How to Choose a SaaS Demand Generation Agency: Top 10 Picks for 2026

Introduction

In the competitive world of B2B SaaS, generating demand for your product is just as critical as developing the product itself. A specialized SaaS demand generation agency can be the catalyst that fills your pipeline with high-quality leads – but how do you know when to outsource, which agency to trust, or whether to keep efforts in-house?

In this guide, we’ll break down exactly what demand generation means for B2B SaaS, how it differs from traditional lead gen, and the insider tips for choosing the right partner. We’ll also highlight the top SaaS B2B demand generation agencies (2026 edition) – what makes them stand out – and walk through the pros and cons of outsourcing versus building an in-house team. By the end, you’ll have a VP-level decision framework for demand generation success.

What Is SaaS Demand Generation?

Demand generation in a B2B SaaS context is the end-to-end strategy of building awareness, educating your target audience, and driving interest in your software product — before the prospect is even in buying mode. It’s about creating a buzz and positioning your solution as a top choice so that when prospects are ready to evaluate options, your brand is already on their radar.

In practical terms, a SaaS demand generation agency works to attract and nurture potential buyers through various tactics: producing valuable content (blogs, whitepapers, webinars), managing SEO and paid ads to increase your online visibility, leveraging social media and communities, and often orchestrating outbound campaigns (emails, calls) to engage targeted accounts. Unlike a general SaaS marketing agency that might handle everything from branding to website design, a SaaS demand gen agency zeroes in on activities that directly feed your sales pipeline. The goal isn’t just raw leads; it’s creating genuine demand – educating prospects about the problems you solve and why it matters.

This holistic approach differs from traditional lead generation which might only aim to collect names and emails. Demand gen builds a relationship first. According to marketing experts, “the smartest, most successful marketers understand that attention and engagement are what matters” in today’s environment (1). In practice, that means a demand gen program might include ungated educational content to drive engagement (focusing on pain points and solutions), followed later by calls-to-action that capture leads once interest is piqued.

Insight: B2B buyers now consume an average of 3 to 7 pieces of contentbefore ever speaking to a salesperson (10). In fact, nearly 70% of the buyer’s journeyhappens before a prospect contacts any vendor (2). This underscores why SaaS demand generation – which nurtures prospects through content and early touchpoints – is so critical. By the time a lead actually fills out a form or requests a demo, a well-run demand gen engine has already shaped their perception of your product’s value.

What does a SaaS demand generation agency actually do? In summary, it acts as an extension of your marketing team focused on one thing: fueling your revenue pipeline. They craft campaigns to increase your product’s visibility (e.g. getting you mentioned in industry blogs or podcasts), drive targeted traffic (via ads, SEO, social), convert that interest into leads (through landing pages, events, etc.), and often even help qualify and nurture those leads toward a sale (via email sequences, retargeting, and sales enablement). A top agency will also align closely with your sales and RevOps teams – ensuring that the demand they generate translates into real opportunities and that nothing falls through the cracks.

SaaS Demand Generation vs. Lead Generation (What’s the Difference?)

At first glance, demand generation and lead generation might sound like buzzwords for the same thing – after all, both aim to get more customers. But in a B2B SaaS context, they refer to different (complementary) stages of the growth process.

• Demand Generation: Focuses on creating market awareness and interest. It’s about educating potential customers on their challenges and your solution, without immediately asking for anything in return. For example, a demand gen campaign might be a series of blog posts or a free webinar addressing a pain point your target audience faces (e.g. “Top 5 Security Risks for FinTech Startups and How to Solve Them”). The emphasis is on providing value and establishing your brand as a thought leader. Goal: Build trust and demand so that prospects eventually want your product. This is largely a top-of-funnel, awareness-stage effort (though it continues through nurturing in mid-funnel).
  
• Lead Generation: Focuses on capturing interest and converting it into identifiable leads (usually by obtaining contact information). This often involves “gated” content or direct offers. For instance, after reading that blog series, a prospect might see a call-to-action to download a detailed eBook or sign up for a free trial – in exchange, they fill out a form (becoming a lead). Goal: Gather leads that your sales team can follow up with or that you can nurture via email. Lead gen is usually mid-to-lower-funnel – converting existing interest into a concrete next step.
  

Think of it this way: Demand gen creates the desire; lead gen captures the desire. Demand gen is like warming up the audience, and lead gen is the moment you ask for a dance. In practice, successful SaaS marketing uses both: you start by engaging and educating (demand gen), then invite prospects to raise their hand (lead gen). If you skip demand generation and go straight to chasing leads, you risk reaching out to people who aren’t aware of you or convinced of your value – leading to low-quality leads. Conversely, if you do only fluffy awareness with no mechanism to capture interest, you build brand love but no way to follow up.

Can a SaaS demand generation agency help with both demand creation and demand capture? Absolutely – a good agency will. They’ll run demand creation tactics (like ungated content, social media buzz, PR, ads targeting pain-point keywords) and demand capture tactics (like retargeting ads, landing pages with forms, interactive product demos, etc.). For example, an agency might first run a LinkedIn video campaign to educate a niche audience (creating interest), and then retarget those who watched it with an offer to book a demo (capturing that interest). Both sides are crucial. In fact, research indicates that marketers who balance demand gen and lead gen see higher conversion rates than those who focus on one or the other (1).

SaaS Demand Generation vs. SaaS Marketing Agency

It’s also worth distinguishing a “SaaS demand generation agency” from a broader SaaS marketing agency. The latter could encompass everything in a SaaS company’s marketing scope – including branding, PR, product marketing, website design, even SEO or PPC as standalone services. A demand generation agency, by contrast, is specialized: all efforts are oriented toward measurable pipeline growth. They likely offer services such as content creation specifically for lead nurturing, account-based marketing campaigns, email marketing sequences, paid media management with a focus on lead acquisition, and possibly outbound sales development (SDR) services. In other words, a demand gen agency is usually more tightly focused on revenue-centric marketing – often crossing into what traditionally might be “sales” domain (like appointment setting or outbound outreach), because their mission is to produce sales-ready opportunities.

For example, you might hire a SaaS marketing agency to redesign your website or manage your social media profiles for general awareness. But you’d hire a SaaS demand gen agency to, say, deliver 50 qualified demos per quarter or to increase your marketing-sourced pipeline by 30% over six months. The demand gen agency is accountable for outcomes closer to the bottom line.

Many B2B SaaS companies eventually need both types of expertise. In fact, a great demand gen agency often functions as part strategic advisor, part execution powerhouse – covering inbound and outbound tactics to drive growth. The key is that they are strategic partners in growth, not just doing a bit of marketing fluff. As we’ll explore, deciding whether to use an agency (and which one) comes down to your company’s stage, goals, and internal resources.

Demand Creation vs. Lead Generation in B2B SaaS

To recap the difference with a B2B SaaS lens, and to clarify demand generation vs lead generation, demand creation (a.k.a. demand generation marketing) is about creating awareness and educating your potential customers at scale. 

You’re not just pushing your product; you’re addressing the broader problems and opportunities in your space. For instance, a SaaS HR software company might run a “State of Remote Work 2026” report to highlight challenges HR teams face – implicitly creating interest in solutions for those challenges (i.e., their software). Demand creation tactics often include content marketing, webinars, podcasts, influencer partnerships, viral campaigns – anything that gets your brand and content in front of the right people without immediately asking them to buy.

Lead generation, on the other hand, is more transactional. It kicks in once that interest exists – then you provide a path to convert interest into leads. Common B2B SaaS lead generation tactics include offering free trials, freemium plans, eBook downloads (with form fill), newsletter signups, or running targeted LinkedIn Lead Gen Forms, etc. The key output of lead gen is a list of people (with emails/phone numbers) who have shown some level of hand-raise and can be pursued by sales.

These two should work hand in hand. According to experts, “demand generation builds awareness… lead generation converts that awareness into leads” (1). If you imagine a funnel: demand gen fills the top with a larger, warmed-up audience; lead gen filters those most interested into the next stages of your funnel.

One more concept: Demand capture. Often discussed alongside demand gen, demand capture means catching prospects who are already actively looking for a solution (e.g. via search engines or review sites). This usually involves paid search (bidding on keywords like “project management software demo”) or optimizing your website for SEO so you appear when someone searches a relevant term. A SaaS demand gen agency will help with demand capture too – for example, running Google Ads so that when someone is searching for your type of tool, you’re front and center. It’s low-hanging fruit: capturing existing demand yields quick ROI, though the volume may be limited. Demand generation creates new demand where none existed and captures existing demand wherever it appears.

In practice, expect a good agency to clarify how they approach each part of this continuum: from creating interest (e.g. a thought leadership content piece that goes viral) to capturing leads (e.g. a strong call-to-action that brings in signups) to nurturing and converting those leads.

Top 10 SaaS Demand Generation Agencies (2026)

Companies are increasingly turning to B2B SaaS demand generation strategies to build predictable pipelines and accelerate sales. A specialized SaaS demand generation agency can help bridge the gap between marketing and sales by combining content, paid campaigns, outreach, and sales enablement into a cohesive strategy.

For SaaS companies looking to scale efficiently in the U.S., partnering with demand generation agencies for SaaS companies USA ensures campaigns are not only creative but measurable and pipeline-focused. Below, we explore 11 agencies that provide tailored services to help SaaS businesses generate high-quality leads and drive revenue growth.

1. Martal Group

Overview:
Martal is a comprehensive B2B sales solution that combines AI-driven sales automation with hands-on services to accelerate revenue growth. They offer a range of services including AI SDR platform, sales outsourcing, LinkedIn lead generation, cold email, cold calling, appointment setting, and sales training. By integrating technology with human expertise, Martal ensures campaigns are both data-driven and personalized.

Key Features:

• AI SDR Platform: Automates lead research, outreach sequencing, and engagement tracking while allowing personalized messaging.
  
• Sales as a Service & Sales Outsourcing: Flexible team augmentation for lead generation, pipeline management, and full sales execution.
  
• LinkedIn Lead Generation Services & B2B Appointment Setting: Multi-channel outreach to identify and connect with decision-makers.
  
• Cold Email Services & Cold Calling Services: Strategically designed sequences for engagement and conversion.
  
• Sales Training: Tailored programs to improve team performance and sales efficiency.
  

Ideal For:
B2B SaaS companies seeking a full-stack solution that combines AI automation with human sales expertise to drive predictable pipeline growth.

2. Powered by Search

Overview:
Focused on full-funnel demand generation for SaaS, combining paid media, SEO, analytics, and pipeline attribution. May lack direct sales execution services.

Key Features:

• Paid media campaigns tailored for SaaS
• SEO and content marketing
• Analytics-driven attribution
  

Ideal For:
SaaS companies wanting data-driven marketing strategies but handling their own sales outreach.

3. Refine Labs

Overview:
Specializes in demand creation beyond traditional MQL funnels, with frameworks for revenue acceleration. Limited direct support for outbound sales or appointment setting.

Key Features:

• Modern funnel optimization
• Revenue acceleration strategies
• Marketing analytics
  

Ideal For:
Teams focused on refining internal demand gen strategies without dedicated outsourced sales support.

4. 42 Agency

Overview:
RevOps-driven approach to demand generation with alignment to sales and pipeline metrics. Less emphasis on AI tools for automated prospecting.

Key Features:

• Paid acquisition and conversion optimization
• Sales alignment and pipeline-centric reporting
  

Ideal For:
Companies needing marketing-sales alignment and performance insights, not full-service outreach automation.

5. Omniscient Digital

Overview:
Concentrates on SEO and content marketing for discoverability and engagement. Does not provide outbound sales or lead conversion services.

Key Features:

• SEO-focused content campaigns
• Engagement tracking and reporting
  

Ideal For:
SaaS brands looking to improve organic visibility rather than hands-on sales generation.

6. Tuff

Overview:
Cross-functional growth campaigns with fast iteration for early to mid-stage SaaS. Limited integration with AI-driven SDR or B2B appointment setting.

Key Features:

• Growth marketing experiments
• Multi-channel campaign testing
  

Ideal For:
Startups needing flexible marketing support, but handling most sales operations internally.

7. Disruptive Advertising

Overview:
Data-driven B2B demand generation focused on paid media, conversion optimization, and lifecycle marketing. Does not typically offer AI-assisted outreach or direct cold calling.

Key Features:

• Paid ad campaigns
• Conversion rate optimization
• Lifecycle marketing
  

Ideal For:
Teams seeking analytics-focused marketing campaigns without dedicated outbound sales support.

8. inBeat

Overview:
Supports organic and paid campaigns for performance-driven SaaS growth, particularly UGC-inspired content. Lacks integrated AI SDR or end-to-end sales automation.

Key Features:

• Paid and organic media campaigns
• User-generated content strategies
  

Ideal For:
SaaS companies exploring content-led growth initiatives without managed sales execution.

9. Kalungi

Overview:
Strategic partner for SaaS growth with full-stack marketing support tied to revenue outcomes. May not provide AI-powered lead prospecting or cold outreach services.

Key Features:

• Strategic marketing guidance
• Demand and revenue alignment
• Full-stack support
  

Ideal For:
SaaS teams looking for marketing strategy and execution support without fully outsourced sales.

10. Single Grain

Overview:
Performance-oriented marketing including SEO, PPC, and content. Limited focus on multi-channel sales outreach or appointment setting.

Key Features:

• SEO and PPC campaigns
• Content marketing aligned to pipeline
  

Ideal For:
Companies aiming for demand gen metrics improvement without managed lead generation services.

Choosing the right SaaS demand generation agency is critical for sustainable growth. While each agency on this list offers unique strengths, ranging from content and SEO to paid campaigns and revenue optimization, companies that need integrated sales support alongside marketing initiatives may benefit from platforms that combine AI-driven outreach, appointment setting, and sales enablement.

By evaluating agencies that align with your specific growth objectives, SaaS companies in the U.S. can create more predictable pipelines, improve lead quality, and accelerate revenue outcomes. Whether your focus is inbound, outbound, or a combination of both, these B2B SaaS demand generation and demand generation agencies for SaaS companies USA provide options to scale your efforts efficiently.

When to Hire a B2B SaaS Demand Generation Agency

When should a B2B SaaS company hire a demand generation agency? The decision usually boils down to signals in your business that outside help is needed. Here are common scenarios where bringing in a sales agency makes sense:

• Pipeline is Dry or Stagnant: If your sales team is complaining about insufficient leads or poor lead quality – and revenue growth is slowing as a result – it’s a big red flag. Perhaps you had initial success via referrals or a burst of inbound from launch, but now that well is drying up. An agency can inject fresh leads into your funnel quickly. Remember, in a survey of SaaS marketers, 54% said capturing high-quality leads is their top challenge (4). If that sounds like your situation, an agency with specialized expertise can attack the problem with proven campaigns.
  
• Marketing Team Bandwidth is Maxed Out: Maybe you have a small in-house marketing team wearing many hats (product marketing, customer marketing, etc.), and proactive demand gen activities keep getting deprioritized. If your team is too stretched to consistently run campaigns, produce content, or follow up on leads, it might be time to outsource those functions. An agency’s entire business is demand gen – so they won’t “get busy with other things” the way a small internal team might. They also come with repeatable processes to execute efficiently.
  
• Missing Specialized Skills: Demand generation today spans multiple domains – SEO, PPC, content creation, marketing automation, data analytics, A/B testing, outbound cadence design, and more. It’s rare for a startup or even mid-size SaaS to have deep expertise in all these areas in-house. For example, maybe you have decent content but no experience with paid LinkedIn campaigns, or you’ve never implemented an account-based marketing (ABM) program. Hiring full-time experts for each niche is expensive. An agency can plug those skill gaps immediately with a ready team of specialists (copywriters, ad experts, SDRs, etc.).
  
• Need to Scale Pipeline Fast: If you have aggressive growth targets or a ticking clock (e.g. you raised funding and now need to 3× revenue in a year), building an internal team might take too long. Agencies can often ramp up campaigns in weeks, not months. They have battle-tested playbooks to generate leads now. For instance, launching a multi-channel outbound campaign in a new market via an agency can be far quicker than hiring and training multiple new SDRs and marketers. As one guide noted, choosing the wrong approach can cost “6–12 months and tens of thousands of dollars” with little to show (5) – so if time is of the essence, an experienced agency can de-risk the execution.
  
• Entering a New Market or Segment: Expanding to a new geography (say, from Europe to the USA) or launching a new product for a different buyer persona? A demand gen agency familiar with that terrain can accelerate your go-to-market. For example, U.S.-based demand generation agencies can provide on-the-ground insights and channels to reach American SaaS buyers effectively, while your internal team might not have those local insights or connections (9). Similarly, some agencies specialize in certain industries (cybersecurity, fintech, etc.). If you’re selling into a vertical where you lack marketing experience, a specialist agency can shorten your learning curve.
  
• You Want Data-Driven Marketing (and Lack it Today): Modern demand gen is highly data-driven – from using intent data to prioritize accounts, to tracking multi-touch attribution. If currently your marketing decisions are more guesswork than analysis, a top-tier agency will bring analytical rigor. They’ll set up proper tracking (analytics, CRM integration), define metrics and KPIs, and optimize campaigns based on the numbers. Companies often hire agencies to implement sophisticated demand gen tech stacks (think marketing automation, account targeting tools, etc.) because they don’t have in-house expertise or bandwidth to do so.
  

On the other hand, there are times you might hold off on hiring an agency:

• If you’re pre-product-market fit (e.g. still figuring out your messaging or ideal customer profile), throwing money at demand gen might be premature. Early-stage startups often need to iterate on product/market fit and rely on founder-led sales or a few design partners. An agency can drive traffic and leads, but if your product or messaging isn’t resonating yet, you could burn budget attracting the wrong audience or sending mixed signals. Many agencies prefer you have at least some established traction or a clear ICP before engaging.
  
• If you already have a well-oiled demand gen engine internally – e.g. a large marketing team with strong results quarter over quarter – you might focus on scaling that team further rather than bringing in an agency. (Though even big companies often use agencies for fresh ideas or extra muscle for specific campaigns.)
  
• If absolute control and deep domain expertise are required day-to-day. For highly technical sales, products or niche audiences, sometimes only an internal team member can truly speak the language authentically. Agencies try to learn your domain, but it might not be as ingrained as your in-house experts. In such cases, an agency could still help with execution (like setting up ads or email sequences) while your internal team provides the core messaging and content.

In summary, the best time to hire a demand gen agency is when you have growth goals that your current team can’t meet alone – whether due to scale, skill, or speed – and you have product clarity to where pouring fuel on the marketing fire will translate to revenue. A great agency should feel like a partner in achieving your revenue targets, not just a vendor checking boxes.

Stat to consider: Companies with a strong demand generation strategy achieve 10–30% higher conversion rates than their competitors (5). So if you’re lagging in conversions or pipeline, that’s a compelling case to get some help building a stronger strategy – either by upskilling your team or partnering with experts.

In-House vs. Outsourced SaaS Demand Generation (A VP’s Decision Guide)

One of the big strategic questions for a marketing or sales leader is whether to build an in-house demand gen engine or to outsource (fully or partially) to an agency. Each approach has its advantages and trade-offs. Let’s break it down in a straightforward comparison:

So, how do you decide? Here are a few pointers:

• Go In-House if: You have the budget to recruit top talent (often at least 3+ experienced marketers across different functions), you want full control over brand voice, and you’re in it for the long haul to build a unique internal capability. Also, if your product is extremely technical or niche, an in-house team might better articulate the value prop in marketing content. In-house makes sense for companies at a stage where marketing is a core competency they want to own entirely.
  
• Outsource if: You need results quickly, don’t want to wait to hire a full team, or lack certain expertise. It’s also ideal if you want to experiment in new areas – e.g. test out ABM or a new vertical – without committing to full-time hires. Outsourcing demand gen can be a bridge to scale up your growth before you eventually hire more internally. Many mid-stage SaaS companies use a hybrid: an internal leader or small team to steer strategy and coordinate with sales, while the agency handles heavy lifting on campaign execution, content creation, and prospecting.
  
• Hybrid approach: This often delivers the best of both. For example, you keep product marketing and content strategy internally (since you know your product best), but outsource the outbound appointment setting, digital ads management, or marketing ops to an agency. Many successful SaaS orgs partner with an agency for specialized skills (like paid media or ABM) while maintaining in-house control over brand and messaging (5). This can also be transitional: you might outsource initially, then gradually bring functions in-house as you grow (or vice versa).
  

It’s worth noting that outsourcing demand gen isn’t an all-or-nothing choice. You can start with an agency to jumpstart growth and still hire in-house marketers down the line (perhaps even absorbing strategies learned from the agency). Or you might find an ongoing blend is optimal – for instance, keep an agency on retainer for continual top-of-funnel lead supply and use your internal team to convert those leads and handle later-stage content and nurturing.

Finally, consider company stage: Early-stage startups (<$1M ARR) often outsource because they can’t afford a full team. Growth-stage SaaS (say $5M-$50M ARR) might do a mix. Very large enterprises (>$100M ARR) sometimes bring most demand gen in-house but still frequently use agencies for fresh ideas or extra bandwidth on major campaigns.

Key Demand Gen Metrics for B2B SaaS

Demand generation metrics span the entire funnel – from lead quality and acquisition cost to pipeline and revenue impact. A successful B2B SaaS demand gen program will measure performance at each stage (MQLs, SQLs, cost per lead, CAC, conversion rates, pipeline created, etc.) to ensure marketing efforts translate into actual sales results.

When evaluating a SaaS demand generation agency (or your own programs), it’s crucial to track the right Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). Here are the core metrics that experienced SaaS marketers watch:

• Marketing Qualified Leads (MQLs): These are leads that have engaged enough to be deemed worthy of sales follow-up (based on criteria you set, like downloading a whitepaper or hitting a lead score threshold). MQL count is a classic metric, but quality is more important than quantity. You’ll want to measure the conversion rate of MQL to SQL as well – if an agency delivers 100 MQLs but only 5% become Sales Qualified, there may be a targeting issue. High-performing demand gen focuses on delivering “sales-ready” leads, not just raw inquiries.
  
• Sales Qualified Leads (SQLs) / Sales Accepted Leads (SALs): These are leads that your sales team has vetted and agrees are real opportunities (often after an initial call). An agency’s success can be gauged by how many SQLs or booked meetings they generate. Some agencies even tie pricing or guarantees to SQL counts. Ultimately, pipeline creation (the value of SQLs or opportunities in dollars) is a top metric – because it directly links to revenue potential.
  
• Cost Per Lead (CPL) and Cost Per Acquisition (CPA): CPL measures how much you spend to acquire each lead. CPA (or CAC – Customer Acquisition Cost) measures cost per actual acquired customer. For demand gen agencies, CPL is often easier to compute in the short term. You should benchmark CPL across channels (e.g. maybe $150/lead from LinkedIn Ads vs $50/lead from content downloads). If you hire an agency, track how they improve your CPL over time through optimization. More importantly, track Cost per SQL or per Opportunity, since a cheap lead that never converts is wasted spend. Over the long run, you care about CAC, which includes marketing and sales costs to land a customer.
  
• Pipeline & Revenue Metrics: This is where demand gen meets the bottom line. Marketing-sourced pipeline is a key metric – how much potential revenue (in $$) did marketing efforts generate (usually measured as sum of opportunities’ value that originated from marketing campaigns). A strong demand gen agency should significantly raise your marketing-sourced pipeline. Down the funnel, Marketing-sourced revenue (closed deals that came from marketing leads) and ROI can be measured, though attribution can get tricky if sales touches are involved (use multi-touch models or at least first-touch for demand gen influence). According to McKinsey, companies that excel in demand gen can have 10-30% higher conversion rates from lead to deal – that directly impacts revenue (5).
  
• Conversion Rates: Track conversion rates at each stage of your funnel. For example, visitor-to-lead conversion rate (often via landing pages), lead-to-MQL, MQL-to-SQL, SQL-to-Customer. These ratios help diagnose where the bottlenecks are. A demand gen agency should be optimizing these constantly – e.g. improving landing page conversion by A/B testing, or adjusting lead qualification criteria to improve MQL->SQL rate. If you see conversion rates improving, it’s a sign your demand gen strategy is getting more efficient. One telling metric: the close rate of marketing-generated leads vs. close rate of other leads. If marketing leads close at a healthy rate (say 10-20% depending on industry) similar to or better than other sources, you know the quality is solid.
  
• Engagement Metrics: Especially for demand gen (awareness building), you’ll want to monitor things like website traffic (by source), content engagement (views, downloads, time on page), email open/click rates, and social media engagement. These are earlier indicators of demand. For instance, a spike in traffic from a target account segment could mean your thought leadership is resonating. Or high webinar attendance and engagement might predict a batch of leads that become SQLs later. Engagement metrics are often leading indicators that your demand gen is working (or early warning if they’re flat). However, don’t let an agency “vanity metric” you – thousands of clicks mean little if none convert. Use engagement metrics to optimize content and campaigns, but always tie back to pipeline metrics.
  
• Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC) and ROI: In the bigger picture, track how demand gen affects your CAC payback and ROI. If you spend $50k on an agency over a quarter and they bring in 10 customers, and your average ARR per customer is $20k, that’s $200k ARR – an excellent 4:1 annual ROI on cost. But if they bring in 100 leads that yield 1 customer, maybe not so great. Many SaaS firms target a 3:1 LTV:CAC ratio or better. Demand gen is typically a chunk of that CAC. Ensure over time that the cost per acquired customer via the agency (including their fees + ad spend, etc.) yields an acceptable CAC. That said, early on you might tolerate higher CAC to build momentum or land strategic accounts.

In a nutshell, a top-tier demand gen agency will be very transparent about these metrics. They should set up a dashboard for you or provide regular reports showing exactly how many leads, SQLs, etc. they generated, the CPL/CAC, and how it’s trending. If an agency ever hand-waves about results (“trust us, the campaigns are doing great, look at these impressions!”) without hard metrics, that’s a red flag. Demand generation in B2B SaaS is ultimately measured by revenue impact.

One useful practice: establish baseline metrics before the engagement (e.g. current monthly lead volume, conversion rates, CPL, etc.) and set targets together. This way you can objectively evaluate the agency’s contribution. For example, aim to double the marketing-qualified pipeline in 6 months, or cut CPL by 30%, or improve MQL->SQL rate from 10% to 20%. Having quantifiable goals ensures everyone is on the same page.

Remember: Not all metrics are equal for every business. If you have a product-led growth model with a free trial, your “leads” might be trial sign-ups and activation rates. If you’re enterprise-focused, you might count “account engagements” rather than individual leads. The key is to pick metrics that align with your sales motion. A good agency will help identify those and report on them.

Fun fact: A report found that 77% of B2B buyers won’t even talk to sales until they’ve done their own research (3). That means a lot of demand gen work is happening before sales ever gets involved. Thus, metrics like content engagement and website visitor-to-signup conversion are huge for understanding how well your marketing is doing in that self-serve research phase.

Demand Gen Strategy Components for SaaS

Crafting a successful demand generation strategy for a SaaS business is like assembling a puzzle – it requires multiple pieces fitting together: content, channels, technology, and teamwork with sales. Here are the core components and services a top-tier B2B SaaS demand gen agency (or team) should offer and execute:

• Target Audience & ICP Definition: Everything starts with clearly defining your ideal customer profiles (ICP) and buyer personas. A demand gen agency will typically work with you to refine who to target – what industries, company sizes, job titles, pain points. They might use data (intent signals, lookalike analysis) to identify high-potential segments. This ensures all campaigns are aimed at the right people. (If an agency doesn’t spend time on this upfront, be cautious – spray-and-pray marketing is outdated and ineffective.)
  
• Content Marketing & Thought Leadership: Content is the fuel for demand gen. Agencies should help create a content calendar of valuable assets: blog posts, whitepapers, research reports, infographics, videos, case studies, etc. The focus is educational content that addresses your audience’s challenges. For SaaS, content might include how-to guides, ROI calculators, benchmarking studies, and industry trend analysis. Example: If you sell cybersecurity software, the agency might produce a “2026 Cybersecurity Benchmark Report” to attract security leaders. This builds demand by highlighting problems your product solves. A survey by Demand Gen Report found 62% of B2B buyers will consume 3-7 pieces of content before engaging (10) – underscoring the need for a robust content pipeline.
  
• SEO and Organic Traffic Generation: Ranking on Google for relevant searches is a huge long-term demand gen driver. Agencies often provide SEO services: keyword research, on-page optimization, technical SEO, and link-building content. For SaaS, common targets are problem-oriented keywords (“how to streamline X process”) and category keywords (“[software type] solutions”). By creating SEO-optimized content around those terms, demand gen agencies help you capture organic interest. Over time, organic leads are highly cost-effective with compounding ROI. (Plus, when your brand appears frequently in search results and thought leadership, it passively generates demand by increasing brand credibility.)
  
• Paid Acquisition (PPC & Social Ads): Paid demand gen channels give you immediate reach. Key ones for B2B SaaS include LinkedIn Ads (great for precise targeting by role/industry), Google Ads (intent capture for those searching solutions), and sometimes Facebook or Twitter for certain tech audiences. Agencies will craft ad campaigns to promote both ungated content (for awareness) and gated offers or demos (for lead capture). They handle the creative, targeting, and ongoing optimization of ad spend. Expect them to test messaging, creative, and audiences systematically. Pro tip: Ask about how they reduce cost-per-lead over time – e.g. through A/B testing landing pages or tweaking targeting to focus budget on audiences that convert best. Effective paid campaigns can rapidly scale your reach in target accounts or geographies you aren’t organically penetrating.
  
• Outbound Prospecting & Sales Development: Many demand gen agencies (especially those like Martal Group, which specialize in Sales-as-a-Service) offer outbound lead generation services – essentially acting as an outsourced SDR team. This includes building targeted prospect lists (often using intent data and signals), and executing cold outreach via email, LinkedIn, and phone calls to generate appointments. For SaaS companies who don’t have a large internal SDR team, this is invaluable. The agency will craft the outreach cadences, personalize messages, handle follow-ups, and ultimately deliver interested leads/meetings to your sales reps. Modern agencies use an omnichannel approach – for example, sending a sequence of emails, LinkedIn touchpoints, and voicemails to engage a prospect in a coordinated way. They should also continuously refine targeting criteria based on which prospects convert. This service directly feeds your pipeline with sales-ready conversations.
  
• Account-Based Marketing (ABM): For SaaS companies targeting enterprise or named accounts, ABM is a crucial strategy. An agency adept in ABM will help you run campaigns tailored to specific high-value accounts or account segments. This might involve personalized content (like custom microsites or whitepapers addressing an account’s situation), targeted ads just to those companies (using IP targeting or platform filters), and orchestrated outreach that references company-specific insights. ABM often means marketing and sales working in tandem to land big fish. Agencies can bring frameworks for selecting target accounts (e.g. using firmographic and intent data) and executing multi-touch “surround sound” campaigns that a smaller in-house team might struggle to coordinate. Integration with sales is key here – an ABM-focused agency will set up frequent checkpoints with your account executives to share insights (e.g. “Account X engaged with our webinar, now is a great time for sales to reach out”) (5).
  
• Marketing Automation & Lead Nurturing: A top agency will ensure you have the tech stack and processes to nurture leads over time. This includes setting up email nurturing sequences (e.g. a series of drip emails to a new lead that downloaded an eBook), lead scoring models to prioritize the hottest leads, and CRM integration so sales can see prospect engagement. Lead nurturing is vital in B2B SaaS because buying cycles can be long – not everyone is ready to talk to sales immediately. The agency might use tools like HubSpot, Marketo, or Pardot to manage these workflows. They’ll create segmented nurture tracks (for different personas or product interests) to continuously educate and gently push leads toward a “sales-ready” state. They should also align with your sales team on lead handoff criteria – e.g. what score or activity level triggers a sales outreach.
  
• Webinars & Virtual Events: Hosting webinars or virtual workshops is a tried-and-true demand gen tactic in SaaS. Agencies often help plan and promote these events: picking timely topics, recruiting guest speakers (maybe industry influencers or happy customers), and then driving registration through email and ads. Webinars serve dual purpose: they generate leads (registrants) and also provide high-value content that can nurture existing leads. A good agency will maximize the ROI by repurposing webinar content – turning the recording into on-demand gated video, slicing clips for social media, summarizing insights into a blog, etc. This turns one event into a multi-use asset.
  
• Website Conversion Optimization: Your website is a 24/7 sales rep. Demand gen agencies will audit your site’s messaging and UX to ensure it’s optimized for conversion. This includes clear calls-to-action (CTA) on every key page (like “Get a Demo” or “Try for Free”), using landing pages with forms for campaigns, and perhaps adding conversational chatbots or pop-ups to capture interested visitors. They may run A/B tests on headlines, page layouts, or CTA buttons to incrementally boost your conversion rate. Even small gains here can significantly improve lead volume from the traffic you already have.
  
• Integration with Sales & RevOps: We can’t stress enough – the best demand gen efforts integrate seamlessly with the sales team. Agencies should help facilitate this. That means setting up regular meetings between their team and your sales or RevOps leader to discuss lead quality, refine targeting, and ensure follow-up is happening. It might also involve using your CRM dashboards to track how marketing leads progress through the funnel. Some agencies even train your sales reps on how to follow up on marketing leads effectively (e.g. providing outreach cadences or talk tracks for leads from specific campaigns). Ultimately, demand generation is a revenue team sport: marketing (or the agency) creates the momentum, sales closes the deal, and RevOps ties it together with process and data. An agency’s job is not done when a lead is generated – they should care about what happens next, too, and adjust B2B SaaS marketing strategies accordingly. For instance, if they deliver 100 leads and none convert to pipeline, they must quickly pivot on messaging or targeting. If they deliver 10 leads and 5 become opportunities, figure out how to get 20 like those.
  

To illustrate, let’s say you engage an agency. A holistic SaaS demand gen campaign they run for you might look like this:

• They start by identifying 500 target accounts in your ICP using a data tool (say, tech companies with 50-200 employees that recently raised funding).
  
• They launch an LinkedIn Ads campaign offering a compelling ungated blog series or a “benchmark report” to folks at those accounts, to pique interest.
  
• Simultaneously, they have their SDR team send personalized cold emails to key titles at those companies, referencing a relevant pain point and inviting them to a webinar.
  
• They host a webinar featuring an industry expert and your CEO, talking about future trends and solutions (not a product pitch). They get 100 registrants, of which 40 are target accounts.
  
• All registrants and engaged ad respondents get flowed into a nurture email series – over the next few weeks, they receive case studies, invites to a free trial, and educational content.
  
• The agency’s lead scoring flags 20 hot leads (e.g. those who attended the webinar and clicked emails). Those are passed to sales as SQLs immediately (with notes from the agency like “John Doe asked a great question in the webinar about integration – likely a strong prospect”).
  
• For the other leads, the agency continues to retarget them with ads (like testimonials or product videos) and possibly direct mail (if ABM budget allows, e.g. sending a coffee gift card to book a meeting).
  
• Throughout, the agency tracks what’s working, and provides you a weekly report: “Ads generated 300 clicks at $8 each, webinar got 100 signups, we have 15 meetings set so far, expecting more from nurtures.” They meet with your sales manager weekly to get feedback on those meetings (are they the right profile, are they showing buying intent?).
  
• Over 3 months, this integrated approach yields, say, 50 SQLs, 20 opportunities, and 5 closed deals. The agency then evaluates which tactics drove the best leads (maybe the webinar was great for mid-funnel, but LinkedIn Ads produced more top-funnel volume). They then double-down on what worked best for the next quarter, perhaps adding another webinar or improving the email content based on questions prospects asked.
  

As you can see, demand generation is not a single campaign or channel – it’s a coordinated strategy across multiple touchpoints. The real magic happens when these components work together. And that’s what you pay a demand gen agency to orchestrate expertly.

Finding Demand Generation Agencies for SaaS Companies (USA and Global)

When it comes to finding the best demand gen partners, it helps to know what makes the top agencies stand out. Many agencies claim to specialize in B2B SaaS, but only a handful have the track record to prove it. As of 2026, the top SaaS demand generation agencies – in the USA and internationally – share a few common traits:

• Proven Results & References: The leading agencies can showcase real case studies with metrics like “Increased SaaS Company X’s pipeline by 200% in 6 months” or testimonials from tech clients. Look for third-party ratings too. For instance, Martal Group has been recognized as #1 Lead Generation Company on Clutch and boasts a 4.8/5 rating with 100+ client reviews. Such credentials signal consistent performance. Top agencies often appear on industry lists (like Clutch’s Top 1000 Service Providers worldwide) due to their client satisfaction (6).
  
• Focus on B2B Tech/SaaS: Demand gen for SaaS has nuances (subscription models, free trials, etc.), so top agencies typically focus on that realm. They often have portfolios in software, IT services, cloud solutions, etc. If an agency’s client list is all e-commerce or B2C brands, they might not be as adept with the complexities of B2B SaaS sales cycles. USA-based demand generation agencies that excel in SaaS usually operate out of tech hubs (Silicon Valley, NYC, Boston, Austin) and are familiar with the fast-paced, data-driven culture of startups and scale-ups.
  
• Multichannel Services Under One Roof: The best agencies provide end-to-end demand gen. They won’t just run your Google Ads or just do content – they integrate multiple channels. For example, an elite agency might combine SEO-driven content marketing and outbound sales development. This one-stop-shop approach is efficient and ensures messaging consistency. It also means you don’t have to juggle multiple specialized agencies. However, they’ll still tailor to your needs; if you only need, say, LinkedIn lead generation, a top agency can plug that service in modularly.
  
• Strong Alignment with Sales (Sales Enablement): Agencies that truly shine act almost like part of your sales team. They care about down-funnel metrics and will even help with sales enablement materials (pitch decks, one-pagers) if needed to improve conversion. For instance, if they notice leads are stalling at proposal stage, they might suggest content to address common objections. This holistic mindset – not “our job ends at MQL” but rather “we succeed when you close deals” – sets apart the partners from mere vendors.
  
• Industry Recognition and Thought Leadership: Top SaaS demand gen agencies often practice what they preach by producing valuable thought leadership content themselves. They might host their own webinars or publish guides on demand gen best practices. If you find an agency is cited in industry articles or their leaders speak at SaaS conferences about growth, that’s a good sign. They keep up with the latest trends (like evolving privacy rules, new ad platforms, AI tools for marketing, etc.) and are thought leaders, not just followers.

In evaluating agencies, don’t just rely on their website copy. Request references – and actually call those references. Ask for results metrics, not just “we increased brand awareness.” And have a sense of the agency’s culture: you want a partner whose working style meshes with yours (agile, communicative, transparent). Since you’ll be working closely, the intangibles matter too.

Finally, consider joining SaaS marketer communities (on LinkedIn or forums) and ask for recommendations: often you’ll hear the same names pop up for top agencies.

(One more point: Avoid agencies that are rigid or one-trick ponies. The demand gen landscape evolves rapidly. Top agencies in 2026, for example, are already leveraging AI tools for predictive lead scoring, or experimenting with new channels like community platforms. You want a partner that’s ahead of the curve, not stuck doing the same thing from 5 years ago.)

How to Evaluate Demand Gen Agency Fit

Choosing a demand generation partner is a big decision – it can make or break your growth trajectory. Here’s a VP’s checklist for evaluating and comparing agencies:

1. Experience with Similar SaaS Companies: Look at their client roster or case studies for companies in your domain or with a similar business model. If you’re a B2B SaaS selling to enterprise finance departments, has the agency worked with other B2B software firms targeting finance (or at least other enterprise functions)? An agency might be fantastic in e-commerce demand gen but clueless about the nuances of enterprise SaaS buying committees. Ideally, find an agency who has helped a company of your size/stage successfully. Ask: “Can you walk me through a similar client scenario and results?”
   
2. Case Studies and KPIs: Request detailed case studies. Not just “we increased leads for Client X,” but how many leads of what quality over what timeframe? Did those leads convert to pipeline/revenue? A quality agency will have concrete data (even if anonymized) to prove their impact. For instance, they might show that for a certain SaaS client, they generated $1M in pipeline in 6 months at a 3:1 LTV:CAC. If an agency is hesitant to share specific results, that’s a yellow flag. Also, see if they’ve won any industry awards or high rankings on platforms like G2 or Clutch – those often aggregate client feedback.
   
3. Strategy Proposal & Creativity: During the pitching process, a good agency will offer insights and a sample strategy tailored to you. Evaluate their approach: Is it cookie-cutter or did they clearly do homework on your market? The best agencies will identify quick wins and long-term plays specific to your situation. For example, they might point out “We noticed your website has lots of traffic from X industry – we’d create a targeted campaign to convert those visitors by offering Y.” Their proposal should excite you with possibilities you hadn’t considered, showing creativity and expertise.
   
4. Team & Communication: Meet the actual team who would work on your account (not just the sales VP). Assess their expertise and compatibility. Do they ask smart questions? Are they enthusiastic about your product? You want a team that feels like an extension of your own. Clarify who your day-to-day contact is and how often you’ll communicate (weekly calls? Slack channel?). Make sure their communication style fits yours – for instance, if you prefer over-communication and detailed reports, does the agency provide that? Quick tip: ask how they handle campaign adjustments or issues – a transparent, collaborative approach is what you want.
   
5. Technology and Tools: Inquire about what tools and platforms the agency uses. Do they work with your existing CRM/marketing automation? If you use HubSpot, are they fluent in it (some agencies are even certified HubSpot or Marketo partners)? Do they bring any proprietary tools or data sources? For example, some agencies have access to intent data platforms or have AI tools to optimize email send times. This can be a differentiator. However, also ensure any tools align with your security/compliance requirements if that’s a concern (especially for data handling).
   
6. Flexibility and Scalability: Understand the contract terms and how easy it is to scale services up or down. If after 3 months you want to add budget to generate more leads, can they accommodate? Or vice versa, if you need to pivot strategy, how flexible are they? Avoid agencies that lock you into a rigid long-term scope without proving results first. A common practice is a shorter initial contract (say 3-6 months) then move to longer-term if things go well (8). Also discuss what happens if results aren’t hitting targets – do they offer any performance guarantees or make-goods (some might extend the engagement or add resources at no cost until KPIs are met)?
   
7. Cultural Fit and Enthusiasm: This is softer but important. Demand gen is an ongoing partnership. Gauge if the agency team genuinely believes in your product and mission. During calls, do they offer proactive ideas? Are they excited about the challenge? An agency that is passionate about helping you win will go the extra mile. Also consider company culture fit: if your company values data-driven decisions and the agency keeps making vague claims without data, it may lead to friction. Or if you move fast and the agency seems very slow and bureaucratic, that’s a mismatch.
   
8. References and Reputation: Beyond case studies, ask for references you can talk to. When you call those references, ask what it’s like working with the agency weekly, how they handle challenges, and if there were any surprises. Also, do a little online research – sometimes ex-clients write reviews or blog posts about agencies (though take random online reviews with a grain of salt, patterns matter more).
   

A practical step: Create a scorecard for each agency you consider, with criteria like: Relevant Experience (1-10), Proposed Strategy (1-10), Team Expertise (1-10), Cultural Fit (1-10), Results & References (1-10), Cost-Value (1-10). It helps to compare somewhat objectively after you’ve talked to a few.

Lastly, trust your gut too. If something feels off in the sales process (e.g. they’re dodging questions, or overly aggressive in closing the deal), imagine what it might be like later. The right agency will be consultative and honest from the get-go – even if that means telling you hard truths (like “your budget expectations are low for the results you want” or “it might take 4-6 months to really see big ROI, not 1 month”). Those who set realistic expectations and then meet or exceed them are gold.

Questions to Ask Before Choosing an Agency

When you’re in final discussions with a potential demand gen agency, don’t be shy about asking pointed questions. The answers will reveal whether they truly know their stuff and align with your goals. Here are some critical questions to ask:

• “Do you have experience in our specific industry or target market?” – Even if they haven’t worked with a direct competitor (that could be a conflict anyway), gauge how well they understand your buyers. If you sell HR software, have they done campaigns targeting HR execs? Ask for an example. This helps confirm they won’t have a steep learning curve on messaging.
  
• “Can you share a case study of a SaaS company you helped, including the KPIs and results?” – Make them walk through the scenario. For example, how many leads, what conversion rates, pipeline created, etc. Watch for concrete numbers and actions they took when things did or didn’t work. This shows their data-driven mindset and transparency.
  
• “What is your strategy for generating both demand and leads for us? Which channels do you think will be most effective and why?” – You want to see if they have a hypothesis tailored to you. Maybe they say, “Given your $15k ACV product aimed at IT managers, we’d likely focus on LinkedIn content plus targeted email outreach.” That shows understanding. If they give a generic answer (“We’ll do SEO, social media, email, events, etc.” without tailoring), that’s a concern.
  
• “How do you measure success? What key metrics will you report to us, and how often?” – Ensure they are aligned with the metrics that matter to you (likely SQLs, pipeline, CAC, etc., not just clicks or impressions). They should mention a regular cadence of reporting (weekly summaries, monthly deep dives). Ideally, they’ll offer a dashboard or shared reporting platform for real-time visibility.
  
• “How will your team integrate with our team? What do you need from us to be successful?” – This is important. The agency should outline expected communication (e.g. a weekly call, Slack/Teams channel for quick comms) and what inputs they need (access to CRM data, a point person for approvals, maybe interviews with your product experts for content). If they say “we handle everything, you don’t need to worry about a thing,” be cautious – some collaboration is always needed; a promise of zero effort on your part is unrealistic and could signal poor communication.
  
• “Can you describe your lead handoff process and how you ensure lead quality before sending to sales?” – You want to hear that they have a filtering or qualification mechanism (like their SDRs will vet leads or they’ll use a scoring threshold). Also listen for how they handle feedback if sales says leads aren’t good – a good answer might be, “We set up a feedback loop with your sales team so if any lead is unqualified, we analyze why and adjust targeting.”
  
• “Do you offer performance-based pricing or any guarantees?” – Many agencies will be retainer-based, but some might have performance incentives (for example, a bonus if they hit X pipeline, or a smaller base fee plus per-SQL charge). If they do, it shows confidence – but ensure the definition of success metrics is clear and that incentives align (you don’t want an incentive for quantity of leads if you care about quality). At minimum, ask what happens if they underperform for a couple of months – will they allocate extra resources, or have a cancellation clause? (8)
  
• “What is the estimated ramp-up time before we start seeing results? What does month 1, 2, 3 look like in the engagement?” – This sets expectations. If an agency promises dozens of leads in the first 2 weeks, be skeptical (unless you already have hot demand to capture). Typically, month 1 might be setup and initial campaigns, month 2 refinement, by month 3 you should see solid trend. Their answer will reveal how they approach onboarding (like do they spend a few weeks learning and prepping or dive in).
  
• “How do you handle content creation, and will we need to approve everything?” – If content is part of scope, clarify the process. Good agencies will have writers who draft content in your brand voice, but you’ll likely approve key pieces. Ensure their process fits your compliance needs if any (e.g. if you’re in a regulated industry, maybe legal needs to review content). Also ask if they require your team to supply raw materials or if they can generate independently (most will need at least some input to capture your product’s messaging accurately).
  
• “Have you worked with clients that had initial struggles? How did you turn it around?” – This digs into their problem-solving. No campaign is perfect from day one. Hearing an example, like “Client Y wasn’t seeing results in month 2, we discovered the messaging was off, so we pivoted to a new value prop and added a webinar – which turned things around by month 4,” will show their resilience and strategic thinking.
  

By asking these questions (and any others specific to your concerns), you not only get information, but you also get a feel for how the agency folks think on their feet and address tough queries. Their openness and specificity in responses is as telling as the content of the answers.

Remember, the goal is to find a partner, not just a provider. The right agency will welcome these questions and answer them candidly, turning the evaluation into a collaborative discussion about how to achieve your goals.

Common Mistakes SaaS Companies Make When Working with Demand Gen Agencies

Even after selecting a great agency, the partnership can falter if not managed well from both sides. Here are some common mistakes SaaS companies should avoid (and tips to get the best out of your demand gen agency):

• Unrealistic Expectations or Impatience: Demand generation is not a magic tap that instantly floods you with deals. One mistake is expecting huge results in the first few weeks and panicking if you don’t see them. While you should see leading indicators (like increased lead volume or engagement) early on, substantial pipeline and revenue impact often take a few months of iteration. Avoid setting the agency up for failure with unattainable KPIs immediately. Work with them to set realistic milestones. As the saying goes, “If it was so easy to get 100 SQLs a month overnight, you’d have done it already.” Give the strategy time to work, while holding the agency accountable for continuous improvement.
  
• Poor Communication & Siloed Efforts: Another mistake is treating the agency as an external throw-it-over-the-wall vendor. For demand gen to work, your marketing leadership and sales team need to stay in sync with the agency. If your sales reps ignore the leads or fail to give feedback, you’ll assume the agency is doing poorly when maybe it’s an internal follow-up issue. Conversely, if the agency doesn’t inform you of what campaigns are running, you might be caught off guard if a prospect references an email they received. Solution: Establish regular check-ins, integrate communication channels, and ensure the agency is looped in on key product or strategy changes on your side. Many failures come from simple misalignment or lack of visibility.
  
• Not Aligning on Ideal Customer Profile (ICP) and Messaging Early: If you and the agency aren’t crystal clear on who you’re targeting and what the value prop is, the campaigns might attract the wrong crowd. For example, if sales considers a “qualified lead” as a company with 100+ employees ready to buy, but the agency is generating interest from 20-employee startups, there’s a disconnect. Make sure you collaboratively define the ICP, SaaS buyer personas, and core messaging at the outset. Provide the agency with your past learnings – what messages resonate, common objections – so they don’t have to reinvent the wheel. One common mistake is assuming the agency will just figure it out; instead, treat them as part of the team and share knowledge freely.
  
• Micromanaging or Overriding the Agency’s Expertise: On the flip side of under-communicating, some companies err by micromanaging every move the agency makes, or constantly vetoing their ideas without giving them a chance. Remember, you hired them for their expertise. If you second-guess every strategy (“Are you sure we should do LinkedIn? I think TikTok is better.”) or insist on your way (“We’ve always done it this way, just do that.”), you might stifle the innovation you’re paying for. Be open to new tactics and trust data. Of course, healthy discussion is fine, but avoid knee-jerk reactions. Let the agency run experiments – as long as they measure results, a failed experiment is still progress in finding what works.
  
• Insufficient Budget or Resources to Succeed: Sometimes companies hire an agency but don’t allocate enough budget for ad spend or content creation hours, etc., to actually get results. For instance, expecting huge inbound leads without investing in content development, or wanting dominant share-of-voice in ads with a tiny ad budget, will hamstring the agency. It becomes a mistake on the company’s part. Good agencies will advise a minimum spend or effort needed; heed that advice. If you cut corners (like not investing in a decent landing page or not allowing any paid campaigns) and just expect miracles from a small retainer, you’re setting everyone up to fail.
  
• Ignoring the Data and Feedback Loop: Some companies either get defensive or ignore insights coming from the agency. If the agency reports that a certain message isn’t resonating (e.g. very low email response rate) or a segment isn’t responding, don’t insist on plowing ahead out of attachment. Conversely, if a campaign is working, scale it! Mistakes include sticking with pet campaigns that data shows are underperforming, or not reallocating budget to high-ROI channels because of internal bias. Be data-driven and let the agency help guide these decisions.
  
• Lack of Sales Follow-Up & Lead Nurturing: A major mistake beyond the agency’s direct control is when the client’s sales team drops the ball on leads provided. If marketing (via the agency) delivers leads and sales doesn’t call or email them promptly, those leads go cold. In SaaS, speed to lead matters – studies show contacting a lead within a few hours (or minutes) yields far better conversion than days later. Ensure your SaaS sales process is ready to capitalize on increased lead flow. If you don’t have enough SDRs or sales reps to handle more leads, let the agency know so they can adjust volume or help with interim qualification. Similarly, have a plan for nurturing leads that aren’t immediately sales-ready (the agency can run email nurtures, but your team should also be engaging them on LinkedIn, adding to remarketing lists, etc.). A common pitfall is saying “the leads were bad” when in fact they were never properly engaged by sales.
  
• Overlooking Middle-of-Funnel (MoFu) Content: Sometimes companies and agencies focus so much on top-of-funnel leads and bottom-of-funnel sales, they neglect the middle – converting interest into evaluation. Ensure there’s attention to content like case studies, comparison guides, ROI calculators, etc., that help convince interested prospects to choose you. If you don’t arm your agency (or let them create) with solid MoFu content, you might get lots of leads that then stall. It’s a mistake to think only top and bottom matter; the nurturing stage in between is where demand gen can really push leads over the line.
  

By being aware of these common pitfalls, you can manage the agency relationship more effectively:

• Set realistic, agreed-upon goals and give them a bit of time to iterate.
  
• Keep communication channels wide open (treat them like teammates).
  
• Align on target and message early.
  
• Let them do their job while providing the context and approvals they need.
  
• Empower them with enough budget and internal support.
  
• Back up marketing efforts with strong sales execution.
  

When you avoid these mistakes, you transform the agency-client relationship into a true partnership where both sides are accountable and invested in success. Remember, a demand gen agency wants to make you successful (it makes them look good too!), so work together toward that common goal.

In-House vs. Outsourced: Making the Decision

Let’s consolidate some of the earlier discussion into a brief guide for a VP contemplating in-house versus outsourced demand generation (or a mix):

• Assess Your Core Competencies: If technology marketing and lead generation are core to your company’s identity and you have the resources, building an in-house team might align with your long-term vision. If your strengths lie elsewhere (e.g. product innovation) and you need help filling the pipeline, outsourcing can accelerate growth without distracting from your core focus.
  
• Calculate Costs Honestly: Add up the true cost of hiring (salaries, tools, benefits, time to productivity) vs. an agency retainer. Often an agency is equivalent to the cost of one or two mid-level hires, but gives you a whole team’s expertise. If you can’t afford or find the 5 different experts you need quickly, an agency might be the economical choice at least for the coming year or two. Keep in mind, per Gartner, combined marketing and sales spend in SaaS can be 30-50% of revenue in growth stages – decide how to allocate that efficiently.
  
• Time to Market: If you need pipeline now (say you have a sales team sitting underutilized), an agency can ramp in weeks, whereas hiring and onboarding could be a 3-6 month process. Opportunity cost of waiting is a factor. Agencies often bring proven templates to reduce trial-and-error period.
  
• Control vs. Convenience: In-house gives you more direct control over branding, messaging, and immediate adjustments. Outsourcing gives you convenience of expert execution and often a broader perspective. Consider how much control you realistically need. Some companies start outsourced, then gradually internalize once the playbooks are established – sort of learning from the agency then bringing the function in-house.
  
• Hybrid is Often a Winner: Many SaaS companies find a balance: Keep a lean internal team (maybe a marketing leader and one or two content/ops people) and use an agency for heavy lifting and specialized campaigns. Or run in-house digital ads but outsource outbound SDR work, etc. The key is ensuring clarity on roles so there’s no duplication or gap. Hybrid models can also mitigate risk – you’re not relying 100% externally nor trying to do everything with limited internal staff.
  

In conclusion, make the decision that best supports your revenue goals and organizational capabilities. There’s no one-size-fits-all, and you can evolve the model as you grow. Many SaaS VPs will say: start with an agency to get quick wins and learn what works, then gradually bring those activities in-house once you have the scale and know-how – while maybe still keeping an agency for fresh ideas or additional capacity.

Conclusion: Choosing the Right Partner for SaaS Demand Generation

Demand generation isn’t just a marketing tactic – it’s a growth engine at the heart of your SaaS business. Whether you build that engine internally or with the help of an agency, the goal remains the same: create sustained, high-quality demand for your product that translates into revenue.

In this guide, we’ve covered the essentials: understanding what demand gen means (and how it differs from lead gen), knowing when to seek outside help, structuring an effective strategy across content, channels, and outreach, and avoiding pitfalls in execution. By now, a few things should be clear:

• Integrate Marketing and Sales: The strongest demand gen programs have marketing and sales working hand-in-glove. If you engage a demand gen agency, treat them as part of that extended team. Share feedback in both directions – when a lead converts to a sale, let the marketers know so they can find more like it; if leads are off-target, fine-tune quickly. This alignment ensures money isn’t wasted and efforts yield tangible pipeline.
  
• Stay Data-Driven and Adaptive: Use metrics religiously to guide decisions. Demand gen is a dynamic, data-driven discipline. Track those KPIs (MQLs, SQLs, CAC, conversion rates) and regularly review performance with your team or agency. If something’s not working, pivot. If something’s working, double down. The market can shift quickly (new competitors, channel saturation, etc.), so a culture of continuous optimization will keep your pipeline engine humming. As one marketer put it, “In demand gen, the only constant is change – so build a system that learns and evolves.”
  
• Quality Over Quantity: In B2B SaaS, a handful of highly qualified leads are far more valuable than hundreds of unqualified ones. Don’t get lured by vanity metrics. Ensure your demand gen efforts focus on attracting the right audience. Define what a good lead looks like for you (job title, pain point, engagement level) and gear campaigns to that. It’s better to have 50 leads that turn into 5 customers, than 500 leads that turn into 1 customer (and consume your sales team’s time on the other 499). A mature demand gen strategy is finely tuned to quality and pipeline contribution, not just lead volume.
  
• Invest in Trust and Brand as well as Leads: Demand generation, especially for innovative or complex SaaS products, often means educating the market and building trust over time. Don’t neglect top-of-funnel activities that boost your brand credibility – such as thought leadership content, PR, community engagement. These may not yield immediate leads, but they create the conditions for easier lead generation down the line (for instance, a prospect that has seen your brand in five credible places is much more likely to respond to your outreach or consider your product). The best demand gen programs strike a balance between demand creation (brand, education) and demand capture (lead gen, activation).
  
• Choose Partners Wisely: If you opt for an agency, do your homework and pick one that aligns with your needs and culture. As we discussed, ask tough questions, check references, and look for a track record of success in SaaS. The right partner can accelerate your growth dramatically, while the wrong one can waste time and budget. It’s worth taking the selection process seriously. And once you choose, commit to the partnership – share information, hold each other accountable, and celebrate wins together.
  

At the end of the day, what matters is that your demand generation efforts drive tangible business results – more pipeline, more efficient customer acquisition, and ultimately sustainable revenue growth for your SaaS company. Whether you achieve that with an in-house team, an outsourced agency, or a blend of both, the principles remain the same.

If you’re reading this and feeling like you could use some expert help to jumpstart or upscale your demand gen, that’s where we come in. Martal Group has over a decade of experience as a trusted growth partner to SaaS companies worldwide. We’ve helped startups and enterprises alike build robust pipelines – through our omnichannel outbound campaigns, inbound marketing expertise, and Sales-as-a-Service solutions. Our approach is data-driven, hands-on, and tailored to each client’s unique value proposition. We don’t just deliver leads; we deliver results that meet revenue goals. With Martal’s award-winning team and proven strategies (backed by a 90%+ client satisfaction rate), you can bypass the trial-and-error and start engaging the right prospects from day one.

Ready to ignite your SaaS demand generation? We invite you to book a consultation with Martal Group. We’ll discuss your growth objectives, assess your current demand gen setup, and share how our team can act as your dedicated partner in filling your sales pipeline. Whether you need comprehensive outbound lead generation, help with content and inbound, or a full-funnel strategy – we have the expertise and resources to make it happen.

Don’t let your great SaaS product be the “best kept secret” in the market. Together, let’s create the demand it truly deserves and turn that demand into lasting revenue. Contact Martal Group today and let’s start building your next phase of growth.

References

1. Leadfeeder
2. GoEnvy
3. TechnologyAdvice
4. MediaPost
5. RevvGrowth
6. Martal Group, Clutch Profile
7. Martal Group
8. HookLead
9. MarketingEye