10 lies you've been told about marketing

Here are 10 lies you've been told about marketing:

1) "Send a welcome email immediately after signup"

Don't. People will reflexively discard it as spam.

Instead, delay your welcome email by 15-45 mins.

The delay removes the subscriber's mental connection between signup and your email, bypassing their reflex to ignore.

This might lead to more opens.

2) "Only highlight your best product reviews"

Imperfect reviews are more valuable—and generate more sales—than 5-star reviews.

Here's why. When a review weighs the cons versus the pros yet concludes the product was worth purchasing anyway, people see the review as real and authentic.

So don't bury slightly negative reviews.

3) "You have to send a newsletter every week"

Most newsletters shouldn't be sent weekly.

High cadences force newsletter writers to rush and publish lower-quality information.

Instead, consider only sending when you truly have value to add.

4) "Your startup needs a great referral program"

Every company is different. The referral programs that grew Airbnb & Dropbox don't work for most companies.

Instead, find your social loop:

E.g. An eCom pet store should get dog owners to post photos of their dogs on IG with you tagged.

5) "Always include a message while prospecting on LinkedIn"

Try connecting without a message—we’ve found that people think you're less fake. People accept the request more often.

In contrast, a templated message looks like automation and triggers people’s reflex to ignore you.

6) “If you can't get ads to work profitably, your product is broken”

Most startups never get ads to run profitably.

They're usually worth testing because they're quick to experiment with and scale.

But if they don't work, don't be afraid to ditch them entirely.

Focus on SEO, referrals, product-led growth, and social content.

7) "You need to go viral"

Word of Mouth (WOM) is far more realistic and applicable to most startups.

WOM is the result of a product that:

1. Removes obstacles or pain from people's lives. E.g. Slack removes the pain people feel when sorting through inefficient email threads.
2. Gives people dopamine hits of delight. E.g. Airbnb's refreshing take on traveling like a local is delightful.

Create something that people can't help but share.

8) "You need PR for your launch"

You don't need a TechCrunch article. You need an audience — which can be built alongside your product:

• Build in public: Post updates about your startup online and build a community of people who support your growth.
• Add value: Focus on providing value in online communities (like Indie Hackers).
• Publish content: When you publish, you put your ideas out there. People who agree with you will gravitate towards your startup.

A group of core fans is worth more than an article written by someone who hardly knows you.

9) "You should focus on blogging for SEO"

Most startups actually find it significantly more useful to create content (guides, social media posts, case studies, YouTube videos) to show their value and to help others.

This generosity—ironically—leads to a high-performing funnel:

Quality, helpful content (not SEO-focused content) leads to trust and sales.

10) Great products don't need marketing"

False.

Even the best products need marketing to effectively reach the right people at scale.

Tip the first domino for the rest to fall.

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