April Dunford @aprildunford
Marketing Planning for Startups

Who am I and Why Should You Care?
5 Startups
4 exits
Some Big Companies
9 Product Launches
Currently: COO Tulip Retail
@aprildunford

Speed is a Key Startup Strength

Because the
Internet tell
us to
We like to focus
on tactics and
tactical
execution

We are Drowning in Tactical Advice
So “ultimate” that
there are 16M of
them!
My personal fav

The Cycle of Marketing Meh
Marketing
Fashion
Assessment
Choose
Tactics
Execute
Tactics
Measure
Results
Drop Bad
Tactics
Where you look at
what everyone else
is doing.

Fast, Stupid Marketing Can Kill You

How Do We Pick Better Tactics
in the First Place?

The Exact Target Customer
Marketing Planning Inputs
The Offering (And the Value)
The Customer Buying Process
Tactical Plan Based on the Above

Target
Prospect
Unique
Qualities
Pain
Points
How
They
Learn
Where
they
Gather
Prospect Knowledge

Product
Offering
What do
we Do?
Alternatives
Proof
What is
our
Unique
Value?
Product Offering

Understand The Buying Process
No Need Need Eval Buy Enjoy Re-new
Knowing
the cost of
not solving
the
problem
Knowing
the Value
of solving
the
problem
Knowing
the value of
your
solution
Why
purchase
now?
Using and
enjoy the
offering
Knowing I
can’t do
without the
offering
Current
solution
good
enough
Value not
compelling
Risks too
high
Not
knowing
how to
evaluate
Great but
not for me
I might
change my
mind
Too much
$
Bad
service,
Bad user
experience
Not using
Decided
there was
no need
Move to
other
solution
Accelerators
Friction points

Mapping Tactics To The Buying Process
Buying Stage
No Need, Need Eval, Buy Enjoy, Refer, Renew
What Problem-Focused
Content and Programs
Solution-Focused Content
and Programs
Activation &
Engagement-focused
Content, Programs
Examples Problem-Focused
Articles/blog posts,
Industry data, trend
reports, curated
content
Solution-focused Articles/
blog posts, webinars,
events, case studies, ROI
calculators, advertising
Support content, How
to guides, Best
practices guides
Forums, User
Conferences
Where Where prospects are Partly where they are,
partly your turf
Mainly your turf
Purpose Entertain, Educate,
Engage
Educate, differentiate,
move to eval or sell
Experience value,
create raving fans
Action Permission to “market”:
likes, follows,
newsletter/blog
signups
Permission to “sell”: give
contact info, trial sign-up,
purchase
Renewals, Referrals

A Better Cycle
Document
Inputs,
Assumptions
Choose
Tactics
Execute
Tactics
Measure
Results
Analyze and
Check
Assumptions
Assumptions on:
• Segmentation
• Buying Process
• Accelerators/