In todayโs digital-first landscape, attention is one of the most valuable commodities any business can earn โ and B2B SaaS brands are starting to realize they can no longer rely solely on product marketing to capture it. Instead, a growing number are turning to a powerful strategy: building media companies within their business. These are not just content marketing programs or social media campaigns, but full-fledged editorial machines producing podcasts, newsletters, video series, and community-driven platforms. Why? Because content that educates, entertains, and builds trust drives long-term revenue โ especially in SaaS, where retention, authority, and recurring revenue are critical to growth.
This shift reflects a major rethinking of how B2B SaaS companies attract and retain customers. Traditional marketing still has a role, but it’s no longer enough to create blog posts optimized for SEO or send occasional nurture emails. Buyers today are more skeptical, self-directed, and hungry for value long before they talk to a sales rep. By acting like a media company โ consistently delivering high-quality, audience-first content โ SaaS brands are building loyal audiences who come back not just for the product, but for the insight and community.
The Rise of SaaS as Media: Whatโs Driving the Trend –
The line between software provider and content creator is blurring โ and thatโs no accident. B2B buyers are consuming more digital content than ever, and they prefer to learn from experts, not ads. Brands that become go-to sources of insight position themselves as trusted authorities, accelerating both brand awareness and trust in the buying journey.
Several factors are pushing B2B SaaS companies toward this media-first approach:
- Buyers are completing up to 70% of their decision journey before contacting sales
- Trust is built through long-form content, not just product features
- SaaS companies need ongoing engagement to reduce churn and boost retention
- Algorithms now reward consistent, high-quality content from domain experts
- Owned media reduces dependency on paid ads and rented platforms
From Product Pages to Podcasts –
Media-driven SaaS companies are building content ecosystems that look more like digital magazines than corporate blogs. Some have in-house editorial teams, while others build networks of expert contributors, customers, and influencers. Theyโre not just writing whitepapers or how-to guides; theyโre launching original podcasts, running YouTube shows, hosting live streams, and curating niche newsletters. This content isn’t promotional โ it’s educational, inspirational, and deeply relevant to their audienceโs challenges.
The most successful media-first SaaS brands operate with a clear editorial strategy, driven by consistency, quality, and a deep understanding of their niche.
- HubSpot runs “The Hustle,” a daily business newsletter with millions of subscribers
- Stripe produces long-form research and original reports to position itself as a fintech authority
- Salesforce runs a full-scale content studio producing customer stories, events, and insights
- Notion invests in creator partnerships and video series to drive organic awareness
- ProfitWell (now Paddle) built Recur, a media brand covering SaaS metrics and subscription growth
How You Can Start Building a Media Engine for SaaS Brand –
You donโt need a million-dollar content budget to think like a media company. What you need is clarity on your niche, commitment to creating valuable content consistently, and a willingness to speak like a publisher โ not a pitchman. Start with what you know best, and build outward from there.
- Define your editorial focus: What unique insights or themes can you own in your market?
- Choose your primary formats: Blog? Newsletter? Podcast? Pick one to start and master it.
- Build an audience-first content plan: Focus on content that solves problems and sparks curiosity.
- Leverage internal experts and customers: Their stories are often more powerful than your pitch.
- Invest in distribution early: Use social, email, SEO, and influencer networks to expand reach.
The Long-Term Payoff: Authority, Retention, and Growth –
Unlike paid ads, the content produced by a media-first strategy compounds over time. A podcast episode can keep gaining listeners for months. A valuable newsletter can drive weekly engagement with thousands of subscribers. A helpful how-to article can rank in search for years. This is the power of owned media: it scales, retains, and converts โ all while building your brand’s authority.
For SaaS businesses where customer retention is just as important as acquisition, this strategy delivers double value. Not only does it attract prospects, it keeps current customers informed, engaged, and loyal. Over time, the audience you build becomes your moat โ hard to copy, easy to grow, and deeply aligned with your product vision.
Conclusion –
The playbook for B2B SaaS growth is changing, and the brands that rise above the noise are the ones acting more like publishers than marketers. Building a media company doesnโt mean abandoning product marketing โ it means enriching it with storytelling, insight, and ongoing value. Whether youโre just starting out or scaling up, now is the time to think like a media brand: invest in content, serve your audience, and build the kind of trust that lasts longer than any funnel. The next generation of SaaS winners wonโt just sell software โ theyโll tell stories that stick.