In the world of SaaS, acquisition is only the beginning. To drive real, sustainable growth, companies must master the full customer journey. On the latest SaaSiest Podcast episode, we sat down with Ashley Faus, Head of Lifecycle Marketing at Atlassian, to unpack how one of the world’s most product-led organizations approaches lifecycle marketing. From campaign strategy to segmentation, Ashley shares how Atlassian builds scalable programs.
What is Lifecycle Marketing, Anyway?
Ashley kicked off the conversation by clarifying a term that often gets misunderstood. At its core, lifecycle marketing is about managing the full customer journey: from acquisition and conversion to retention, expansion, and advocacy. While some think of it as post-sale only, Ashley explained that it includes all motions that support continuous engagement and growth.
“We have to keep winning and re-winning the hearts, minds, and wallets of our customers.”
How Atlassian Structures Its Lifecycle Strategy
Atlassian’s massive global customer base means lifecycle marketing must be both personalized and scalable. Most customers begin with Jira – the flagship product – and gradually adopt others like Confluence, Loom, or Bitbucket. The lifecycle team works closely with data scientists and product marketers to match users with the most relevant next steps in their journey.
The result? Targeted cross-sell and upsell campaigns that feel useful, not intrusive. For example, a developer using Jira might be nudged toward Bitbucket, while a marketer might be shown how Loom or Confluence can boost their workflow.
Segmentation, Data, and the Power of Timing
To identify which offer to present, Atlassian uses sophisticated propensity models and segmentation. These models weigh user behavior, product edition, role, and historical data to surface what someone is most likely to need next. From there, content and messaging are tailored accordingly.
Distribution happens across email, in-product messaging, retargeting ads, and more. But Ashley is quick to point out that it’s not just about pushing products:
“Our goal is to help users get their work done better. When we succeed at that, upgrades and expansion follow naturally.”
An Example That Went Viral: The Zach Woods Campaign
One recent campaign took a more creative turn. Atlassian partnered with actor Zach Woods (The Office, Silicon Valley), who played a quirky “Jira influencer” in a series of videos. The campaign was humorous, yet it showcased real Jira features in a relatable context. The lifecycle team then picked up the thread with personalized onboarding flows and nurture campaigns tailored to business users – a new segment for Jira.
The campaign worked because it:
- Reached a new audience with entertaining content
- Offered a clear next step (free signup)
- Delivered a personalized onboarding flow
- Continued nurturing based on usage
Metrics That Matter Ashley shared that the team tracks both leading and lagging indicators:
- Leading: Open rates, click-throughs, content consumption
- Lagging: Signups, MQLs, revenue influence, and expansion
The lifecycle team is accountable for marketing-influenced pipeline, but Ashley emphasized the importance of measuring value delivered to the user-not just conversion.
Common Pitfalls to Avoid Ashley shared a few watchouts for companies starting or scaling lifecycle marketing:
- Don’t treat every form fill as a sales-ready lead. Use intent signals carefully.
- Avoid over-messaging. In-product prompts that feel like spam can degrade user experience.
- Don’t assume everyone wants to buy right now. Give users clear CTAs that match their intent.
- Don’t rush to upsell. It’s about long-term lifetime value, not just short-term wins.
Advice for Smaller Companies For teams without Atlassian-sized resources, Ashley had practical advice:
- Use clear CTAs. Don’t confuse “learn more” with a sales pitch.
- Align closely with product marketing on messaging and audience pain points.
- Be intentional about when and how often you reach out.
- Focus on education, not just selling.
“If you do right by the audience, the revenue will follow.”
The Big Picture Lifecycle marketing isn’t a tactic – it’s a mindset. And if there’s one takeaway from this episode, it’s this: when you focus on delivering value at every step of the journey, customer loyalty and growth come naturally.
Also, you can read a lot more about this in Ashley’s book Human-Centered Marketing: How to Connect with Audiences in the Age of AI which launches in May..
Until then, keep winning hearts, minds and eventually, wallets.
