Think marketing strategy, not dumb marketing

Hey there,

Even most founders I talk to seem to not get this right. They have thought about the problem they are solving and have a clear product vision. But, with marketing, they just take a Hail Mary approach - less thought, more desperate attempts.

I believe this happens because of an improper or incomplete understanding of the various marketing channels at their disposal.

Having spent 6 years trying to understand digital marketing channels, I will share a highly actionable framework to analyze & choose the right set of channels.

1. Social media

One of the most commonly used channels. Here’s how I think of it:

• This includes Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram (not an expert at Instagram yet).

• When to start: Before you even begin building your product

• How to start: Buildd a personal brand instead of a company account. People connect with people, not so much with companies.

• Life of content: Less than 2 days. You get spikes but need to keep generating new content

• Approach: Add value to your target audience in a unique voice. Don’t sell every day. Add value every day and ask in return periodically.

• Hacks:

  • Learn how to repurpose content from other channels. Reuse old content with tweaks

  • Twitter & LinkedIn can have almost the same content, with very small tweaks

  • Plan content for a week (don’t try to write content for a day on the very same day)

2. Launch platforms

This is one the first channels one thinks of when they are ready with their product. Let’s break it down:

• This includes platforms like ProductHunt (main platform), Launch HN (low probability of success), and others like BetaList (low impact).

• When to start: Best to launch when your product is ready, you have a few client testimonials, and have at least early traction on social media

• How to start: Prepare at least a week in advance for a launch. You need to orchestrate the messaging and timing, don’t wing it. Further, clearly define the launch goal and optimize your landing page for that -> say, subscribers, trial users, or paid customers.

• Life of launch: Typically a week. So, this isn’t a consistent marketing channel, but one that gives momentum.

• Approach: Drive traffic from all audiences to your launch to magnify its success. Do a “launch” at least once every 6 months, with all updates, milestones & more.

• Hacks:

  • The stronger your presence on social media, the better your launch will perform. So, start building your social presence in advance

  • Understand platform-specific tricks -> for e.g. a reputed “hunter” can give you a good launchpad on Product Hunt

  • Create “noise” before and after your launch, so that your launch is both an event and not just a 1-day affair

3. Ads

The channel that people default to as a magic pill for all their problems. My thoughts:

• This typically constitutes ads on Google or social platforms (Meta, LinkedIn, etc.)

• When to start: Use early on to get customer feedback and scale later when organic channels have given you a solid set of customers

• How to start: Have a clear strategy on what part of your funnel (top, middle, or bottom) you are using a particular channel for. Align your messaging in the ads, landing page, and consequent communication accordingly.

• Life of the channel: As long as you keep pouring money. Returns typically increase in the beginning, then plateau, and finally start decreasing

• Approach: Use this channel to get initial momentum, but only accelerate this channel when you can clearly specify your target audience, messaging, and exact path of conversion. Else, this can bankrupt you soon.

• Hacks:

  • Don’t think in terms of one ad channel, but think in terms of the entire funnel. This will allow you to retarget users across channels and get better returns from your investment

  • Use ads to get quick feedback on your product. Use organic channels to power your initial customer acquisition. Once you nail it, pour money in ads to scale growth.

4. SEO

The channel very few understand, mostly ignore, and even if not, execute poorly. My views:

• Here we are primarily focused on Google Search (can extend to App search, if app is a focus vs. web)

• When to start: Lay the foundation as early as possible (on a best-efforts basis) and double down once survival for 6+ months is not a concern (that’s the time it will take to give any tangible impact)

• How to start: Begin by building reputation (domain authority) of your website by generating backlinks (the best way is guest posts). Research keywords in your niche and start writing content.

• Life of the channel: Typically any content that starts ranking on Google search does so for months if not years. Needs small upkeep and it is possibly the channel with the longest upside.

• Approach: Once you have your initial customers and have time to set up a long-term channel, use SEO to start scaling your inbound acquisition. This can then feed into your future paid marketing efforts too.

• Hacks:

  • Schedule regular technical audits - these are often ignored, but the easiest way to improve your overall search rankings

  • Track lead indicators first (such as # of pages indexed, impressions, and rankings in the top 100) before thinking of traffic or conversions

5. Newsletter

The only channel you truly own yourself.

• The idea is to create an email list to whom you send a regular newsletter. This allows you to plug your product in the future.

• When to start: As you begin your social media journey, also start your newsletter. This ensures you capture any growth you see on any other channel into an email list you actually control

• How to start: Set up a simple newsletter on a tool like Substack or beehiiv. Add the link to the newsletter on your social handle so that people can find you. Now, share updates on building your company.

• Life of the channel: Any newsletter you write usually has a life of a week. Of course, you would likely maintain a list of your past issues on your website which can be accessed even later.

• Approach: Your goal is to direct the audience from all channels to your newsletter so that you can nurture & buildd trust with them before you can pitch your product.

• Hacks:

  • Your one newsletter can generate multiple posts/tweets for social channels. On those posts/tweets, you can promote your newsletter => win-win!

  • This newsletter (that you are reading) is a good example for you to follow. Add value and subtly market your product

Best,
Karthik

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