How to handle bias against marketing channels
my co-founder justin wrote a book about a marketing strategy he calls the bullseye framework.
it basically says, assume nothing.
think facebook ads will work for your startup? test it.
convinced that outbound sales is the wrong move? test it.
and so on, throughout every marketing channel and underlying tactic.
the idea is that if you remove your bias, high leverage growth channels will present themselves.
ok then, let's try this on for size.
applying the bullseye framework in the real world
if you had to launch a lemonade stand today, would you...
- call the local news?
- attend a food & beverage summit?
- stage a PR stunt?
or would you just, you know, set up a table on the street with a "LEMONADE" sign?
if you chose the latter, that's your bias talking.
when we consider the alternatives...
calling the local news
it's possible the local news would love to cover a story about a grown ass man selling lemonade.
you could even build a mobile app for ordering ahead, or get in a price war with kids around the block.
if it bleeds, it leads, and the news would eat drink it up.
attending a beverage conference
yeah yeah, hotels are outrageous and there's nothing to do in Idaho.
but maybe a new supplier could sell you miracle powder that tastes the same as lemons, for a fraction of the price.
margins!
executing a PR stunt
here's an idea.
- visit 3-5 nearby grocery stores
- put stickers on all the lemons: "exchange for free lemonade at {{ insert stand address }}"
- free lemonade when consumers show up with their own lemons
idk.
the conflict
these ideas are silly.
admit it, if you opened a lemonade stand today you'd probably set up a table and a large sign.
yet in the Traction mindset, you're failing, because you're letting bias get in the way of experimentation.
however, a seasoned entrepreneur would likely disagree. they may even say, it's not bias, it's gut instinct.
because if you've run a few lemonade stands, you know calling the news is futile. you know conferences are too expensive for your CLV.
it's not always laziness holding you back from new things, it's wisdom.
how to use this advice
founders, next time a team member recommends a marketing channel you don't feel strongly about, test it.
when the idea is one you feel strongly against, say no.
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