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<\/a><\/p>\nWhen you don\u2019t have big dollars to hide behind, you\u2019re forced to get creative, move fast, and figure out what actually gets attention. You learn by doing, not by building 40-slide decks to ask for $50,000.<\/p>\n
In this piece, I\u2019ll walk you through real examples of scrappy marketing tactics that worked, and how you can steal them for your own playbook.<\/p>\n
My Own Experience With Low-Budget Marketing<\/h2>\n
My first job out of college was at a PR agency. This was back in 2009, and the \u201cplaybook\u201d was pretty traditional. I built a list of reporters, cold pitched them, hoped for a hit. But social media was just starting to change the game. I realized I could skip the outdated tactics by connecting with reporters directly on Twitter.<\/p>\n
I\u2018d follow their work, comment thoughtfully on their posts, and DM them pitches that showed I actually understood their beat. This wasn\u2019t rocket science. But at the time, no one else was doing it. And, it worked. I started getting quick wins, and internally, people were wondering what my \u201csecret\u201d was. The truth? I was just scrappy and curious.<\/p>\n
I also used to ghostwrite for one of the executives at the same company. I would spend all day finding blogs and drafting comments on blog posts, back when blog comments were a community builder.<\/p>\n
That would lead to coverage. Thoughtful comments would turn into future opportunities because you\u2019d be seen as an expert. The reporters would say, \u201cWow, this is a really good comment on this article. Hey, let\u2019s feature this person in the next article.\u201d<\/p>\n
Early in my career, I read and devoured everything about social media marketing, digital marketing, and online marketing. I loved the world of posting on Reddit and answering questions on Quora.<\/p>\n
Later at HubSpot, I helped launch the company\u2019s first podcast, The Growth Show<\/em>. I\u2019d find relevant subreddits and creatively promote the podcast. We got a lot of links and a lot of love. I just kind of fell into this scrappy level of marketing.<\/p>\n At Drift, I applied that same mindset at scale. We didn’t buy billboards across San Francisco, but we did<\/em> buy one billboard outside a key customer’s office for $1,200. We put a screenshot of her tweet on it, and she ended up taking a photo in front of it. That tweet did more for us than any display ad ever could.<\/p>\n Or take the time we went to SaaStr. We didn\u2019t have a booth. Our CEO had a speaking slot, and I flew out with my podcast gear in my backpack. I recorded interviews, wrote articles, and created a ton of content \u2014 all for the price of a plane ticket.<\/p>\n So, how can you make a big impact with a small budget? Here are my biggest learnings.<\/p>\n The fastest, most cost-effective place to start is social media. It\u2019s where people hang out, whether they\u2019re buying software or shoes.<\/p>\n When I say social, I don’t just mean paid ads or promo posts. I mean actually showing up<\/em> where your audience spends time. That might mean posting on LinkedIn, replying to threads on Reddit, or sharing insights in niche Slack groups.<\/p>\n The best scrappy plays are often the most memorable. At Drift, we sent handwritten notes and shirts to new customers. Why? Because they took pictures and shared them. It created organic reach and goodwill.<\/p>\n When I launched my book, I paid $5K to plaster posters around Boston like a musician would promote a show. People saw them, took pics, and spread the word.<\/p>\n Most marketers ask, \u201cHow much can we spend on this campaign?\u201d But instead, they should ask, \u201dWhat’s the most helpful or interesting thing we can make?”<\/p>\n No matter what you make, content that connects is actually high quality, unique, and interesting. I find a plain-text newsletter with real insights much more engaging than a beautifully designed send with custom graphics. A podcast with low-fidelity audio can be more valuable than one made in a state-of-the-art studio.<\/p>\n Focus on getting information into the world that adds value for your audience. You can iterate, then put money behind plays that work.<\/p>\n Scrappy experiments are low-risk ways to test ideas. Before you invest in a large sponsorship or campaign, test the message organically. Does it get traction on social? Does it resonate with customers? If so, then<\/em> double down with spend.<\/p>\n Don\u2019t think of being scrappy as an alternative to having a budget; instead, you can use it as a testing ground for great ideas you can double down on.<\/p>\n4 Tips for Marketing Without a Budget<\/h2>\n
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<\/p>\n1. Play where you have leverage.<\/h3>\n
2. Create shareable moments.<\/h3>\n
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<\/p>\n3. Start with content, not spend.<\/h3>\n
4. Use scrappy plays to de-risk bigger bets.<\/h3>\n
Scrappy marketing is a mindset.<\/h2>\n
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