Over the past three years at AppSumo Originals, we’ve grown revenue by over 10x.

I’ve used the lessons and strategies to coach 100+ startups to grow from zero to six- and seven-figures in revenue.
The number one question I get asked the MOST…
“What marketing channels should I do?”
Most entrepreneurs have been conditioned to think there’s a magic bullet marketing channel:
- Blog posts share the “10 Best Marketing Marketing Channels You Need in 2022 [Try This Today]”… but it’s written by someone who’s never actually grown a business, and they’re just hunting for SEO rankings.
- Case studies that talk about how Silicon Valley Company XYZ grew 1,204% in less than 6 months… but this isn’t the norm, and the case study often doesn’t tell the full story.
- The latest and hottest trend in marketing!!!… that drifts away after a few months and becomes a graveyard waste of time and money (remember Clubhouse?).
What works gangbusters for one business doesn’t always work for another.
The truth is, there’s no one-size-fits all silver-bullet marketing channel.
Instead of focusing on the channels, put your attention and energy on a systematized method of marketing — and see what works for you.
For example, years ago for KingSumo, we created a marketing launch plan:

Instead of focusing on finding the “best” channels, we followed a simpler framework that grew a $500,000+ product from zero in a few years — with a limited marketing budget:
- Start with a goal. If you don’t know the direction you’re going, you won’t get there. Marketing channels should always drive to a larger goal. For KingSumo, We picked 1,000 signups within the first 30 days of launch — and after picking the goal we thought about marketing channels.
- Pick a bunch of marketing channels that look appealing. We didn’t put all our eggs in the basket of the hottest trend in marketing that month (only to see it abandoned when we actually launched a couple months later). Instead, we Googled, asked our friends what was working for them, and re-examined marketing channels that had worked well in the past.
- Add loose projections (even if not fully accurate). We used previous data we had from launches or friends, or even Googled for things like “Product Hunt launch results” to guesstimate rough traffic and conversion numbers. The point is NOT to get perfect numbers. Instead, aim to get a bunch of marketing channels listed that look promising and fun… and then start experimenting so you can see what works for your business.
Once you start marketing, you’ll be able to measure results and iterate.
That’s when the real marketing happens. Measure results, double down on what works, or move onto another marketing channel if it doesn’t work.
Stop wasting time looking for the “perfect” marketing channel. Instead, think about the goal for the business, start to ideate a bunch of marketing channels to try, and then get to work.
Defining process and strategy is what REALLY helps you grow.
[…] many founders say things like “I want marketing help” or “I need someone to talk things off my plate”… but what does that really […]
[…] To learn more about marketing plans, check out my blog post on our KingSumo marketing launch plan. […]