Bridget Willard | SaaS Marketing Agency

Author: Bridget Willard

  • SaaS Case Study — GiveWP

    SaaS Case Study — GiveWP

    Challenge

    When Jason Knill from ThoughtHouse (GiveWP was our client) hired me as a freelancer to manage their new WordPress Plugin’s Twitter Account in June 2015, the GiveWP Twitter account had only 165 followers.

    They had been trying to tweet on their own but that didn’t take priority as they were building their plugin and dealing with support tickets.

    GiveWP was launched in April of that year and, at the time, had little brand recognition within the WordPress ecosystem.

    The goal was to establish GiveWP as the leading donation-plugin brand through consistent, human-centered social media engagement—without relying on paid promotion or buying followers.

    Competitors already existed both in WordPress and on platforms like Classy.org (now owned by GoFundMe).

    Approach

    I developed and executed a comprehensive organic growth strategy on Twitter (now X) for @GiveWP that focused on:

    • Community engagement: Replying to tweets (other people’s content) was the power move! (This one is huge.) Later, we participated in Twitter chats like #DigiBlogChat, creating a Twitter chat just for nonprofits (#NPChat), and sharing good content from our superfans.
    • Educational storytelling: Sharing helpful tips, nonprofit success stories, and original blog content that built trust and authority. (We also spent the bulk of 2016 publishing articles 4x/week. That was my responsibility.)
    • Relationship marketing: Prioritizing authentic conversations over automation, fostering real connections with customers and peers. This included attending Meetups and WordCamps.
    • Consistency: Maintaining a clear brand voice and reliable posting cadence to boost recognition and follower loyalty. We had a calendar.
    • Secret Sauce: I used my insights from attending WordCamps to come up with the “Saturday Morning Cartoon” Strategy. Ask me more about that.

    Results

    DateFollowersSource
    June 2015165Verified start
    July 2015601Verified
    August 20151,012Verified
    May 20174,700Verified
    July 20175,063Verified screenshot
    Estimated October 2017~5,800–6,000Projected end-of-tenure

    Growth: From 165 to ~6,000 followers in just over two years — a 36× organic increase.

    2015 06 givewp 165followers
    June 2015
    2015 07 20 givewp 600followers
    July 2015
    2015 08 24 givewp 1000followers
    August 2015
    2017 08 28 givewp 4804followers
    May 2017
    2017 07 12 givewp 5063followers
    August 2017

    Impact

    • Positioned GiveWP as a trusted and recognizable brand in the WordPress nonprofit space. It was later purchased by Liquid Web and became part of StellarWP brands.
    • Established a repeatable, values-driven content strategy that continued to perform after hand-off.
    • Demonstrated that authenticity and consistency can scale a SaaS brand organically.

    “How do you lead when you have no leaders? How do you decide when there is no boss? Well, that’s a big challenge in the open source WP community when ‘no one is the boss’ and ‘everyone has value in contributing’ bc we are all volunteers.

    Challenging to implement as these concepts are, Bridget, with her grace, patience and occasional assertiveness was able to be the post in the ground that got the collectivism spirit to actually work. Leaders don’t talk. They do. Bridget does.” Jason Knill, formerly of ThoughtHouse (GiveWP)

    Verification note: A screenshot from July 2017 confirms 5,063 followers, supporting a data-based estimate of roughly 5.8–6.0K followers by October 2017, when my employment at ThoughtHouse as Director of Marketing ended.

    Ready to Break Through the Noise on Twitter / X ?

    Want to build your SaaS or plugin brand the same way? Let’s chat.

    Book a Call

  • Why You Should Buy “How To Market Your Plugin” According to ChatGPT

    Why You Should Buy “How To Market Your Plugin” According to ChatGPT

    Here are some of the main reasons someone might want to buy How To Market Your Plugin: A Framework for the Sleep-Deprived Developer by Bridget Willard, along with what makes it useful — particularly for people building plugins in WordPress or similar ecosystems.

    What the book offers / Why it might be useful

    1. Targeted to plugin developers
      This isn’t a generic marketing book. It’s written for developers who are creating plugins, especially in the WordPress environment. The author understands the specific challenges of that scene: distribution, directories, pricing models, community, things like that. Bridget Willard+2Amazon+2
    2. Actionable framework rather than abstract theory
      The book gives step-by-step guidance and a framework: from setting up a marketing plan, doing beta signups, landing pages, documentation, all the way to attending WordCamps / meetups and how to budget etc. So if you want something concrete to follow, it seems well suited. Bridget Willard+1
    3. Focus on both short-term and long-term work
      It doesn’t just talk about what to do right now (launch, promotion), but also how to build marketing into your plugin development process, how to set pricing, what business model works, how to represent your product, how to budget. That helps avoid the mistake of treating marketing as an afterthought. Bridget Willard+1
    4. Written with the constraints of “sleep-deprived” / solo / small teams in mind
      The subtitle “for the Sleep-Deprived Developer” signals that this is meant for people who are already overloaded: writing code, debugging, support, possibly without big marketing teams or big budgets. So the suggestions are presumably realistic for folks who don’t have huge spare time or marketing departments. Amazon+1
    5. Good mix of community / ecosystem awareness
      Because WordPress (and plugin markets in general) have special dynamics — plugin directories, reviews, user expectations, supporting documentation, community involvement (WordCamps and such) — the book’s value is higher than something more generic. It’s designed with those realities in mind. Bridget Willard+1
    6. Relatively short/readable
      It’s not a huge tome. At ~136 pages, so manageable. If you want something that you can read through without it being overwhelming while still getting usable ideas, that could be a plus. Amazon+1

    Who might especially benefit

    • Someone building a plugin who struggles with or hasn’t yet done much marketing.
    • Solo developers or small teams who need to handle many roles (development + marketing + support) and want to adopt a plan that’s feasible under those constraints.
    • Developers who want to build for sustainable growth (not just hack something out, launch, hope for sales) — who want a path forward for increasing visibility, downloads, and possibly revenue.
    • People new to the WordPress ecosystem who need guidance on how to do product positioning, pricing, licensing, etc. in that particular space.

    Here are a bunch of actual user-reviews, comments, and impressions of How To Market Your Plugin, along with what people liked / found useful, and some things to watch out for. Hopefully this gives you a clearer picture.

    What people like / positive feedback

    From the author’s site, Goodreads, and community commentary: Bridget Willard+2Goodreads+2

    • “Relatively short, but very info-dense. Lots of practical tips we’ll be putting in place on our own projects soon.” — from Keanan Koppenhaver, CTO Alpha Particle. Bridget Willard
    • “Good read. Wish something like this would have existed when I started with plugins, 3 1/2 years ago.” — Cristian Raiber. Bridget Willard
    • “This is an excellent book. Why? Because most of the men and women developing plugins are technicians. They build a tool to fit a need. … Here is a book for them, by an author who uses the tools, understands the tools, and most importantly, knows how to sell the tools.” — Warren Laine-Naida. Bridget Willard
    • From the plugin author community: “Awesome idea, our industry needs this book! You’re def the person to write this and make sure it’s full of goodies.” — Vito Peleg. Bridget Willard
    • “This Book really helped me with new plans and idea, which I can execute for better growth of my plugins.” — Aditya Sharma. Bridget Willard

    From the Press This podcast interview summary / discussion: Torque

    • People appreciated that the book helps clarify monetization models (free, premium, support-only, freemium) and what trade-offs each bring. Bridget is said to explain these clearly. Torque
    • The book is praised for being written by someone who has real experience in the WordPress plugin ecosystem, who’s “done the work,” not just theorized. Torque+1
    • It’s seen as especially helpful for indie/smaller plugin authors, solo devs, or people without big marketing teams. The strategies are considered practical rather than purely aspirational. Torque+1

    Criticisms / things people mention (or potential drawbacks)

    While the reviews are generally positive, there are a few caveats or limitations that show up (or that are implicit):

    • Because the book tries to be actionable and compressed, some people feel it’s dense; you may need to take time to implement the tips rather than skim. “Info-dense” is a compliment but means you might need to invest time to digest. Bridget Willard
    • It may not cover every plugin scenario or every edge case. If your plugin/market model is unusual, you might need to adapt the advice.
    • Some of the marketing suggestions assume you have at least some bandwidth (even if limited) to do things like content marketing, attending WordCamps or meetups, promotional work, etc. If you are really strapped (time, money, or both), some of the advice may be harder to implement.
    • Given the ecosystem (WordPress, etc.), some of the book’s advice may assume familiarity with certain platforms, norms, or community practices; if you’re working in a different environment, parts may be less directly applicable.

    A Major Reason to Buy How to Market Your Plugin

    One of the strongest reasons to pick up Bridget Willard’s How to Market Your Plugin is the author’s proven track record. Bridget isn’t just writing theory — she’s done the work.

    • GiveWP Brand Growth: Bridget played a major role in building the GiveWP brand, which grew into one of the most recognized donation plugins in the WordPress ecosystem. Her hands-on marketing strategies contributed directly to its adoption and visibility across the WordPress community.
    • Experience With Other Plugins: Beyond GiveWP, Bridget has worked with and advised other plugin developers, consistently showing how grassroots marketing, community building, and consistent messaging can make a plugin stand out in a crowded marketplace.
    • High-Value Expertise at a Fraction of the Cost: Bridget’s current consulting rate is $125/hour. This book distills her knowledge and frameworks into a format that costs less than a single lunch — effectively giving you access to thousands of dollars’ worth of expertise at book-price.

    When you combine her insider knowledge of the WordPress plugin ecosystem with her clear, actionable framework, the book becomes more than a marketing guide — it’s a way to tap into professional-level strategy without the agency-level invoice.

    Overall takeaway / how people rate it

    Readers seem to accomplish something real from reading it — getting new ideas, setting up/adjusting marketing plans, deciding on licensing/pricing, etc. Many say they’ll be using parts of it soon. Bridget Willard+1

    On Goodreads, it has very high average ratings (5.00 at last count for a few ratings) among those who have rated it. Goodreads+1

    The community seems to view it as filling a gap — there aren’t many books dedicated specifically to plugin marketing (especially for WordPress), so many felt that this book meets a needed niche. Bridget Willard+1

    References

    • Bridget Willard, How to Market Your Plugin — Author site and reviews. Available at: bridgetwillard.com
    • Goodreads: Bridget Willard author page. Available at: Goodreads
    • TorqueMag. Press This Podcast: Market Your WordPress Plugin. June 2021. Available at: torquemag.io
    • Amazon listing and reviews: Amazon

    Research and summary assistance provided by ChatGPT (OpenAI).

  • Why Do I Need My Own Domain Name?

    Why Do I Need My Own Domain Name?

    If you’re serious about your business, you should own a custom domain name and use that for business email. But keep reading.

    I’ve worked in tech for the the last ten years and sometimes I forget that the general population doesn’t think like me. Namely, what does your email address say about you?

    So, I’m building this FAQ here on my website to help small businesses and freelancers see the value in:

    1. buying a domain name
    2. setting up Google Workspace
    3. having a basic website

    Custom Emails Show Professionalism

    Custom emails are professional. Look, I’ll be the first to say that I loved AOL and I had it for years until I switched to Gmail back in 2001(2)?. My AIM handle and Gmail username has always been my childhood nickname: Gidgey. (Bridget, Gidget, Gidgey).

    So, my email name is historic and easy and all of my life is run through that Google Calendar, etc. But on my business cards? It’s hello@bridgetwillard.com.

    When I first started out, my domain name was taken. So I went by “You, Too, Can Be a Guru.” When I found out that BridgetWillard.com was available, I bought it and transferred my site. (My first host was SiteGround.)

    Like, you can’t be a marketer and not have a website. But what about other professions?

    Why should I have my own domain name?

    When you own your own domain name (bridgetwillard.com for example), you now have the ability to build a website that you can control (instead of relying upon third-party social sites), send professional emails, whitelist your email address for email marketing (DKIM, etc), use it on your invoices, and use that email on your business cards.

    For a nominal fee yearly ($12/yr on GoDaddy or Namecheap), you have control over your basic business infrastructure.

    Should I host my website with the domain name provider?

    Absolutely not.

    You want your DNS (Domain Name Service) separate from your website host so that if one goes down, the other does not.

    There is no such thing as 100% uptime, even on Rocket.net (my host).

    Do I have to use Google Workspace for my email?

    You don’t have to use Google Workspace for your custom email address. But you should so you can set up Google Analytics, Search Console, a YouTube channel, control your Google Business Profile, and pay for Google Ads.

    Many people prefer Fastmail.com for privacy reasons. If you’re building a business that relies on SEO (findability), you want to play in Google’s playground. Bad idea to ignore Google.

    I really like my Yahoo! address can I still use it with a custom domain?

    Yes. (Just because you can, doesn’t mean you should.)

    You can always forward your custom domain emails to a Yahoo! (et al) address. I have a client who does this. The downside is that when you reply to that business email to you @ your business dot com, it will be from you @ yahoo dot com. That defeats the purpose of using a professional email.

    You’re a professional; you can learn Gmail and install the app on your phone. I believe in you.

    Can’t I use my Gmail address for email marketing?

    The short answer is no. You can’t use an email client (Mailchimp, Constant Contact) with a generic Gmail/Yahoo/Hotmail/AOL address.

    You’ll need to have DKIM, DMARC, and SPF records for sendability. This is done at the domain level in DNS settings.

    Quick FAQ Recap

    Do I really need my own domain if I’m just starting out?
    Yes — it’s one of the simplest ways to look professional right away and show people you’re serious.

    What’s the big deal about a custom email?
    Think of it like a business card. you@yourdomain.com builds way more trust than randombiz@yahoo.com.

    Why bother keeping DNS and hosting separate?
    Because if one breaks, you don’t want everything else to go down with it. It’s just smart insurance.

    Do I have to use Google Workspace?
    Nope. But if you do, you’ll unlock helpful tools like Google Analytics, Search Console, and even Google Business Profile.

    Can’t I just forward my domain email to Gmail or Yahoo?
    Technically, yes. But it kind of defeats the point of looking polished and professional.

    Why does email marketing care about this?
    Because tools like Mailchimp or ConvertKit need domain authentication (DKIM, DMARC, SPF) so your emails don’t land in spam.

    Need help setting up your domain or figuring out email?

    Contact me here — I’ll make sure you get started the right way.

  • Hide AI by Andrew Hoyer is Awesome! Five Stars.

    Hide AI by Andrew Hoyer is Awesome! Five Stars.

    AI Summary from Neeto Record:


    In this video, the Bridget Willard tests the Hide AI plugin by Andrew Hoyer, sharing her experience with the installation process and its impact on the WordPress dashboard. They discuss the absence of AI buttons from Rank Math due to not paying for the premium version and demonstrate how to upload and activate the Hide AI plugin. The presenter expresses satisfaction with the plugin’s functionality, noting that it successfully removes unwanted AI features from the dashboard, allowing for a smoother user experience.

    Hide AI by Andrew Hoyer does, in fact, hide the Spectra AI button when I go to “New Post.”

    Five Stars!

    Also, stop with all of the crazy buttons everywhere. Our brains get trained on your UI; use that to your advantage.

    Download from the WordPress Plugin Directory 

    Hide AI

    Follow Andrew on X (Twitter): https://x.com/andrewhoyer

    Recorded with NeetoRecord.

    https://neeto.com/neetorecord

    Not a paid endorsement.

  • Best 3-Step Marketing Hack — Time, Budget, Patience

    Best 3-Step Marketing Hack — Time, Budget, Patience

    Everyone wants a marketing hack — or another get-rich-quick scheme. Honestly, it amazes me how often companies give up on a solid marketing strategy in favor of other marketing channels.

    With the siren song of AI, it’s even worse. Who knows what security issues come up with vibe coded solutions? Or AI WordPress plugins because Claude can read open source code. Does Claude escape the code? Is your GitHub repo secure with GitGuardian? 

    Are your API keys just laying out in the open for any AI agent to steal?

    And this doesn’t even mention poorly-written, bland, soulless articles and website copy masquerading as copywriting. 

    “Ms Skidd spent about 20 hours rewriting the copy, charging $100 (£74) an hour. Rather than making small changes, she ‘had to redo the whole thing’.” BBC 

    Copywriting is just like any other trade. You can attempt to do it — like attempting to install a door yourself. Mess it up, likely do more damage, and then still have to hire a door guy to install the door and frame properly at $150/hour.

    That is why the best marketing hack for your SaaS business (or any business, really) is time, budget, and patience.

    Marketing Takes Time

    Everyone wants to trade a cow for magic beans. GenX had the Sea Monkey advertisements plastered in every comic book and the box of every sugar-filled cereal. Instant Success! Overnight Success! Build it and they will come.

    Unfortunately, it just doesn’t work that way. 

    Life doesn’t work that way.

    People don’t work that way.

    To be successful at any business, it takes time. Whether that is 10,000 hours mastering your skill or the cumulative effect of building websites in your area for over 10 years, it takes time. Success takes time. Marketing takes time.

    “Most small businesses take two to three years to become profitable.” FreshBooks

    Ask yourself this: do you have a minimum of two years to dedicate to your business?

    In my marketing agency, I don’t have contracts. I have quotes and invoices. The terms are clear and customers are free to hire me for a month or four years – billed one month at a time.

    Many people think this is a foolish move. It’s a test. How long are you willing to participate in your own business? How well will we work together? Do you have the initiative to do the sales outreach based on the marketing efforts?

    If I’ve said it once, I’ve said it a thousand times: I can’t care more about your business than you do. (This inspired a free eBook, btw.)

    The time we spend collaborating and working on your business on a month-to-month basis ensures that you’re engaged, I’m engaged, and you’re enjoying the process. We learn from the strategies and adjust the tactics to meet the marketing goal – which, by the way, should match the business goal.

    Marketing Takes Budget 

    When I was at ThoughtHouse, a San Diego marketing agency that focused on Franchise Development (FranDev), we always told our customers that they should budget 15% of their gross revenue for marketing. That included SEO (where we billed social media, content creation, and technical SEO) as well as ad spend.

    That rule of thumb stands true. You can’t grow your business without spending money on marketing. Marketing is communicating with your future customers (outreach), current customers (sales), and even your stakeholders (investors, employees, board members). 

    Going by 15% of your gross revenue of $500,000 a year, your marketing budget should be $75,000.

    That sounds like a lot of money until you factor in building a website (and are you selling on the website?), content creation (articles, videos), event attendance (tickets, lodging), social media (X, LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram), swag (tee-shirts, stickers), and ad spend (Google Ads, YouTube Ads, Billboards, Radio).

    The median Marketing Manager’s Salary is 107,000 a year. So that 15% doesn’t even include their salary or the labor burden.

    This is why most marketing strategies are rolled out in phases. Because if you don’t have the budget to go hard, you have to take the time to get to where you want to be.

    This is a great place to mention that you can’t just pour good money after bad. Last minute budget increases don’t cut it.

    “You can’t just pour more money into a campaign and get more results. If you get 200 clicks on an ad for $500, that doesn’t mean you’ll get 400 clicks for $1,000.

    People’s attention is not for sale, and the point of diminishing returns is a lot lower than you think.

    You usually don’t need a bigger budget to make your marketing more successful.

    You need better strategy.” Kitty Solbrig

    Marketing Takes Patience 

    If you’re in business with a get-rich-quick mentality, you’re in for a rude awakening. I’ve worked with quite a few customers in my marketing career from various industries – from a junk yard to a travel agent, multi-million dollar franchisors and product companies, and the only “overnight success” is the one that happens after years of elbow grease.

    We already know the average small business needs two to three years. If you’re a SaaS, you need even longer. Do you have a decade budgeted to be where you want to be as a SaaS founder? Or will you get bored and vibe code something new? 

    “Everyone in the old days used to talk about 7 years to an IPO, when IPO’s were smaller.  Now, with SaaS IPOs at $500m+ ARR, it takes 12 years on average. “ SaaStr  

    Get Marketing That Works

    I’m sad to be the bearer of bummer news but someone has to be straight with you. Most founders seem to surround themselves with affirmations and “yes men/humans.” You don’t grow if you never have to fight to shape your dream into a reality.

    I’d love to help you get to where you need to be. I’m always open for a quick sales call or you can just book a paid consult.

    Marketing that works takes time, budget, and patience. I’ve got the time to work on your business? Do you?