When you are an early stage startup you need to learn how to get customers in the most profitable way. The only thing that will matter for your marketing is the funnel. Learn the critical stages of the funnel and some of the top steps to creating it.

1. Maria Dykstra
MARKETING LESSONS FOR EARLY
STAGE STARTUPS
MARIA DYKSTRA @TREDIGITAL

2. Image Credit:
Lighting Design Alliance

4. Image Credit: WeWork

5. LESSONS LEARNED:
HOW TO BUILD COMPANIES WITH 7 FIGURES IN SALES
AND PRACTICALLY N0 MARKETING $$
@TREDIGITAL

6. THE ONLY THING THAT MATTERS IS YOUR FUNNEL
@TREDIGITAL

7. WHAT DOES THE BASIC FUNNEL LOOK LIKE?
Image credit: Neil Patel
@TREDIGITAL

8. EVERY FUNNEL REQUIRES THESE 4 STEPS
DETERMINE WHO THE RIGHT CUSTOMERS ARE
CREATE A COMPELLING STORY TO TELL THEM
FIND PROFITABLE TRAFFIC CHANNELS TO REACH YOUR CUSTOMERS
DESIGN SMART SALES SEQUENCE TO CONVERT LEADS INTO BUYERS
@TREDIGITAL

9. YOUR CUSTOMER
LET’S TALK ABOUT….
@TREDIGITAL

10. "Almost every failed startup has a product.
What failed startups don’t have are enough
customers."
~Traction: A Startup Guide to Getting
Customers
@TREDIGITAL

11. WHAT DO MOST STARTUPS DO?
@TREDIGITAL
Image credit: Blossom.com

12. “WANT” AND “NEED” ARE NOT THE SAME
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Image credit: Synergy Says

13. SPECIFIC “MUST HAVE” + SPECIFIC PERSON =
“PROBLEM CUSTOMER FIT”
@TREDIGITALImage credit: Synergy Says

14. HOW TO GET TO THE RIGHT “MUST HAVE”
1. Tell me about the last time you had...
<problem> <context>
2. What was the most challenging?
3. Why was it challenging?
4. How do you solve it now?
5. Why is this solution not great?
Do NOT ask about the future (i.e. no “Would you”
or “Will you” questions)
Absolutely NO PITCHING!
IT MAY TAKE 5+
“WHYs” TO GET TO
THE CORE EMOTION
@TREDIGITALJustin Wilcox, Customer Dev Labs

15. 1 - CUSTOMER “MUST-HAVE” EXERCISE
Interview someone you do NOT know. Ask Customer Interview Questions. Document your
findings:
- What was the most challenging? Why?
- How did they solve the problem?
- Listen for: Beliefs, Fears, Frustrations
@TREDIGITAL

16. COMPELLING
STORY
MOVING ON TO…
@TREDIGITAL

17. CONNECT YOUR STORY TO CUSTOMER BFFs
Beliefs
Fears
Frustrations
@TREDIGITAL
Image credit The Ultimate Answer

18. OUTCOMES VS. FEATURES

19. YOUR STORY GOES BEYOND YOUR WEBSITE
YOUR WEBSITE
= THE HUB OF YOUR STORY
Social Media
Blog + Guest Blogging Email + Newsletter
Whitepapers + ebooks
Public RelationsOffline Materials
Podcast
Video Series + Webinars
SEO + Referring Links Video Series + Webinars
Document Sharing Sites
Forums
@TREDIGITAL

20. 2 - STORY EXERCISE
For every product feature, determine customer benefits and outcomes. How do your
product features address BFF (beliefs, fears, frustrations)
FEATURES OUTCOMES/BENEFITS
1 1
2
3
2 1
2
3
3 1
2
3
@TREDIGITAL

21. PROFITABLE
CHANNELS
TIME TO DISCUSS….
@TREDIGITAL

22. “If you get even a single distribution channel
to work, you have a great business.
If you try for several but do not nail one, you
are finished ” — Peter Thiel
@TREDIGITAL

23. 24 Marketing Channels
B2BB2C
❏ VIRAL MARKETING
❏ INFLUENCER MARKETING
❏ LIFESTREAMING
❏ WORD OF MOUTH
❏ PUBLICITY STUNTS
❏ DISPLAY ADS
❏ EMAIL MARKETING
❏ SOCIAL MEDIA (ORGANIC)
❏ CONTENT MARKETING
❏ SEO
❏ SOCIAL ADS
❏ EARNED MEDIA/GUEST
BLOGGING
❏ REMARKETING
❏ SEM/PPC
❏ AFFILIATE PROGRAMS
❏ EVENTS/TRADE SHOWS
❏ MOBILE MARKETING
❏ COMMUNITY BUILDING
❏ WEBINARS
❏ PUBLIC RELATIONS
❏ BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT
❏ SALES
❏ INFLUENCE BUILDING
❏ SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS
@TREDIGITAL

24. CHANNEL PRIORITIZATION FRAMEWORK
1. PICK A CHANNEL
2. DESIGN A FUNNEL
3. RUN AN EXPERIMENT
4. MEASURE RESULTS
5. OPTIMIZE
6. RE-RUN THE EXPERIMENT
7. DETERMINE ROI @TREDIGITAL

25. CHANNEL PRIORITIZATION FRAMEWORK
1. PICK A CHANNEL
2. DESIGN FUNNEL
3. RUN AN EXPERIMENT
4. MEASURE RESULTS
5. OPTIMIZE
6. RE-RUN THE EXPERIMENT
7. DETERMINE ROI @TREDIGITALImage Credit: Sean Ellis

26. 3 - CHANNELS EXERCISE
DETERMINE THE CORE CHANNELS AND STEPS FOR THE EXPERIMENT. DETERMINE THE SUCCESS
MEASURES
KEY CHANNEL(S) TO TEST
IF WE DO <insert experiment>
OUR KEY METRIC <x>
WILL INCREASE BY <y>
CORE STEPS
SUCCESS METRICS
@TREDIGITAL

27. SMART SALES
SEQUENCE
FINALLY….
@TREDIGITAL

28. “ONLY 3% OF PEOPLE ARE IN THE “READY
TO BUY NOW” MODE”
~ Chet Holmes
@TREDIGITAL

29. GIVE VALUE
GIVE VALUE
GIVE VALUE
then ask for business
@garyvee

30. YOUR FIRST SALE IS JUST THE BEGINNING
@TREDIGITAL

31. CREATE A FUNNEL FOR EACH CHANNEL
@TREDIGITAL

32. YOUR COMPLETE
FUNNEL MAY LOOK
LIKE THIS
@TREDIGITAL

33. AT THE VERY
MINIMUM MAKE
ALL OF YOUR
CHANNELS
WORK TOGETHER
@TREDIGITAL
Image Credit: Kate Grunton,
buildalittlebiz.com

34. 4 - FUNNEL EXERCISE
Design a Basic Funnel for the Channel that you picked. Determine different offers and
nurturing sequence
How and where do you
integrate BFF into the Funnel?
1.
1.
@TREDIGITAL

35. RESOURCES/TOOLS
CUSTOMER
How to Find & Interview
Customers at
CustomerDevLab.com
STORY
Value Prop and Other Critical
Story Components via Lean
Canvas from Leanstack.com
CHANNELS
Overview of the Traction
Channels from Traction (the
book)
NeilPatel.com - Tools + Tips on
Maximizing channels
SALES SEQUENCE
Tools to create sequence:
ConvertKit (email) &
ClickFunnels.com
Growthhackers.com - Online
Community of GrowthHackers
@TREDIGITAL

36. LET’S STAY IN TOUCH!
@TREDIGITAL IN/MARIADYKSTRA MARIAD@TREDIGITAL.COM
FIND THIS DECK: http://content.tredigital.com/StartupLessons

37. PUT THEORY INTO PRACTICE