My Accidental Entrepreneurship - Navigating Marketing in a Niche Software Business

Starting a software business without prior marketing experience can take time and effort. When I founded a company that developed a plugin for accounting software—specifically designed to help accountants load bank transactions in bulk—I faced significant challenges. However, I managed to carve out a successful marketing strategy. Here's a look at my journey.

Challenges and Initial Efforts

One of the first challenges was the small, particular target audience. Bans and deletions often block marketing attempts in Facebook groups and forums. Even the accounting software's newsletter was off-limits due to existing competitor partnerships. So, I focused on areas within my control: SEO, PPC, and word-of-mouth.

SEO Success

Due to the limited competition, SEO was relatively straightforward. By optimizing technical SEO and targeting relevant keywords, I secured top positions for critical functions of my software. Additionally, I ranked highly for the name of the accounting software, which significantly boosted visibility.

PPC Campaigns

Initially, PPC was a struggle. I hired contractors who didn't deliver the desired results, so I dismissed them and took a Udemy course to learn Google Ads myself. By fine-tuning the settings, Google Ads became my second-best acquisition channel with a €10 CPA, while my monthly fee was €57: criminally cheap. For Facebook ads, I hired creative professionals while managing the technical settings myself, ensuring the ads resonated with my target audience - mainly women over 50. I was sick and tired of showcasing young professionals in suits, smiling at their Apple Macbooks, showing charts, and suggesting they were accountants. I wanted my illustrations to reflect how the target audience looked while working or doing things they would love to do instead of work, like spending time with their loved ones. This proved to be a good choice, resulting in high click-through rates.

Hijacking the customer service

One amusing incident involved advertising on Google using the name of the accounting software. One of my ads included my customer service phone number, leading to calls from people seeking help with the accounting software. My customer service team, well-versed in common issues with the accounting software, was able to assist these callers. During these interactions, they also pitched my software, guiding many through the registration process during that initial, mistaken call. This mix-up turned into a surprisingly effective acquisition channel!

Word-of-Mouth Marketing

Word-of-mouth played a crucial role in our growth. I set up automated emails and personally requested referrals when providing extra services like programming and data cleaning at no charge. This personal touch encouraged satisfied customers to spread the word about my software.

Results and Impact

Thanks to these different avenues, my acquisition funnel had a steady stream of new users every month. The experience taught me the importance of continuous learning and a willingness to adapt, essential to successful marketing in a niche software business.