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🚨 Out Now: Leveraging Channel Partners: Key to Startup Success 🏔 In our new article, we take a dive deep into how startups can harness the power of channel partnerships to fuel growth, penetrate new markets, and enhance brand awareness. If growth is on your agenda, understanding the dynamics of channel partnerships is essential. Ready to unlock your startup's potential? Read our comprehensive guide from our channel experts here: https://lnkd.in/g8RcWAzh #StartupGrowth #ChannelPartnerships #BusinessStrategy

A common problem for startups (and not only them) is trying to sell their product to the wrong audience. It's like when your client has a leaking roof, and you offer them a swimming pool because your analytics suggest the context of 'water'. Wake up! They already have too much water! I often see startups trying to expand their product range on the fly to meet market needs. Stop! Expanding your product range is sensible only when you have an already extensive consumer network. If you're chasing every customer and lack funds for operational activities, additional products will lead you to bankruptcy and burn out your managers. What to do? 1. Focus on the specific problems that your product solves for the customer. 2. Share stories of your existing clients. This is exactly the type of content that will separate your future clients from the general mass. 3. Engage ambassadors among satisfied customers. The best sales story is one's own relationship with the product. What would you add to these activities? #MarketerNotes #contentstrategy #contentmarketing #demandgeneration #TargetAudienceMatters #SolveRealProblems #BeyondAnalytics #CustomerFocusedSolutions #AvoidProductOverload #MarketFitFirst #ClientSuccessStories

"Get to product-market fit," they say. "You'll be fine from there," they promise. In reality, product-market fit is 1) just the beginning, 2) ever-evolving, and 3) nothing without an ecosystem around it. Even the best products don't sell themselves (much like this bike is pretty useless without its rider). In this article, my friend and colleague Michelle Waite argues that there is "a common misconception: that marketing is merely a collection of tactics aimed at generating leads and boosting sales." She emphasizes that "this narrow view overlooks the true essence of marketing, especially in the context of startups. Marketing, at its core, is a critical business function that goes beyond tactics like lead generation and social media campaigns. It’s about deeply understanding the market, identifying the problems that the company’s product or service aims to solve, and facilitating the crafting of a point of view that sets the startup apart and as the leader in its category." Yet even if we know that, we often fail at it as startup founders. Why? Michelle does an excellent job of illustrating the tension between the ways startups bootstrap and the experience needed to get a product off the ground... in a nutshell, experience is much more likely to get the flywheel going but we often hire inexperienced teams because that's what the budget allows for. Read on for her wise suggestions about how to approach marketing more strategically and to set your startup up for the best chance of success. https://lnkd.in/esPxzHd2 #experiencehack #startupecosystem #marketing #startupmarketing #fractionalcmo Michael Sattler Bruce Ericson Rachel Taylor Susan Beans Jen L. Cohen

I recently spoke with a founder of a startup. I asked her how is she going to overcome the 95/5 rule to new business? In the context of outbound sales & marketing 95% of buyers in a company's total addressable market are not ready to buy. Spending $ to find the 5% in the market to buy based on brute force outreach is typically why lead-gen vendors and sales fail.  This was her answer to my question. "Testing out every growth hacking and marketing activity out there". I'm not sure why almost every single founder I speak with skips the most fundamental aspect of sales and marketing. They move beyond prioritizing and figuring out how to effectively engage and generate commercial dialogue across their target market.  Too many founders are looking for the answers to their problems in the wrong place.  1. Is it the lack of a framework to understand which activities in the beginning will drive the greatest impact at the fastest rate? 2. Is it a product marketing perspective or mindset in which founders think all they have to do is describe their product or company and speak to general pain points to their target audience?  3. Is it the fact that the act and motions of sales can be done by anyone and they lack the experience and expertise in sales & marketing disciplines?  I'm not sure exactly what the root cause is but if and when startups can actually develop and validate messaging that truly engages their audience they no longer have to "test" marketing activities and channels because they will actually work.  P.S. The real way to answer this problem is to create and validate a true value proposition and develop messaging that supports that value prop. The market will respond to business outcomes (the value proposition) at a much higher rate than your company and company benefits and features.  #startups #salesandmarketing #salesgrowth

“We have a small marketing budget”. What does this line by a Founder/ #CEO imply for you? Some context before you answer… As I go further down along my #MarketingConsultant journey, I continue meeting #Founders of B2B companies across different stages of growth – from seed stage startups looking for funding to 10+ yo non-funded companies. I oftentimes find myself in discovery meetings where the grand objectives of business growth and aspirations for scaling get shared, only to be followed by the statement - “We cannot invest more than <enter a small $ amount> into marketing at this point in time”. Listen, I am all for frugality in marketing. Coming from two bootstrapped yet profitable companies, I know how to stretch the dollar. Not having sufficient marketing dollars ‘right now’ is not a crime. Nor are the CEO’s growth aspirations. So if you an early stage B2B startup with limited resources, this one’s for you. 5 low cost marketing tactics that can get your #marketing engine humming. #lowcostmarketing #B2Bmarketing #marketingadvisor #marketingstrategies #frugalmarketing ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I am Pranjalee Lahri, a B2B marketing consultant. I work with early stage startups and bootstrapped companies in SaaS and Services to set or scale up their marketing game. Follow me for more actionable #marketingtips that help you move the needle. 

Check out Cervin Partner & Head of Platform, Scott Brown's latest blog article, "5 Insights Startup CEOs Should Know About Analyst Relations," for tips and strategies to leverage this crucial aspect of business development. Whether you're a seasoned entrepreneur or just starting your journey, understanding Analyst Relations can be a game-changer for your startup's success.

Generating leads through referral and word of mouth has been a game-changer for The Clueless Company®. Of course, there’s no denying the power of happy customers spreading the word about your product. But here’s the thing: don’t put all your eggs in one basket. While referrals are invaluable, diversification in your lead generation strategy is essential. Explore different channels—content marketing, social media, partnerships, and SEO. Each channel can bring in unique prospects and reduce dependency on any one source. The key is to create multiple touchpoints for potential customers. This not only increases awareness but also builds a robust foundation for sustainable growth. Balance is critical. Maximize leads without over-reliance. Keep experimenting and adapting. Your startup's future depends on it! #startups #leadgeneration #business

"I want to retain control over my business. As I go-to-market, I just need a marketing co-pilot so I can still override their decisions." Let that analogy sink in... + this founder wants full control over their business + they fundamentally believe they can do their own marketing + but they want a co-pilot so they can get and stay on the right course I heard variations of this from 100s of founders. These are smart, kind, talented individuals. They are building useful tech startups. That's why I created GTM Booster, my 'done-with-you' offer. We design your go-to-market plan and GTM micro-tests. Weekly meetings to prioritize ideas & make *decisions*. You send me WIP assets and questions in between. I send you feedback, tools, templates, & emails. Oh, and a lot of Loom videos. Really a ton lol Every week you focus on micro-testing. We review results and draft new tests. Success = Happy Paying Customers. We keep going until you've got: *business*-market fit. It is a no-nonsense subscription so you can cancel anytime. No obligation to continue unless you find value. And, we work together until it makes sense. I'll gladly find you a replacement, too. It is that simple. Here's what a founder said recently: “I genuinely look forward to Thursday afternoons to meet with Sweta because I know that: A. We'll be hanging out with a truly great person with an infectious positive energy (Trust me you need that in a startup) B. We will be challenged by a very smart and knowledgeable person who REALLY knows her craft. If you fit her requirements, you run, don't walk to take a call with her.” You in? I'm fully booked right now. I can take 2 startups next month. Schedule a free consultation to secure your spot. Book via the first pinned post on profile. p.s. I only work with kind, smart founders building useful tech who are serious about hitting $250K ARR and want to run GTM micro-tests that don't burn time and cash.

Entrepreneurial Edge: Daily Dose on Growth and Innovation - 🚀 Unlock Growth and Innovation with the AARRR Pirate Metrics Framework! Blog by Amplitude 🏴☠️ Set sail towards product-led growth with the AARRR framework—a proven methodology to navigate the seas of acquisition, activation, retention, referral, and revenue. Developed by entrepreneur and investor Dave McClure, this framework provides a structured approach to drive sustainable growth for startups and established businesses alike. 🔍 Key Takeaways: - Acquisition: Identify user entry points and measure campaign effectiveness. - Activation: Drive users to discover the value of your product or service. - Retention: Keep users engaged and prevent churn with sticky features. - Referral: Harness the power of word-of-mouth and incentivized promotions. - Revenue: Monetize user engagement and optimize revenue streams. 🛠️ Practical Insights for Entrepreneurs: - Use acquisition metrics to evaluate campaign performance and optimize marketing channels. - Focus on activation to guide users towards "aha" moments and increase engagement. - Prioritize retention to foster long-term user relationships and maximize customer lifetime value. - Cultivate referrals by making it easy for satisfied users to share your product with others. - Drive revenue growth through targeted pricing strategies and subscription models. 🌊 Don't Miss the Boat on Growth Opportunities! 🌟 Read the full article to learn how you can leverage the AARRR framework to steer your business towards success: https://lnkd.in/geqwq6Yy #Entrepreneurship #GrowthStrategy #Innovation #ProductDevelopment #StartupSuccess #AARRRFramework #PirateMetrics StartupSac Startup Folsom Sacramento Entrepreneurial Growth Alliance Sacramento Entrepreneurship Academy NorCal Entrepreneur Hub 1 Million Cups Sacramento Strategy & Innovation Institute The Right Box LLC

How specific is TOO specific for your homepage? Here's a rule of thumb ⬇️ • narrow segment = better messaging (but smaller market) • broad segment = worse messaging (but larger market) Startup marketers need to thread a very fine needle when choosing the primary audience for their homepage. And the temptation is to go too broad too early. Pressure from investors or visionary founders can make the life of an early stage marketer hell. What few non-marketers understand is that your message effectiveness gets worse as you try to speak to wider groups of people. There's just not an effective way to make a compelling argument to an enterprise logistics company, a retail SMB, and an instagram influencer all at the same time (even if they're all TECHNICALLY in your TAM.) Finding the right spot requires balancing your own go-to-market muscle (i.e. how many people can you reasonably expect to reach given your budget and talent)... ...with the expectations of your founder who wants you to reach the ends of the earth (without spending much money). But there's another danger that many non-business minded marketers overlook — going TOO narrow. Most startup marketers are scrappy generalists who can get into the weeds and figure out whatever needs to be figured out. They aren't always as knowledgeable about aspects of the business (i.e. what your founder shares in the boardroom). VC-backed have real timetables with runways that are not infinite, and in certain cases they need to find markets large enough to keep the lights on. While it can be tempting to shrink the market so small to guarantee your marketing effort's effectiveness... ...it isn't always prudent to do so given the realities of your business. That being said... the problem of going too broad is by far the greater issue, and most founders could shrink their target market by a factor of 10 and still reach their next revenue milestone. #productmarketing #b2b #saas #startups