Software as a Service (SaaS) client engagement platforms continue to grow — by 2020, the number of installed SaaS workloads is projected to double, surpassing 300 million. But much of this tremendous growth comes from SaaS platforms that focus on one function of a company’s communication with the outside world — sales, marketing, etc.
Yip Yip is a SaaS communication platform that empowers everyone in your organization to scale communication and marketing with custom content. It serves as an inbound marketing system for sales representatives, but also can be used as a recruiting and branding tool for your company overall.
Earlier this year, the Atlanta-based startup closed a $1.3 million angel round. “With this, we are pumping more work into the platform and building out our team,” says Brandon Lee, Yip Yip’s co-founder.
Lee explains that while automation is useful for sales and marketing teams, it remains consistent that “people buy from sellers they know, like, and trust.” Today buyers often get to know sellers from the information they share across social media platforms.
“In the modern content-saturated culture, content is no longer enough. It has to engage customers,” says Lee. “Small businesses face the problem of not having the time, budget, or expertise to generate and distribute content that achieves this.”
Yip Yip generates wide reach across a salesperson’s networks with personalized content that emulates human-to-human interactions. That custom content helps representatives be perceived as thought leaders in their industries, stay top-of-mind with leads, and close deals.
While other platforms advocate for employee engagement, these technologies are predominately for posting and publishing. Lee explains that what makes Yip Yip stand out is its threefold approach. Sales reps create their own microsite — almost like an automated LinkedIn profile — to boost credibility and foster stronger connections with leads consuming their content.
Additionally, Yip Yip’s mobile app alerts users when new posts are available, prompts them to personalize the content and pushes it to publication — all from their pocket. Lastly, the platform integrates with HubSpot and Google Docs, which allows users to translate collaborative efforts across platforms seamlessly.
This is Lee’s third venture with partners Nathan Reese and Steve Swayne. Ten years ago, Reese and Lee joined forces to curate and publish marketing products for a small veterinarian business. When they expanded to other professional services and launched a spin-off, Swayne was the first to jump in as an investor.
“Within nine months, we were making $1 million in revenue. We were a winning team from the start,” says Lee.
Reese’s self-taught expertise in systems and database management compliments Lee’s organizational development and marketing experience. Over time Swayne has moved from behind the scenes in operations to outward-facing sales and relationship management. After two successful exists together, the trio continues to evolve through their work with their new startup.
Lee says that the team’s goal for Yip Yip is to reach $4 million in ARR by 2019. To achieve this, they’re allocating a bigger advertising budget and are beginning to recruit additional marketing and sales team members.
