10 practical startup marketing tips that helped grow a SaaS product to 30,000+ paying customers
Years of marketing tech products like Skype and Pipedrive have yielded reliable techniques, best practices, and insights. Below are distilled observations derived from conversations with startup marketers and hands-on experience. They’re shared here as practical guidance, not tied to any particular company or product.
1) Talk to lots of customers in a short period
Direct conversations with customers remain the most undervalued activity. Aim to speak with a few dozen customers quickly when you begin serving a new company or audience segment. In one intensive period, I conducted nearly 40 hour-long conversations over three weeks as part of a customer persona exercise. The process itself was transformative, helping to connect product realities to customer day-to-day use. Practical takeaway: keep talking to customers until recurring, overlapping stories emerge. If your user base is homogeneous, 10 may suffice; more commonly, 20–25 is a strong target.
2) Build a double-sided referral program
Create a program where both the inviter and the invitee benefit. For example, offer an extra trial month to the referred user and, if they subscribe, reward the inviter with credits. This approach can steadily generate new customers with minimal ongoing management once it’s in place, especially once you’ve surpassed a sizable user base.
3) Don’t rely on press releases as your primary media strategy
Early-stage tech press coverage often doesn’t come from issuing releases. Instead, identify relevant journalists and bloggers and pitch concise, personalized stories focused on helping them craft a compelling piece. Press releases can still have value for refining messaging and creating a sense of exclusivity when communicating with a shortlist of outlets, but they’re not a primary driver of coverage.
4) Build an email list as early as possible
Email remains the most effective marketing channel: efficient, trackable, and largely within your control. In the early stages, a growing email list supports a strong product launch, and later it underpins scalable content marketing. For many teams, email remains the most predictable way to reach and engage readers, outperforming volatile social distribution.
5) Define your value proposition early
Locking down a crisp value proposition is often underestimated. In the early days, teams may experiment with too many messaging angles and lack sufficient validation to settle on one clear message. Even with some successful AB tests and a modest media budget, the absence of a well-defined value proposition can slow growth. If possible, establish a strong, simple positioning before scaling marketing efforts.
6) Personalize your site with geo-specific elements
Geo-targeted content can materially boost conversion. For example, tailoring testimonials by country or region can improve relevance and trust. While sites evolve, the core idea remains effective: localize messaging and social proof to reflect the viewer’s context.
7) Conduct keyword research to guide content and SEO
Keyword research informs what content to create, the language used across pages, and where to focus link-building efforts. Content without a solid keyword foundation can underperform. Treat keyword research as an ongoing discipline that helps align content with business goals and search intent.
8) Start paid marketing early, even with a small budget
Experiment with paid advertising as soon as you have a modest budget. Early spend supports learning—channels that drive new business, customer lifetime value by channel, and keyword performance. Early data helps you scale spend strategically when funding allows.
9) Seek lower-CAC channels for qualified traffic
While paid search (e.g., major platforms) is a common starting point due to intent and volume, it isn’t always the most economical option for startups. If cost-per-click or acquisition costs are high, identify alternative channels with qualified traffic that offer lower costs. This often involves SEO, niche platforms, or community-focused channels. Evaluate opportunities by measuring relevance, intent, and potential revenue impact.
10) Talk to peers in your field
The best practical insights often come from direct conversations with fellow marketers and practitioners. Proactively schedule 40–60 minute calls to compare notes, whether through warm introductions or outreach on social platforms. The value of real-world, in-the-trenches experience can far exceed what you’ll find in books or podcasts. Dedicating time to these conversations can yield a high return relative to the time invested.
Originally published with illustrations and expanded context at purde.net, this collection reflects practical lessons from hands-on startup marketing. If you’d like, I can tailor these tips to your product stage and target audience, or help you develop a concrete 90-day plan based on them.
