Marketing brand

Marketing & Brand

Guide founders through organic marketing and brand building—from founder-led marketing with zero budget to scaling with a dedicated team.

Reference Files

• references/brand-voice.md — Brand positioning, voice framework, messaging architecture
• references/content-strategy.md — Content pillars, formats, calendar, distribution playbook
• references/seo-playbook.md — Keyword research, on-page SEO, content-led SEO strategy
• references/pr-outreach.md — Press pitches, journalist outreach, media relations
• references/community-playbook.md — Platform selection, engagement tactics, scaling community

Workflow

Step 1: Diagnose Stage & Resources

Ask: "Where are you in your marketing journey?"

Stage	Signals	Focus
Pre-launch	Building product, no users	→ Brand foundation, pre-launch content
Early-stage	< 1,000 users, founder-led	→ Content + SEO basics, community seeds
Growth	Product-market fit, some traction	→ Scale content, PR push, community growth
Scaling	Marketing hire/team, budget	→ Full-funnel content, systematic PR, community programs

Resource Assessment:

Resource Level	Typical Situation	Recommended Focus
$0 budget, founder only	Pre-seed, bootstrapped	1 channel max, repurpose everything
< $5K/month, founder + contractor	Seed stage	2 channels, basic tools
$5K-$20K/month, 1 marketing hire	Series A	3 channels, automation, PR agency optional
$20K+/month, marketing team	Series B+	Full-funnel, multiple channels, agency support

Step 2: Brand Foundation

Build brand foundation before scaling any channel. Use references/brand-voice.md for detailed frameworks.

Brand Positioning (Complete First):

Element	Question to Answer	Example (Notion)
Category	What market are you in?	"All-in-one workspace"
Target	Who is this for?	"Teams who want to consolidate tools"
Differentiator	Why you vs. alternatives?	"Flexible blocks that adapt to any workflow"
Benefit	What outcome do users get?	"One tool replaces 5, less context-switching"

Positioning Statement Formula:

For [target customer] who [need/pain], [Product] is a [category] that [key benefit]. Unlike [alternatives], we [differentiator].

Brand Voice Dimensions:

Define where you sit on each spectrum:

Dimension	← One End	Other End →
Tone	Formal	Casual
Attitude	Serious	Playful
Language	Technical	Simple
Emotion	Reserved	Enthusiastic

Brand Voice Examples by Company Type:

Company Type	Voice Characteristics	Examples
Dev tools	Technical, direct, no fluff	Stripe, Vercel, Linear
Consumer	Friendly, emotional, relatable	Airbnb, Duolingo, Spotify
B2B SaaS	Professional, helpful, clear	Salesforce, HubSpot, Slack
Fintech	Trustworthy, simple, reassuring	Wise, Ramp, Mercury

Step 3: Content Strategy

Use references/content-strategy.md for detailed playbook.

Content Pillar Model:

Choose 3-5 pillars that connect your expertise to customer problems:

Pillar Type	Description	Example (Figma)
Product-adjacent	Topics your product helps with	"Design systems"
Industry trends	What's changing in your space	"Future of design collaboration"
Customer success	How customers win	"Design team workflows"
Thought leadership	Your unique POV	"Why design is a team sport"

Content Format Selection by Stage:

Stage	Primary Formats	Why
Early (0-1K users)	Long-form blog, Twitter/LinkedIn threads	SEO foundation, founder voice
Growth (1K-10K)	+ Newsletter, templates/tools	Capture emails, provide value
Scale (10K+)	+ Podcast, video, webinars	Brand building, multi-channel

Content Distribution (80/20 Rule):

Spend 20% creating, 80% distributing:

Channel	Best For	Effort
Owned (blog, newsletter)	SEO, owned audience	Medium
Social (Twitter, LinkedIn)	Reach, engagement	Low per post
Communities (Reddit, Slack, Discord)	Trust, niche reach	High (relationship-based)
Syndication (Medium, Dev.to, HN)	Extended reach	Low

Content Repurposing Workflow:

1 piece of pillar content → 10+ distribution pieces:

Long-form blog post
├── Twitter thread (key takeaways)
├── LinkedIn post (professional angle)
├── Newsletter section
├── Reddit comment (when relevant)
├── Quora answer
├── Slide deck (SlideShare)
├── Short video (key point)
├── Infographic (data/stats)
├── Podcast talking points
└── Community discussion starter

Step 4: SEO Foundation

Use references/seo-playbook.md for detailed process.

SEO Priority by Stage:

Stage	SEO Focus	Time Investment
Pre-launch	Keyword research, site structure	5% of marketing time
Early	1-2 pillar pages, blog foundation	20% of marketing time
Growth	Content clusters, link building	30% of marketing time
Scale	Technical SEO, programmatic	25% of marketing time

Keyword Research Framework:

Keyword Type	Intent	Funnel Stage	Example (Project Management Tool)
Problem-aware	Informational	Top	"how to manage remote team"
Solution-aware	Comparison	Middle	"best project management software"
Product-aware	Transactional	Bottom	"asana vs monday"
Brand	Navigational	Bottom	"[your brand] pricing"

Quick SEO Wins (First 90 Days):

1. Homepage optimization — Clear H1, meta description, target keyword
2. Create 3-5 pillar pages — Comprehensive guides for main keywords
3. Blog cadence — 2-4 SEO-optimized posts per month
4. Technical basics — Fast load time, mobile-friendly, sitemap submitted
5. Internal linking — Connect all content to pillar pages

Content-Led SEO Benchmarks:

Metric	6-Month Target	12-Month Target
Organic traffic	1,000-5,000/month	10,000-50,000/month
Ranking keywords	100-500	500-2,000
Domain authority	20-30	30-45
Backlinks	50-200	200-1,000

Step 5: PR & Media Relations

Use references/pr-outreach.md for templates and process.

When to Pursue PR:

✅ Good Time for PR	❌ Bad Time for PR
Funding announcement	No news hook
Major product launch	Early MVP stage
Significant milestone (users, revenue)	"We exist" story
Unique data/research	Copycat product
Counter-narrative story	No media relationships

PR Tier Strategy:

Tier	Publications	Approach	Timeline
Tier 1	TechCrunch, WSJ, NYT	Exclusive offer, strong hook	2-4 weeks lead
Tier 2	Industry pubs, Forbes contributors	Targeted pitch	1-2 weeks lead
Tier 3	Blogs, newsletters, podcasts	Direct outreach, easier access	1 week lead

Press Pitch Structure:

Subject: [Specific hook] — [Company] [achievement/news]

Paragraph 1: The news (who, what, when, why it matters)
Paragraph 2: Context (why now, market trend, problem being solved)
Paragraph 3: Proof points (traction, customers, investors)
Paragraph 4: Offer (exclusive, interview, assets available)

One line: Founder bio + contact

Pitch Timing Best Practices:

• Tuesday-Thursday, 7-9 AM journalist's timezone
• Avoid Mondays (backlog) and Fridays (weekend mode)
• Embargo dates: Offer 1-2 week exclusive for major news
• Follow up once after 3-5 days, then move on

Step 6: Community Building

Use references/community-playbook.md for detailed playbook.

Community Platform Selection:

Platform	Best For	Effort Level	Control
Slack/Discord	Real-time, engaged users	High	High
Circle/Geneva	Structured community, courses	Medium	High
Reddit	Organic discovery, niche topics	Medium	Low
Twitter/X	Public conversation, reach	Low	Low
LinkedIn Groups	B2B professional audiences	Low	Medium

Community Strategy by Stage:

Stage	Focus	Tactics
Seed (0-100 members)	Quality over quantity	Personal invites, hand-pick members
Build (100-1,000)	Establish norms, rituals	Welcome flow, weekly threads, AMAs
Grow (1,000-10,000)	Delegate, scale programs	Moderators, champions, events
Scale (10,000+)	Systematize, segment	Tiers, sub-communities, ambassadors

Community Engagement Tactics:

Tactic	Frequency	Purpose
Welcome messages	Every new member	Activation
Discussion prompts	2-3x per week	Engagement
AMAs / Office hours	Weekly/biweekly	Value, access
Member spotlights	Weekly	Recognition
Exclusive content	Monthly	Retention
Events (virtual/IRL)	Monthly/quarterly	Connection

Community Health Metrics:

Metric	Healthy Range	Warning Sign
DAU/MAU	> 20%	< 10%
Posts per day	Growing MoM	Declining
Response time	< 24 hours	> 48 hours
Member-generated content	> 50% of posts	< 20%
Churn (monthly)	< 5%	> 10%

Step 7: Channel Prioritization

Channel Selection by Business Type:

Business Type	Primary Channels	Secondary Channels
B2B SaaS	LinkedIn, SEO/blog, community	Twitter, newsletter, PR
Dev Tools	Twitter, GitHub, technical blog	Reddit, HN, Discord
Consumer	TikTok/Instagram, SEO, PR	Twitter, community, influencers
Marketplace	SEO, supply-side community	PR, local marketing
Fintech	SEO, trust content, PR	LinkedIn, partnerships

Channel Evaluation Framework:

Score each channel 1-5:

Factor	Question
Audience fit	Is your target customer here?
Content fit	Does your content work on this channel?
Competition	How saturated is it?
Founder fit	Do you enjoy/excel at this channel?
Resource fit	Can you sustain it with current resources?

Focus Rule: Master 1-2 channels before adding more. Mediocre presence on 5 channels < excellent presence on 2.

Decision Checkpoints

When to Hire Marketing

Ready to hire when:

• Founder has done marketing for 6+ months
• At least one channel is working (can articulate what "good" looks like)
• Have content/brand foundation documented
• Can afford 12+ months of salary
• Clear on what you need (content, growth, brand)

First marketing hire by type:

Your Situation	First Hire
Content is working, need more	Content marketer / writer
Need brand + positioning	Brand marketer (senior)
SEO is primary channel	SEO specialist
Community is core to product	Community manager
Multiple channels, need orchestration	Marketing generalist

When to Engage PR Agency

Consider agency when:

• Have newsworthy milestones (funding, major launch)
• Budget of $10K+/month for PR
• Need media relationships you don't have
• Want ongoing press strategy vs. one-off

DIY PR when:

• Early stage with limited news
• Budget-constrained
• Have founder with media relationships
• Targeting niche/trade publications

Deliverables

1. Brand Voice Guidelines

• Positioning statement
• Voice attributes with examples
• Do's and don'ts
• Sample copy for common use cases
• Use docx skill for creation

2. Content Strategy Document

• Content pillars defined
• Editorial calendar (90 days)
• Distribution checklist
• Repurposing workflow
• Use docx skill for creation

3. SEO Audit & Plan

• Current state assessment
• Keyword opportunities
• Content gap analysis
• 90-day action plan
• Use xlsx skill for audit tracker

4. PR Pitch Templates

• Funding announcement template
• Product launch template
• Milestone/traction template
• Journalist outreach sequence
• Use docx skill for creation

5. Community Playbook

• Platform recommendation
• Launch plan
• Engagement calendar
• Moderation guidelines
• Use docx skill for creation

6. Content Calendar Template

• Monthly/quarterly view
• Content pillars mapped
• Distribution tracking
• Performance metrics
• Use xlsx skill for creation

Common Marketing Mistakes

Brand Mistakes:

1. No positioning — Being everything to everyone = nothing to no one
2. Inconsistent voice — Different tone across channels confuses audience
3. Copying competitors — Blending in vs. standing out
4. Changing too often — Brand building takes time

Content Mistakes:

1. No distribution plan — Great content no one sees
2. Too many channels — Spreading thin vs. going deep
3. Vanity metrics — Pageviews without conversion
4. No SEO foundation — Content that doesn't compound

PR Mistakes:

1. No news hook — "We exist" isn't a story
2. Mass blasting — Same pitch to 200 journalists
3. Bad timing — Pitching during major news cycles
4. No relationship building — Only reaching out when you need coverage

Community Mistakes:

1. Building too early — Community before product-market fit
2. Wrong platform — Discord for enterprise B2B
3. No engagement — Ghost town after launch
4. Over-moderating — Killing organic conversation

Integration with Other Skills

• Use idea-validation skill first if positioning not validated
• Use business-model skill for pricing/value prop alignment
• Use go-to-market skill for launch marketing
• Use product skill for product marketing alignment
• Use sales skill for sales enablement content
• Use growth-analytics skill for marketing metrics
• Use docx skill for all marketing documents
• Use xlsx skill for calendars and tracking

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Adapted from Linas Beliūnas's The One-Person Unicorn founder skill set.