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Alright, here goes a 100 tweet storm on startup marketing. Thanks for the prompt @vgr https://twitter.com/vgr/status/1205357296714280962
1. You probably don't need a growth marketer, especially if you think the growth marketer is going to be your silver bullet to increase revenues
2. Figure out exactly what skills you need to market your product and hire people with those skills.
These skills are based on channels that are working well for you
These skills are based on channels that are working well for you
3. Don't know what channels work well? Start by understanding your customer. More specifically, where do they spend their time - what websites, books, podcasts, blogs, newsletters, online groups, etc do they frequent?
4. Developing a good understanding of your customers will be the foundation of your marketing and this should be the first thing you do as a startup
5. In fact, if you're hiring a growth marketer or head/VP/chief of marketing and their 30 day plan doesn't include talking to or understanding customers, don't hire them
6. Don't fall into the trap of listening to Gary V or <enter other influencer name> and marketing on Snapchat or Tik Tok or whatever they suggest unless you know your customers are there
7. Seriously, I can't stress this enough. Your best marketing channels are where your customers are, not what the gurus are talking about.
8. There are some usual suspects you can start with though - ads, partnerships, social media. If you're a tech company it's highly likely your customers are there.
Still that doesn't mean you pour all your money into them right away. Test first.
Still that doesn't mean you pour all your money into them right away. Test first.
9. For example, you don't want to blow $100k on ads before knowing the ROAS. Test with a small budget and then scale if profitable.
10. That applies to any channel. You can sort of approximate ROI for them with small tests and then scale if working well.
11. At the same time try not to do too many channels if you're still a small startup. It's better to nail 1-2 channels than dabble in 5.
12. Which brings me back to point 1. If you have a channel that's working well, hire someone who can dedicate themselves to optimizing and scaling that channel
13. When hiring for your marketing team, whether it's a leadership role or a junior role, a willingness to learn and hustle is most important.
14. Don't hire a marketing leader just because they've been at big brand name companies if they aren't willing to roll up their sleeves and hustle.
15. Likewise, don't pass on a junior marketer who hustles hard if they don't have the right experience. If they're willing to learn, they'll figure it out. Marketing is not magic or rocket science.
16. Imma cheat on this one and use @visakanv's tweet here. A side project is an excellent indicator of hustle - https://twitter.com/visakanv/status/1206633027104755712?s=19
17. Gonna get into some channel specifics over the next few tweets, starting with Ads
It's math. If the math doesn't work, don't run ads (unless you're going for broad awareness and have lots of money like Brex)
It's math. If the math doesn't work, don't run ads (unless you're going for broad awareness and have lots of money like Brex)
18. For niche products and enterprise, the math is simple. Calculate your close and conversion rates, your LTV, and work back to identify your max cost per lead. That's your target. If after lots of optimization you're still over, try something else.
19. Conferences - usually a bad idea to sponsor them unless you're going for awareness. Don't expect a direct return on your investment.
A better way is forgo sponsorship and host a happy hour for attendees.
A better way is forgo sponsorship and host a happy hour for attendees.
20. Intimate dinners are really great if you're targeting leadership teams or other generally busy people.
Getting 20 CXO from target companies in a room with catered dinner is high ROI.
Getting 20 CXO from target companies in a room with catered dinner is high ROI.
21. (B2B) Cold email still works if you do it right. Don't do the fake forwarded emails like Brex or other spammy stuff. The more intimate and personalized the email, the better. Instead of mass cold emails, focus only on your top 100 prospects.
22. Partnerships are one of my faves. Find a complementary product and partner on a webinar, content piece, promotion, or something else. Not a lot of cost/work but potentially high ROI.
23. Content marketing - it's not enough to create content, you also need to promote it and that's where most startups fail. Push it out on online groups or forums, build links, promote on social (perhaps with paid boost). Better to create less and promote more.
24. One content strategy I love is a topic cluster model. Create many pieces of content going deep on different aspects of a topic, then create the ultimate guide long form guide that combines all the pieces. You can create tons of interlinks that way.
25. Here's an explanation of this strategy where I managed to get on to the coveted position 0 of Google for a certain keyword -
26. Analytics - get that stuff sorted out right from the start or else you'll feel the pain later. Install @Amplitude_HQ, @googleanalytics and @segment at the very least.
27. Data will help you determine what channels to pursue and what to shelve. Test small, look at the data, and then decide whether to scale.
28. At the same time don't get paralyzed by the data. Pick a few metrics you really care about and optimize for that otherwise it's too easy to slice and dice data to tell any story.
29. Silicon Valley model is to raise money, hire a sales team and cold call enterprise customers.
And eventually let go of the sales people and hire marketers because they don't have leads. Don't make this mistake. Invest in marketing early.
And eventually let go of the sales people and hire marketers because they don't have leads. Don't make this mistake. Invest in marketing early.
30. Customer support is an excellent marketing channel. Don't treat it as a cost center. People leave companies because of bad support but they will forgive you for product failures if you have excellent support.
31. Everyone in your company should be answering support tickets at least once a week. Including the CEO and the engineering teams.
Happy to explain why if you disagree.
Happy to explain why if you disagree.
32. Stop paying crazy amounts of money for a feature on a tech publication. That Techcrunch article is not going to make or break your company.
33. Process beats hacks. Focus on long-term strategies if you want to build a real business instead of short-term tricks.
34. Sometimes marketing really is just putting in the grunt work every day. Email partners or customers, create content, put yourself out there every single day.
35. As you build out your marketing team with people owning different channels, start doing cross-channel campaigns. I like doing at least one launch-style campaign every month.
36. New product features are obvious choices for launches, but you can even do them with webinars, online summits, ebooks, even pillar posts.
37. So when doing a webinar, promote it across channels - social media, ads, partnerships, affiliates, emails, etc.
38. Communication between team members is important. A strong feedback loop between, say, ads and content teams will elevate all channels.
39. Don't hire rockstars who think they are better than everyone else and try to go it solo. Break downs in communication leads to inefficiency and a case of one hand not talking to the other in marketing.
40. While communication is important, you can move slow if you're always in meetings. A good meeting cadence is -
Weekly 1hr meeting to discuss tasks
Monthly 0.5 day to discuss metrics
Qrtrly 1 day meeting to set strategy
Weekly 1hr meeting to discuss tasks
Monthly 0.5 day to discuss metrics
Qrtrly 1 day meeting to set strategy
41. Bringing this back for some commentary on marketing during times of crisis (not just Covid).
The first instinct is to cut marketing and sales budgets. Many startups have already laid of marketing teams. This is not the best approach.
The first instinct is to cut marketing and sales budgets. Many startups have already laid of marketing teams. This is not the best approach.
42. Your startup creates a product that's either obvious or non-obvious depending on the crisis.
For example, because Covid forced WFH, Zoom became an obvious product.
For example, because Covid forced WFH, Zoom became an obvious product.
43. Meanwhile, the quarantine means that many local businesses have shut down, in turn forcing people into unemployment.
That, in turn, puts a strain on govt. So a software that helps govt agencies streamline processes is a non-obvious product.
That, in turn, puts a strain on govt. So a software that helps govt agencies streamline processes is a non-obvious product.
44. You need to figure out which category your product falls under. If it's not obvious, then chances are it's non-obvious.
Marketing an obvious product is easy. Most of the time it markets itself, but PR, referral loops and ads help accelerate that
Marketing an obvious product is easy. Most of the time it markets itself, but PR, referral loops and ads help accelerate that
45. If you're a non-obvious product, it means that there's a group out there that who really need you right now. Figure out who they are and change your marketing strategy to target them.
This might mean an overhaul of channels, tactics and messaging.
This might mean an overhaul of channels, tactics and messaging.
46. For example, the govt software I mentioned earlier is an actual company. They help govts convert PDF forms into digital forms.
When Covid started their first instinct was to cut marketing and sales spend.
When Covid started their first instinct was to cut marketing and sales spend.
47. Instead, they should target government agencies that have to deal with unemployment claims and change their messaging to highlighting how digitizing forms helps govts process claims faster.
48. Another example is Lululemon. All their marketing is geared towards being outdoors. When Covid started they didn't cut marketing.
Instead, they realized they were non-obvious and their audience was WFH. So they invested in changing the messaging to home workouts.
Instead, they realized they were non-obvious and their audience was WFH. So they invested in changing the messaging to home workouts.
49. These principles apply to any crisis, large or small. If you're not obvious, you're probably non-obvious.
So while your main audience may not be buying, there might be a new audience that you should be targeting instead. Invest there.
So while your main audience may not be buying, there might be a new audience that you should be targeting instead. Invest there.
