{"id":929,"date":"2025-04-15T11:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-04-15T11:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/web-stil.info\/?p=929"},"modified":"2025-05-02T22:07:17","modified_gmt":"2025-05-02T22:07:17","slug":"what-is-a-go-to-market-strategy-gtm-plan-template-examples","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/web-stil.info\/index.php\/2025\/04\/15\/what-is-a-go-to-market-strategy-gtm-plan-template-examples\/","title":{"rendered":"What is a Go-to-Market Strategy? GTM Plan Template + Examples"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>A winning product launch requires a thoughtful, actionable, and effective go-to-market (GTM) strategy framework. Without proper planning, it\u2019s impossible to know if you\u2019re chasing the wrong audience, too early or late to a market, or are targeting a saturated market with similar solutions.<\/p>\n<h3><strong><a class=\"cta_button\" href=\"https:\/\/www.hubspot.com\/cs\/ci\/?pg=4b97bc9c-2d77-4d7f-9870-f9bd54c56cb0&amp;pid=53&amp;ecid=&amp;hseid=&amp;hsic=\"><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"hs-cta-img \" style=\"height: auto !important;width: auto !important;max-width: 100% !important;border-width: 0px\" alt=\"Download Now: Free Go-to-Market Kit\" height=\"58\" width=\"340\" src=\"https:\/\/no-cache.hubspot.com\/cta\/default\/53\/4b97bc9c-2d77-4d7f-9870-f9bd54c56cb0.png\" \/><\/a><\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>To navigate this process easily, I\u2019ll walk you through everything you need to know to build a brilliant go-to-market strategy. This guide can be used for startups, B2B businesses, and any new venture you plan on launching.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Table of Contents<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"#what-is-a-go-to-market-gtm-strategy\">What is a go-to-market (GTM) strategy?<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#go-to-market-strategy-benefits\">Go-to-Market Strategy Benefits<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#go-to-market-strategy-framework\">Go-to-Market Strategy Framework<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#how-to-build-a-go-to-market-strategy\">How to Build a Go-to-Market Strategy<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#go-to-market-strategy-tips\">Go-to-Market Strategy Tips<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#go-to-market-plan-template\">Go-To-Market Plan Template<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#go-to-market-strategy-examples\">Go-to-Market Strategy Examples<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#gtm-strategy-faqs\">GTM Strategy FAQs<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><strong>What is a go-to-market (GTM) strategy?<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>A go-to-market (GTM) strategy is a step-by-step plan for bringing a new product to market and driving demand. It helps identify a target audience, outline marketing and sales strategies, and align key stakeholders. While each product and market will differ, a well-crafted GTM strategy should identify a market problem and position the product as a solution.<\/p>\n<p>I want to note that go-to-market strategies aren\u2019t exclusive to physical products. You can create a GTM plan for a new service, a branch of your company, or an entirely new business.<\/p>\n<h3>GTM Strategy vs. Marketing Strategy<\/h3>\n<p>A go-to-market strategy focuses on how a company introduces a new product to the market. The process includes defining the ideal customer, pricing, sales model, distribution channels, and positioning. Such a strategy aligns sales, marketing, product, and customer success to drive revenue.<\/p>\n<p>Conversely, a <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.hubspot.com\/marketing\/marketing-strategy\">marketing strategy<\/a> is a company\u2019s overall approach to promoting its brand to its target audience. Marketing strategies include brand objectives, target audience personas, marketing channels, key performance indicators, and more. Here\u2019s a table showing the difference between both.<\/p>\n<table>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td colspan=\"1\" rowspan=\"1\">&nbsp;<\/td>\n<td colspan=\"1\" rowspan=\"1\">\n<p><strong>GTM strategy<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td colspan=\"1\" rowspan=\"1\">\n<p><strong>Marketing strategy<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td colspan=\"1\" rowspan=\"1\">\n<p><strong>Purpose<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td colspan=\"1\" rowspan=\"1\">\n<p>Launching a product successfully<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td colspan=\"1\" rowspan=\"1\">\n<p>Creating demand and brand awareness<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td colspan=\"1\" rowspan=\"1\">\n<p><strong>Scope<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td colspan=\"1\" rowspan=\"1\">\n<p>Covers sales, marketing, pricing, distribution, and customer success<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td colspan=\"1\" rowspan=\"1\">\n<p>Focuses on attracting, engaging, and converting customers<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td colspan=\"1\" rowspan=\"1\">\n<p><strong>Timing<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td colspan=\"1\" rowspan=\"1\">\n<p>Developed before product launch or expansion<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td colspan=\"1\" rowspan=\"1\">\n<p>Ongoing refinement to sustain and grow the brand<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td colspan=\"1\" rowspan=\"1\">\n<p><strong>Ownership<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td colspan=\"1\" rowspan=\"1\">\n<p>Cross-functional (sales, marketing, product, customer success)<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td colspan=\"1\" rowspan=\"1\">\n<p>Marketing team<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td colspan=\"1\" rowspan=\"1\">\n<p><strong>Key metrics<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td colspan=\"1\" rowspan=\"1\">\n<p>CAC, LTV, sales velocity, conversion rates, etc<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td colspan=\"1\" rowspan=\"1\">\n<p>Website traffic, MQLs, engagement, brand recall, etc<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td colspan=\"1\" rowspan=\"1\">\n<p><strong>Outcome<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td colspan=\"1\" rowspan=\"1\">\n<p>Successful market penetration and revenue growth<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td colspan=\"1\" rowspan=\"1\">\n<p>Increased visibility and lead generation<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<h3><strong>Go-to-Market Strategy Purpose<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>The purpose of any GTM strategy is to plan how your company will bring your offer to the market with minimal risk. Your plan should align all stakeholders on overall processes (whether directly involved or not), help you reach the right people (your target audience), and effectively convey value to drive conversions.<\/p>\n<p>Your go-to-market strategy is a handy roadmap that measures the feasibility of your solution\u2019s success and predicts its performance based on market research, prior examples, and competitive data.<\/p>\n<p>Ultimately, you want to create a plan that helps you competitively position your offer, set the product or service apart from the competition, and generate leads and customer retention.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>Who needs a go-to-market strategy?<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Any business introducing something new to the market and wants to effectively reach its audience and drive (sustainable) business growth needs (or would benefit from) a go-to-market strategy. That includes:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Established businesses launching new products or breaking into new markets with new customer segments.<\/li>\n<li>A small business looking to expand beyond its market or introduce new products.<\/li>\n<li>Businesses undergoing strategic changes, like mergers, acquisitions, or new business model changes.<\/li>\n<li>Companies facing increased competition that want to draw out key differentiators that help attract customers.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><a><\/a> <\/p>\n<h2><strong>Go-to-Market Strategy Benefits<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>As you develop a new product or service, it\u2019s vital to start drawing a go-to-market strategy that\u2019s customized to fit your budget and your <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.hubspot.com\/marketing\/buyer-persona-definition-under-100-sr\">buyer persona<\/a>. I know firsthand from my career as a serial entrepreneur. I helped found and build the data analytics company Datameer, bringing its offering successfully to market. Now, I\u2019m working through the process again in the AI space at Automation Hero.<\/p>\n<p>Although it takes a great amount of effort, time, money, and resources, a well-planned go-to-market strategy can significantly benefit your project.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>You can create alignment.<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Alignment is essential when preparing to launch a new product or service. This prevents disorganization and errors that can cause your project to flop. Whether you\u2019re a product designer or a social media coordinator, everyone needs to be on the same page because you\u2019re all contributing to and executing elements of the strategy.<\/p>\n<p>Go-to-market strategies help maintain alignment throughout the product lifecycle with roadmaps and planning documents. The goal here is to inform everyone who handles what. In my experience, well-thought-through Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) are key.<\/p>\n<p>SOPs are documents describing everything about a specific task, like a new product launch \u2014 from how it should be carried out step-by-step to each team\u2019s responsibilities and the overall scope of your project. To start building SOPs, you can begin with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hubspot.com\/business-templates\/sop-template?hubs_post-cta%3DEN-blog-new\">HubSpot\u2019s dedicated SOP template<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>You can establish product-market fit.<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>I find that creating a go-to-market plan can prevent many of the mistakes and oversights that can tank new product launches. Poor product-market fit can dampen a launch \u2014 even if the product is well-designed and innovative.<\/p>\n<p>When you\u2019ve identified your target audience segments and their specific needs, a GTM strategy helps you tailor elements like messaging and pricing to resonate with your intended audience.<\/p>\n<p>Take Apple, for example. In the 1980s, decades before Steve Jobs launched the game-changing iPhone, he led one of Apple\u2019s biggest flops: the Apple Lisa computer. Although Lisa had some of the best graphic technology of its time, only 10,000 units were sold. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fastcompany.com\/3041272\/remember-apples-lisa-the-computer-that-cost-steve-jobs-a-gig-kevin-costner-d\">Critics attribute the failure<\/a> to Lisa\u2019s misleading ads and high price, despite its low processing power.<\/p>\n<p>While Apple and Steve Jobs recovered, smaller companies could have a lot more to lose when bringing a product to market with a poor plan.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>You can work out all the gaps.<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>While a go-to-market strategy isn&#8217;t guaranteed to prevent failure, it can help you manage expectations and work out any kinks before you invest in bringing a product to market.<\/p>\n<p>The process of creating a go-to-market strategy allows you to discover gaps in the market, which can help you hone your product\u2019s niche and better alleviate your buyer persona\u2019s pain points.<\/p>\n<h3><strong> You can understand your competitive advantage.<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Competitor research is vital for creating a go-to-market strategy. Done right, this gives you an advantage over competitors that can generate revenue from your GTM strategy. You can differentiate your product from competitors and create a unique value proposition that generates interest in your product.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>You\u2019ll save money.<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>With a GTM strategy, you\u2019re less likely to waste your budget on unnecessary processes that don\u2019t help you meet your goals. You\u2019ll be more strategic and focused with your spending in ways that will help you meet your goals, and you\u2019ll make decisions aligned with your budget.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>You can accelerate growth.<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>A high-quality GTM strategy saves you from any wasted time. Sure, you won\u2019t have immediate success, but careful planning tells you exactly which markets to enter and why. Understanding how to position yourself allows your team to create effective value propositions for your marketing materials and helps you get in front of interested customers at a much faster rate.<\/p>\n<p>To aid you in this process, we have free <a href=\"https:\/\/offers.hubspot.com\/product-marketing-kit\">go-to-market strategy templates<\/a> that can help you build a strategy that positions your product in front of your target audience.<\/p>\n<p><a><\/a> <\/p>\n<h2><strong>Go-to-Market Strategy Framework<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Before I share my go-to-market strategy framework, I\u2019ll discuss four key points of a GTM plan.<\/p>\n<p>These points are integrated into the step-by-step guide I share below, so you don\u2019t need to answer these questions now. Still, they\u2019re useful to keep in mind \u2014 especially if you\u2019re creating a new product.<\/p>\n<p>Here are the critical parts of a go-to-market strategy:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Product-market fit:<\/strong> What problem(s) does your product solve?<\/li>\n<li><strong>Target audience:<\/strong> Who is experiencing the problem that your product solves? How much are they willing to pay for a solution? What are the pain points and frustrations that you can ease?<\/li>\n<li><strong>Competition and demand:<\/strong> Who already offers what you\u2019re launching? Is there a demand for the product, or is the market oversaturated?<\/li>\n<li><strong>Distribution:<\/strong> How will you sell the product or service? A website, an app, or a third-party distributor?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Alternatively, you could try go-to-market platforms like <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dealfront.com\/\">Dealfront<\/a> to help establish and initiate your strategy framework. Dealfront allows you to pull from four layers of data, enabling you to target your ideal customer, track visitor behavior, reach out to leads, and promote your company with the help of B2B display advertising.<\/p>\n<p>To help you build your GTM strategy, I\u2019ll show you a step-by-step guide of tactics I\u2019ve implemented to build multiple companies throughout the years.<\/p>\n<p>I\u2019ve also outlined how you can iterate and optimize as your company evolves. Plus, you\u2019ll find helpful examples of how we\u2019ve broken these steps down at Automation Hero, formerly SalesHero. I\u2019ll share slides and visuals from before our rebrand to show exactly what we were thinking when we went to market in our early days.<\/p>\n<p><a><\/a> <\/p>\n<h2><strong>How to Build a Go-to-Market Strategy<\/strong><\/h2>\n<h3><strong>1. Use go-to-market strategy templates.<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Launching a new product or service can get overwhelming very quickly, especially when there are many moving parts and stakeholders. That\u2019s why the first thing you should do when taking a new product to market is to find go-to-market strategy templates that keep you and your team aligned and on schedule.<\/p>\n<p>HubSpot offers a free go-to-market kit with multiple templates that help you organize each aspect of your strategy and keep key stakeholders informed on who is responsible for which task. I\u2019d recommend taking a look if you\u2019re looking for an easy way to get started.<\/p>\n<p><img src=\"https:\/\/web-stil.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/gtm-strategy-1-20250414-6696071.webp\" style=\"margin-left: auto;margin-right: auto;width: 650px;height: auto;max-width: 100%\" title=\"\" alt=\"product roadmap\" \/><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;font-size: 12px\"><a href=\"https:\/\/offers.hubspot.com\/product-marketing-kit\"><em>Source<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Each template has its own unique purpose, but they are best utilized in tandem:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Product Launch Planning Template:<\/strong> Create tasks that need to be completed for the product launch, provide progress updates, and plan social media and PR messaging.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Product Update Email Templates:<\/strong> Internally communicate product updates and changes to your team.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Product Roadmap Template:<\/strong> Create a schedule of all the tasks that will be addressed and who will be handling them.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Product Lifecycle Mapping Template:<\/strong> Keep track of your product\u2019s lifecycle stages.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Product Classification Template:<\/strong> Classify your product and align all teams on product vision, marketing plan, and sales strategy.<\/li>\n<li><strong>SWOT Analysis Template:<\/strong> Determine your product\u2019s strengths, opportunities, and weaknesses, as well as conduct market research on the competition.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Sales Plan Template:<\/strong> Outline and communicate sales strategy to stakeholders.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/offers.hubspot.com\/product-marketing-kit\">Download the kit today<\/a> and plan your go-to-market strategy.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>2. Identify the buying center and personas.<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>When preparing your product for the market, you must always consider your customers.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.gartner.com\/en\/sales\/insights\/b2b-buying-journey\">According to Gartner,<\/a> the typical buying group for a complex B2B solution involves six to ten decision-makers. These people make up what is called the \u201cbuying center.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Each of those buyers typically fills one of these roles (though it\u2019s important to note some job titles might occupy more than one role):<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Initiator:<\/strong> Starts the buying process or shows initial interest.<\/li>\n<li><strong>User:<\/strong> Uses your product regularly.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Influencer:<\/strong> Convinces others that they need the product.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Decision maker:<\/strong> Gives final approval for the purchase.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Buyer:<\/strong> Owns the budget.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Approver:<\/strong> Final approver who pushes the initiative on a larger scale (typically someone in the C-suite).<\/li>\n<li><strong>Gatekeeper:<\/strong> Blocker in getting a product implemented or approved.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>These roles vary based on the product, industry, and vertical you\u2019re selling to. I recommend getting your team together to brainstorm the job titles that could be impacted by your solution.<\/p>\n<p>Be sure to research each role to know what they do, their goals, and their pain points. Learning who these people are, what motivates them, and what their problems are is critical, as they\u2019ll be the ones to put your product on the map.<\/p>\n<p>Using my company as an example, the buying center breaks down like this:<\/p>\n<p><img src=\"https:\/\/web-stil.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/gtm-strategy-2-20250414-4505272.webp\" style=\"margin-left: auto;margin-right: auto;width: 450px;height: auto;max-width: 100%\" title=\"\" alt=\"buying center breakdown\" \/><\/p>\n<h3><strong>3. Craft a value matrix to help identify messaging.<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>After mapping your buying center personas, it\u2019s time to map out your value matrix. A value matrix examines each buying center persona, their business problems, and how your product is valuable in solving those problems. The value matrix will also include a relevant marketing message tying the problem and solution together.<\/p>\n<p>Create a chart with each persona in one column. Below each persona, list the pain points they face daily. If your product can solve or ease any of these problems, include them in a row.<\/p>\n<p>Lastly, the message needs to capture the pain point and value in a meaningful way. The best way to achieve this is to agitate the pain point. People will take a painkiller to cure a headache but are much less likely to take a daily vitamin to prevent the pain in the first place. The value your product brings should solve the pain, not act as a vitamin.<\/p>\n<p>Here&#8217;s a fill-in-the-blank chart you can use to create a value matrix:<\/p>\n<table>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td colspan=\"1\" rowspan=\"1\">\n<p><strong>Persona Name<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td colspan=\"1\" rowspan=\"1\">\n<p><strong>Pain Points<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td colspan=\"1\" rowspan=\"1\">\n<p><strong>Product Value<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td colspan=\"1\" rowspan=\"1\">\n<p><strong>Message<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td colspan=\"1\" rowspan=\"1\">\n<p>Example Eddy<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td colspan=\"1\" rowspan=\"1\">\n<p>A process he uses costs too much time and money<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td colspan=\"1\" rowspan=\"1\">\n<p>The service costs less time and money.<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td colspan=\"1\" rowspan=\"1\">\n<p>This service does ____, which saves companies time and money.<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td colspan=\"1\" rowspan=\"1\">&nbsp;<\/td>\n<td colspan=\"1\" rowspan=\"1\">&nbsp;<\/td>\n<td colspan=\"1\" rowspan=\"1\">&nbsp;<\/td>\n<td colspan=\"1\" rowspan=\"1\">&nbsp;<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td colspan=\"1\" rowspan=\"1\">&nbsp;<\/td>\n<td colspan=\"1\" rowspan=\"1\">&nbsp;<\/td>\n<td colspan=\"1\" rowspan=\"1\">&nbsp;<\/td>\n<td colspan=\"1\" rowspan=\"1\">&nbsp;<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td colspan=\"1\" rowspan=\"1\">&nbsp;<\/td>\n<td colspan=\"1\" rowspan=\"1\">&nbsp;<\/td>\n<td colspan=\"1\" rowspan=\"1\">&nbsp;<\/td>\n<td colspan=\"1\" rowspan=\"1\">&nbsp;<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>Here\u2019s an example of a complete value matrix:<\/p>\n<p><img src=\"https:\/\/web-stil.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/gtm-strategy-3-20250414-4833055.webp\" style=\"margin-left: auto;margin-right: auto;width: 450px;height: auto;max-width: 100%\" title=\"\" alt=\"value matrix\" \/><\/p>\n<h3><strong>4. Test your messaging.<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Once your value matrix is in place, it\u2019s time to test your messaging. Start advertising on marketing platforms using the messages you\u2019ve just created for various audiences. You\u2019ll have three variables to test: the channel you advertise on, your target audience, and the message you share.<\/p>\n<p>When deciding where to test, I would first consider where your audience already spends their time and go there. Some possible paid digital ad channels might be LinkedIn, Google Ads, Facebook, and Twitter.<\/p>\n<p>Once I run my tests, I continue advertising on the channels that show high conversions.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>5. Optimize your ads based on the results of your tests before implementing them on a wide scale.<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Some ad platforms have highly targeted audience settings for advertisers. For example, LinkedIn offers options for job title, job function, company size, and geographic location. Test different options to see who is more likely to click or convert.<\/p>\n<p>For example, I noticed high clicks in certain industries, so we began targeting and using our ad budget to focus on that handful of industries on LinkedIn. The key here is spending money where you\u2019ll get the biggest return on investment.<\/p>\n<p>And, since you\u2019ll be testing your message to see which versions resonate most with your audience, engagement and conversion rates of your ads will indicate which value proposition and pain points work best.<\/p>\n<p>Here, I recommend using a dedicated <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hubspot.com\/products\/marketing\/analytics\">marketing analytics tool<\/a> to gain insights into how the target audience behaves across different channels. For instance, you can gather data on how users landing on your website from PPC ads interact with your pages and compare PPC performance to other traffic sources.<\/p>\n<p>Once you\u2019ve collected this data, you can base your larger campaigns on these insights.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>6. Understand your buyer\u2019s journey.<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>With your personas and value matrix built, dive deeper to understand the journey a potential customer will take, both from the buyer\u2019s perspective and your company&#8217;s perspective. From your customer\u2019s perspective, the buying process is linear. More or less, it will go like this:<\/p>\n<ol start=\"1\">\n<li>The buyer realizes they have a business problem and researches the topic.<\/li>\n<li>The buyer shortlists potential solutions.<\/li>\n<li>That list is narrowed down by talking to sales teams from the solution provider and by testing product use cases until a decision is made.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/blog.hubspot.com\/sales\/what-is-the-buyers-journey\">The buyer\u2019s journey<\/a> \u2014 from a business perspective \u2014 used to be a funnel. In the traditional sales funnel, there is a lot of general interest at the top. It gradually narrows down as opportunities fall out of the pipeline.<\/p>\n<p>This journey is divided into three sections:<\/p>\n<p><img src=\"https:\/\/web-stil.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/gtm-strategy-4-20250414-3986670.webp\" style=\"margin-left: auto;margin-right: auto;width: 650px;height: auto;max-width: 100%\" title=\"\" alt=\"tofu, mofu, bofu buyer journey\" \/><\/p>\n<p>But, the sales funnel is no longer the best way to look at your buyer\u2019s journey. Instead, I propose using the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hubspot.com\/flywheel?hubs_post%3Dblog.hubspot.com\/sales\/gtm-strategy%26hubs_post-cta%3Dflywheel%2520methodology\">flywheel methodology<\/a>, which takes a more holistic approach that puts your customer at the center and turns your leads from prospects to customers to active promoters.<\/p>\n<p>In the flywheel model, customers go through three stages: attract, engage, and delight.<\/p>\n<p><img src=\"https:\/\/web-stil.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/gtm-strategy-5-20250414-1918512.webp\" style=\"margin-left: auto;margin-right: auto;width: 650px;height: auto;max-width: 100%\" title=\"\" alt=\"hubspot marketing flywheel\" \/><\/p>\n<p>First up is the attract phase. Content at this stage grabs a potential customer\u2019s attention. This can be a blog article, whitepaper, or video. A lead gets here by clicking on an ad, social media post, or a search engine result. However, these behaviors do not indicate that this lead is ready to make a purchase.<\/p>\n<p>After that comes the engage phase. Here, a prospect has demonstrated they have a problem your product can solve. They show this through digital behavior like downloading an ebook or joining a webinar, allowing you to engage them with educational content.<\/p>\n<p>While each company divides the lead generation and qualification process differently, marketing typically handles the attract and engage phases. Your marketing team will need to generate interest and awareness and educate the relevant audience on a product\u2019s value through messaging and content (more on that later).<\/p>\n<p>Halfway through the engagement phase, the prospect should ask for a quote or a trial period. They\u2019re nearing a decision on whether or not to purchase.<\/p>\n<p>Once the prospect reaches this point, the sales team takes over. I find that the process typically looks like the following:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Contact:<\/strong> Communication between the lead and sales rep begins.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Qualification:<\/strong> The sales rep learns more about the company, their customers\u2019 <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.hubspot.com\/sales\/uncover-business-pain\">pain points<\/a>, and asks questions to see if they meet the basic requirements to purchase the product (BANT is a popular sales qualification method but several other sales methodologies are used to qualify).<\/li>\n<li><strong>Business case:<\/strong> The prospect tests the product through a free trial or point of contact to see if it can solve their needs.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Evaluation:<\/strong> The decision-makers in the organization weigh the cost of the product to the results they achieved during the business case.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Negotiation:<\/strong> Both sales reps and decision-makers discuss pricing details and feature needs.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Close:<\/strong> A deal is agreed upon, and your prospect turns into a customer.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Renewal (Optional):<\/strong> Your customer renews their contract or subscription.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Right after your sales representative closes the sale, the lead leaves the engage phase and enters the delight phase. When customers reach this stage, they should be delighted by a painless onboarding process and friendly customer service options.<\/p>\n<p>After that, your customer should ideally turn into a promoter. They bring you more customers, keeping the flywheel going and enabling you to grow better.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>7. Choose one (or more) of the four most common sales strategies.<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>You\u2019ve done all the required foundational work; now it\u2019s time to pick a model that will push your product into the market. No one method will work for every product or market, so it\u2019s important to consider the complexity, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.trgdatacenters.com\/why-scalability-is-essential-for-enterprise-success\/\">scalability<\/a>, and cost of yours.<\/p>\n<p>There are generally four go-to-market sales strategies \u2014 each one catering to a different product and business model.<\/p>\n<p><img src=\"https:\/\/web-stil.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/gtm-strategy-6-20250414-119027.webp\" style=\"margin-left: auto;margin-right: auto;width: 450px;height: auto;max-width: 100%\" title=\"\" alt=\"elements of gtm strategies\" \/><\/p>\n<h4><strong>The Self-Service model<\/strong><\/h4>\n<p>The self-service model is when customers purchase independently. We typically see this model with B2C purchases, in which customers can find and buy a product via a website like Amazon.<\/p>\n<p>This works best for simple products with a low-cost point and high sales volume. It can be difficult to build, but when successful, it sees a short sales cycle, zero cost to hire salespeople, and is highly profitable.<\/p>\n<p>While you won\u2019t need a sales team, you will need a marketing team to drive traffic and conversions to your site. The core marketing team would likely include growth marketing, performance marketing, and content marketing experts, though there will likely be other team members as well.<\/p>\n<h4><strong>The Inside Sales Business Model<\/strong><\/h4>\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.hubspot.com\/sales\/inside-vs-outside-sales\">inside sales business model<\/a> is when a prospect needs to be nurtured by a sales rep to convert into a deal. This type of model works best with a product of medium complexity and price.<\/p>\n<p>The sales cycle ranges between a few weeks and a few months. Here, you\u2019ll invest in a sales team \u2014 but inside sales reps are less expensive than field reps.<\/p>\n<p>With a high volume of sales, this model can be profitable and is fairly easy to build and scale as you hire more team members. The sales team in this model is typically composed of a sales manager who supervises a handful of reps.<\/p>\n<h4><strong>The Field Sales Business Model<\/strong><\/h4>\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.hubspot.com\/sales\/outside-sales-guide\">field sales business model<\/a> is when you have a full sales organization that closes large enterprise deals. These are typically complex products with high price points, which also means there\u2019s typically a low volume of deals with a long sales cycle.<\/p>\n<p>The sales team in this model is often very costly as the field reps are experienced, high-salary employees. This model is easy to build but harder to scale because hiring and training a full sales organization takes time and money.<\/p>\n<p>Members include a sales manager, field reps, sales engineers, a sales development representative (SDR) team, and sales operations.<\/p>\n<h4><strong>The Channel Model<\/strong><\/h4>\n<p>Lastly, in the <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.hubspot.com\/sales\/channel-sales\">channel model<\/a>, an outside agency or partner sells your product for you. This is hard to build, as the people can be difficult to recruit and educate on the benefits of your product. They are also often less motivated to sell than your own sales team would be.<\/p>\n<p>However, this is a cheaper model because you don\u2019t always need to pay a sales team of your own. I find that it works best with a product that matches the partner\u2019s interest. For example, if you sell phone cases, you might want to find partners selling related products, like Best Buy or Apple.<\/p>\n<p>You can mix and match these strategies based on industry or customer size (i.e., number of licenses or seats). For startups, it\u2019s healthy to scale over time rather than invest in an expensive sales team too early.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>8. Build brand awareness and demand generation with inbound and\/or outbound methods.<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Now, you need to fill your pipeline by snagging the attention of your target audience. This occurs through demand generation, which can happen with both inbound and outbound strategies.<\/p>\n<p>With inbound, prospects discover your brand through marketing efforts and reach out to you or show signs of interest organically. Some examples of organic inbound traffic channels could be social media, content, or paid ads leading to a landing page.<\/p>\n<p><img src=\"https:\/\/web-stil.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/gtm-strategy-7-20250414-4629563.webp\" style=\"margin-left: auto;margin-right: auto;width: 450px;height: auto;max-width: 100%\" title=\"\" alt=\"inbound and outbound demand generation tactics\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Outbound demand generation is when a salesperson contacts a lead through cold outreach tactics. They might do this by reaching out to a contact list, <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.hubspot.com\/sales\/sales-email-templates-guaranteed-to-get-a-response\">sending warm emails<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.hubspot.com\/sales\/best-times-to-connect-with-leads-infographic\">phoning leads<\/a>, or gathering leads at industry conferences.<\/p>\n<p>Once interest has been generated through these methods, sales conversations begin, and the leads are led to more educational content and then into the sales funnel.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>9. Create content to get inbound leads.<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Inbound leads are generally easier to convert and cheaper to acquire than outbound leads. This is because inbound leads are already partially educated on the business problem you solve, aware of your product, and usually more interested in buying your product.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/blog.hubspot.com\/marketing\/content-marketing-plan\">Content marketing<\/a> is the key to generating that inbound interest, as content will drive traffic to your site.<\/p>\n<p>Your content marketing team will drive this inbound traffic by finding and targeting <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.hubspot.com\/marketing\/how-to-do-keyword-research-ht\">keywords<\/a> that your potential customers would search for and then creating and posting related content on your website.<\/p>\n<p>At the core of content marketing is <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.hubspot.com\/marketing\/seo\">search engine optimization (SEO)<\/a>, which is the way a search engine ranks the content on the internet once a query is entered into the search bar. This will be an enormous source of your organic web traffic.<\/p>\n<p><img src=\"https:\/\/web-stil.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/gtm-strategy-8-20250414-7381323.webp\" style=\"margin-left: auto;margin-right: auto;width: 450px;height: auto;max-width: 100%\" title=\"\" alt=\"elements of a content marketing program\" \/><\/p>\n<p>What goes into content marketing? It\u2019s a cycle of keyword research, creation, and measurement.<\/p>\n<ol start=\"1\">\n<li><strong>Keyword research:<\/strong> Identify keywords related to your product, analyze the volume (how often that keyword is searched), the difficulty of ranking for that keyword (i.e., how competitive that keyword is), and see who is already ranking for those keywords.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Content research:<\/strong> Brainstorm content topics that include that keyword. See what articles already exist around these topics and begin to plan your content calendar.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Content creation:<\/strong> Put those ideas into motion and have a writer create articles on those topics.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Design:<\/strong> Add relevant images, infographics, videos, and other multimedia to your content so it\u2019s more visual and engaging.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Promote:<\/strong> Spread your content and drive traffic to your website by sharing the links via social media or emails to your customer database.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Build links:<\/strong> Reach out to other publishers and ask them to link to your content to gain even more traffic with <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.hubspot.com\/marketing\/link-building-email-templates\">link-building<\/a> tactics. This gives you site authority, which helps improve your SEO rankings.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Conversion rate:<\/strong> Track and measure the engagement and conversion rates of your content. Keep doing what works and drop what doesn\u2019t. From there, begin the content creation cycle again.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>Your content team should develop content that aligns with the various stages of the buyer\u2019s journey (top-of-funnel, middle-of-funnel, bottom-of-funnel).<\/p>\n<p>Top-of-funnel content is lighter educational content, middle-of-funnel content is deeper, more applied learning, and bottom-of-funnel content is for those who are ready to buy and implement. To use SalesHero as an example, the content at each level of the funnel would look like this:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Top-of-funnel content:<\/strong> \u201cWhat is sales AI?\u201d<\/li>\n<li><strong>Middle-of-funnel content:<\/strong> \u201cHow sales AI can increase productivity.\u201d<\/li>\n<li><strong>Bottom-of-funnel content:<\/strong> \u201cUsing sales AI to extract dark data.\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>To make this process easier (and more organized), I recommend creating a messaging strategy or content marketing plan based on your customer&#8217;s journey and the knowledge they do (and don\u2019t) have at each stage.<\/p>\n<p>Below, I\u2019ll share an example of how you can organize your content, and you can easily fill in my chart when creating your own.<\/p>\n<h4><strong>Top-of-Funnel Content<\/strong><\/h4>\n<p><strong>Funnel Stage:<\/strong> Awareness<\/p>\n<p><strong>Flywheel Goal:<\/strong> Attract Prospects<\/p>\n<p>What type of content will you create to catch the eye of potential customers in similar industries? Make a table like the one below.<\/p>\n<table>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td colspan=\"1\" rowspan=\"1\">\n<p><strong>Type of Content<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td colspan=\"1\" rowspan=\"1\">\n<p><strong>Topic<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td colspan=\"1\" rowspan=\"1\">\n<p><strong>Promo Strategy<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td colspan=\"1\" rowspan=\"1\">\n<p><strong>Lead Generation<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td colspan=\"1\" rowspan=\"1\">\n<p>Blog post<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td colspan=\"1\" rowspan=\"1\">\n<p>What is sales AI?<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td colspan=\"1\" rowspan=\"1\">\n<p>Content will be shared on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and in weekly newsletter.<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td colspan=\"1\" rowspan=\"1\">\n<p>A CTA in the post will ask readers to sign up for our next webinar.<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td colspan=\"1\" rowspan=\"1\">&nbsp;<\/td>\n<td colspan=\"1\" rowspan=\"1\">&nbsp;<\/td>\n<td colspan=\"1\" rowspan=\"1\">&nbsp;<\/td>\n<td colspan=\"1\" rowspan=\"1\">&nbsp;<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td colspan=\"1\" rowspan=\"1\">&nbsp;<\/td>\n<td colspan=\"1\" rowspan=\"1\">&nbsp;<\/td>\n<td colspan=\"1\" rowspan=\"1\">&nbsp;<\/td>\n<td colspan=\"1\" rowspan=\"1\">&nbsp;<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<h4><strong>Middle-of-Funnel Content<\/strong><\/h4>\n<p><strong>Funnel Stage:<\/strong> Consideration<\/p>\n<p><strong>Flywheel Goals:<\/strong> Attract and Engage Leads<\/p>\n<p>In this phase, your audience might know of your service or be researching products related to yours. What types of content do you create to move your service to the front of their minds?<\/p>\n<table>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td colspan=\"1\" rowspan=\"1\">\n<p><strong>Type of Content<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td colspan=\"1\" rowspan=\"1\">\n<p><strong>Topic<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td colspan=\"1\" rowspan=\"1\">\n<p><strong>Promo Strategy<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td colspan=\"1\" rowspan=\"1\">\n<p><strong>Lead Generation<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td colspan=\"1\" rowspan=\"1\">\n<p>Webinar<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td colspan=\"1\" rowspan=\"1\">\n<p>How Sales AI Can Increase Productivity<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td colspan=\"1\" rowspan=\"1\">\n<p>Social and email promotions will link to the signup page.<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td colspan=\"1\" rowspan=\"1\">\n<p>A thank you email will include a link to request a demo.<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td colspan=\"1\" rowspan=\"1\">&nbsp;<\/td>\n<td colspan=\"1\" rowspan=\"1\">&nbsp;<\/td>\n<td colspan=\"1\" rowspan=\"1\">&nbsp;<\/td>\n<td colspan=\"1\" rowspan=\"1\">&nbsp;<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td colspan=\"1\" rowspan=\"1\">&nbsp;<\/td>\n<td colspan=\"1\" rowspan=\"1\">&nbsp;<\/td>\n<td colspan=\"1\" rowspan=\"1\">&nbsp;<\/td>\n<td colspan=\"1\" rowspan=\"1\">&nbsp;<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<h4><strong>Bottom-of-Funnel Content<\/strong><\/h4>\n<p><strong>Funnel Stage: <\/strong>Decision<\/p>\n<p><strong>Flywheel Goals:<\/strong> Engage and Nurture Leads\/Gain and Delight Customers<\/p>\n<p>Your audience is interested in your service. How will you use content to sell them?<\/p>\n<table>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td colspan=\"1\" rowspan=\"1\">\n<p><strong>Type of Content<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td colspan=\"1\" rowspan=\"1\">\n<p><strong>Topic<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td colspan=\"1\" rowspan=\"1\">\n<p><strong>Promo Strategy<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td colspan=\"1\" rowspan=\"1\">\n<p><strong>Lead Generation<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td colspan=\"1\" rowspan=\"1\">\n<p>Demo or tutorial<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td colspan=\"1\" rowspan=\"1\">\n<p>Use Our Sales AI Tool to Extract Dark Data<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td colspan=\"1\" rowspan=\"1\">\n<p>Demo signup links will be shared in webinar follow-up emails, newsletters, and on the website.<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td colspan=\"1\" rowspan=\"1\">\n<p>Those entering demos will make contact with a direct sales\/support person.<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td colspan=\"1\" rowspan=\"1\">&nbsp;<\/td>\n<td colspan=\"1\" rowspan=\"1\">&nbsp;<\/td>\n<td colspan=\"1\" rowspan=\"1\">&nbsp;<\/td>\n<td colspan=\"1\" rowspan=\"1\">&nbsp;<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td colspan=\"1\" rowspan=\"1\">&nbsp;<\/td>\n<td colspan=\"1\" rowspan=\"1\">&nbsp;<\/td>\n<td colspan=\"1\" rowspan=\"1\">&nbsp;<\/td>\n<td colspan=\"1\" rowspan=\"1\">&nbsp;<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p><a><\/a> <\/p>\n<h2>Go-to-Market Strategy Tips<\/h2>\n<h3><strong>1. Find ways to optimize your pipeline and increase conversion rates.<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Growth requires more than simply picking a sales strategy and building a demand-generation process. You must optimize.<\/p>\n<p>Sales is a numbers game, and you can only be successful if you measure progress. The <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.hubspot.com\/sales\/kpis-every-field-sales-leader-should-be-measuring\">key performance indicators (KPIs)<\/a> for managing a sales team are volume, conversion rate, and time. You\u2019ll also want to track how many opportunities come into the flywheel: your pipeline volume.<\/p>\n<p>Then, track how many leads turned into customers. Comparing the volume of the <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.hubspot.com\/sales\/sales-pipeline\">pipeline<\/a> opportunities to the number of won deals will get you your overall conversion rate.<\/p>\n<p>I\u2019ve found that it&#8217;s even more important to optimize the conversion rate between stages. As opportunities move through the funnel, they\u2019ll go through various qualification processes (i.e., basic qualifications, current solutions in use, technical evaluation, and closing), and you\u2019ll want to track the stage opportunities fall out and why.<\/p>\n<p><img src=\"https:\/\/web-stil.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/gtm-strategy-9-20250414-7686295.webp\" style=\"margin-left: auto;margin-right: auto;width: 650px;height: auto;max-width: 100%\" title=\"\" alt=\"conversion rate by rep\" \/><\/p>\n<p>I recommend measuring this for your overall flywheel and per sales rep. This information tells you where each rep needs to improve and potentially receive more training. Work to personalize your <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.hubspot.com\/sales\/sales-coaching\">sales coaching<\/a> efforts to shorten the <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.hubspot.com\/sales\/sales-cycle\">sales cycle<\/a> of each rep. Compare time and conversion rate to see who&#8217;s better and faster in particular stages.<\/p>\n<p>Track how many opportunities each rep converts and at what stage in the process they drop out. The sooner an unqualified opportunity falls out of the flywheel, the better, because less time, energy, and resources are spent on that particular lead.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>2. Analyze and shorten the sales cycle.<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Your sales cycle is the amount of time it takes for an opportunity to enter the sales funnel and change to a closed\/won deal. The goal is to <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.hubspot.com\/sales\/speed-up-sales-cycle\">shorten the conversion<\/a> between every stage to have an optimized <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.hubspot.com\/sales\/sales-process\">sales process<\/a>. This can be done by identifying common objections (and iterating ways to remove them before they happen), doing ongoing lead nurturing, and brainstorming ways to find the best-fit customers.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>3. Reduce customer acquisition costs.<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>As a <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.hubspot.com\/sales\/how-to-start-a-business\">business owner<\/a>, you\u2019ll also need to <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.hubspot.com\/sales\/sales-metrics\">optimize your customer acquisition cost<\/a>. This will be very expensive at first, but as time goes on, you\u2019ll need to reduce this cost by optimizing your processes, or you\u2019ll be losing more money than you make.<\/p>\n<p>Customer acquisition is how much it costs to gain a new customer or deal per $1. The lower the customer acquisition cost, the lower the impact your marketing efforts have on expenses, and the higher the profit you get per customer.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>4. Strategize ways to tap into your existing customer base.<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>A common adage in the industry is that it costs seven times more to acquire a new customer than it does to do business with an existing customer. If you&#8217;re providing a great buying experience, existing customers already know, like, and trust you \u2014 all of which are reasons to stick around.<\/p>\n<p>The best opportunity for companies to earn more and gain revenue is through renewals, cross-selling, and upselling. The average cost for a company to renew a product is $0.13, while upsells cost a company $0.28.<\/p>\n<p>Many people think of sales as a black box. But with analytics and new sales AI technologies cropping up, business leaders can optimize their processes to accelerate business.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>5. Adjust and iterate as you go.<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Building a successful company is not reserved for those <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.hubspot.com\/sales\/entrepreneurship\">entrepreneurs<\/a> who\u2019ve been blessed with special skills.<\/p>\n<p>Chances are, you\u2019ve already built your product, and building a company is a very similar process. You must be strategic and continue to improve throughout the process.<\/p>\n<p>Take time and continue to iterate, and you too can build a company. Return to areas of your plan that aren\u2019t working and tweak them. Make note of the things that are working, and brainstorm ways to expand upon them.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>6. Retain and delight your customers.<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>In this phase, you will focus on maintaining your customer relationships and spreading good word-of-mouth. This is where a flywheel strategy can be much more helpful than the funnel, which ends at sales. For a detailed rundown of the delight phase and beyond, <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.hubspot.com\/service\/customer-delight?hubs_content%3Dblog.hubspot.com\/sales\/gtm-strategy%26hubs_content-cta%3Dcheck%2520out%2520this%2520ultimate%2520guide\">check out this ultimate guide<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Although different products might require different launch strategies, the customizable template and steps below should help you create a solid starter plan.<\/p>\n<p><a><\/a> <\/p>\n<h2><strong>Go-To-Market Plan Template<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><img src=\"https:\/\/web-stil.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/gtm-strategy-10-20250414-5522596.webp\" style=\"margin-left: auto;margin-right: auto;width: 650px;height: auto;max-width: 100%\" title=\"\" alt=\"go-to-market strategy template\" \/><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/offers.hubspot.com\/product-marketing-kit\">Download Now<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Creating a go-to-market strategy from scratch can be daunting \u2014 especially if it\u2019s your first time launching a brand-new product or service. That\u2019s why HubSpot created a complete go-to-market kit to help you get started. You\u2019ll find templates that help keep your team on schedule and promote alignment between all <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.hubspot.com\/marketing\/product-marketing\">product marketing<\/a> stakeholders.<\/p>\n<p>The kit includes:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Product Launch Planning Template<\/li>\n<li>Product Update Email Templates<\/li>\n<li>Product Roadmap Template<\/li>\n<li>Product Lifecycle Mapping Template<\/li>\n<li>Product Classification Template<\/li>\n<li>SWOT Analysis Template<\/li>\n<li>Sales Plan Template<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Still stumped? Below, I\u2019ve included a few more examples of go-to-market strategies that can help you inspire your own.<\/p>\n<p><a><\/a> <\/p>\n<h2><strong>Go-to-Market Strategy Examples<\/strong><\/h2>\n<h3><strong>1. Via<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/ridewithvia.com\/\">Via<\/a> is a ridesharing platform that was founded in 2012 when <a href=\"https:\/\/trends.google.com\/trends\/explore\">Uber was still relatively unknown<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>While Uber has bypassed Via in popularity and product usage, Via has effectively carved a niche in the transportation technology space.<\/p>\n<h4><strong>Why I Think Via\u2019s Go-to-Market Strategy Works:<\/strong><\/h4>\n<p>The company\u2019s GTM strategy emphasized ride-sharing \u2014 that is, riders share rides with other riders traveling in the same direction. The driver takes a predetermined route and drops riders off at convenient locations rather than picking up riders at private locations.<\/p>\n<p>Via set out to solve a common pain point for commuters: overcrowded or unavailable public transit with inflexible routes.<\/p>\n<p>Another pain point of the target audience was that Uber and Lyft rides were overpriced and couldn\u2019t be used for daily commutes. Via looked at this problem and created a true ridesharing service that could fill the space Uber and Lyft didn\u2019t fill.<\/p>\n<p>Now, the company partners with private transit operators, schools, and public transit agencies to expand existing operations or provide more riding options for passengers. The result of Via\u2019s go-to-market strategy is that it no longer sees <a href=\"https:\/\/news.medill.northwestern.edu\/chicago\/via-no-longer-sees-uber-and-lyft-as-direct-competitors-its-operations-chief-discusses-strategy-and-the-future-of-transportation\/\">Uber as a direct competitor<\/a> and had <a href=\"https:\/\/ridewithvia.com\/news\/via-closes-financing-round-at-3-5b-valuation-raising-110m-to-expand-transittech-portfolio\">$200M in revenue<\/a> in 2022.<\/p>\n<p><img src=\"https:\/\/web-stil.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/gtm-strategy-11-20250414-1668975.webp\" style=\"margin-left: auto;margin-right: auto;width: 650px;height: auto;max-width: 100%\" title=\"\" alt=\"via homepage\" \/><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;font-size: 12px\"><a href=\"https:\/\/ridewithvia.com\/\"><em>Source<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n<h3><strong>2. Microsoft Surface<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Microsoft Windows has long been the preeminent OS, and for good reason: most computer manufacturers offer Windows laptops and desktops.<\/p>\n<p>So why would Microsoft launch its line of computers and tablets if its software is ubiquitous?<\/p>\n<h4><strong>Why I Think Microsoft Surface\u2019s Go-to-Market Strategy Works:<\/strong><\/h4>\n<p>In its go-to-market strategy for its Surface products, Microsoft set out to solve a common problem for tablet users. Tablets were primarily mobile devices; while they were convenient to carry, they didn\u2019t offer the full functionality of a laptop. And for many people, owning both a tablet and a laptop was not financially feasible.<\/p>\n<p>When it released <a href=\"https:\/\/blogs.windows.com\/devices\/2014\/05\/20\/announcing-surface-pro-3\/\">the third generation of the Surface tablet<\/a>, Microsoft made its position clear. The device was a fully functioning computer in tablet form. You could have a light device without sacrificing function. Compared to the Apple iPad, its principal competitor, the Surface tablet offered more functionality at the same price.<\/p>\n<p>Now, the Microsoft Surface line has expanded to include laptops and desktops. Microsoft realized that laptop buyers may not purchase a Windows laptop because there are so many manufacturers to choose from. Specifications and hardware components vary from machine to machine.<\/p>\n<p>With its Surface laptops, Microsoft makes the choice easier for target demographics such as college students and everyday users. These devices compete with Apple\u2019s macOS offerings and are designed to seamlessly integrate with all the features of Windows OS.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>3. Owala<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>At first glance, the <a href=\"https:\/\/owalalife.com\/\">Owala brand of water bottles<\/a> doesn\u2019t seem much different from its competitors.<\/p>\n<p>But in its go-to-market strategy, the brand used its motto, \u201cDo more of what you love,\u201d to hint at its products\u2019 ease of use. You can \u201cdo more of what you love\u201d since you won\u2019t even waste time opening the bottle. The lid itself is where you sip.<\/p>\n<h4><strong>Why I Think Owala\u2019s Go-to-Market Strategy Works:<\/strong><\/h4>\n<p>With its product launch, Owala addressed common problems for water-drinkers: openings that are too wide, spills, and two-handed drinking.<\/p>\n<p>Owala specifically targets those who are active. In its first series of Instagram posts, the brand posted a mosaic of a man on a motorcycle, and in most of its social posts, it includes people in workout clothes.<\/p>\n<p>The company arguably entered an overcrowded space. Brands such as HydroFlask and Contigo dominate the industry. By addressing a specific target buyer and solving their problems, however, Owala successfully launched into that competitive market. The brand distributes its offerings through its website, BestBuy, and Amazon for optimum reach.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>4. Bread Beauty Supply<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/breadbeautysupply.com\/\">Bread Beauty Supply<\/a>, a Black- and woman-owned hair care line, set out to solve a common problem for its curly-haired audience: overcomplicated routines that waste time, energy, and products.<\/p>\n<h4><strong>Why I Think Bread Beauty Supply\u2019s Go-to-Market Strategy Works:<\/strong><\/h4>\n<p>The brand launched in 2020 and partnered with Sephora as its principal distribution channel. In its go-to-market strategy, the brand identified a segment of buyers who would rather keep their routine simple and leave their curls in their natural state.<\/p>\n<p>Compare this strategy with that of competitor brands such as Pattern Beauty and Ouidad, both of which offer a multitude of hair care products that can dizzy, confuse, and overwhelm buyers. When creating its go-to-market plan, Bread Beauty Supply recognized that some people with curly hair would rather spend less, not more, time on their hair.<\/p>\n<p><img src=\"https:\/\/web-stil.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/gtm-strategy-12-20250414-9751451.webp\" style=\"margin-left: auto;margin-right: auto;width: 650px;height: auto;max-width: 100%\" title=\"\" alt=\"bread homepage\" \/><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;font-size: 12px\"><a href=\"https:\/\/breadbeautysupply.com\/\"><em>Source<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n<p>While the curly hair care industry verges on overcrowded, Bread Beauty Supply successfully launched by taking a unique stance in the industry.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>5. The Sip<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thesipsociety.com\/\">The Sip<\/a>, a Black- and woman-owned champagne subscription service, makes drinking luxury wine more affordable.<\/p>\n<p>Champagne clubs have always been around, offering monthly deliveries of delectable wines at a premium cost.<\/p>\n<p>To the target audience, however, this model poses a few problems. The wine of choice for that month could fail to meet expectations, and that could result in a wasted bottle. And that is at full cost, too. One of The Sip\u2019s competitors, Club Bubbly, charges $100 per month to deliver two bottles of champagne.<\/p>\n<h4><strong>Why I Think The Sip\u2019s Go-to-Market Strategy Works:<\/strong><\/h4>\n<p>In its go-to-market strategy, The Sip emphasized its mini-bottle program: subscribers can try three mini-bottles of champagne at a fraction of the cost. If you happen to like one, you can buy the full bottle.<\/p>\n<p>By solving common problems faced by subscribers of wine boxes, The Sip not only attracted the subscribers of its competition, but opened up this type of subscription to buyers who could not previously afford it.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>6. Vuclip<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.vuclip.com\/\">Vuclip<\/a>, a mobile video-on-demand service, tapped into emerging markets with limited access to high-quality video streaming services. Consumers in these areas \u2014 including India, Thailand, and Egypt \u2014 dealt with slow video buffering speeds due to a lack of advanced mobile networks.<\/p>\n<p><img src=\"https:\/\/web-stil.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/gtm-strategy-13-20250414-4694769.webp\" style=\"margin-left: auto;margin-right: auto;width: 650px;height: auto;max-width: 100%\" title=\"\" alt=\"vuclip homepage\" \/><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;font-size: 12px\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.vuclip.com\/\"><em>Source<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n<h4><strong>Why I Think Vuclip\u2019s Go-to-Market Strategy Works:<\/strong><\/h4>\n<p>The company\u2018s go-to-market strategy rested on appealing to those &#8220;must-have&#8221; markets, where it could come in with a competitive advantage by presenting an accessible platform that addressed those regional consumers\u2019 issues with buffering.<\/p>\n<p>The result? Vuclip built a subscriber base of more than 41 million consumers across over 3,000 cities, with plans to establish a presence in even more underserved markets around the world.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>7. Upscope<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/upscope.io\/\">Upscope<\/a>, an interactive screen-sharing platform, came on the scene as a resource to suit a more technically inclined crowd than its competitors \u2014 namely onboarding, support, and IT specialists.<\/p>\n<h4><strong>Why I Think Upscope\u2019s Go-to-Market Strategy Works:<\/strong><\/h4>\n<p>The primary pain point the company looked to address was the trouble consumers ran into when trying to share their screens \u2014 particularly when it came to walking prospects, customers, or employees through technical subject matter.<\/p>\n<p>The company addressed that issue by creating a solution that lends itself to instant and interactive screen sharing \u2014 sparing users the trouble of fumbling through the screen share process and letting all parties engage with the content they&#8217;re seeing.<\/p>\n<p><img src=\"https:\/\/web-stil.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/gtm-strategy-14-20250414-170094.webp\" style=\"margin-left: auto;margin-right: auto;width: 650px;height: auto;max-width: 100%\" title=\"\" alt=\"upscope homepage\" \/><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;font-size: 12px\"><a href=\"https:\/\/upscope.com\/\"><em>Source<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Upscope supported its go-to-market efforts with a solid content marketing strategy \u2014 maintaining an active web presence and blog. It also incorporated integrations with other tools into its solution, giving itself more visibility and clout.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>8. Baggu<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/baggu.com\/\">Baggu<\/a> is a reusable bag brand. While it seems rather simple on the surface, its go-to-market strategy has made a buzz in the world of sustainability.<\/p>\n<h4><strong>Why I Think Baggu\u2019s Go-to-Market Strategy Works:<\/strong><\/h4>\n<p>This brand was created to eliminate unnecessary waste by responsibly managing deadstock products and fabric. This appeals to eco-conscious consumers who are trying to minimize their use of plastic bags.<\/p>\n<p>Accompanying its relatable mission, Baggu has held many collaborations that take its products from functional to stylish statement pieces.<\/p>\n<p>Baggu also partnered with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/thebugs87\/\">Joonbug<\/a>, a Jamaican artist known for impressive skate designs, and made colorful patterns that showcase his cultural roots and style.<\/p>\n<p><img src=\"https:\/\/web-stil.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/gtm-strategy-15-20250414-2685843.webp\" style=\"margin-left: auto;margin-right: auto;width: 650px;height: auto;max-width: 100%\" title=\"\" alt=\"baggu homepage\" \/><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;font-size: 12px\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.baggu.com\/\"><em>Source<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n<p>The products are visually interesting, eye-catching, and were marketed through Instagram \u2014 a social media platform designed for visual ads and promotion, and a perfect vehicle for a mutually beneficial collaboration for Joonbug, who is also a prominent influencer in the art sphere.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>9. Thinx<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.shethinx.com\/\">Thinx<\/a> is a feminine hygiene company that makes underwear for people with periods. This re-imagined approach to menstrual products has been gaining more traction in the industry, and its go-to-market strategy has definitely aided in its success.<\/p>\n<h4><strong>Why I Think Thinx\u2019s Go-to-Market Strategy Works:<\/strong><\/h4>\n<p>A common pain point for people with periods is spending a lot of money on one-time hygienic products, and it\u2019s not good for the environment, either. So, offering washable underwear with a two-year guarantee is a much better investment than the alternative.<\/p>\n<p>Thinx is also known for partnering with organizations using cause marketing, like with Black Mamas Matter Alliance. BMMA focuses on the issue of maternal health (specifically for black women who are <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/womens-health\/features\/maternal-mortality.html?CDC_AAref_Val%3Dhttps:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/healthequity\/features\/maternal-mortality\/index.html\">three times more likely<\/a> to die from childbirth than other races) that Thinx\u2019s audience would also care about or be aware of.<\/p>\n<p><img src=\"https:\/\/web-stil.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/gtm-strategy-16-20250414-454490.webp\" style=\"margin-left: auto;margin-right: auto;width: 650px;height: auto;max-width: 100%\" title=\"\" alt=\"thinx homepagehttps:\/\/www.thinx.com\/\" \/><\/p>\n<p>This strategy appeals to consumers who can feel good knowing they&#8217;re buying something that gives back a portion of profit to something beyond themselves, especially if it raises awareness of inequalities in maternal health.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>10. Metaverse<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>One of the most outlandish ideas of recent go-to-market strategies is none other than the launch of the Metaverse. It\u2019s an immersive, digital economy made by Facebook and a look into the future of the platform.<\/p>\n<h4><strong>Why I Think the Metaverse\u2019s Go-to-Market Strategy Works:<\/strong><\/h4>\n<p>This brand understands that people are leading digital lives more than ever, which includes more online shopping \u2014 but without the experience of shopping in person. So, while it is more convenient to add items to your cart through clicks, customers give up the feel of shopping in-store.<\/p>\n<p>Metaverse solves this by incorporating the brick-and-mortar experience in a VR-centric, digital world.<\/p>\n<p>In addition to solving the online shopping dilemma, the PR campaign and influencer marketing was such a huge rollout on one of the most major social media platforms, it caused quite a buzz through the internet and news outlets.<\/p>\n<p><a><\/a> <\/p>\n<h2><strong>GTM Strategy FAQs<\/strong><\/h2>\n<h3>1. What\u2019s the #1 mistake to avoid when creating a go-to-market strategy?<\/h3>\n<p>From my experience, not having a targeted ideal customer profile (ICP) is central to GTM failure.<\/p>\n<p>A broad or vague ICP leads to wasted resources and low conversion rates because you\u2019d have targeted prospects unlikely to buy. As such, the #1 element of all successful GTM strategies is a well-defined ICP. Knowing this drives efficient messaging, marketing, and sales efforts. Without it, even great products fail.<\/p>\n<h3>2. Can I be certain I&#8217;ve targeted the right market and ICP?<\/h3>\n<p>You may have the right market, but your ICP is always evolving. Customer behavior, competitive dynamics, and market shifts require continuous refinement.<\/p>\n<p>Use CRM data to analyze similarities among high-value customers\u2014job titles, industries, and buying behaviors. Experiment with segmentation and feedback from such customers.<\/p>\n<h3>3. How do I shorten my sales cycle?<\/h3>\n<p>The length of your sales cycle depends on factors like season and price. For example, during a recession, there\u2019s economic uncertainty, and entities may hold off on several purchases. In my experience, companies that survive such periods invest in building their brand.<\/p>\n<p>The second is pricing. A $500 product moves faster than a $50K solution. Establishing trust is extremely vital when taking expensive vs cheaper products to market. So if your GTM motion involves selling high-ticket products, streamline decision-making by targeting decision-makers early, addressing objections proactively, using social proof, and personalizing all outreaches. For lower-cost products, optimize automation, trial offers, and urgency-based incentives.<\/p>\n<h3>4. Should I hire a marketing or sales team without finding a product-market fit?<\/h3>\n<p>No. Hiring a marketing or sales team before achieving product-market fit (PMF) leads to wasted resources and frustration. Without PMF, there\u2019s no clear demand, making it hard to sell effectively.<\/p>\n<p>Instead, focus on validating your ICP, testing messaging, and getting early adopters. Use founder-led sales, direct customer feedback, and agile iterations to refine the offer. Once you get repeatable sales and decent retention, scale your marketing and sales for predictable growth.<\/p>\n<p><a><\/a> <\/p>\n<h2><strong>Create a Strong GTM Strategy for Your New Venture<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Building a go-to-market strategy is critical before bringing your new product to the market. With the steps I shared in this guide, you\u2019ll be well on your way to launching a product or service that solves for your future customers and becomes profitable in the marketplace.<\/p>\n<p><em>Editor&#8217;s note: This post was originally published in November 2019 and has been updated for comprehensiveness.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/track.hubspot.com\/__ptq.gif?a=53&amp;k=14&amp;r=https%3A%2F%2Fblog.hubspot.com%2Fsales%2Fgtm-strategy&amp;bu=https%253A%252F%252Fblog.hubspot.com%252Fsales&amp;bvt=rss\" alt=\"\" width=\"1\" height=\"1\" style=\"min-height:1px!important;width:1px!important;border-width:0!important;margin-top:0!important;margin-bottom:0!important;margin-right:0!important;margin-left:0!important;padding-top:0!important;padding-bottom:0!important;padding-right:0!important;padding-left:0!important\" \/><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p class=\"text-justify mb-2\" >A winning product launch requires a thoughtful, actionable, and effective go-to-market (GTM) strategy framework. Without proper planning, it\u2019s impossible to know if you\u2019re chasing the wrong audience, too early or late to a market, or are targeting a saturated market with similar solutions. To navigate [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":941,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[10],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/web-stil.info\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/929"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/web-stil.info\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/web-stil.info\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/web-stil.info\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/web-stil.info\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=929"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/web-stil.info\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/929\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1067,"href":"https:\/\/web-stil.info\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/929\/revisions\/1067"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/web-stil.info\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/941"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/web-stil.info\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=929"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/web-stil.info\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=929"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/web-stil.info\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=929"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}