Ayhan K. Isaacs’ Post

I’ll be honest… I HATE talking about this, but it needs to be said: Are you sick of throwing money at marketing that just doesn’t work for your startup? Big tech's playbook won't cut it for startups. But what if you could 10x your reach without breaking the bank? Startups need creative, low-cost marketing to stand out. Traditional approaches often drain resources without delivering results. Here are 5 unconventional marketing hacks that'll make your startup shine: 1. Guerrilla stunts 2. Micro-influencer partnerships 3. User-generated content campaigns 4. Community-driven product development 5. Personalized, handwritten notes to early adopters These hacks can skyrocket your startup's growth without draining your bank account. Which one will you try first? The future of startup marketing isn't about outspending competitors. It's about outsmarting them. . . . #ContentMarketing #Organic #fCMO #Startups #Marketing #SaaS --- ➤ If you're a startup founder or leader who would like to discuss how I can drive more predictable, reliable revenue growth for your company, I'd love to have a 1-on-1 conversation. DM me today so we can discuss your growth and marketing goals. ➤ If you've got any questions, comments, or concerns, please reach out directly at laura@ecomjungle.com and I'll be happy to assist.

A startup marketing leader called me frustrated recently. "Garrett, I'm losing my mind here. My CEO sends me new ideas every single day. Different markets to target, new messaging to try, random channels to test. I can't keep up, let alone execute anything well." I had to be honest with them. You can't. Marketing is like rolling a snowball down a hill. Each rotation adds more snow, building momentum. But if you keep picking up that snowball and starting over... well, you get the point. I've worked with many B2B startups, and they all go through these 3 growth phases: 1. The "Throw Spaghetti" Phase → You're selling to anyone who'll listen → Learning what sticks → Moving fast and breaking things 2. The "Double Down" Phase → You've found where to focus → One perfect customer type → One solid offering → Crystal clear messaging 3. The "Expand Smart" Phase → Now you can add new segments → Or launch new offerings → But, one at a time The problem? Most founders get stuck in phase 1 mode. They're idea machines––it's why they're founders! But at some point, you've got to pick your lane and own it. I get it. Focusing on one thing is hard. It can feel like leaving money on the table. But here's what more than a decade of working with startups has taught me: The fastest path to growth isn't trying to serve everyone––it's becoming irreplaceable to someone. Also, your marketing team needs time and focus to build something special. Give them that gift. Trust me, your revenue will thank you. #startupgrowth #b2bmarketing

LinkedIn is a free university for startup founders. But most founders don’t know who the best professors are... Here are my 5 favorite startup professors on LinkedIn: 1. Robbie Crabtree - venture fundraising Robbie teaches you storytelling techniques that help you raise top dollars from top VCs. He focuses on storytelling as a life skill for founders. 2. Simon Høiberg - No Code / SaaS Simon’s videos are beyond amazing. He teaches you about marketing, no code, AI, and building Micro SaaS. 3. Dave Kline - Management & Leadership Dave shares amazing resources for free and teaches managers how to run high performing teams. These are tips EVERY first time founder CEO needs. 4. Neal O'Grady 🍉 - Growth Marketing Neals's insights on how to generate high quality organic content that generates buzz which converts to leads are mind blowing. 5. Katelyn Bourgoin - Buyer Psychology If I had to pick my favorite at this time, it's Katelyn. She shares insights into buyer psychology aka why we buy. I highly recommend her newsletter as it's basically all of startup marketing knowledge distilled into an entertaining weekly email. You need to listen to her, because she will teach how to find your ICP, sell more to them and build a better growth engine. ---- If you're a B2B founder on the journey to $2M ARR, I have a special giveaway for you! I've taken over a decade of startup experience and put together the ultimate B2B founder guide with all of my favorite tactics and strategies. These exact tactics and strategies helped me raise $7M funding, sell 6-figure B2B deals, and run a world-class 40-person team. Join 1000+ other smart founders who use my tips to grow faster 👉 https://bit.ly/3wngs6o

When I launched my first business back in 2003, LinkedIn didn't exist—being completely honest, social media didn't either (Myspace came around about six months later!) Nothing was there for me to find advice or reach out to peers or potential investors. For the music, food, and tech industries, I still see some knowledge gaps on this platform, or people not being entirely honest about their experience or careers. This makes it challenging for anyone looking to branch out into any of these sectors, it’s a struggle to find relatable content and not just Chat GPT-generated fluff structured to cheat the algorithm. After checking Companies House it appears I’ve owned 19 businesses in total since my first way back when. I think a few others from early on might be missing too, so I could even be out of my “company teens”. When looking at the list, each one of them brought back memories, both good and bad. Regardless of how they turned out, I instantly knew what I had learned from each of them, and how that meant the next company on the list didn’t make quite as many mistakes. I want to start sharing my honest advice, learnings, and some of my more relatable blunders (of which there have been many!), hoping that my insight may reassure or guide anyone in the same position I was in 21 years ago. If that's you - let's connect! If you know someone on that journey, feel free to send them this post. _________________ Mark Newton  Founder of multiple start-ups. Creator of multiple f**k-ups. 🤝 Hands-on in growing my businesses and investments in the tech, food, & music sectors.  🚀 Sharing advice, experience, and insights into the world of start-ups. #Innovation #StartUp #Entrepreneurship

🎯 Struggling to find the right growth strategy for your startup? Picture this: You’ve spent months perfecting your product. You know it has the potential to change the game, but every marketing effort feels like you’re throwing spaghetti at the wall to see what sticks. You’re running campaigns across every platform, trying to engage with your audience, burning through budget, and pouring endless hours into content. Yet, the traction is slow… and the results? Far from what you expected. 😕 Here’s the promise: *You don’t need to do more—*you need to do better. 🚀 The truth is, most early-stage startups make the same mistake—they try to do everything. But here’s a shift that can make all the difference: focus on a "test, learn, optimize" mindset. ✅ Here’s the proof: Startups that find growth success often do a few things differently: 1️⃣ Focus on key channels: Rather than being everywhere, find where your audience truly lives. Maybe it’s LinkedIn, maybe it’s Instagram, or maybe it’s niche communities. Double down on that channel. 2️⃣ Relentlessly measure performance: Numbers don’t lie. Track metrics that matter—customer acquisition costs, lifetime value, engagement, etc. Data is your best friend in refining your strategy. 3️⃣ Iterate quickly: Growth marketing isn’t about getting it perfect the first time. It’s about testing, seeing what works, and pivoting fast. Small, smart adjustments lead to big results over time. The startups that grow aren’t the ones that try everything. They’re the ones that do the right things consistently. So here’s the action: Focus. Test. Optimize. Start by choosing one key channel this week and see how deep, strategic work on just one area can transform your growth. Your time and budget will thank you. 💡 #StartupGrowth #MarketingStrategy #EarlyStageStartups

If I was to launch a startup today... here are the 10 things I would do 🙇🏻♀️ as a 1st time founder: 🔷 Prioritise experiments (with real paying customers) to prove value = cash. A fundamental principle that needs to be proven as early as possible. 🔷 Listen to customers. Spend lots of time working with them on the product, and getting their feedback. 🔷 Leverage affordable tools, rather than getting fancy. From Intuit Mailchimp for marketing sequences and forms, Framer for an AI generated landing page, to Canva for branding and collateral etc. 🔷 Start with a raise strategy 8 months in advance. 🔷 Find key FTE / founding team, with mixed skills across sales, partnerships, marketing and product. Maybe experts if relevant. In my opinion, the venture needs to be fueled with the critical skills to ensure the venture survives. 🔷 However: outsource wherever possible. The venture and tech will likely rapidly change. 🔷 Make sure my team feels valued, appreciated and cared for. Happy people = positive energy. Indeed an essential ingredient to the venture's success. 🔷 Ensure I as the founder have mentorship from investors, advisors, specialists etc. From raising, to experiments, to industry knowledge, possible partnerships, to team management and beyond, this would be instrumental in allowing for diverse perspectives from people who have been around the block before me. 🔷 Only with enough validation, move to a tech solution. Delay building as long as I can. 🔷 Remove distractions and nice-to-haves, focusing very much so on what we need to prove. No need to run ten social pages, attend events etc if they don't align with our roadmap. Any you'd add? 😎 #startups #venturebuilding

You know you have a great idea for a startup. But how do you turn traction into growth? Steve Jones, knew he had to address a common issue in marketing: a lack of diversity in stock media. His idea turned into pocstock, a stock library with a diverse representation of people. While pocstock built up its base of users through its mission of inclusivity, the company also turned to partnership outreach to expand its impact. In fact, Steve secured a major brand partnership by staying active right here on LinkedIn. “If you're a B2B business, you have to be on LinkedIn. If you're a B2B founder, you need to spend X hours daily on LinkedIn, connecting with people, engaging with content, and all of the above. Don't assign it to your admin or any of those corny things because it won't work. No, people see you; they want to hear from you. They don't just want the generic copy-and-paste messages you'll get from an admin. But for LinkedIn, if you want to build a personal and professional brand, you need to show up and put in the work. There are no shortcuts.” His presence on LinkedIn, combined with the richness of the content on the platform, led to pocstock's partnership with Canva earlier this year. Read more of Steve’s story on meeting user needs with an MVP, navigating the weaknesses of AI, and scaling through partnerships in our latest Startups Scaling Smarter post. Read it now on the HubSpot for Startups Resources blog or the Startups Scaling Smarter blog. #startups #ai #diversity

Today’s LinkedIn Post: 🚀 Unlock the Secrets to Startup Go-to-Market ExcellenceHey Entrepreneurial Eagles! ✨ Mastering the Go-to-Market Strategy isn’t just a stepping stone to success; it’s the very foundation of your startup’s future. Dive deep into market research, sharpen your value proposition, and tailor your messaging as if your brand were a Lego® block—every piece crucial, every connection key.Strategize around your customer pain points and weave your solution’s narrative in a storytelling tapestry that captivates. Assemble an unstoppable team with diverse talents, and remember, relentless innovation combined with agile execution makes a start-up the magic formula that disrupts industries.The digital world thrives on connections. Forge genuine relationships with your audience—listen, learn, and provide exceptional value beyond transactions. Your personal brand is your beacon in the startup cosmos, guiding you to recognition, trust, and irreplaceable partnerships.Hunt down revenue growth with precision. Attract, convert, and retain customers proved on-boarding could be a heart-to-heart shootover. Track every conversion pathway, foster a Shareable culture, and let your brand’s essence resonate in a chorus of customer testimonials and seamless customer experience.Embrace the future of work with foresight and agility. Emphasize adaptability, upskill relentlessly, and cultivate an empowering, inclusive work environment. Raffle your success with those who believe in your vision, because a team of like-minded warriors creates a power unmatched.Remember, in this entrepreneurial voyage, it's not just about reaching the destination—it's about building a legacy where your audience and your brand are forever interwoven into the narrative of innovation and triumph. Go, go, go! 💼✨

What Paid Tools Do Founders Rely On Amid Startup Noise? Answers: https://lnkd.in/gWphxG3v #Founders #StartupTools #EntrepreneurLife Hey there, amazing founders! 🙌 So, here’s the thing: I’m drowning in a sea of cold emails from startups trying to sell me their newest and shiniest tools. Honestly, it's become so overwhelming that I find myself tuning it all out. 😩 However, I can’t help but wonder if my skepticism is blinding me to some great opportunities! 🧐 That’s why I want to reach out to all of you. I’d love to know: What paid tools or services do you actually find valuable for your startup? Are there any specific tools that have genuinely made a difference in your day-to-day operations? 🔧 What’s one tool you didn’t expect to love, but now can’t live without? ❤️ Do you have any budgeting tips for managing subscriptions effectively? 💰 Feel free to drop your thoughts in the comments below! Let’s turn this collective experience into a helpful resource for all of us in the startup world. I can’t wait to hear your insights and swap some tips! 😄 Cheers to finding those hidden gems among the noise! ✨