Marketing Brand

Marketing & Brand

Guide founders through organic marketing and brand building—from founder-led marketing with zero budget to scaling with a dedicated team.

Reference Files

• references/brand-voice.md — Brand positioning, voice framework, messaging architecture
• references/content-strategy.md — Content pillars, formats, calendar, distribution playbook
• references/seo-playbook.md — Keyword research, on-page SEO, content-led SEO strategy
• references/pr-outreach.md — Press pitches, journalist outreach, media relations
• references/community-playbook.md — Platform selection, engagement tactics, scaling community

Workflow

Step 1: Diagnose Stage & Resources

Ask: "Where are you in your marketing journey?"

| Stage | Signals | Focus | |-------|---------|-------| | Pre-launch | Building product, no users | → Brand foundation, pre-launch content | | Early-stage | For [target customer] who [need/pain], [Product] is a [category] that [key benefit]. Unlike [alternatives], we [differentiator].

Brand Voice Dimensions:

Define where you sit on each spectrum:

| Dimension | ← One End | Other End → | |-----------|-----------|-------------| | Tone | Formal | Casual | | Attitude | Serious | Playful | | Language | Technical | Simple | | Emotion | Reserved | Enthusiastic |

Brand Voice Examples by Company Type:

| Company Type | Voice Characteristics | Examples | |--------------|----------------------|----------| | Dev tools | Technical, direct, no fluff | Stripe, Vercel, Linear | | Consumer | Friendly, emotional, relatable | Airbnb, Duolingo, Spotify | | B2B SaaS | Professional, helpful, clear | Salesforce, HubSpot, Slack | | Fintech | Trustworthy, simple, reassuring | Wise, Ramp, Mercury |

Step 3: Content Strategy

Use references/content-strategy.md for detailed playbook.

Content Pillar Model:

Choose 3-5 pillars that connect your expertise to customer problems:

| Pillar Type | Description | Example (Figma) | |-------------|-------------|-----------------| | Product-adjacent | Topics your product helps with | "Design systems" | | Industry trends | What's changing in your space | "Future of design collaboration" | | Customer success | How customers win | "Design team workflows" | | Thought leadership | Your unique POV | "Why design is a team sport" |

Content Format Selection by Stage:

| Stage | Primary Formats | Why | |-------|-----------------|-----| | Early (0-1K users) | Long-form blog, Twitter/LinkedIn threads | SEO foundation, founder voice | | Growth (1K-10K) | + Newsletter, templates/tools | Capture emails, provide value | | Scale (10K+) | + Podcast, video, webinars | Brand building, multi-channel |

Content Distribution (80/20 Rule):

Spend 20% creating, 80% distributing:

| Channel | Best For | Effort | |---------|----------|--------| | Owned (blog, newsletter) | SEO, owned audience | Medium | | Social (Twitter, LinkedIn) | Reach, engagement | Low per post | | Communities (Reddit, Slack, Discord) | Trust, niche reach | High (relationship-based) | | Syndication (Medium, Dev.to, HN) | Extended reach | Low |

Content Repurposing Workflow:

1 piece of pillar content → 10+ distribution pieces:

Long-form blog post
├── Twitter thread (key takeaways)
├── LinkedIn post (professional angle)
├── Newsletter section
├── Reddit comment (when relevant)
├── Quora answer
├── Slide deck (SlideShare)
├── Short video (key point)
├── Infographic (data/stats)
├── Podcast talking points
└── Community discussion starter

Step 4: SEO Foundation

Use references/seo-playbook.md for detailed process.

SEO Priority by Stage:

| Stage | SEO Focus | Time Investment | |-------|-----------|-----------------| | Pre-launch | Keyword research, site structure | 5% of marketing time | | Early | 1-2 pillar pages, blog foundation | 20% of marketing time | | Growth | Content clusters, link building | 30% of marketing time | | Scale | Technical SEO, programmatic | 25% of marketing time |

Keyword Research Framework:

| Keyword Type | Intent | Funnel Stage | Example (Project Management Tool) | |--------------|--------|--------------|-----------------------------------| | Problem-aware | Informational | Top | "how to manage remote team" | | Solution-aware | Comparison | Middle | "best project management software" | | Product-aware | Transactional | Bottom | "asana vs monday" | | Brand | Navigational | Bottom | "[your brand] pricing" |

Quick SEO Wins (First 90 Days):

1. Homepage optimization — Clear H1, meta description, target keyword
2. Create 3-5 pillar pages — Comprehensive guides for main keywords
3. Blog cadence — 2-4 SEO-optimized posts per month
4. Technical basics — Fast load time, mobile-friendly, sitemap submitted
5. Internal linking — Connect all content to pillar pages

Content-Led SEO Benchmarks:

| Metric | 6-Month Target | 12-Month Target | |--------|----------------|-----------------| | Organic traffic | 1,000-5,000/month | 10,000-50,000/month | | Ranking keywords | 100-500 | 500-2,000 | | Domain authority | 20-30 | 30-45 | | Backlinks | 50-200 | 200-1,000 |

Step 5: PR & Media Relations

Use references/pr-outreach.md for templates and process.

When to Pursue PR:

| ✅ Good Time for PR | ❌ Bad Time for PR | |---------------------|-------------------| | Funding announcement | No news hook | | Major product launch | Early MVP stage | | Significant milestone (users, revenue) | "We exist" story | | Unique data/research | Copycat product | | Counter-narrative story | No media relationships |

PR Tier Strategy:

| Tier | Publications | Approach | Timeline | |------|--------------|----------|----------| | Tier 1 | TechCrunch, WSJ, NYT | Exclusive offer, strong hook | 2-4 weeks lead | | Tier 2 | Industry pubs, Forbes contributors | Targeted pitch | 1-2 weeks lead | | Tier 3 | Blogs, newsletters, podcasts | Direct outreach, easier access | 1 week lead |

Press Pitch Structure:

Subject: [Specific hook] — [Company] [achievement/news]

Paragraph 1: The news (who, what, when, why it matters)
Paragraph 2: Context (why now, market trend, problem being solved)
Paragraph 3: Proof points (traction, customers, investors)
Paragraph 4: Offer (exclusive, interview, assets available)

One line: Founder bio + contact

Pitch Timing Best Practices:

• Tuesday-Thursday, 7-9 AM journalist's timezone
• Avoid Mondays (backlog) and Fridays (weekend mode)
• Embargo dates: Offer 1-2 week exclusive for major news
• Follow up once after 3-5 days, then move on

Step 6: Community Building

Use references/community-playbook.md for detailed playbook.

Community Platform Selection:

| Platform | Best For | Effort Level | Control | |----------|----------|--------------|---------| | Slack/Discord | Real-time, engaged users | High | High | | Circle/Geneva | Structured community, courses | Medium | High | | Reddit | Organic discovery, niche topics | Medium | Low | | Twitter/X | Public conversation, reach | Low | Low | | LinkedIn Groups | B2B professional audiences | Low | Medium |

Community Strategy by Stage:

| Stage | Focus | Tactics | |-------|-------|---------| | Seed (0-100 members) | Quality over quantity | Personal invites, hand-pick members | | Build (100-1,000) | Establish norms, rituals | Welcome flow, weekly threads, AMAs | | Grow (1,000-10,000) | Delegate, scale programs | Moderators, champions, events | | Scale (10,000+) | Systematize, segment | Tiers, sub-communities, ambassadors |

Community Engagement Tactics:

| Tactic | Frequency | Purpose | |--------|-----------|---------| | Welcome messages | Every new member | Activation | | Discussion prompts | 2-3x per week | Engagement | | AMAs / Office hours | Weekly/biweekly | Value, access | | Member spotlights | Weekly | Recognition | | Exclusive content | Monthly | Retention | | Events (virtual/IRL) | Monthly/quarterly | Connection |

Community Health Metrics:

| Metric | Healthy Range | Warning Sign | |--------|---------------|--------------| | DAU/MAU | > 20% | 48 hours | | Member-generated content | > 50% of posts | 10% |

Step 7: Channel Prioritization

Channel Selection by Business Type:

| Business Type | Primary Channels | Secondary Channels | |---------------|------------------|-------------------| | B2B SaaS | LinkedIn, SEO/blog, community | Twitter, newsletter, PR | | Dev Tools | Twitter, GitHub, technical blog | Reddit, HN, Discord | | Consumer | TikTok/Instagram, SEO, PR | Twitter, community, influencers | | Marketplace | SEO, supply-side community | PR, local marketing | | Fintech | SEO, trust content, PR | LinkedIn, partnerships |

Channel Evaluation Framework:

Score each channel 1-5:

| Factor | Question | |--------|----------| | Audience fit | Is your target customer here? | | Content fit | Does your content work on this channel? | | Competition | How saturated is it? | | Founder fit | Do you enjoy/excel at this channel? | | Resource fit | Can you sustain it with current resources? |

Focus Rule: Master 1-2 channels before adding more. Mediocre presence on 5 channels < excellent presence on 2.

Decision Checkpoints

When to Hire Marketing

Ready to hire when:

• [ ] Founder has done marketing for 6+ months
• [ ] At least one channel is working (can articulate what "good" looks like)
• [ ] Have content/brand foundation documented
• [ ] Can afford 12+ months of salary
• [ ] Clear on what you need (content, growth, brand)

First marketing hire by type:

| Your Situation | First Hire | |----------------|------------| | Content is working, need more | Content marketer / writer | | Need brand + positioning | Brand marketer (senior) | | SEO is primary channel | SEO specialist | | Community is core to product | Community manager | | Multiple channels, need orchestration | Marketing generalist |

When to Engage PR Agency

Consider agency when:

• Have newsworthy milestones (funding, major launch)
• Budget of $10K+/month for PR
• Need media relationships you don't have
• Want ongoing press strategy vs. one-off

DIY PR when:

• Early stage with limited news
• Budget-constrained
• Have founder with media relationships
• Targeting niche/trade publications

Deliverables

1. Brand Voice Guidelines

• Positioning statement
• Voice attributes with examples
• Do's and don'ts
• Sample copy for common use cases
• Use docx skill for creation

2. Content Strategy Document

• Content pillars defined
• Editorial calendar (90 days)
• Distribution checklist
• Repurposing workflow
• Use docx skill for creation

3. SEO Audit & Plan

• Current state assessment
• Keyword opportunities
• Content gap analysis
• 90-day action plan
• Use xlsx skill for audit tracker

4. PR Pitch Templates

• Funding announcement template
• Product launch template
• Milestone/traction template
• Journalist outreach sequence
• Use docx skill for creation

5. Community Playbook

• Platform recommendation
• Launch plan
• Engagement calendar
• Moderation guidelines
• Use docx skill for creation

6. Content Calendar Template

• Monthly/quarterly view
• Content pillars mapped
• Distribution tracking
• Performance metrics
• Use xlsx skill for creation

Common Marketing Mistakes

Brand Mistakes:

1. No positioning — Being everything to everyone = nothing to no one
2. Inconsistent voice — Different tone across channels confuses audience
3. Copying competitors — Blending in vs. standing out
4. Changing too often — Brand building takes time

Content Mistakes:

1. No distribution plan — Great content no one sees
2. Too many channels — Spreading thin vs. going deep
3. Vanity metrics — Pageviews without conversion
4. No SEO foundation — Content that doesn't compound

PR Mistakes:

1. No news hook — "We exist" isn't a story
2. Mass blasting — Same pitch to 200 journalists
3. Bad timing — Pitching during major news cycles
4. No relationship building — Only reaching out when you need coverage

Community Mistakes:

1. Building too early — Community before product-market fit
2. Wrong platform — Discord for enterprise B2B
3. No engagement — Ghost town after launch
4. Over-moderating — Killing organic conversation

Integration with Other Skills

• Use idea-validation skill first if positioning not validated
• Use business-model skill for pricing/value prop alignment
• Use go-to-market skill for launch marketing
• Use product skill for product marketing alignment
• Use sales skill for sales enablement content
• Use growth-analytics skill for marketing metrics
• Use docx skill for all marketing documents
• Use xlsx skill for calendars and tracking

---

Adapted from Linas Beliūnas's The One-Person Unicorn founder skill set.

Source & license

This open-source skill is cataloged on AgentStack and links to its original source — we do not rehost the code.

• Author: samuelcastro
• Source: samuelcastro/startup-skills
• License: MIT

Install and usage instructions live in the source repository linked above.