Which marketing channel should I focus on first?
Don't try five channels at once. Start where you can reach people who actually have the problem, then double down on what works.
Short Answer If you're still trying to get your first few customers, I would not start with SEO, paid ads, or five social platforms. I'd start with the place where I can directly reach people who have the problem. For most B2B products, that's direct outreach. For consumer products, it may be a community, creator, marketplace, or social platform where your users already spend time. The goal isn't to find the perfect channel. It's to find the first channel that gives you real conversations and real customers.
Why I Think This I see founders make this harder than it needs to be. They ask, “Should I do SEO?” Then someone tells them LinkedIn is better. Someone else says paid ads. Another founder says you need to build a personal brand. Now they're trying to post on LinkedIn, write blog posts, run ads, make videos, send cold emails, and somehow build the product at the same time. I wouldn't do that. When you're early, you don't need a marketing machine. You need to know whether you can consistently get one person interested in what you're building. That's why I'd start with the channel where I can reach potential customers directly. If you're building B2B software for accountants, for example, I'd rather message 30 accountants than spend three months writing blog posts about accounting software. If you're building a product for photographers, I'd rather find where photographers already spend time and talk to them there. The question I'd ask is: “Where can I reach 20 people who might genuinely need this?” That's your first channel. There is a reason I like this approach: You are still learning what people care about. Your website might be wrong. Your pricing might be wrong. Your message might be wrong. You might even be solving the wrong problem. Direct conversations let you find that out quickly. You can change your message tomorrow. You can change who you're targeting next week. You can ask someone why they didn't buy. That is much harder to do with SEO or paid ads. This doesn't mean SEO or ads are bad. They can become great channels. I just wouldn't make them my first bet unless the product already has a clear reason to use them. For example, if people are already searching Google for exactly what you sell, search can make sense. If you have a consumer product that people discover through Instagram or TikTok, social may make sense. If you already have a large audience, use that audience. The mistake is copying another startup's channel because it worked for them. Their customers may behave completely differently from yours. I'd rather spend two weeks learning where my customers actually are than spend two months trying to make a channel work because someone on Twitter said it was the best one. Your first marketing channel should help you learn as much as it helps you grow. If I Were Starting From Scratch... I'd forget about choosing between SEO, LinkedIn, ads, Instagram, email, and everything else. I'd first write down exactly who I want as my customer. Then I'd find 20 of them. I'd figure out where they already spend time. If I can reach them directly, I'd start there. I'd spend the next two weeks trying to get conversations. I'd track three things: Did people reply? Did they care about the problem? Did anyone actually become a customer? If yes, I'd do more of that. If no, I'd change the message or the customer before jumping to another channel. Once something starts working manually, then I'd think about making the channel bigger.
FAQs
Should I use SEO or paid ads first for my startup?
I would usually avoid both as my first serious bet if you have no customers yet. I'd first learn what message gets people interested through direct conversations. Once you know what people want, paid ads can help you test demand faster, while SEO can build a longer term source of traffic. If people are already searching for exactly what you sell, paid search can be an exception.
Is cold email actually worth it for a new startup?
Yes, especially if you're selling B2B and you know exactly who the buyer is. Cold email lets you reach the people you want instead of waiting for them to discover you. I wouldn't send thousands of generic emails, though. I'd start with a small list, write like a human, and use the replies to improve the product and message.
Should I use LinkedIn to get my first customers?
Use LinkedIn if your customers actually spend time there. For a B2B product, it can be a very good place to find specific people and start conversations. But I wouldn't post for months hoping the algorithm sends customers your way. I'd use LinkedIn to find the people I want to speak to, then start real conversations with them.
How long should I test a marketing channel before giving up?
Give it enough time to produce a useful signal, not an arbitrary number of days. For direct outreach, I'd expect conversations fairly quickly. For paid ads, you need enough spend to learn whether people click and convert. SEO is different because it can take months before you see meaningful traffic. If there is no useful signal, change something rather than blindly waiting.
How do I know if a marketing channel is actually working?
Don't judge it by likes, traffic, or impressions alone. Ask whether the channel is bringing you the people you actually want. For an early startup, I'd look at real conversations, qualified leads, trials, and paying customers. If 1,000 people visit your site and nobody cares, that's not a working channel. Ten right people who become customers can be much more useful.