While scaling up, budget allocation is always a significant concern. The key question is: how do you spend money in a way that contributes to growth without turning it into an unnecessary expense? This is the million-dollar question, especially in marketing, where some activities don’t show an immediate return on investment (ROI). That’s why it’s crucial to spend wisely, particularly during the early stages and the scaling-up phase of a company.

This is where a well-defined strategy comes into play. Having a clear goal will guide the entire company—marketing included—so you can focus on what truly matters.

Online Efforts

While having the most visually stunning website may be a dream, the essential point is to have a website that’s functional and serves the company’s purpose. It should contribute to growth by:

1. Clear, Understandable Messaging This is often the most challenging part in the early days, especially for tech companies addressing complex subjects. The rule here is: less is more. Avoid complicated headlines that try to sound too clever. Instead, use simple language that speaks to anyone. Users should easily understand what the technology does, who it’s for, and how it works.
2. Easy Ways to Contact You It should be crystal clear how visitors can get in touch with you. Offer multiple communication channels—phone, email, chat, video calls. There are plenty of platforms that help centralize these communication methods so your team can stay on top of inquiries.
3. Useful Content Today, anyone can create content, but don’t do it just because it’s trendy. When brainstorming content ideas, focus on what will genuinely interest your customers. What are they reading? What do they need to know? How can you educate them about your technology? Resist the temptation to simply create content because others are doing it or to boost newsletter signups. A smaller, targeted mailing list with quality leads is much better than a massive one full of unqualified prospects. Focus on quality over quantity, especially if you don’t have a data analyst to manage all these profiles.
4. Automation Every interaction is an opportunity to capture lead information. However, being too eager to capture data can result in users abandoning your site right away. Be strategic—ask for data after the user has navigated for at least a minute. Quality over quantity applies here as well. Ensure that the methods you use to capture data are GDPR-compliant. Having an easy-to-use CRM system is key at this stage. Make sure it integrates with the right automation tools to capture inbound leads without overwhelming your team. Marketers often get tempted by all the possibilities and data available, but the real question to ask yourself is: Do we have the bandwidth to effectively leverage this data?
5. Social Networks For B2B, the social media platform that makes the most sense is LinkedIn. I also recommend having a YouTube channel to store webinars, conferences, and other video content created by you or your partners. With the right content, these two platforms can drive the right audience to your website and increase visibility among the people who matter most.

Offline Efforts

1. Events and Trade Shows Attending a trade show or business event can be a major investment in terms of time and money. You’ll pay for a booth space, the materials to fill it, shipping costs, etc. So, when choosing events to attend, make sure your potential customers are attending—or are regulars—so you can engage with them and meet others with a similar profile. Always secure meetings in advance; don’t attend just to "see if" something happens. Also, less is more. Never attend alone; partner with a customer to share a small booth space. Finally, remember that your technology and expertise are your strongest selling points. Always aim for a speaking slot on a panel rather than giving an elevator pitch. This is where you can position yourself as a thought leader. Organizers may charge you for this opportunity, but there’s always room for negotiation.
2. Networking Time is valuable, so make sure you attend networking events that will provide value to your company. It may not always mean getting customers directly, but it could lead to finding the right talent, gaining valuable insights, or receiving advice that could help grow your business. Again, think of networking as an investment, not a mere expense!

PR Efforts

PR – Having the press talk about you is another effort that may not show immediate results and can feel more like an expense. However, building a solid reputation is always a long- to medium-term investment that will ultimately pay off. Make sure to apply for significant awards in your field, and foster strong relationships with reputable journalists, editors, and media outlets. Remember, PR only pays off when your message is clear and valuable!

Conclusion

These are some of the basic marketing activities where I recommend making investments. But before diving in, always ensure you have a clear strategy statement and, in turn, a well-defined marketing strategy. All the above tactics are enablers of your strategy, but they won’t work if there’s no solid plan behind them.

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Here is some useful external content that might assist you.

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