Hey, Startups! Invest in Paid Search or Get Left Behind
Every year, we watch brilliant startups roll out innovative products that should be selling like wildfire. But instead, Crickets. Why? Because they assumed the magic of their product would somehow sell itself. Spoiler: It won’t.
The “if we build it, they will come” fantasy is a dangerous one. It’s the idea that a great product, by sheer force of its awesomeness, will attract customers like moths to a flame. Except, in reality, no one’s even seen the flame because you forgot to, you know, tell them it exists.
You need strong marketing to get your product in front of the right people at the right time with the right message. And you need upfront marketing investment to do so.
Paid Search is The Fastest Path to Customers
If you’re a DTC brand, paid search is your best shot at making sales happen fast. For the uninitiated, paid search (a.k.a. Pay-Per-Click or PPC) is when you pay to have your ads appear at the top of Google search results when someone searches for something relevant.
Example: A potential customer is struggling with lesson planning and wants a tool to help them. They go to Google and type in “lesson planning software.” If you sell that, your ad pops up. The customer recognizes you can alleviate their pain point. Click. Purchase. Money in your pocket.
Paid search for startups works because it’s intent-driven. Unlike social media, where you’re hoping someone might care, searchers are already looking for what you offer.
PPC also gives you instant, measurable ROI. If you’re spending $1 to make $5, you know it’s working. So, flip the PPC switch while you wait to build up the organic side of things.
Whether you're crafting a donor pitch, launching a new program, or promoting your nonprofit online, key messages are the foundation of marketing strategies for nonprofits. They keep your voice steady and your audience focused, no matter the platform or purpose.
To put it simply:
Paid Search = Direct Response (Sales Now)
Social Media = Awareness & Community (Likes, Shares, Maybe Sales Later)
Organic Content = Long-Term Play (Important, But You Need Money Now)
So, if you want immediate traction, start where the buyers already are: Google.
Why Startups Need Marketing in Their Budget from Day One
Many startups treat marketing as something they’ll “get to later” once sales magically start rolling in. But marketing isn’t a “nice-to-have.” It’s not some vanity spend you throw money at when times are good.
Good marketing is the fuel that kickstarts sales, growth, and survival. Without it, your product is just sitting in a digital ghost town, waiting for someone to stumble across it.
Think about the cost of waiting to market your startup:
Every day you delay marketing is a day your competitor’s ads are showing up instead of yours.
Every moment you think, “Maybe we’ll invest in marketing later,” is a moment your audience is discovering and buying from another brand.
Incorporating marketing into your initial startup budget is an investment that pays you back in the form of brand awareness, customer acquisition, and, most importantly, revenue. Startups that win are startups that market. Period.
Where to Allocate Your Startup Marketing Budget
Now that you’re convinced, you need to think about where your startup marketing budget should actually go.
Step one: Prioritize paid search. As we mentioned, it delivers high-intent traffic. It guarantees you show up in front of people who are actively searching for what you sell. It’s fast, scalable, and trackable. You’ll know exactly what’s working and where to double down.
Once you’ve got paid search rolling, layer in:
SEO: The long game that helps you rank organically but takes time. Blogs are your friend here.
Email Marketing: Keeps leads warm and converts lookers into buyers.
Social Media Strategy: Ensures your brand messaging is consistent, engaging, and aligned across platforms to build awareness and community.
Creative Development: Craft compelling brand assets, copy, and visuals that resonate with your audience and drive conversions.
Automation and Workflows: Make your marketing efforts work smarter with automation to drive efficiency and scalability.
Now, let’s talk numbers. The CMO Survey found that companies typically allocate around 11% of their revenue to marketing. For startups, industry experts recommend allocating 10-20% of projected revenue to marketing, emphasizing its role in driving leads and building brand awareness.
The Bottom Line
Paid search is your fastest path to customers and conversions. The right budget, in the right places, ensures that your brand isn’t just existing in the background. Instead, it’s showing up, standing out, and making sales.
If you’re unsure where to start, Clever Lucy can help. From paid media strategy to full-scale campaign execution, we make sure your budget works as hard as you do. Let’s build a marketing plan that gets you results. Book a 15-minute call with us today.
