April Dunford @aprildunford

Marketing Planning for Startups

Who am I and Why Should You Care?

5 Startups 4 exits Some Big Companies 9 Product Launches Currently: COO Tulip Retail @aprildunford

Speed is a Key Startup Strength

Because the Internet tell

us to

We like to focus on tactics and

tactical execution

We are Drowning in Tactical Advice

So “ultimate” that there are 16M of them!

My personal fav

The Cycle of Marketing Meh Marketing Fashion

Assessment

Choose Tactics

Execute Tactics

Measure Results

Drop Bad Tactics

Where you look at what everyone else is doing.

Fast, Stupid Marketing Can Kill You

How Do We Pick Better Tactics in the First Place?

The Exact Target Customer

Marketing Planning Inputs

The Offering (And the Value)

The Customer Buying Process

Tactical Plan Based on the Above

Target

Prospect

Unique Qualities

Pain Points

How They Learn

Where they

Gather

Prospect Knowledge

Product Offering

What do we Do?

Alternatives

Proof

What is our

Unique Value?

Product Offering

Understand The Buying Process

No Need Need Eval Buy Enjoy Re-new

Knowing the cost of not solving the problem

Knowing the Value of solving the problem

Knowing the value of your solution

Why purchase now?

Using and enjoy the offering

Knowing I can’t do without the offering

Current solution good enough

Value not compelling Risks too high

Not knowing how to evaluate Great but not for me

I might change my mind Too much $

Bad service, Bad user experience Not using

Decided there was no need Move to other solution

Accelerators

Friction points

Mapping Tactics To The Buying Process Buying Stage

No Need, Need Eval, Buy Enjoy, Refer, Renew

What Problem-Focused Content and Programs

Solution-Focused Content and Programs

Activation & Engagement-focused Content, Programs

Examples Problem-Focused Articles/blog posts, Industry data, trend reports, curated content

Solution-focused Articles/blog posts, webinars, events, case studies, ROI calculators, advertising

Support content, How to guides, Best practices guides Forums, User Conferences

Where Where prospects are Partly where they are, partly your turf

Mainly your turf

Purpose Entertain, Educate, Engage

Educate, differentiate, move to eval or sell

Experience value, create raving fans

Action Permission to “market”: likes, follows, newsletter/blog signups

Permission to “sell”: give contact info, trial sign-up, purchase

Renewals, Referrals

A Better Cycle Document

Inputs, Assumptions

Choose Tactics

Execute Tactics

Measure Results

Analyze and Check

Assumptions

Assumptions on: •  Segmentation • Buying Process • Accelerators/���

Friction Points

Examples

Questions?

@aprildunford Slideshare.net/aprildunford Rocketwatcher.com Tulip.io