What are the first three marketing channels you should test?
This is one of the most common questions I hear from founders. With so many options—paid search, programmatic content, LinkedIn, Reddit, Facebook, and beyond—figuring out where to start can be overwhelming.
Instead of randomly picking a channel, start by doing research in three key areas:
1️⃣ Look at your competitors
Your competitors, especially those a few steps ahead of you, have likely already tested different channels and found what works. If they’re heavily investing in a platform, it’s a strong signal it could work for you too. That said, be mindful that larger companies can subsidize expensive channels with other revenue streams, so don’t assume their exact strategy will translate.
2️⃣ Understand where your buyers are
Too often, founders pick a channel before considering where their ICP actually spends time. Are engineering leaders really on LinkedIn, or are they more active on Twitter? Are finance leaders more engaged in newsletters than social ads? Start with a deep understanding of your audience before investing.
3️⃣ Know your numbers
Marketing only works if the unit economics make sense. If your customer’s LTV is $1,000 and you’re converting 10% of leads, your max cost per lead needs to be sustainable. Setting a green-yellow-red framework for marketing success helps you gauge early experiments and refine them over time.
TL;DR: Research competitors, understand your audience, and know your benchmarks before scaling into any channel.
What’s been your most effective early marketing channel? Drop it in the comments!
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