Need expert advice on inbound strategies to help a challenger B2B SaaS win against a dominant higher-ed market leader.

Case Study 33 - The Business Challenge:

Company B is a B2B SaaS provider selling enterprise software to universities and nonprofit organizations (average deal: $15-20K/year, currently doing 5-10 deals/month, $3.3M annual revenue). They're competing against Company A, the entrenched market leader with 60-70% market share who's been in the space for 15+ years. The Competitive Position: Company B has legitimate advantages: 99% feature parity - can do everything Company A does 30-40% lower pricing - significant cost savings ($12K vs $20K annually) Better customer support - faster response times, dedicated account managers Flexible contracts - month-to-month options vs multi-year lock-ins Free migration assistance - will transfer all data and train staff at no cost The Core Problem: Despite these rational advantages, universities won't switch. The barrier isn't functional (our product works), it's psychological and institutional: Sunk cost fallacy - "We've invested 10-15 years learning Company A's system" Risk aversion - "What if the switch goes wrong and it reflects badly on me?" Change fatigue - "We have enough going on, why add complexity?" Network effects - "Everyone in our field uses Company A, we should too" Status quo bias - "If it ain't broke, don't fix it" What's Been Tried (And Failed): Performance marketing (LinkedIn/Google Ads) → Expensive clicks, low conversion rates Webinars → Poor attendance, minimal conversions (everyone does webinars, they're boring) Cold calling/emailing → Ignored by decision-makers who are bombarded with vendor pitches Traditional content marketing → Some blog traffic, but not converting to demos/sales Direct sales outreach → Long cycles (6-12 months), high effort per deal, doesn't scale The tactics aren't necessarily bad, but they're not addressing the fundamental problem: people don't want to change, even when change makes logical sense. The Assignment I've Been Given: The Sales Director interviewing me said: "I could hire someone with 20 years of B2B SaaS experience who'll run the same playbook that isn't working. I'm talking to you because you're young, creative, and understand modern marketing differently. Here's your challenge: How do we get universities to COME TO US instead of us chasing them? How do we generate high-quality inbound leads that actually convert into customers? Show me a concrete 90-120 day plan with: Specific tactics (not vague 'content marketing' but exactly what content, where, targeting whom) Expected numbers (how many leads, what conversion rates, budget required) Measurable quarterly goals Focus on inbound channels you can execute (social media, SEO, content, communities) I need to see a path from $3.3M to $10M annual revenue (3x growth). This won't all happen in 90 days, but I need to see the foundation being built with proof it's working." My Background & Constraints: Strengths: Social media marketing, content creation, community building, creative campaigns Gaps: Limited B2B SaaS experience, never sold to universities/higher ed before Resources: Likely just me executing, possibly with support from sales team or freelancers Budget: Estimated $5K-15K/month for ads, tools, content production (moderate B2B SaaS budget) Timeline: Need to present this plan in next interview round Stakes: 50% salary increase if I get the job, but only if they believe I can actually solve this What I'm Asking The Community For: I need strategic input from people who understand: B2B SaaS marketing in competitive markets - How do challenger brands compete against entrenched leaders when products are functionally similar? Higher education/nonprofit sales - How do universities actually make software buying decisions? Who are the real decision-makers? What triggers them to consider switching? Inbound lead generation - What channels and tactics actually work for low-volume, high-value B2B sales (not selling $50/month subscriptions, but $15-20K annual contracts)? Behavioral psychology - How do you overcome switching inertia? What makes someone willing to change after 10+ years of doing something the same way? Challenger brand positioning - When you're 99% the same as the leader but cheaper, how do you avoid being seen as "the discount option" and instead position as "the smart choice"? Specifically, I'm looking for: ✅ Validation or critique of my tactical ideas (Lighthouse strategy, Authority content, Comparison SEO, Community building, Risk reversal offers) ✅ Alternative approaches I haven't considered ✅ Realistic expectations - What's achievable in 90 days vs 6 months vs 12 months? Am I being too optimistic or too conservative with projections? ✅ Budget allocation advice - If I have $10K/month for 90 days ($30K total), where should it go? What's the highest ROI use of that budget? ✅ Metrics & benchmarks - What are realistic conversion rates for this type of business? What should cost-per-lead be? What's a healthy lead-to-close rate? ✅ Red flags & pitfalls - What mistakes do marketers commonly make in this situation? What should I absolutely avoid? ✅ Psychological insights - From anyone who works in universities/nonprofits: What would actually make YOU consider switching software after years of using the same tool? Why This Matters: This isn't just a theoretical exercise - it's a real business problem I need to solve to land a significant career opportunity. The hiring manager explicitly wants fresh thinking that breaks from conventional B2B tactics. I need to show I can think strategically, understand the psychology of the customer, and build a realistic plan that generates measurable results - not just "let's try stuff and see what works." Any insights, war stories, harsh reality checks, or strategic frameworks would be incredibly valuable. Thanks for reading this far and for any help you can provide.