This is the second in a series of articles where we’re sharing our thoughts on the industry, some tips and tricks, and advice that has helped us (and hopefully will help you, too!). Today, we're talking to Marketing & Operations expert, Aubrey Sabala, who has spent 20+ working with companies including Google, Meta, AOL, and Dentsu and now runs Aubvious, a marketing consultancy. Here is her advice for startups and companies of all sizes.

Growth-hacking. Ambush Marketing. Call it what you will, but any of these buzzword-friendly strategies are NOT the best way to market your startup. Instead, focusing on the basics and building a sustainable - yet malleable - Marketing strategy will help you grow and maintain that growth.

I don’t recommend this to be contrary; instead, it’s because I’ve seen too many smart founders chase the next big Marketing approach, only to realize that one of their key foundational elements was missing, be it brand, voice, or even a testing methodology. And after 20+ years of marketing companies and products both big and small, I’ve found the following tenets to be true.

Think like a scientist. This is my strongest piece of advice, and not just because my left-brain genetics training makes any other way foreign to me. In fact, Marketing is often just a real-world science experiment. Isolate a variable (so you know what is causing the outcome). Test & learn (so you don’t continue to make the same mistakes). And above all, ensure that you’re able to track and measure all channels so you’re seeing causation, not just correlation.

Marketing doesn’t exist in a silo. It can’t succeed unless your Marketer(s) are in lock-step with your Product and Operations team; employ a cross-functional Slack channel and include your Marketers in daily standups, even from the onset. This allows them to understand the full nature of the product and potentially influence features that can inherently further Marketing efforts.

Hire wisely. Every company is different, but I always recommend that founders budget for a seasoned Marketer who can help define the blueprint for their Marketing plan.  Whether you hire an Agency, a Fractional CMO, or bring a trained Marketer in-house, you need someone at the helm who has walked this path before and can help you avoid any pitfalls; you’re paying for them to help you avoid the mistakes they’ve already seen or even made in the past. More often than not, a combination of a seasoned Marketer - even if it’s only a couple of hours a week - plus a less-tenured but eager-to-learn junior employee creates a powerful team.

Flaunt your strengths. What problem are you solving? If you don’t have a clear and realistic answer to that, stop any and all Marketing efforts and ensure that your product is filling a need in the industry, AND that you are able to clearly articulate what that is. How are you helping people (save time / save money / eliminate frustration)?

Talk to people like people. And while we’re at it, let’s try and leave the jargon behind. I want to quickly know what the product does and why it would help me. Use real words, and ones that people understand. As Ted Lasso wisely said recently (no spoilers): KISSP. Keep It Simple, Smarty Pants.

Spend money sparingly. Act like your Marketing budget is your personal bank account, and that you’re a finicky auditor. You can always spend money on ads, but you may not always have to. Creativity + testing new ideas can often be more effective than costly CPC ads.

Operations are just as important. Let software like Monday.com, ClickUp, or Asana help you plan and track your progress, and keep things moving forward. I rely on Monday to help me balance the multiple priorities from my clients (and also my life; I’ve automated Parent of the Week reminders as the Class Mom!), as well as serve as a repository for documents, allow streamlined approval, and show results, right within the same system.

Don’t over-architect the solution. I’m not contradicting myself, I promise! But be realistic about what you actually need in terms of software or tools to help you succeed. Depending on your company’s size and maturity, Hubspot might be a solid CRM / Marketing Automation tool, but you could also accomplish much of the same with a strong project plan, an Excel spreadsheet, and your email account.

Don’t be daunted; a lot of this advice is common sense, and give yourself permission to fail. Many times. I used to give my Marketing team a “Failure of the Quarter” award, since I wanted to encourage people to come up with big, crazy ideas, and allow them to fail stupendously. (It also came with a bottle of champers.). After all, Marketing is just a fancy term for sharing something that you think is cool & helpful. And regardess of the strategy, focusing on THAT as a core tenet will prevent you from wanting (or needing!) to hack or ambush anything or anyone.