iSaaS (integration software as a service) is crucial for many companies’ tech stack. It helps you to improve your workflows, enhance collaboration, access real-time data, improve the developer experience and, therefore, satisfaction, easily scale and meet new needs, and more.
But how can companies provide the necessary integration for their customers? This is where SaaS integration platforms come in.
What are SaaS integration platforms?
SaaS integration platforms, also known as iPaaS (integration software as a service), are cloud-based platforms that allow developers to integrate or connect different software applications, mainly SaaS. These platforms are important because they make it easier to seamlessly share and manage data across several cloud-based and local systems.
There are a few key aspects to SaaS integration platforms:
- Connectivity and integration: this is because these platforms provide pre-built connectors, APIs, and standard integration flows that allow developers to connect several SaaS applications.
- Data synchronization: developers can work with real-time or batch data across applications, which helps them ensure consistency and accuracy.
- Workflow automation: SaaS integration platforms often include tools that automate processes and workflows, meaning it cuts down the manual effort needed and boosts efficiency.
- Customization and flexibility: iPaaS solutions usually offer a good deal of customization as well, which allows companies and developers to tailor integrations according to their needs.
- User-friendly: these platforms also provide a user-friendly interface for managing all integration, which often requires minimal coding skills and are, therefore, accessible to people without a strong technical background.
- Security and compliance: SaaS integration platforms place a strong emphasis on security features and compliance with data protection regulations, since they’re handling sensitive data.
Teresa Garanhel
Examples of SaaS integration platforms
There are several SaaS integration platforms, each one offering different features and capabilities and catering to different business sizes and requirements—as well as target audiences, since some, like MuleSoft Anypoint and Kong Konnect, are aimed at the developer persona.
Examples include:
Dell Boomi
A cloud-native platform for integrating cloud and local applications, Boomi is known for its drag-and-drop interface and large library of connectors that make it easy for users with a varying degree of technical skills to use the platform.
Microsoft Azure Logic Apps
This is part of the Microsoft Azure suite, and provides tools for designing workflows that integrate apps, data, services, and systems. Logic Apps is integrated with other Microsoft offerings and is suitable for enterprises.
Jitterbit
This SaaS integration platform is known for being powerful and flexible, as well as designed to simplify the process of designing, deploying, and managing integrations between systems, such as SaaS, local, and cloud applications.
TIBCO Cloud Integration
It offers a range of integration capabilities that include API management and data integration. TIBCO is also suitable for complex enterprise environments that require lots of customization and great integration capabilities.
Flowgear
This is a cloud-based integration platform that offers tools for connecting applications, data, and APIs, and it’s designed to simplify the process of integrating several different systems, whether they’re local or in the cloud.
Kong Konnect
Kon Konnect is focused on API management and microservices, and is ideal for developers to build and manage API-driven services. It offers scalability, high performance, and extensive customization functionalities.
MuleSoft Anypoint
This is a comprehensive integration solution that provides tools for API design, development, and management, and it’s known for being a solid platform suitable for complex needs (such as connecting SaaS applications with local systems).
SnapLogic
This platform is known for its Intelligent Integration Platform, using AI to assist in building, deploying, and maintaining integrations. It provides a user-friendly interface with a wide range of connectors for different applications.
Workato
A SaaS integration platform that provides automation across business and IT processes. Workato is also user-friendly and capable of handling both simple and complex integrations.
Zapier
This user-friendly platform specializes in automating workflows between online services. It supports many apps and became popular for its ease of use, making it a good choice for small to medium businesses and people without extensive technical knowledge.
Why are SaaS integration platforms important?
There are many benefits to these SaaS platforms, including:
- They simplify complexity, since integrating different cloud-based services can become confusing depending on how many applications you need. A SaaS integration platform will offer a one-stop-shop interface.
- They improve efficiency by enabling different applications to communicate and share data automatically, cutting down on manual data entry and the potential for mistakes.
- They make it easier to access and analyze data from different sources, helping businesses make better informed decisions and get crucial intel.
- They grow with your business by accommodating new applications and larger data volumes without the need to add more infrastructure.
- They support real-time data exchange, which is essential for tasks like customer service or inventory management.
- They provide customization and flexibility by allowing for custom integrations and making it possible to tailor the connections between applications according to your needs.
- They’re also more cost-effective when compared to developing and maintaining in-house solutions.
- They boost collaboration between departments and teams that use different tools, breaking down silos and enabling communication across your org.
Anthony Witherspoon
Marketing a SaaS integration platform
If you’re looking to market a SaaS integration platform, you must have a strategic approach that highlights its technical capabilities and communicates its value proposition to potential customers.
Some effective strategies include:
Identifying your target market
It’s crucial that you understand who your ideal customers are, whether software developers, operation managers, engineers, or any other developer persona—ask yourself the question, “who benefits most from my product?”
Tailor your marketing efforts to the needs and challenges of your target market, and consider their pain points as well.
Creating educational content
Make sure you’re building a library of content that educates your developer audience about the benefits of your SaaS integration platform. This can be anything from blog posts, case studies, and demos to webinars, extensive documentation, and whitepapers.
Your content needs to focus on solving developers’ problems or addressing the pain points your product can help with.
And it’s clear content is one of the most important things to consider when marketing to developers. In our State of Developer Marketing Report, “content creation” (64%) was considered by developer marketers as the second-most important core responsibility of their jobs.
Using paid ads
Paid advertising channels like Google Ads (or other industry-specific websites), can help you to reach potential customers. Target your ads based on job titles, industries, and interests relevant to your platform.
Sachin Jha
Leveraging social proof
Another thing to keep in mind is that you should be using testimonials, case studies, and reviews from satisfied customers to build trust and credibility. Developers trust other developers’ opinions, so, by doing this, you’re boosting your chances of getting your platform adopted by more people.
Highlight successful integrations and share customer stories or case studies, as this can be particularly effective.
Considering SEO
Your site and content should be optimized for search engines in order to increase visibility to developers searching for SaaS integration solutions. Focus on keywords related to SaaS integration, workflow autonation, and specific integrations or use cases your platform supports.
Collaborating with other providers
By choosing to collaborate with other SaaS providers, you can gain visibility and credibility, since being listed as an integration option on other popular products can direct developers to your platform.
Offering free trials
Everyone loves a freebie, and developers enjoy a hands-on experience that allows them to experiment with a product, try out its features, and, overall, figure out what the platform can do for them.
So, make sure you can offer a free trial or live demo to show potential customers how your SaaS integration platform works and how it can benefit them.
Developing email campaigns
Email marketing campaigns can help you to nurture leads, share relevant content, and provide updates about your platform with those who have shown interest.
Contrary to what some may believe, developers can react positively to email marketing—many strategies work well, so experiment to learn what resonated with your target audience.
Teresa Garanhel
TL;DR
SaaS integration platforms help developers with their tech stack, and there are several ways you can market them. Developers are seen as a tough audience, but that doesn’t mean they hate marketing—they just don’t like pushyness or sales-led convos, which many of us can resonate with.
If you’re new to the concept of SaaS integration, we hope this helped!
Join our Slack channel if you haven’t already, as you can discuss these and more topics, meet other marketers and developers, ask for the opinion of your peers, and so much more.
Developer Marketing Alliance
