
7. For Entrepreneurs – A blog by the entrepreneur David Skok, this blog has a lot of great information about building a SaaS business from the ground up, with a lot of broad, highly useful content.
8. HubSpot – Do I need to tell you what HubSpot is? Chances are you're already heard of them. They're likely one of the most popular blogs on this list, and I link to them constantly.
9. Chaotic Flow – An insightful SaaS blog written by Joel York, a veteran of a large number of enterprises over the years.
10. Intercom – A SaaS blog that shares a lot of details about the inner workings of their company, along with insights into how your company can share in their success or avoid their mistakes.
11. Neil Patel – One of the most prominent personalities in marketing, Neil is probably already on the daily read list for most of you, but I would be remiss in leaving him out.
12. Groove – A great SaaS company that shows you exactly how you can effectively lace CTAs throughout your content without it being intrusive, and while still providing value independent of your product.
13. Moz – Another of those top-end blogs that you're probably already reading, Moz is an authority in all things marketing, predominantly focusing on search.
14. Help Scout – A great blog that centers around their core service, that of helping customers get the most out of a company and its offerings.
15. Crazy Egg – The company is a great analytics platform, and their blog is full of ways to help draw insight from your data, though some of their topics are less than spectacular.
16. Saas Genius – A broad-focused SaaS blog with a lot of different topics covered in moderate detail. Not one of my favorites, but a lot of people like it, so I've listed it here.
17. First Round – Taking their name from the funding process, this blog has a lot of great detail for the first phases of starting and growing a SaaS business into something successful.
18. All That SaaS – Another SaaS-focused blog that covers a lot of the same topics others do, but does a good job at keeping their content up to date year after year.
19. Trello – One of the foremost collaboration and project management apps out there, Trello's blog is full of insights on how to promote team building and collaboration in your company.
20. ConvertKit – A wider range of topics grace the categories list for this company, so there's always something great to read, and you never know what you're going to get the next day, but you know it'll be great.
21. Creatopy – If you specialize in a highly creative field or just a creative implementation of a standard system, this is a great blog for you. If not, it's a good way to show you what's possible.
22. Visme – The internet is becoming increasingly visual and interactive, with video and graphics showcasing information in unique ways. This blog specializes in data visualization and other creative options.
23. SendInBlue – One of the best options for small-scale and small-business email management, SendInBlue has a lot of great information and recommendations for small biz communications and newsletter growth hacks.
24. ClickUp – Most of the content on this blog is somewhat superficial, and yet it still does well, showing you how it can be done if you want to pursue it yourself.
25. LeadFeeder – A lead generation company that has a blog full of resources for everything from building a remote company to website personalization strategies, and much more.
26. Backlinko – Brian Dean's blog is not updated very often, but every single post he publishes is well worth the time it takes to read, oh, three or four times. He digs deep into every topic he touches and is an instant authority.
27. Majestic – One of the top-of-the-line companies dealing with backlinks and other marketing techniques, the insights available on this blog are some of the best in the industry. They're always full of actionable insight as well as deep dives into data.
28. Ahrefs – Ahrefs is probably one of my favorite marketing and online growth blogs, period. If you're not already reading their content, it should be at the top of your list. The only reason it's not at the top of my list is that most of you are probably already reading them.
29. Jeff Bullas – Another one of those household names in the industry, Jeff's site is full of insights and is something to check out periodically, even if you don't read it every time a new post is published.
30. ZenDesk – ZenDesk is one of those tools that everyone recommends for small businesses to support them as they grow. Part of that recommendation stems from how great their blog is at conveying the exact sort of information you want to know, in an easy-to-understand way.
31. Buffer – Buffer is a great example of how you can infuse your blog with company branding and personality, despite a varying set of authors. They're also very good at producing a wide variety of content and a lot of unique experiments and case studies not replicated elsewhere.
32. BuzzSumo – Another of those big names, at least in terms of analytics and tools small businesses should use. One thing you can keep in mind is that any time someone recommends a tool to you, you can check that tool's blog to see how authoritative they are.
33. Semrush – Another top-tier blog that is packed full of content you really shouldn't miss. Semrush is one of my favorite recent tools to use, and their insights are no joke.
34. Interact – This company provides communications tools for business, and their blog focuses a lot on the benefits of internal communication, and how internal communication can be bolstered and encouraged.
35. Salesforce – Salesforce is another high-end company that does a little bit of everything, Salesforce is a juggernaut that is difficult to rival.
36. LeadPages – This is another one of those examples of a tool everyone knows and recognizes, whose blog is an excellent resource. In this case, it's largely focused on lead generation, as you might imagine.
37. Shopify – Now, Shopify is a near-household name for eCommerce, but did you know their blog is a great resource as well? Sure, a lot of their content is aimed at newcomers to online commerce, but it's still great information either way.
38. Unbounce – One of the best email marketing blogs out there. They cover a little bit of everything, from the most basic tips to detailed, in-depth strategies.
39. Canva – Canva's blog shows you two things: the importance of visual media as part of a blog, and how to do it right. Their blog is brilliant, and it helps you find success through the use of their tool for graphic design.
40. Vero – This is a highly focused blog that aims to teach you all there is to know about email marketing.
41. Optin Monster – Optin Monster is one of those companies that I never think of first, but I always think of. Their content is excellent, and you've probably seen me mention them quite a few times before in my blog posts.
42. Wave Video – Video marketing is growing year over year, and the tools necessary to get up and running are easier to use than ever. This is an excellent resource to position yourself on the front end of that marketing wave.
43. DataBox – Analytics are critical to the success of any business. This blog gives you everything from the most basic details to the advanced techniques to find unique KPIs and figure out just what they mean for you.
44. Yotpo – I don't normally think of Yotpo as a blog to pursue, so this one even came as a surprise to me. I've recommended their tool before, but as it turns out, their blog is great, full of case studies and useful information.
45. CoSchedule – One of the greats in content marketing, CoSchedule has a bunch of different authors all contributing excellent content consistently.
46. Entrepreneur – This site covered far more than just SaaS, but their SaaS channel is robust, and some of the biggest thought leaders of our time post there regularly.
47. CIO – This blog is more focused on IT content than your typical broad-spectrum SaaS content, but it's very useful high-level writing to browse.
48. Twilio – I don't personally like this blog much, but it's a good example of how a company can write a lot of content about using their product and still produce value for others.
49. MailChimp – One of the best email managers out there, Mailchimp has a variety of different kinds of content, including podcasts, blog posts, resources, case studies, and more.
50. Hitenism – Hiten Shah is the mastermind behind companies like Crazy Egg and Quick Sprout, and his blog is a slow but awesome repository for useful information and insights. It's worth a follow.
30 Second Summary
30 Second SummaryYou can learn a lot from other successful SaaS blogs by studying their common traits. You should aim to post content at least once per week, build a clear brand voice and dive deep into specific topics. You need to take SEO seriously and create content for every stage of the user journey. When you read other SaaS blogs, you should pay attention to how they achieve these goals and what makes their content effective.
There you have it; my top list of 50 SaaS-focused blogs you can use for insights, information, and inspiration.
What do you think? Do you have one you think I missed? Did you find new blogs on here that are now some of your favorites? Let me know what you think in the comments section down below!
James Parsons is the founder and CEO of Content Powered, a premier content marketing agency that leverages nearly two decades of his experience in content marketing to drive business growth. Renowned for founding and scaling multi-million dollar eCommerce businesses through strategic content marketing, James has become a trusted voice in the industry, sharing his insights in Search Engine Watch, Search Engine Journal, Forbes, Entrepreneur, Inc, and other leading publications. His background encompasses key roles across various agencies, contributing to the content strategies of major brands like eBay and Expedia. James's expertise spans SEO, conversion rate optimization, and effective content strategies, making him a pivotal figure in the industry.
June 15, 2021
Great post, thank you!!
June 17, 2021
Thanks Earlene!
July 04, 2021
What about Lincoln Murphy's blog? It's worth reading (sixteenventures.com)
July 08, 2021
Great addition, thanks for sharing!