If you had $10k to market a startup, where would you not spend it?

Question

I’m curious to hear from the community—if you had $10k to spend on marketing for a startup, which tactics or platforms would you absolutely avoid? Whether it’s paid ads, influencer marketing, community building, or something else, I’d love to know what’s been a total waste of money in your experience.

Are there any marketing channels or strategies that were a complete flop for your startup? Why didn’t they work out?

Simonas Kauzonas · Accepted Answer

Avoid pricey PR firms or broad, unfocused ad campaigns. Target that spend.

Vladimir Arustamian · Answer

100% avoid Reddit for most startups. X is almost as bad as Reddit.

Olivia Jane Mitchell · Answer

100% avoid LinkedIn ads too - super expensive and poor ROI for early stage startups with limited budgets. Paid social on FB/IG can work if you have a solid creative strategy though.

Paige Marie · Answer

@vladimir_arustamian2 Good to know—I was actually thinking about putting some budget into Reddit, but maybe I’ll hold off. Is it just low engagement there?

Paige Marie · Answer

@simonas_kauzonas Totally agree! Do you have any recs for lower-cost, targeted marketing?

Paige Marie · Answer

@oliviajanemitchell Yeah, I’m thinking paid social on FB might be our best bet. Did you run any A/B tests first for your creative?

If you had $10k to market a startup, where would you not spend it?

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