This document introduces the concept of Helpful Marketing, which is a strategy for winning customers by proving you can help them solve their problems. It discusses focusing marketing efforts on a specific target persona and identifying problems they face and solutions you can provide. The document provides examples of targeting an entrepreneur persona named "Dave" and writing directly to him to discuss whether he should relocate to a startup hub or remain in his local market. It emphasizes that customers only care about solving their problems and that marketers should focus on proving they are helpful through blogging, speaking, and other content that provides immediate value to the target persona.

1. Stop trying to find customers.
Get customers to find YOU.
An introduction to Helpful
MarketingTM by Kevin Dewalt

2. Founder
SoHelpful, 3 previous
Angel Investor
Collabspot (JFDI), Power Supply
(500 Startups), Vericant (???)
Mentor/Advisor
1,000s, mostly Lean Startup
Ruby Programmer
Former VC
kevindewalt.com
@kevindewalt
Beijing, China

3. Your Biggest Entrepreneur Challenge
• Great idea?
• Great product?
• Money?
• Co-founder?
• Getting to a different market?
Nope.

4. Getting Customers
Finding them & winning their trust.

5. Let’s Play a Game!
Customers.
Don’t.
Care.

6. CUSTOMERS. DON’T. CARE.
About ANYTHING but solving their problems
This is wonderful news…

7. Helpful Marketing
A strategy for winning customers by
proving you help them solve problems.
(or in a game … satisfy needs)

8. Prove you are helpful and customers will …
• Find you
• Trust you
• Buy from you
• Tell everyone about you

9. About … Help

12. Case Study # 1 – Customer.io
“The CEO who writes email copy”

15. Case Study # 2 – Klinify
“The CEO who will sort your email”

16. “Do you need help with your email?”

18. Help them through…
Blogging … Speaking … Newsletters …
Face-to-Face … 1-on-1 over Skype or
Hangout … Webinars … Hangouts on
Air … Drip email … ebooks … courses …
workshops … organizing meetups …
hackathons … office hours

19. Let’s Do Helpful Marketing!
1. Create a Target Persona
2. Identify problem-solution
3. Write to your target

20. Step 1 – Create a Target Persona

21. Target Personas bring focus
A fictitious caricature of your customers.

22. My “Dave” Target Persona
Dave is a 35-year-old American who lives in
Wichita, Kansas. He is married, college educated,
and has a daughter. Dave’s life dream is become an
entrepreneur and sell web and mobile products
online. He has a full-time job and is willing to work
very hard to make his dream a reality. He has some
technical skills but unfortunately doesn’t live near a
startup hub - and thus he has a hard time
connecting with entrepreneurs to get advice when
he needs it.

23. Target Persona Tips
• Based on a REAL person
• 1 Target – or at most 2
• Don’t sweat details.

24. Step 2 – Identify problem-solution

25. Give them something helpful
• What “super-powers” are you giving your
Target?
• What can they IMMEDIATELY do after they
read it?
This is the hardest part.

26. Don’t make this hard
You DON’T …
… need a hard problem.
…… need to be original.
……… need to be clever.
Are you helpful? Otherwise NOBODY CARES!

27. Example
“Accelerating Customer Development: How to
Quickly Get Dozens of Interviews”
Blog post by me – thousands of readers

28. Step 3 - Write TO your Target

29. Style 1
Many entrepreneurs who live in 2nd or 3rd tier markets struggle
with the decision of whether to continue working on their
startup in their smaller, local market or move to major startup
hubs like San Francisco, New York, etc.
Startup hubs in major cities have pros and cons, and
entrepreneurs should consider these options carefully when
evaluating whether to move. Obviously entrepreneurs in major
hubs have more access to resources like capital, partners, and
team members….
…ZZZZZZZZZZZZZ…….

30. Style 2
Hey Dave!
You’re probably wondering whether you should leave home – where you don’t meet a
lot of other entrepreneurs – and move to a startup hub like San Francisco.
Well…before you do, let me tell you some pros and cons – it isn’t all sunshine and
roses in California.
(Ok, maybe in LA is is all sunshine…)
A LOT of entrepreneurs ask me for help on this question – here’s what I tell them…
Sure, there is more money in San Francisco, better coffee shops, and people are a lot
more receptive to new ideas. However, it is INSANELY expensive. Plus you’ll have a
really hard time finding employees AND you’ll give up all of the relationships of the
people that know you in Wichita. Let’s face it…in Wichita you’re probably unique and
people will want to help you…in Silicon Valley you’re just another dude.

31. Summary Reality
Successful startups = Jerry McGuire
1. Start with WHO – a Target Persona
2. Pick a known PROBLEM-SOLUTION
3. Write TO your Target

32. Need Help?
kevindewalt.com
@kevindewalt
SoHelpful.me/KevinDewalt
Sohelpful.me/kevindewalt/trust