Marketing Fundamentals
What the heck is marketing, anyway? And how do I 'do' it?
Hi friends! Happy Sunday and Happy August. We’ve got 5 months left of this year - let’s make it count. 💪
This month, we’re digging into all things MARKETING. Maybe next month, too. I’ve got a lot to say on this topic.
It’s never too early to start marketing. Even as a pre-seed or seed-stage startup, there are low-cost, still highly effective things you can do.
And marketing is one of the biggest missed opportunities I see with so many startups.
They build great products, get their first few customers…and then they wake up around $1-2mm ARR and realize they haven’t done any marketing (rats!).
It’s way too hard to scale your pipeline any further without it…and it might have been a whole lot easier to get where you are now with it.
But here’s the thing…marketing takes 4-6 months of consistent effort (minimum!) to start paying off. And then you have to keep doing it for it to keep paying off.
So don’t be late to this party. Or if you’re already late, start. right. now.
I’m going to break down all the fundamentals and how-to’s. I got you.
Let’s go!
Marketing Fundamentals
What the heck is marketing, anyway?
There are textbook definitions, and then there is me shooting ya straight, keeping it simple.
Marketing is getting people’s attention and then never leaving their peripheral view.
Hi, it’s me again 👋
Not everyone is ready is buy from you now, but you want the right people (your ICP) to -
Know you exist,
Like and trust you,
Know how and when you can help them, and
Never forget it.
As long as those things are true, your buyers will come to you when they’re ready.
Think of your TAM like this: Some are problem-aware, some are solution-aware, and a small portion are ready to buy right now.
Your marketing should help the problem-aware become solution-aware, and… help the solution-aware trust and like you enough to pick you when they are ready to buy.
Check out this post 👇️ for a real-life story and evidence.
Ok, so how do I do ‘marketing’?
Well, luckily, there are a lot of things you can do. You’ve got options.
Options
Examples
Founder & Executive Thought Leadership
Personal social media activity, blogs, podcast guest appearances, speaking opportunities, newsletters
Emails about product releases, press releases, blogs, or a newsletter
Social Media
Organic posts (or paid ads) from the company account or boosting thought leadership
SEO
Thoughtful content design and optimization for organic search engine rankings
Paid Search
Paid keywords for search engine rankings
Content Marketing
Creating long-form content (blogs, white papers, e-books, etc.), videos, lead magnets (short helpful guides and checklists), case studies, and more.
Press
Podcasts, speaking opportunities, media mentions, media placements, press releases
Review Sites
Client reviews on G2, Capterra etc
Event Marketing
Virtual (webinars and such) or in-person events (conferences or curated intimate events)
Ok, now which ones should I do and when?
We’re going to cover that next week 😄
Be there or be square ⏹️
With love and gratitude -
If you want to learn more about working with me directly…
For B2B startups I serve as a Fractional GTM executive or advisor. Learn more about-
When you’re ready, let’s connect to discuss your specific growth goals and challenges.
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