Marketing strategies are rapidly evolving, shaping how startups approach growth and user acquisition in 2025. To explore what’s driving the marketing landscape, we are hosting a roundtable discussion with leading industry experts. In this session, professionals will share their insights on the most effective marketing channels for early-stage startups, the strategies that deliver the highest ROI, and how to navigate the challenges of limited budgets while achieving impactful growth. Founders will leave with actionable advice on how to adapt to the shifting marketing climate in 2025.
Our experts:
Abraham Martin, Chief Marketing Officer at PANGEA
Aiyanna Klaphake, Marketing Director at Marketing Architects
Ajit Desai, Director of Marketing at Deltek
Barry Ryan, Head of Marketing at Thirst
Ivan Drobyshev, Founder at Grechka Media
Kaletso Matsaba, Managing Director at Varinity
Oana Modorcea, Marketing and PR Manager at SeedCue
Os Hourani, Marketing Manager at Woolpert
Abraham Martin, Chief Marketing Officer at PANGEA
What marketing channels and strategies would you recommend for early-stage startups looking to acquire their first users from day one without large budgets?
Depending on marketing mature, and how different is your value proposal from others concerning product and customer experience. In many occasions new companies with limited resources adquire new customers using bottom of the funnel strategies and they are closer to conversion and you can apply long tail bidding strategies to avoid high CPA.
However, we a deeper explanation is needed, a combination between considearion and conversion levers seems to be the rigth choice to validate the model, using external endorsement and in market audiences.
Based on your experience, which paid marketing channels deliver the highest ROI and are the most cost-effective?
Search is normally the one with highest ROI
Aiyanna Klaphake, Marketing Director at Marketing Architects
What marketing channels and strategies would you recommend for early-stage startups looking to acquire their first users from day one without large budgets?
Early-stage startups need strategies that are scrappy but scalable. Begin by building messaging that earns trust and drives action, using clear, specific language. Test where your bullseye customer already spends time. Paid search, social, and influencer partnerships are low-cost starting points that’ll help you capture existing demand. Start investing in content, too, but know the real wins here are going to take time. Focus on fast learning over perfect performance.
Then, as you grow, start thinking beyond clicks and expand your audience target. Many startups understandably focus only on immediate conversions. But great marketing often both builds trust and prompts action.
Based on your experience, which paid marketing channels deliver the highest ROI and are the most cost-effective?
This might be a hot take, but in my experience, TV can be one of the most cost-effective and ROI-positive paid channels. Together, traditional and streaming TV offer unmatched reach, making it ideal for building broad awareness while driving direct response. When paired with a compelling call-to-action, I’ve seen TV deliver acquisition costs competitive with digital while boosting brand credibility and long-term growth.
Ajit Desai, Director of Marketing at Deltek
What marketing channels and strategies would you recommend for early-stage startups looking to acquire their first users from day one without large budgets?
Yeah, so when you're just starting out — especially in that early "Problem-Market Fit" phase — the focus shouldn’t be on scaling. It’s about learning fast, failing small, and figuring out what actually sticks. Your goal is to gather signals, not necessarily grow at all costs.
I always tell founders: think of this stage as an exploration phase. You’re trying to define your ICP, test different types of messaging, and really get a sense of what channels actually move the needle. There’s no silver bullet, but there is a playbook that tends to work well, especially for B2B SaaS or subscription products.
First off — get the basics locked in: Start by getting super clear on who you're building for. Define your ideal customer profile — not just industry or job title, but what pain they're feeling, what motivates them, and where they hang out. That helps you avoid wasting time and budget.
Also, map out the customer journey — what does the path from awareness to decision look like for them? That way, your content, messaging, and CTAs are aligned at every step.
Then, content becomes your best friend. When you don’t have a budget, content and storytelling become your power levers. Talk about real stuff — share what you're learning, highlight customer stories, even the behind-the-scenes chaos of building the product. People connect with that. It builds trust.
Also, mix up your formats. Blogs, short videos, carousels, even memes — see what lands. And stay consistent. Publishing once a week — even if it’s lightweight — helps build momentum and SEO equity.
For channels, I always recommend depth over breadth. Pick 1 or 2 channels where your audience already spends time. For B2B, that’s often LinkedIn or email. Founder-led content on LinkedIn, in particular, is hugely underrated. People don’t want brand posts — they want a human perspective.
Email’s another great one. Build a small waitlist, nurture it with relevant content, and get feedback from those early adopters.
And even if you don’t have a full SEO strategy yet, get started. Long-tail, pain-point-driven content will help you build organic traffic over time. It’s slow but super high leverage.
Your website also needs to do the heavy lifting. Make sure your value prop is clear above the fold. What do you do, who is it for, and why should anyone care? That needs to hit in the first few seconds. I treat every homepage like a landing page — minimize friction, guide the visitor, and convert interest into action.
Fast, mobile-friendly, optimized for SEO — those are table stakes now.
Last thing — build real relationships. Honestly, some of our best early wins came from just talking to people. Webinars, founder roundtables, and partnering with complementary startups — those kinds of things let you tap into warm audiences and build credibility.
Attending niche events or even virtual meetups accelerates trust in a way that ads just can’t.
So yeah, early-stage marketing is all about learning loops. It’s less about “how do we get 10,000 users” and more about “what messages resonate, who’s responding, and what channels give us actual conversations.” Once you crack that, you can scale with confidence.
Based on your experience, which paid marketing channels deliver the highest ROI and are the most cost-effective?
In early-stage startups, every marketing dollar has to do the heavy lifting. From my experience leading marketing at growth-stage B2B SaaS companies, the most cost-effective and ROI-positive paid channels are those that focus on intent, targeting precision, and measurable impact, not just reach. Particularly when paired with a lean, data-driven GTM motion.
Google Search Ads is usually the MVP. If you pick the right keywords — things like “best [category] software for [use case]” or “[competitor name] alternative” — you’re capturing users who are already in buying mode. These are bottom-of-funnel, high-intent searches. And with good landing pages and some smart targeting, the ROI is very solid. You can track performance clearly, and it drives sales-ready leads.
Review platforms like G2 or Capterra are also super underrated. A lot of people skip over them, but they actually deliver warm leads. Folks browsing there are actively comparing vendors — they usually have the budget, and they’re looking to move quickly. We’ve seen great results from sponsored listings and lead-gen forms there. Lower cost-per-lead than most programmatic stuff, and higher conversion rates too.
LinkedIn Ads can work — if you know your ICP cold. Yeah, LinkedIn’s expensive, no doubt. But if you’re clear on your ideal customer — like, industry, role, pain point — and you have valuable mid-funnel content (think ROI calculators, comparison guides, benchmark reports), then it actually pays off.
You just have to be really intentional. Broad targeting won’t work. But if you're dialed in, the quality of leads can be top-notch.
So, to sum it up: if you’re an early-stage startup looking for ROI from paid channels, stick with high-intent sources — search, review platforms, and tightly targeted LinkedIn. And always pair them with strong landing pages and clear CTAs. Otherwise, you’re just setting money on fire.
Barry Ryan, Head of Marketing at Thirst
What marketing channels and strategies would you recommend for early-stage startups looking to acquire their first users from day one without large budgets?
For early-stage startups with limited budgets, my go-to recommendation is to invest in SEO from day one.
It’s hands-down one of the most cost-effective growth channels — especially when every penny counts. Unlike paid ads that stop the moment your budget runs out, SEO builds equity.
It compounds over time. Every piece of content, every technical tweak, every backlink — it all adds up and continues to deliver long after you hit publish.
I’ve seen this play out time and time again over the past 14 years across B2B, SaaS, and ecommerce — brands that commit to SEO early are the ones with serious long-term leverage.
But here’s the honest part: SEO isn’t a quick win.
It takes time, consistency, and patience.
That’s why I always suggest pairing it with faster feedback loops like organic social or community engagement in the early days, but never neglecting your organic foundation. Because six months from now, you’ll wish you started today.
Based on your experience, which paid marketing channels deliver the highest ROI and are the most cost-effective?
In the B2B space, LinkedIn Ads can be an incredibly powerful channel — especially for lead generation and cost-effective brand awareness when executed well.
It’s where decision-makers are spending time, engaging with industry content, and actively looking for solutions.
At Thirst, we’ve seen strong ROI when we’ve leaned into highly targeted campaigns that speak directly to the pain points of L&D professionals. With the right message, creative, and segmentation, LinkedIn can cut through the noise like no other platform.
But it’s not a plug-and-play channel.
The biggest pitfall I see is startups burning through budget on broad targeting, weak creative, or vanity metrics like impressions. LinkedIn CPCs are notoriously high, so you need to be laser-focused on quality over quantity.
You can’t afford to treat it like Facebook Ads or boost generic posts and hope for the best.
You need a clear offer, tight targeting, and messaging that genuinely adds value to your audience’s day.
When that’s in place? It absolutely delivers.
Ivan Drobyshev, Founder at Grechka Media
What marketing channels and strategies would you recommend for early-stage startups looking to acquire their first users from day one without large budgets?
For early-stage startups without big budgets, the best marketing doesn’t start with ads — it starts with people. One of the most powerful tools is the founder’s own voice. Raw, honest posts on LinkedIn or X about what you're building, what’s hard, and what’s working tend to outperform polished brand content. It’s not about reach — it’s about trust.
Next, build in referral loops from day one. Your first 10 users should have a reason — even a small one — to bring the next 10. Whether it's exclusive access, a personal thank-you, or a free upgrade, it keeps the momentum going. At the same time, find and join niche communities: Reddit threads, Discord groups, Telegram chats — anywhere your users already live. Be helpful, not salesy.
Cold outreach still works when it’s thoughtful. If you're solving a real problem, a message that shares a useful insight, mini tool, or a sharp observation can start real conversations. Don’t sell — invite feedback. And when it comes to visibility, skip the big PR push. Instead, target smaller but highly relevant media: newsletters, podcasts, or local content creators.
One underrated but surprisingly effective tactic is maps. Just adding your business to Google Maps, Yango Maps, and local directories can drive discovery, especially for local B2B or B2C services. It’s low-cost, high-intent traffic.
Based on your experience, which paid marketing channels deliver the highest ROI and are the most cost-effective?
As for paid channels, Meta still delivers the strongest ROI for B2C, especially with native, story-style creatives. Google’s Performance Max campaigns work well when you have clear conversion goals and decent data — great for marketplaces or service platforms. For high-ticket B2B, LinkedIn Ads are expensive but laser-targeted, especially when paired with strong gated content like reports or calculators.
And finally, don’t overlook alternative channels like influencer whitelisting — running ads through creators’ accounts rather than your brand page.
Kaletso Matsaba, Managing Director at Varinity
What marketing channels and strategies would you recommend for early-stage startups looking to acquire their first users from day one without large budgets?
When budgets are low, content is king. Build a strong content strategy — blog posts, SEO, and social media presence — to generate organic traffic. These channels require time but build lasting credibility and cost almost nothing monetarily.
Hyper targeted ads are very important. Instagram and Facebook offer great targeted ads. These platforms also make it easy to target specific niches with relatively low budgets.
Community is everything. The Web3 space does a really good job of curating communities from the very beginning, often on platforms such as Discord and Telegram. These initial community members usually have a say in the project's direction and support it as early stage fans. This trend is slowly reaching other younger digital industries such as AI, consumer-focused apps and SaaS products that gain their early traction from initial beta that eventually become dedicated early stage community members. These community members also become some of your biggest fans.
Based on your experience, which paid marketing channels deliver the highest ROI and are the most cost-effective?
Word-of-mouth. I don't mean to sound cliché, but creating a good product or delivery a high quality service provides the most effective "paid marketing" by leagues. Word-of-mouth is so powerful that I view it as paid marketing. In many ways, that kind of word-of-mouth can be as effective as, if not more effective than, traditional paid marketing. It’s like having a free, highly credible advertising channel where every recommendation carries the weight of genuine trust. Essentially, when your product or service speaks for itself, you're investing in a marketing channel that pays exponential dividends over time without the constant spend.
But to answer the question properly, Google Ads has provided the best ROI. It has been cost-effective and allows for granular targeting and measurable results.
Meta's ads for both Facebook and Instagram have provided a great amount of ROI at an incredible cost. The variety of ad formats—from carousel ads to stories and video content—gives businesses the flexibility to present their products or services in the most engaging way. This creative freedom not only captures user attention more effectively but also improves the overall user experience, leading to higher engagement and ROI.
Measurement is important for calculating ROI, so it's important to ensure that measurement is done rigorously and effectively.
Oana Modorcea, Marketing and PR Manager at SeedCue
What marketing channels and strategies would you recommend for early-stage startups looking to acquire their first users from day one without large budgets?
In the beginning, I believe personal branding and community building are essential for any startup. Investing in the brand of the founder or key team members — through a well-thought-out newsletter or LinkedIn profile, for example — can help build awareness, lay the foundation for a strong community, and ultimately lead to customer acquisition. The main cost here is the founder’s time, so it’s crucial to understand the audience, the type of content they engage with, and to develop a realistic comms/marketing strategy.
Based on your experience, which paid marketing channels deliver the highest ROI and are the most cost-effective?
It depends on whether the company is B2B or B2C and the audience they target. For B2B, I’ve seen good results with LinkedIn ads. I’d also recommend both earned and paid media mentions to reach new audience segments and position the brand effectively. It’s important to consider all stages of the funnel, from awareness to purchase and beyond, and not focus just on customer acquisition without building the brand and trust. For early stage companies, I think using the budgets they have on more creative approaches in paid marketing campaigns can also pay off and make them stand out in front of potential customers or investors.
Os Hourani, Marketing Manager at Woolpert
What marketing channels and strategies would you recommend for early-stage startups looking to acquire their first users from day one without large budgets?
For early-stage startups on limited budgets, my experience working with SMEs and startups globally has taught me that effective marketing starts with understanding your target customers. Market research should guide your first steps: identify who your audience is, what motivates them, and how you can genuinely add value.
Here are a few principles I consistently apply when helping teams build their first marketing presence:
- Start with research: Diagnose before you prescribe. Understand your customer and market landscape before choosing strategies.
- Build an engagement strategy: Design messaging and value that speaks directly to your audience’s needs.
- Pick the right channels:
For broad consumer reach, platforms like YouTube, Meta, and TikTok can work well.
For professional or enterprise audiences, LinkedIn tends to deliver better traction.
4. Balance physical and mental availability: Make it easy for customers to find and recall you. This means being present in the right channels and showing up in ways that are accessible and relevant to your audience. Personal connections are powerful sometimes your next customer is just a coffee chat or phone call away.
Early growth is rarely about scale; it’s about precision and relationships. Use whatever tools you have to show up where your audience is and deliver value from day one.
Based on your experience, which paid marketing channels deliver the highest ROI and are the most cost-effective?
There’s no universal answer to which paid marketing channel delivers the best ROI. It depends heavily on your product, market, audience, and growth stage. Whatever you do, make sure to balance long-term brand building with short-term sales goals. Don’t fall into the trap of short-termism. Many founders chase quick wins without laying the foundation for sustainable growth.
That said, if you’re aiming to scale, paid channels are essential. I've seen businesses generate millions through:
- Search & PPC (Google Ads): Highly effective for capturing demand with strong purchase intent. It's one of the most measurable and scalable ways to drive qualified traffic, especially for products with clear, immediate value.
- Meta (Facebook & Instagram): Still one of the most efficient platforms for broad targeting, especially for B2C. Smart segmentation and creative testing make a big difference.
- Webinars & lead magnets: Particularly in B2B, a solid content-driven funnel can turn cold leads into loyal customers. Sometimes, the right webinar series is all it takes to build momentum.
- TikTok influencer programs: For consumer products, micro-influencers on TikTok can deliver high engagement at a surprisingly low cost when done right.
Regardless of the platform, one thing stays true: data matters. Invest in measurement, attribution, and continuous testing. The most cost-effective campaigns are built on client insights and performance data — not assumptions.
Bonus tip: Be consistent. Brands that maintain consistent execution across channels often perform up to 2x better in paid advertising than those that constantly change their messaging or creative.