Sean Ellis StartupDay 2011 Speech

Sean EllisSeptember 17th, 2011

Founder & CEO of CatchFreeBlog: Startup-Marketing.com

Twitter: @SeanEllis

Startup Marketing

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?

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Agenda

1. Marketing success requirements2. GTM steps by startup type3. Driving sustainable growth

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Common Conditions of Marketing

Success?

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Passionate users….that spread the word

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How?

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Become a “must have” for enough users*

• Already a must have?• Who considers it a must have?• How are they using product?• Primary benefit of this use?

* Often referred to as “product/market fit”

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Orient business around benefit…

• How do customers articulate?• Optimize entry pages (highlight key benefit)• Optimize funnel (reduce friction to benefit)

What matters/when (GTM)?

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Go to market depends on business type…

• Normal startup• Network-effect startup• Freemium startup

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Normal Startup

Scale

Transition

Product/Market Fit

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1. Understand- core value

perceived

2. Positioning- based on value

3. Optimize conversions- LP &

funnel

4. Right metrics- to focus

resources

5. Viable economics- business

model

Key Transition Projects

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Normal Startup

Scale

Transition

Product/Market Fit

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Network Effect

Optimize on the fly…

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Freemium Growth

Can be normal or network effect, but…requires evangelist

driven growth

The Freemium Growth Loop

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Seed aFree User

Get word-of-mouth free users

Premium Upgrade

Reinvest

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Driving Growth

• Repeatable, scalable, positive ROI• Multipliers (sharing, virality)• Emerging channels/testing• Reach receptive prospect

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Demand Harvesting First

• SEM• SEO• Directories• App stores• CatchFree – for freemium

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Demand Creation Last (Context)

• Facebook ads• Display/banners• Radio• PR

Sean Ellis, Founder & CEOCatchFree.com

Blog: Startup-Marketing.comTwitter: @SeanEllis