The Marketing Time Suck: Is it worth it?

I kind of tricked you with this headline.

Many founders believe that marketing is a time suck ⌛️

But here’s the thing: It doesn’t have to be.

Here’s why marketing (strategic, intentional and well-executed marketing, that is) actually matters…

It allows for:

• Market validation = Is your MVP the right MMP?

• Differentiation from competitors = Attention

• Visibility and awareness = Customer acquisition

• Brand Building = Customer retention

• Revenue generation = Profitability

• Long-term growth = Scalability

With an understanding of why marketing — again, strategic, intentional and well-executed marketing — matters — here are your choices:

• Learn how to do it yourself (this newsletter is a great place to start) — If you choose this, be prepared to spend a few hours each week devoted to strategizing, implementing and measuring.
  

• Hire someone who knows marketing strategy and implementation — Even if you can’t afford to keep a full-time marketer on your staff, I’m willing to bet that you can contract with one at least part-time in a fractional capacity. Or, hire a strategy-first agency.

What isn’t an option? Not marketing at all. Unless you want your startup to be Dead On Arrival. ☠️

Happy Bootstrapping!

— Diana

🚀 Today’s Bootstrap Boost

Pick my brain — but without adding another meeting to either of our calendars.

5️⃣ Startup Brand Messaging Strategy in 5 Steps

🥴 Websites that convert shouldn’t be complicated!

2️⃣ If you only had 2 hours per week to devote to marketing…

Your weekly marketing freebie.

The leg up you need to scale your startup.

If you’ve begun to post updates on social media for your startup, you likely learned the hard way that it’s not as easy as it looks. It’s important to stay organized and to make sure your messaging is consistent across platforms. The best way to do that? Using a Social Media Content Calendar!

Feel free to edit this Social Media Content Calendar so that it best suits your company’s needs. You won’t believe how much easier this will make the process.

🥤You thirsty?

What got my strategic juices flowing this week…

💪 B-E AGGRESSIVE! 👏 Aggressive marketing strategies for startups

🆕 You new to this? Tips for SEO First-Timers

🏷️ Sick of sales? Pricing tactics that don’t involve discounts

👀 I’m definitely stalking you on LinkedIn

LinkedIn posts I love from founders I can’t get enough of 🫶

LUISA ALBERTO | Founder & CEO: People First Finance
The importance of the BIG picture!

🔩 More than Nuts and Bolts

The section you read only if you’ve got more than 4-minutes to mess around on your phone…

🔢 By the numbers: 78% of consumers say that sustainability concerns are important for where they shop for and buy products.

🕸 Mini Boost: “A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way.” -John Maxwell

🤓 Worth the Read: Using design thinking to solve problems

Your feedback helps me nail it every week.