Startup CEOs face a unique set of challenges due to the high stakes and resource constraints that exist inside early-stage companies. These pain points can be particularly acute when it comes to marketing an early-stage startup. It’s not easy!

Here are some of the most common pain points when it comes to marketing, or hiring the first marketer/head of marketing at a startup:

1. Resource Constraints

• Limited Budget: Many startup CEOs operate on tight budgets, especially if they are pre-revenue or bootstrapped. They need to make every dollar count, which means they are looking for high-impact, cost-effective marketing solutions. Often that means wanting to believe in the promise under-qualified talent, or the marketing leader unicorn.

• Time Scarcity: With so many aspects of the business demanding attention, CEOs often don't have the time to manage marketing efforts or learn the intricacies of digital marketing. They need reliable partners who can deliver results without requiring constant oversight.

2. Need for Rapid Growth

• Pressure to Scale Quickly: Startups face pressure from investors or market competition to grow quickly. This means that CEOs are focused on strategies that can deliver rapid customer acquisition and revenue growth. Many times, their focus is on the product, not the marketing.

• Uncertainty in Marketing ROI: Many startup CEOs are wary of marketing investments because they fear they won't see a clear return. They need reassurance that their marketing spend will directly contribute to growth. It is important to measure metrics that predict revenue.

3. Lack of Expertise

• No In-House Marketing Team: In the early stages, many startups either have no dedicated marketing team, or only a junior marketer. CEOs may be knowledgeable in product development or fundraising but often lack the marketing expertise needed to drive growth. This is common to early-stage startups.

• Difficulty in Hiring: Finding and hiring the right marketing talent can be a significant challenge, especially when competing with larger companies that offer more stability and higher salaries. Two categories of candidates usually stand out: a junior marketer fresh out of college, or the head of marketing with a few more years of experience that you know can’t do it all, but you feel like no better option exists. (Often it does in the form of an expert consultant/agency or contract CMO).

4. Focus on Product Development

• Balancing Product and Growth: Startup CEOs often prioritize product development and may struggle to balance this with the need for marketing. They need marketing solutions that drive quality leads effectively and consistently.

• Customer Feedback Loop: Early-stage startups are often in a phase of iterating on their product based on customer feedback. CEOs need marketing efforts that not only drive user and lead acquisition, but also gather valuable user insights and product usage metrics to inform product development.

5. Market Penetration and Positioning

• Breaking Through the Noise: Startups often struggle to establish themselves in a crowded market, or often a brand new market. CEOs are looking for ways to differentiate their brand and gain visibility against more established competitors. In a new market, there is the added task of educating the users as to why they should even consider a new product.

• Unclear Market Fit: Early-stage startups experiment with their market positioning and may not have a clear value proposition. Marketing strategies that help refine and communicate this proposition are highly valuable. Marketing efforts that bring data and new users into the product and sales cycle to get fresh data are the most valuable.

6. Investor Expectations

• Delivering on Promises: CEOs are always under pressure to meet the expectations of their investors, which can include aggressive growth targets. Marketing efforts that produce data in turn deliver confidence to investors.

• Reporting and Accountability: Investors frequently require detailed reports and metrics. CEOs need marketing solutions that provide clear, data-driven insights into performance to keep stakeholders informed. A comprehensive funnel dashboard with actionable insights at the top of the funnel helps create confidence in the later funnel stages. Get a view into BGM’s growth marketing engagements.

7. Scalability of Marketing Efforts

• Building for the Future: While immediate results are crucial, CEOs also need marketing strategies that can scale as the company grows. They want to avoid having to rebuild their marketing infrastructure from scratch as they expand. The technology choices they make today affect the scalability of the team tomorrow. While they may only plan for the next 3 months at times, they need to make technology choices that will grow with their company.

• Adaptability: As startups pivot or expand into new markets, their marketing strategies need to be flexible. CEOs value partners who can adapt quickly to changing business needs. A partner that can also adapt quickly and has a blueprinted process to do so means testing becomes part of the natural motion.

Learn more about our Startup Founder’s Blueprint Session.