Startup marketing has become more complicated.
There are more channels.
More content formats.
More AI tools.
More creators.
More advertising platforms.
And now AI search is changing how people discover companies and information.
Google's AI Mode can break complex questions into related searches and provide links to supporting websites. ChatGPT can search the web and return cited sources.
But the answer isn't to add 15 more marketing activities to your calendar.
Start with the fundamentals.
1. Make your positioning obvious
If someone can't explain your product after visiting your homepage, fix that before increasing traffic.
Your website should make clear:
Who it's for.
What it does.
What problem it solves.
Why it's different.
2. Know your ICP
You don't need a fictional persona with their favourite coffee order.
You need useful information:
- What company are they at?
- What role do they have?
- What problem are they experiencing?
- What triggers them to look for a solution?
- What alternatives do they use?
- What makes them hesitate?
- How do they buy?
3. Build your GTM around the buyer
Map the journey:
Trigger → Research → Shortlist → Evaluation → Purchase → Expansion
Then ask where marketing can actually help.
That gives you a much better basis for deciding which channels to use.
4. Build content around real questions
Your customers already have questions.
Your sales team hears them.
Your support team hears them.
Your founders hear them.
Turn those questions into content.
This is good marketing and increasingly useful for search.
Google says its AI search features still rely on core Search systems and recommends the same fundamental SEO and people-first content practices.
5. Start thinking about AI visibility
Ask:
“If someone asks ChatGPT, Google AI or Perplexity about our category, what happens?”
Then test it.
Look at:
- Category prompts
- Competitor prompts
- Comparison prompts
- “Best tools” prompts
- Problem-based prompts
- Buying prompts
Track what comes back.
Don't treat one answer as permanent.
AI search results can change.
6. Build your reputation outside your website
Your company shouldn't exist only on its own domain.
Think:
LinkedIn + customers + creators + publications + communities + reviews + partnerships + founder expertise.
The goal is a broader footprint that helps people understand what you do and why you're credible.
7. Use creators where they make sense
Creators aren't just an awareness tactic.
They can help with:
- Product education
- Social proof
- UGC
- Paid creative
- Demonstrations
- Reviews
- Founder content
- Industry education
The best creator isn't necessarily the biggest one.
It's the one whose audience overlaps with your buyer.
8. Don't abandon paid media
Paid media can be incredibly useful when the fundamentals are right.
Use it to:
- Test messaging
- Generate demand
- Retarget visitors
- Distribute strong content
- Scale proven creative
- Reach specific audiences
But don't expect advertising to fix everything upstream.
9. Give founders a voice
People often want to know the people behind a company.
Founder-led content can explain:
- Why the company exists
- What the founder believes
- What they've learned
- What customers are struggling with
- Where the industry is heading
- What the company sees differently
The founder doesn't need to become a full-time content creator.
A good system can turn their expertise into content without consuming their entire week.
10. Measure what matters
Don't build a dashboard with 75 metrics.
Start with:
Traffic
Qualified leads
Pipeline
Customers
CAC
Conversion rates
Then use channel-level metrics to understand what's driving those outcomes.
The biggest marketing mistake
The biggest mistake isn't choosing the wrong social platform.
It's adding more activity when the underlying strategy isn't clear.
Before launching another campaign, ask:
Do we know who we're talking to?
Do we know what problem we're solving?
Is our message clear?
Do we have proof?
Can people find us?
Can AI search understand us?
Do we know which channels our buyers use?
Can we measure what happens after someone discovers us?
If several answers are “not really,” another campaign probably isn't the first thing to fix.
The modern startup marketing stack is bigger than it used to be.
But the fundamentals haven't disappeared.
Know your customer.
Solve a real problem.
Explain it clearly.
Be discoverable.
Create useful content.
Build trust.
Test distribution.
Measure what happens.
Then spend more.
Not before.
FAQ
What should startups focus on in marketing in 2026?
Core positioning, GTM, customer understanding, useful content, discoverability across traditional and AI search, strong distribution and measurable acquisition.
Is SEO still important with AI search?
Yes. Google explicitly says its existing SEO best practices remain relevant to AI Overviews and AI Mode.
Should startups invest in AI visibility?
If customers are using AI search to research products, categories or solutions relevant to the company, it is worth monitoring and improving how the company is represented and discoverable across those systems.
What is growth marketing?
Growth marketing connects strategy, experimentation, acquisition, conversion, retention and measurement rather than treating individual channels as isolated activities.
What should a startup fix first?
Usually the basics: ICP, positioning, messaging, offer, customer journey and measurement. Once those are clear, channel decisions become much easier.
Sources: Google Search Central, Google Search, OpenAI Search and OpenAI Help Center.
