Go-To-Market Strategy: The Founder's Playbook

Launching a digital product to a global audience sounds fantastic, but it's not always easy. Loads of people think that 'borderless' means 'easy', but if anything, it just means you've got even more choice and a larger surface area, more to think about, not less. You need to think about where your ideal customers are, and how best to reach them.

Where does the customer live online?

The first question you need to ask yourself is where your ideal customer spends their time online. Knowing this informs your platform choice. Let's look at some options.

• Google Ads: If people are actively searching for a solution like yours, Google Ads can be brilliant. It's all about catching them at the right moment with the right message. A well-targeted search campaign can hoover up loads of demand that's already out there.
• Social Media Ads (Meta, LinkedIn, X): Great for creating demand, especially if your product solves a problem people aren't necessarily searching for. However, you need to be razor-sharp on your targeting and have creative that grabs attention.
• Specialised Platforms: Don't forget niche platforms relevant to your product. If you're selling design assets, try Creative Market. If it's software, Product Hunt. These can give you a concentrated dose of your target audience.

Understanding Your Funnel

Your go-to-market strategy isn't just about the ads themselves; it's about what happens *after* someone clicks. Think of it as a funnel:

1. Awareness: Make people aware that your product exists. This might be through display ads, social media posts, or even PR.
2. Interest: Get them interested enough to click through to your landing page. Here, you need compelling copy and visuals.
3. Consideration: Provide enough information to help them decide whether your product is right for them. Case studies, demos, and free trials are all good options.
4. Conversion: Make it easy for them to buy your product or sign up for a trial.
5. Retention: Don't forget about keeping them happy. A good onboarding process and excellent customer support are essential.

A/B Testing and Optimisation

One of the most important things to do is continuously test and optimise every part of your funnel. Try out different ad copy, landing page designs, and pricing structures. It's a constant process of refinement to see what works best for your audience and product.

There are some things you can do:

• Split test creative and targeting within the same campaign. Wrong ad platform = wrong targeting = difficult to achieve results.
• A/B test your website, your copy, your keywords, your audience.

Is Organic Reach a Waste of Time?

Organic reach is still important. Even in 2024, people are saying that 'email is dead' but I'm still seeing results from my email campaigns, so don't write off any channel. However, it's more difficult than ever to get organic reach with the amount of competition. Content is still useful for search engine optimisation, but you need to be posting really interesting, unique content. Social media marketing can be useful to connect with existing customers. However, it's not as useful for reach as it once was.

Which Ad Platform is Right for Me?

Different ad platforms have different strengths and weaknesses. Let's break down a few of the main ones.

• Meta Ads: Loads of targeting options with a huge audience. You'll want to pick the right objective here, and conversion is usually the best if that's your goal.
• Google Ads: Target users that are actively searching for your product. Great for finding new customers that need to solve a problem.
• LinkedIn Ads: LinkedIn is great for business-to-business advertising. As you know, you've got a lot of targeting options to work with. However, it's often more expensive to advertise on.
• Apple Search Ads: Can be useful for advertising apps, which is handy if you have a mobile app as part of your product.

The Software Launch: A Hypothetical Example

Let's take a hypothetical example of an AI-powered scheduling app.

• Pre-Launch: Create a landing page with a waitlist, collect emails, and build excitement. Promote it on Betalist, Product Hunt, and relevant social media groups.
• Launch: Use Google Search Ads to target people searching for "scheduling software" or "AI calendar." Run Facebook/Instagram ads targeting small business owners and productivity enthusiasts.
• Post-Launch: Retarget website visitors with special offers and testimonials. Monitor your analytics closely and make adjustments as needed.

Don't Be Afraid to Pivot

Even with the best planning, things don't always go as expected. Be prepared to adjust your strategy based on what you're seeing. If one ad platform isn't performing, shift your budget to another. If your landing page isn't converting, redesign it. The key is to be flexible and responsive to change.

Example: eCommerce Company

I recall one campaign for a client selling cleaning products online. They initially struggled to get traction, but through rigorous testing, we identified Meta ads as the most effective channel, ultimately achieving a 190% increase in revenue for them.

Drawing from our experience, we've also seen:

• Success with app growth campaigns, like one where we drove over 45,000 sign-ups at under £2 each across multiple platforms.
• B2B software clients achieving a cost per lead of $22 using LinkedIn Ads, focusing on decision-makers.
• Generating 3,543 users at £0.96 each for a software client using Google Ads.

Table of Go-To-Market Strategies

I've detailed my main recommendations for you below:

When Should You Consider Expert Help?

Launching a digital product globally is a lot of work. If you don't have the time, expertise, or resources to do it yourself, it might make sense to get an agency to help.

At our agency, we've run loads of successful campaigns for digital products, software, and eCommerce businesses, and we'd be happy to advise. I'd recommend getting a free consultation to see how we can help you achieve your goals.