The most frequent question we receive from B2B SaaS founders: which acquisition channel works best? The answer in short is "it depends on the product and the audience". The longer answer, based on what we see in real companies, is as follows.
The channels that work best in 2025
1. Organic SEO: for SaaS with an audience searching for solutions to specific problems, SEO remains the channel with the best LTV/CAC. Expensive at first (12-18months of investment before any return), but the asset compounds.
2. Content marketing on LinkedIn: if your audience is B2B professionals, organic content on LinkedIn from the founder is one of the channels with the best ROI. Near-zero cost, medium-term return.
3. Personalised cold outreach: for B2B with a high ticket (>500€/month), well-executed outreach converts. AI-personalised emails allow you to scale this channel.
4. Strategic partnerships: integrations with complementary products, cross-referrals, joint events. Works well when there is clear audience alignment between partners.
5. Specialist communities: active presence in communities where your audience is (Slack groups, Discord, forums). Generates high-quality leads but requires time.
6. Webinars and online events: for B2B audiences with a mid-to-high average ticket. Webinars with a specific topic attract people with concrete problems.
7. Referral programme: current clients recommending others. Multiplies the effective CAC if it works. Requires a product with a high NPS.
8. Google Ads for comparison keywords: "[your competitor] vs [another competitor]" or "alternative to [competitor]". Low traffic but extremely high purchase intent.
9. Product Hunt and discovery platforms: a well-prepared launch on Product Hunt can generate strong initial visibility. Other platforms: AlternativeTo, G2, Capterra.
10. Outbound at physical events: networking at industry trade fairs and conferences. Making a strong comeback after the pandemic.
What no longer works as it used to
Facebook Ads for B2B: cookieless attribution and privacy changes have degraded performance.
Non-personalised mass outbound: mass spam tools deliver increasingly poor results. Only highly personalised outreach works.
General cold calling: response rate at historic lows. Except for very high ticket with thorough prior research.
The channel stack that scales best
For most B2B SaaS companies in their first 2-3 years, the optimal stack is: SEO + founder content on LinkedIn + personalised outreach + partnerships. Four channels that reinforce each other and build a predictable acquisition system.