Marketing & Brand Playbook

Core Rule

Pick one channel. Go deep before going wide. Most early startups fail at marketing by spreading thin across 5 channels instead of dominating 1.

Positioning (Do This First)

Answer these before any marketing spend:

For [target customer]
Who [have this problem / are in this situation]
Our product is [category]
That [key benefit / differentiator]
Unlike [main alternative]
We [unique proof point]

Test your positioning with 5 target customers before using it anywhere. If they can't repeat it back to you in their own words, it's not clear enough.

Positioning Mistakes to Avoid

Channel Selection

Start with channels where your customers already are. Pick ONE.

The 90-day test: Commit to one channel for 90 days before deciding it doesn't work. Most founders quit channels after 2 weeks — not enough data.

Channel Selection Framework

Ask these questions:

1. Where does my ICP already spend time? (That's your first channel)
2. Can I reach them for free or cheap? (Prioritize time-based channels pre-revenue)
3. Is the feedback loop fast? (Cold email gives data in days; SEO takes months)
4. Can I do this myself? (Don't hire for marketing until you've done it manually)

Content Strategy (Minimum Viable)

Choose one content format. Stick with it for 90 days.

Content Pillars (choose 3):

1. Problem awareness — educate on the problem your ICP has
2. Solution showcase — how your product solves it (not features, outcomes)
3. Social proof — customers, results, case studies
4. Industry insight — thought leadership, trends, data
5. Behind the scenes — founder journey, building in public

Weekly Cadence (sustainable for solo founder):

• 2-3 LinkedIn posts or tweets
• 1 email newsletter
• 1 longer piece (blog, video, case study) — monthly

Content repurposing chain:

1 blog post → 3-5 social posts → 1 newsletter → 1 short video

One piece of deep content fuels a week of distribution. Don't create 5 separate things.

LinkedIn Content Templates

Hook Formats That Work

• "The [problem] most [ICP] don't realize they have:"
• "I made a mistake that cost us [X]. Here's what I learned:"
• "[Counterintuitive insight] about [topic]."
• "[Number] things I wish I knew before [situation]:"
• "We just hit [milestone]. Here's what actually made the difference:"
• "Stop [common bad practice]. Do [better approach] instead."

Post Structure

[Hook — 1 sentence that makes them stop scrolling]

[Body — 3-5 short paragraphs, each 1-2 sentences]

[Proof or specific example]

[CTA — one clear ask: comment, share, DM, or link]

Rules: No hashtag spam. No "agree?" at the end. No engagement bait. Just be useful.

Email Marketing

Welcome Sequence (New Subscriber or Trial User)

Email 1 (immediately): Welcome + what to expect + one quick win Email 2 (Day 2): Your biggest problem, addressed (value, not pitch) Email 3 (Day 4): Success story / case study Email 4 (Day 7): Core product feature + benefit Email 5 (Day 10): Offer or clear next step

Newsletter Format

Subject: [Curiosity hook or specific benefit]

[1 big insight or story — 150-300 words]

[1 resource or tool they can use immediately]

[1 question to reply to — builds engagement]

[CTA — one thing]

Email Benchmarks

Launch Checklist (Product or Feature)

2 weeks before:

• [ ] Write launch narrative (why this, why now, why us)
• [ ] Prepare landing page or feature page
• [ ] Line up 3 customer quotes / case studies
• [ ] Build email list segment to launch to

1 week before:

• [ ] Draft email sequence (tease → launch → follow-up)
• [ ] Draft social posts (3-5 pieces)
• [ ] Reach out to communities to share on launch day
• [ ] Prepare Product Hunt / Hacker News if applicable

Launch day:

• [ ] Send announcement email
• [ ] Post on all channels
• [ ] Engage with every comment and reply (first 24 hours matter most)
• [ ] DM warm contacts personally

1 week after:

• [ ] Send "results" update email
• [ ] Follow up with interested-but-didn't-convert leads
• [ ] Capture testimonials from new users

SEO Basics (Early Stage)

Focus on bottom-of-funnel search intent first:

• "[product category] for [specific use case]"
• "[your category] vs [competitor]"
• "best [tool type] for [ICP]"
• "how to [solve the exact problem your product solves]"

Minimum viable SEO setup:

1. Install Google Search Console (free)
2. Write 5 high-intent blog posts targeting specific search terms
3. Clear title tag + meta description on every page
4. Get 5-10 backlinks from industry publications or directories
5. Make sure your site loads in under 3 seconds

SEO is a 6-month play. Don't expect results in weeks. But the content compounds — a blog post written today generates traffic for years.

Brand Voice

Pick 3 adjectives that describe your brand voice. Then pick what you are NOT.

We are: [Adjective 1], [Adjective 2], [Adjective 3]
We are not: [Anti-adjective 1], [Anti-adjective 2], [Anti-adjective 3]

Apply consistently across: website, emails, social, support, pitch deck, job postings.

See also: pitch/marketing-copy-library.md for taglines, bios, social copy, and ad templates.

Marketing Metrics to Track

The only metric that matters pre-PMF: Are people signing up and staying? If not, marketing spend is premature — fix the product first.

> Disclaimer: This playbook provides educational frameworks for startup marketing. Results vary by industry, audience, and execution. This is not professional marketing or business advice.