- Marketer Milk
- Posts
- 10 years of startup marketing (pt.2)
10 years of startup marketing (pt.2)
This is part 2 to 10 years of startup marketing lessons. Lessons 1-5 can be found in part 1.
Fear, insecurity, inadequacy, anxiety, guilt, shame, regret, loneliness, envy, jealousy, hopelessness, self-doubt, embarrassment, rejection, helplessness, worthlessness, frustration.
We’ve all felt these at some point. They’re part of the human experience — albeit not the fun part.
But, these emotions are often the predecessors to transformation.
And as I started to experience these emotions over the years, I started to notice something deeper about the human condition — something that lives underneath every buying decision.
Not just the desire for change…
…but the desire to simply feel okay.
6. Humans just want to feel okay
In the first chapter of Living Untethered by Michael Singer, he writes:
“All of life is suffering. Whether you’re rich, poor, sick, healthy, young, or old — it doesn’t matter. There are moments when you’re not suffering, but the vast majority of your time is spent just trying to be okay.”
He continues:
“At some point, you’ll realize that’s all you’ve ever done — try to be okay. That’s why you cried when you were little: you weren’t okay in there. That’s why you wanted a certain toy — you thought it would make you okay. That’s why you wanted to marry this special person. That’s why you wanted to go to Europe or Hawaii for vacation. Eventually, you realize all you ever do is try to be okay. First you think about what will make you okay, then you go out and try to make it happen.”
This is a powerful insight into human behavior.
Behind every buying decision is a desire for comfort, control, and peace of mind.
Market to that.
That’s exactly what Apple does with their “Privacy. That’s iPhone.” campaign.
In a world where people feel constantly watched, tracked, and manipulated online, Apple isn’t selling security features — it’s selling peace of mind. The feeling that you’re safe here.
And that’s what people want — not just products, but comfort. Control. The feeling that things are going to be okay.
But comfort doesn’t just come from emotion — sometimes it comes from clarity.
And in a world full of content, one of the clearest things I’ve learned is this:
Don’t start with content that might convert. Start with the stuff that already does.
7. If you want content to convert, start at the end.
Traditional marketing says to start at the top of the funnel — build awareness, then slowly guide people down to a conversion.
But it doesn’t always work like that. What you should do is start with high intent content.
Some of the highest-converting content I’ve seen (and created) fits into three buckets:
Competitor and alternative comparisons
“Best of” listicles
Product-led how-to articles/videos
These people aren’t browsing — they’re searching with purpose. They’re already problem-aware, solution-aware, and actively looking to make a decision.
And if you're a startup, this is especially powerful.
Leverage the existing brand power of your competitors to pull you up.
If people are already searching for them, meet them there — and make your case.
But not all content starts with search. Sometimes, you have to earn attention — not by being louder, but by making people curious.
And that leads to one of the most powerful forces in marketing psychology…
8. The most addictive content triggers anticipation.
Why do we scroll for hours on TikTok, Instagram, or YouTube Shorts?
It’s because we’re wired to anticipate something new — something we haven’t seen before.
In high school, I’d literally run home just to catch the latest Ray William Johnson video.
In college, it was Casey Neistat and David Dobrik. Every upload felt like a dopamine hit — not because I needed it, but because I didn’t know what was coming. And that mystery kept me coming back.
Even the (US) news does this.
They don’t just report — they tease. “After the break…” “You won’t believe what happened next…” It’s not about information. It’s about tension and retention. (And being an ad network for pharmaceuticals… but we won’t go there.)
Apps and media companies have figured this out — and as marketers, we should too.
When you create content that taps into what your audience didn’t know they needed, you hold their attention. You make them feel something. And you give them a reason to come back.
You don’t need to be the loudest. You just need to show them something they haven’t seen before.
Anticipation is what keeps your audience coming back and novelty is their reward.
There is one last marketing lesson that is a fairly recent one. But I’ll save that for the next edition. ;)
With that, let's get into what we have in store this week (lots of good stuff):
Marketing news from the past week
0 to 250K users without ads
6 practical copywriting tips for startups
I tired to rank #1 on Google in 24 hrs
Your #1 marketing channel
Ad in the wild
Website of the week
Cool marketing jobs
And much more
🗞 In the news
🚀 All things growth & product
The founder-led growth playbook, the GTM strategy behind HubSpot and Salesforce, from 0 to 250K users without ads, and the rise of product marketing in Europe.
💭 Guess the riddle
What has many keys but can’t open a single door in the office?
Answer is at the bottom of this email
💌 Email marketing & copywriting
Advanced A/B test for email (and SMS) marketing, six practical copywriting tips, and 8 high-converting landing page copy examples.
✍️ SEO & content marketing
I tried to rank #1 on Google in just 24 hours, understanding search-market fit, and whether you should care about llms.txt.
Your #1 marketing channel, understanding social listening, the rise of intellectualisation in branding, and the psychology behind product benefits.
🧠 Food for though
📣 Ad in the wild
Channel ad for Mother’s Day
Spotted an ad in the wild that caught your eye? Reply to this email with the ad and your @ for credit to get it featured!
💻 Website of the week
🏝 Cool marketing jobs
Okay, that's it for now 💚. See you in the next edition!
What did you think of this newsletter? |
“Before you can think out of the box, you have to start with a box.” — Twyla Tharp
Riddle answer: A keyboard
🤳 Social media, branding, & psychology