Defining an email marketing persona is very important in for SaaS businesses. Because these products are often technical and subscription-based, you need to speak directly to users’ real needs.
Here’s how I personally adapt the five-step approach:
1. I gather basic customer data
For MessengerOS, which is a SaaS project, I always start by looking at who my users are and how they use the product. I don’t just note their location and age—I also check their role (e.g., developer, manager), the type of plan they’re on (trial, premium, enterprise), and the specific features they tend to rely on. The more details I collect, the clearer the big picture becomes.
2. I examine behavior and interests
Next, I focus on understanding user behavior. I ask myself: How often do they log in? Which features do they frequently use? Where do they seem to get stuck? Combining these insights with broader industry trends gives me a sense of what really matters to them—and this shapes my email segments and messaging.
3. I listen to their pain points
From my experience, the best way to truly understand what users need is to listen carefully to support tickets, survey feedback, and even direct conversations. For SaaS, pain points often relate to time-consuming processes, difficulty in collaboration, or outdated manual methods. Knowing these obstacles helps me create email content that genuinely solves their problems.
4. I try to create (and update over time) a clear persona profile
Finally, I bring everything together. I like to build a realistic persona—let’s call her “Ana,” a busy entrepreneur who’s eager to keep her subscribers informed about her SaaS product developments. Ana’s background, biggest challenges, and desired outcomes form the foundation of my messaging strategy. This kind of detailed persona keeps my emails relevant and drives higher engagement.
The more personalized and precise my messaging is, the easier it becomes to build trust and reduce churn. If you’re exploring email marketing strategies for SaaS, I hope these tips from my own experience will help you get started on the right track.
