1 thing startups get wrong about marketing

Hi there 👋,

Welcome to Human Scale! Over here, we’re real startup marketing folks (not AI-generated at all!) rolling up our sleeves daily to help mission-driven founders grow their user base and impact.

It’s January—the month marketing folks often forget exists until they suddenly have to work overtime to convey that “new year, new you” vibe without actually saying it. It’s a tough job, but someone’s got to do it.

Today, we’re diving into one common myth we often hear from startup founders and operators about marketing:

^ Some of you are going to get why I inserted this gif. Some of you won’t, but hey, it’s fun. Anyway, walk with me.

That one thing is: ✨marketing✨ is the only solution to customer and revenue growth problems: 🎶if…only you knewww🎶…how great our product/service we were, we’d simply be rich. 

Here’s the thing: your marketing efforts could be part of the equation—or not. There are ways to determine whether it’s truly a marketing issue or something more foundational with your business or offering. Let’s start with two key questions:

1. Are your first customers/users returning or continuing past the initial trial period?

• IF YES 👍: Great! This indicates initial customer satisfaction and potential for organic growth or referrals. Get to know these early adopters (even if it’s just a handful). Ask them what’s working and what’s not. Would they recommend you to friends or family? Why or why not? If they would, consider offering an incentive for referrals.

• IF NO 👎: Don’t panic. Use this as an opportunity to ask these users why they decided not to continue. You might even offer a “make-good” to rebuild goodwill—it’s surprising how many people are willing to give you a second chance.

2. What problems are your customers/users trying to solve with your product/service? Is it what you expected?

• IF YES 👍: Awesome! This suggests your initial hypothesis is on track and scaling your marketing efforts could be worth testing.

• IF NO 👎: This is a valuable insight! It means you are solving a problem, just not the one you originally thought. If those problems have revenue potential, this could be a new opportunity. Update your messaging to better align with the needs of your most likely customers.

So, what do your answers mean?

• Two “NOs” – It’s likely not just a marketing issue but something more fundamental, like product-market fit, ideal customer profiles you are targeting, or your messaging.

• One “YES” and one “NO” – It’s a mixed bag. Focus on strengthening the fundamentals mentioned above while testing expanded marketing efforts.

• Two “YESes” – Great! You’re in a good position to explore scaling your marketing and outreach.

What if I literally have NO customers yet?

You might just need more time. If you feel like enough time has passed, start with things you can fully control and that don’t cost anything but your effort:

• Fine-tune your website.

• Build your social presence and email lists.

• Reach out to your network.

• Show up where your potential customers are.

Are any other startup marketing myths on your radar that need busting? Reply with your questions, and we might turn them into content for a future edition!

Until next month,

GOC