What to Do When Marketing Shifts from "Nice-to-Have" to "Need-to-Have"

One of the most common pain points I hear from CEOs and founders is the pressure of board and advisor input.

When it comes to marketing and communications, it often shows up as vague feedback like:

“The company isn’t as visible as others I see” or

“You need to work on your branding”

Suddenly, the activity that always seemed like a “nice-to-have” is a “need-to-have”. That can lead to sleepless nights for executive leaders who are rightly focused on IP, financial health, and successful market entry and growth. What the heck should they be doing about marketing?

For most scaling startups and mid-sized enterprise companies, I recommend a simple two-step approach to get started or to revamp efforts:

1. Clarify your positioning. Zero in on differentiators you can prove (data, traction, customer outcomes) and that actually matter to your ideal customers.
   
   
2. Build a focused, measurable marketing strategy and plan. Start with efficient activities that grow exposure for that sharpened positioning without breaking the bank. Typically, that looks like:
   1. An organic content strategy on owned digital and social channels
   2. Updated BD messaging, often including a selling deck and trade show materials
   3. PR, if the firm or its work has a unique and newsworthy angle

Crucially, the strategy and plan must be measurable so you can show progress back to the board and advisors. Just like financial and R&D platforms, a strong marketing platform that ladders directly to organizational goals is an essential part of successfully implementing your overall business strategy.