Marketing Processes
Scale Stage | $5-15M ARR | 30-80 headcount
Main challenge: Adding capacity without chaos. Process debt and tool sprawl.
Marketing Processes
Stage-appropriate approach: Marketing becomes a real function at Scale — not just a person, but a team with specialization. Demand generation is no longer experimental; it's a scaled program with measurable contribution. ABM becomes relevant for enterprise segments.
Content Strategy
Stage-appropriate approach: Scaled content production. The founder voice is still valuable but content can no longer be founder-only. A content engine with consistent output is the goal.
Content structure at Scale:
| Content Type | Frequency | Owner | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blog posts | 2-4/month | Content lead | SEO, thought leadership |
| Case studies | 1-2/month | Content + CS | Social proof |
| eBooks/guides | 1/quarter | Content | Gated lead gen |
| Webinars | 1-2/month | Marketing + Product | Lead gen, education |
| Product content | Ongoing | PMM | Feature adoption |
| Sales enablement | Ongoing | Marketing + Sales | Rep support |
Content production model:
- Content calendar — 90-day rolling plan, monthly review
- Content briefs — documented requirements before production starts
- Review process — clear approvers, reasonable turnaround
- Distribution plan — where each piece goes, not just "publish and pray"
Content by funnel stage:
| Funnel Stage | Content Focus | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Awareness | Thought leadership, trends | Blog, LinkedIn, podcasts |
| Interest | Problem education | Webinars, guides |
| Consideration | Solution comparison | Case studies, demos |
| Decision | Proof and urgency | ROI calculators, references |
What NOT to do:
- Founder-only content — unsustainable and creates bottleneck
- No SEO strategy — content without distribution is waste
- Feature announcements as "content" — customers care about outcomes, not features
- Zero repurposing — one piece should become many formats
Playbook reference: → Content Strategy, Editorial Calendar
Website and Positioning
Stage-appropriate approach: Website is optimized, not just "good enough." Conversion rate matters. Positioning is refined and tested. The site is now a real lead gen channel, not just a brochure.
Website optimization at Scale:
| Element | What Changes | Why It Matters |
|---|---|---|
| Homepage | Segment-specific messaging options | Different visitors need different entry points |
| Navigation | Persona/segment paths | Reduce friction to relevant content |
| Forms | Progressive profiling | Capture more data over time, not all at once |
| Social proof | Segment-matched logos/testimonials | "Companies like you" credibility |
| CTAs | Segmented offers | Different actions for different buyers |
Conversion optimization:
- Form performance tracking — conversion rates by form, field analysis
- A/B testing program — continuous testing of key pages
- Chatbot/live chat — if appropriate for motion, with routing logic
- Analytics rigor — UTM discipline, attribution clarity
Positioning refinement:
- Competitive differentiation — clear "why us vs. them" messaging
- Segment-specific value props — what matters to SMB ≠ enterprise
- Messaging testing — validate headlines and value props with data
What NOT to do:
- Redesign for redesign's sake — optimize, don't overhaul without reason
- Ignore mobile — significant traffic is mobile, even in B2B
- Hide pricing — if competitors show pricing, opacity costs leads
- Generic testimonials — "Great product!" says nothing
Playbook reference: → Website Optimization, Lead Capture Configuration
Demand Generation and Paid Acquisition
Stage-appropriate approach: Scaled programs with real budgets. Marketing is now accountable for pipeline contribution. Channel mix is diversified, not just one bet.
Demand gen at Scale:
| Channel | Maturity Level | Investment Level |
|---|---|---|
| Paid search | Optimized, scaled | 30-50% of paid budget |
| Paid social | Active, segmented | 20-30% of paid budget |
| Content syndication | Testing or scaled | 10-20% of paid budget |
| Retargeting | Active | 10-15% of paid budget |
| ABM advertising | If enterprise segment | 15-25% of paid budget |
Budget and accountability:
- Marketing budget as % of revenue — typically 10-20% at this stage
- Pipeline contribution target — marketing-sourced or marketing-influenced (define which)
- CAC tracking by channel — know which channels actually produce ROI
Demand gen metrics:
| Metric | What It Measures | Typical Target |
|---|---|---|
| MQL volume | Top of funnel production | Growth from prior period |
| MQL→SQL conversion | Lead quality | 30-50% |
| Marketing-sourced pipe | Direct attribution | 30-50% of total pipe |
| CAC by channel | Efficiency | Under 1/3 first-year ACV |
Program structure:
- Always-on programs — paid search, retargeting, email nurture
- Campaign bursts — webinars, launches, events
- Test budget — 10-20% for experimentation
What NOT to do:
- All eggs in one channel — diversification reduces risk
- Vanity metrics obsession — impressions and clicks don't pay rent
- No attribution — can't optimize what isn't measured
- Budget without targets — "more leads" isn't a goal
Playbook reference: → Lead and Opportunity Attribution, Paid Media Strategy
Community and Network Building
Stage-appropriate approach: Community programs emerge. The founder network is valuable but not scalable. Customer community and industry presence become strategic.
Community at Scale:
| Community Type | Purpose | Investment Level |
|---|---|---|
| Customer community | Peer support, engagement | Moderate (platform + moderation) |
| User groups/chapters | Local engagement | Low (customer-led, company-supported) |
| Online community | Ongoing engagement | Moderate (Slack, Circle, etc.) |
| Partner community | Ecosystem building | If relevant to motion |
Community investment:
- Platform decision — Slack, Circle, Discourse, community tools
- Moderation model — community manager role or shared responsibility
- Content for community — exclusive content, early access, AMAs
- Success metrics — engagement, retention correlation, NPS
Network building:
- Analyst relations — if relevant to enterprise sales (Gartner, Forrester)
- Influencer relationships — industry thought leaders, not paid endorsements
- Customer advisory board — early version, 5-10 strategic customers
What NOT to do:
- Community as marketing channel — communities that feel like ads die fast
- No moderation — unmoderated communities become ghost towns or toxic
- Expecting community to build itself — it takes investment and effort
- Measuring community by leads generated — wrong metric, wrong incentives
Playbook reference: → Community Strategy
Event Strategy
Stage-appropriate approach: Major presence at key events. Hosting becomes viable. Event ROI is tracked, not assumed.
Event portfolio at Scale:
| Event Type | Role | Investment Level |
|---|---|---|
| Industry conferences | Sponsor or major presence | High (booth, speaking, dinners) |
| Partner events | Co-marketing | Moderate |
| Owned events | Webinars, virtual events | Moderate (production quality up) |
| Field events | Dinners, roundtables | Moderate (targeted, high-touch) |
| Customer events | User conference consideration | High if doing |
Event strategy principles:
- Selectivity over volume — better to do 5 events well than 15 poorly
- Pre/post event process — meetings booked before event, follow-up within 48 hours
- ROI tracking — cost per meeting, cost per opportunity, deals closed
- Event enablement — talking points, booth training, demo environments
User conference consideration:
At Scale, an annual user conference may become viable if:
- Customer count supports it (100+ customers typically)
- Strategic value justifies cost (brand, retention, expansion)
- Team can execute (event planning is a skill)
Most Scale-stage companies should attend and sponsor rather than host major events.
What NOT to do:
- Spray and pray — being at every event with no strategy
- No follow-up process — leads from events die without fast outreach
- Booth without meetings — booth presence alone doesn't drive pipeline
- Ignoring virtual — virtual events still matter and cost less
Playbook reference: → Physical Event Process and ROI Reporting
ABM (Account-Based Marketing)
Stage-appropriate approach: Consider ABM if an enterprise segment exists. ABM is not a replacement for demand gen — it's an addition for strategic accounts.
ABM readiness signals:
- Enterprise segment exists — ACV >$50K, longer sales cycles
- Named accounts identified — sales has a target account list
- Sales-marketing alignment — shared definitions, coordinated outreach
- Data infrastructure — can track account-level engagement
ABM tiers at Scale:
| Tier | Account Count | Treatment | Typical Investment |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1:1 | 5-20 | Highly personalized, dedicated resources | High |
| 1:Few | 20-100 | Cluster-based personalization | Medium |
| 1:Many | 100-500+ | Scaled personalization | Lower per-account |
Starting ABM at Scale:
Most Scale-stage companies should start with 1:Few ABM:
- Pick 50-100 target accounts
- Create segment-specific content and ads
- Coordinate sales and marketing outreach
- Measure engagement at account level
What NOT to do:
- ABM without sales buy-in — ABM is a sales-marketing partnership, not a marketing program
- ABM for SMB — economics don't work for low-ACV deals
- Over-investing before proving — start small, prove ROI, then scale
- Treating ABM as separate from demand gen — it's a complement, not a replacement
Playbook reference: → ABM/ABS Process and System
Marketing Operations
Stage-appropriate approach: Marketing ops becomes a real function at Scale. Somebody owns the tech stack, data quality, and process efficiency. This often reports to RevOps or is a dedicated marketing ops role.
Marketing ops responsibilities:
| Area | What's Owned | Typical Activities |
|---|---|---|
| Tech stack | Marketing tools | Administration, integrations, vendor management |
| Data quality | Marketing data | Enrichment, deduplication, hygiene |
| Automation | Email, workflows | Campaign execution, nurture programs |
| Reporting | Marketing metrics | Dashboards, attribution, analysis |
| Process | Marketing operations | Lead management, routing, SLAs |
Tech stack at Scale:
| Category | Typical Tools | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| MAP | HubSpot Pro/Enterprise, Marketo, Pardot | Full automation capabilities |
| ABM | Demandbase, 6sense, Terminus | If enterprise segment |
| Intent data | Bombora, G2 | Identify in-market accounts |
| Analytics | GA4, Mixpanel | Web and product analytics |
| Attribution | Bizible, CaliberMind | Multi-touch attribution |
Lead management:
- Lead scoring — behavioral + demographic scoring
- Lead routing — automated, rules-based routing to sales
- SLAs — marketing-to-sales response time commitments
- Recycling — process for leads that don't convert
What NOT to do:
- Nobody owns the stack — tools without ownership become shelfware
- No data governance — garbage in, garbage out
- Overbuying tools — buy for current needs, not aspirational ones
- Siloed reporting — marketing and sales should see the same numbers
Playbook reference: → Marketing Automation Platform Implementation, Lead Management
Partner Marketing
Stage-appropriate approach: Consider partner marketing if technology partnerships are active. Channel partner marketing is typically Optimize stage, but tech partner co-marketing can start at Scale.
Partner marketing at Scale:
| Activity | When Relevant | Investment Level |
|---|---|---|
| Integration marketing | Active tech partnerships | Low-moderate |
| Co-branded content | Strategic partnerships | Moderate |
| Marketplace presence | Ecosystem play | Moderate |
| Partner events | Major partner events | Variable |
What makes sense at Scale:
- Integration pages — documentation and marketing for key integrations
- Co-webinars — shared lead gen with tech partners
- Marketplace listings — if relevant marketplaces exist (Salesforce AppExchange, HubSpot Marketplace, etc.)
What to wait on:
- Channel partner programs — requires partner ops infrastructure (Optimize stage)
- Partner portal — premature investment at Scale
- Through-partner demand gen — wait until partner channel is mature
What NOT to do:
- Partner marketing without integration — marketing before the product partnership exists
- Equal investment across all partners — prioritize by strategic value
- No tracking — partner-sourced vs. partner-influenced should be measured
Playbook reference: → Partnership Marketing, Integration Marketing