Are your Ideal Customer Profiles who you actually need to go for?!

Go-To-Market Mastery: Beyond the Launch - A Roadmap to Sustainable Growth

CEOs, Founders, and CMOs, buckle up! Launching your product is a thrilling milestone, but it's just the beginning of the journey. The true test lies in achieving sustainable growth and dominating your market. This is where a watertight go-to-market (GTM) strategy becomes your secret weapon.

This newsletter dives deep into the post-launch phase of your GTM strategy, providing a roadmap to transform initial traction into long-term success. We'll explore critical considerations beyond the initial product launch, drawing from the insights of industry experts like Maja Voje whose post on the topic of Early Customer Profiles (ECP) inspired this article.

As a call-to-action before we dive-in, I'm doing marketing research on Marketing Strategies from founders all across the globe. We're trying to get 500 responses in order to get the best possible results. I would be extremely thankful if each of you incredible readers could take 3-4 minutes out of your day (roughly equivalent to reading this article) and fill out this Google Form. You will receive a free 1-hour consultation from me and a copy of the results first. Thank you in advance and now without further ado, here we go!

From Ideal to Early: Unearthing True Product-Market Fit

While crafting your initial GTM strategy, you likely envisioned an "ideal customer profile". But the market has a mind of its own. Early adopters often differ from your eventual ideal ones.

Focusing from day 1 on your ICP is the definition of "hold my beer and watch me fail". I have worked with startups all across the globe and those with potential to sell their software or products to the truly largest corporations out there all struggle with the fact that they try and capture them as clients from the get-go.

Truth is though - those corporations have very different procurement processes and their decision makers are usually teams instead of single individuals. So what can you do as you launch?

Embrace the "Beachhead Strategy": focus on a smaller, well-defined early adopter segment where you can demonstrate clear value and rapidly achieve product-market fit. This initial success builds momentum and valuable customer insights to refine your GTM strategy for broader market adoption. All big players want to know you have a proven track record. There's no way you get this without capturing the smaller clients. If any mistakes will be made, they better be made at the start and that's why you also don't want to go for a big client because one mistake with a client of that size and your whole business can go under!

Beyond the Splash: Nurturing User Engagement and Retention

A successful launch might bring in a wave of new users, but retention is king. Focus on building long-term relationships with your early adopters. Here are some key strategies:

• Prioritize user onboarding: Ensure a smooth and frictionless user experience from day one. Provide clear guidance and value proposition to drive early engagement. If your product is choppy to start but you need feedback on the MVP to get it going then the onboarding process in terms of clear communication needs to be front and center. Get talking to your clients and set clear expectations. Explain every step of the way what you're doing and get them involved in the process.
• Gather user feedback: Actively solicit feedback from your early adopters. Use this to refine your product and messaging for a wider audience. There's nothing better than your clients being part of the process. They will help you build the product that will actually sell because they actually want it this way!
• Foster a community: Create a space where users can connect, share experiences, and provide valuable insights. This builds brand loyalty and fosters organic growth. Brand loyalty isn't just about Loyalty Programs (although they don't hurt too). Make a space where ideas can be exchanged, your customers with similar profiles can talk, bring up bugs and product issues and can engage with each other as well as with your posts. Promote those people who are most active, let them be moderators and involve them in your company in any way you can!

The Power of Inbound Marketing: Attracting Your Ideal Customers

While your beachhead strategy gains traction, implement an inbound marketing strategy to attract your ideal customer profile at scale. Inbound marketing focuses on creating valuable content that draws in potential customers who are already interested in what you offer. As you build the best possible product for your ICPs you need to also build the marketing to go with it.

Effective inbound marketing tactics include:

• Content marketing: Create informative and engaging content (blogs, articles, videos) that addresses your target audience's pain points and showcases your expertise. Showcase how your ECPs are utilizing your products and the results they're getting. Begin showing your product in an engaging way and give as much value to your ideal customers as possible.
• Search Engine Optimization (SEO): Optimize your website and content to rank higher in search engine results, making it easier for potential customers to find you. But this means your social media posts as well. Make sure your keywords are well placed. They're for your specific niche and they make sure your content finds your ICPs. If your website isn't optimized for your ICPs you WILL struggle in the long run!
• Social media marketing: Build a strong presence on relevant social media platforms to connect with your target audience and share valuable content. Please note - you need to build this both for your business and for your own personal brand! Set yourself up as a thought leader in the space because it is going to act as one more tick in the eyes of your ICPs that you're trustworthy enough to buy from.
• Public Relations: Get yourself interviewed and put in front of as many cameras, newspapers, talk shows and articles as possible. This not only improves your credibility but also allows you to tell your story far and wide.

Pricing Strategy: Capturing Value and Driving Growth

Pricing is a critical element of your GTM strategy. It should reflect the value you deliver to customers while supporting your business goals. Consider these factors when establishing your pricing strategy.

• Customer perceived value: What value proposition are you offering? Price your product or service accordingly. But more so, how does this differ to your very first clients compared to your hundredth client? You can believe that your product is worth $2,500 per month for your ICPs but for your ECPs, for the risk they take and the amount of work still left to be done on the product it may only be worth $500. Learn to compromise!
• Cost structure: Understand your costs to ensure your pricing strategy is sustainable. Yes, we all want incredible profit margins but be realistic. How much are your staff costs, your development costs and what margins are possible in this scenario.
• Competitive landscape: Analyze your competitors' pricing models to develop a competitive edge. If you sit there and tell me you don't have competitors I will cry. Everybody has competitors. They may not be direct 1-to-1 competitors of your product and services but people have survived without your product until now, they're likely to continue doing so. So, what else are they doing instead?

Remember, your pricing strategy may evolve as you gain market traction and gather customer feedback. Be prepared to adapt to optimize for growth.

Building a Sustainable Growth Engine

It takes time to learn how to create a successful Go-to-market strategy. If you want some advice for your own startup, I'm offering a free 30-minute call with me here.

For any other questions, let me know in the comments below!

Kindest regards,

Lenard

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