The Complete 2024 Marketing Playbook
Marketing has changed dramatically. What worked in 2020 doesn't work now. Here's our battle-tested playbook across every major channel—with real data, real costs, and real results.
1. TikTok Marketing: The Fastest Growing Channel
Why TikTok for B2B SaaS?
"TikTok is for dancers" - Wrong. TikTok's algorithm is the best in the world. A single viral video can get you 10M views. Even non-viral content gets 1,000+ views minimum.
Our TikTok Strategy
- Hook in first 3 seconds: "This database has 50K startup ideas..."
- Show don't tell: Screen recordings of actual product usage
- Trending sounds: Use them even for B2B content
- Post 2-3x daily: Consistency beats perfection
- Engage in comments: Reply to everyone in the first hour
Content Types That Work
- "Day in the life of a startup founder" (authenticity wins)
- "Here's how [tool] can save you 10 hours a week" (value-focused)
- "I built this in 30 days" (building in public)
- "Startup idea #47: [specific niche]" (teaser content)
Results: 50K followers, 2M impressions, 500 website visits
2. Instagram Reels: The Visual Storytelling Platform
Instagram vs TikTok
Instagram Reels perform better for older demographics (25-45). If your target audience is professionals, Instagram > TikTok.
Reels Strategy
- Vertical format always: 9:16 aspect ratio
- Add captions: 85% watch without sound
- Use 5-10 hashtags: Mix popular + niche
- Post when your audience is online: 7-9 PM for us
- Collaborate with micro-influencers: 10K-50K followers, high engagement
Content Pillars
- Educational (60%): Tips, tutorials, how-tos
- Inspirational (20%): Success stories, motivation
- Entertaining (10%): Behind the scenes, bloopers
- Promotional (10%): Product features, offers
Results: 30K followers, 1.5M reach, 300 signups
3. SEO: The Long Game That Pays Forever
Our SEO Strategy
SEO takes 6-12 months but compounds forever. Our approach:
Keyword Research
- Target long-tail keywords: "how to find startup ideas" not just "startup ideas"
- Use SEMrush/Ahrefs to find low competition keywords
- Look at competitor keywords and steal the easy wins
- Target "People Also Ask" questions
Content Strategy
- Publish 2 comprehensive blog posts per week (2,000+ words)
- Update old content every 6 months
- Internal linking between related posts
- Include videos and images (Google loves multimedia)
Technical SEO
- Site speed: Under 2 seconds load time
- Mobile-first design
- Schema markup for rich snippets
- XML sitemap and robots.txt optimized
Results: 10K organic visitors (after 6 months), 25% conversion rate
4. Email Marketing: The Highest ROI Channel
Building Your List
- Lead magnet: "50 Validated Startup Ideas" free PDF
- Exit-intent popup: Offer 20% discount for email
- Content upgrades: Bonus material in exchange for email
- Quiz/assessment: "What type of entrepreneur are you?"
Email Sequences
Welcome Series (5 emails over 7 days):
- Day 1: Welcome + deliver lead magnet
- Day 2: How to get started with our platform
- Day 3: Success story from a customer
- Day 5: Educational content + soft pitch
- Day 7: Special offer for new subscribers
Weekly Newsletter:
- 3 curated startup ideas
- 1 tip for entrepreneurs
- Feature update or product news
- CTA to upgrade/engage
Results: 8,000 subscribers, 40% open rate, 8% click rate, $50 per subscriber LTV
5. LinkedIn: B2B Networking Goldmine
LinkedIn Strategy
- Personal brand first: Build founder profile before company page
- Post daily: Share insights, wins, losses
- Engage authentically: Comment on relevant posts
- Use LinkedIn articles: Republish blog content
- Connect strategically: Target VCs, founders, journalists
Content Format
- Carousel posts (higher engagement than single images)
- Text-only posts with line breaks (easy to read)
- Poll posts (great for engagement)
- Document posts (share PDFs, one-pagers)
Results: 5K followers, 100K impressions, 50 qualified leads
6. Twitter/X: Real-Time Engagement
Twitter Strategy
- Build in public: Share metrics, learnings, failures
- Thread format: 8-15 tweet threads perform best
- Engage in the first hour: Reply to comments quickly
- Use relevant hashtags: #buildinpublic #indiehackers #startups
- Quote tweet with value: Add your perspective to trending topics
Results: 12K followers, 500K impressions, high-quality inbound leads
Marketing Budget Allocation (for $5K budget)
- SEO tools & content creation: $1,500 (30%)
- Email marketing software: $200 (4%)
- Social media scheduling tools: $100 (2%)
- Paid ads (testing): $1,000 (20%)
- Influencer collaborations: $500 (10%)
- Design & video production: $800 (16%)
- Analytics & tracking tools: $300 (6%)
- Buffer for experiments: $600 (12%)
Key Takeaways
- Don't do everything: Pick 2-3 channels and master them
- Consistency wins: Daily small efforts > occasional big pushes
- Track everything: Use UTM parameters, analytics, and attribution
- Content repurposing: One blog post = 10 social posts + 1 email + 1 video
- Focus on owned channels: Email list and blog are forever
Modern marketing isn't about choosing one channel—it's about creating a system where all channels support each other. Our multi-channel approach generated 7,000+ customers in 6 months with a modest $30K total marketing spend.
