One thing that doesn’t hold you back in startup marketing is the lack of options for models, frameworks and opinions on what to spend one’s time on. There’s Dave McClure’s AARRR model. The Bullseye framework. The “Throw spaghetti on the wall and see what sticks” approach. The list goes on. If you have little data and time, as many early stage software companies do, these models don’t help you focus on the 1-2 things that can make a difference. And so many spread themselves too thin between too many channels. Based on marketing lessons from Pipedrive, Skype, Taxify, Outfunnel and other companies, this talk offers a tried-and-tested framework for startups to pick their battles and maximize chances of success.

1. Guard dogs and
sugar gliders:
a no-BS marketing framework
for early stage companies
Andrus Purde
Outfunnel co-founder

3. I’m a marketer, an entrepreneur
and a comedy enthusiast

5. 5 steps to a marketing plan
1. Know your category awareness & category urgency
2. Take a broad pick of channels
3. Do keyword SWOT analysis
4. Prepare your channel opportunity matrix
5. Maximize referrals, your most profitable channel

6. Category
awareness &
category urgency
and how these dry-sounding terms
help to simplify marketing planning

7. Category awareness:
there are two kinds of products/services
Low category awareness High category awareness
http://bit.ly/MktPlanning

8. Category awareness:
are you a guard dog or sugar glider?
App for renting out
an unused parking
lot
Stuff they sell on
shopping channel
Car fleet
mgmt
software
Security
drones
CRMs, To-do
apps
Smart watches
Text
processors
Smartphones
Low category awareness High category awareness

9. Category urgency:
they may know it but are they also
looking for it?

10. Where are you on category
awareness and urgency matrix?Categoryurgency
Category awareness

11. Step 1. Where are you on category
awareness and urgency matrix?Categoryurgency
Category awareness
Maximize
interruptions
Maximize
findability

12. Step 2. take a broad pick of channels
High category awareness &
urgency
• Search (organic + paid)
• High purchase intent
content
• Review sites
• Direct response paid
channels
• Marketplaces, catalogues
Low category awareness &
urgency
• Social (organic + paid)
• Display ads
• Low purchase intent content
• PR
• “Viral”
• Recommendations / Word-of-Mouth

13. When you want to become findable,
where to start?

14. Step 3. Do keyword SWOT analysis
(aka keyword research) for three
good reasons
http://bit.ly/KWresearchPost

16. Step 4. Map search listings to
prepare a channel opportunity matrix

17. Maximize
referrals,
your most profitable channel

18. Step 5. How to get referrals?
Don’t overdo it.
Source: Pipedrive customer survey (2014)
http://bit.ly/referralspost

19. Step 5. How to get referrals? Ask
early.
Source: Pipedrive metadata from feature usage (2016)

21. What’s better than
hedgehog strategy?

22. The 2 Hedgehog Strategy, of course
http://bit.ly/2Hedgehog

23. “It is better to know
some of the questions
than all of the answers.”
— James Thurber
@andruspurde
andrus@outfunnel.com
purde.net