At seed stage, defining and executing a go-to-market strategy is the crucial foundation for a venture-backed business. It’s not just about having a robust strategy for scaling, the crucial element is in the execution. This can be the difference between those businesses that go on to raise series again and those that fail.

This guide aims to give practical tips for not only developing your GTM but also executing it successfully.

What is a Go-to-Market (GTM) Strategy?🔗

A go-to-market (GTM) strategy is a tactical plan outlining how a business will bring its product or service to market. It defines target customers, competitive positioning, marketing channels, sales strategy, and key metrics for success. A well-executed GTM strategy ensures efficient resource allocation, strong market penetration, and scalable growth. Simply put, your GTM defines how you will scale and grow.

A GTM will vary based on sector, and business stage.

When Do You Need a Go-to-Market Strategy?🔗

You need a GTM strategy when you have a product with early signs of traction and are looking to:

• Validate product-market fit further
• Scale revenue and customer acquisition efficiently
• Optimise marketing and sales investment for better ROI
• Position yourself for future funding rounds with a strong commercial foundation
• Launch a new product or enter a new market

Since you’ve raised investment, your business will have early metrics demonstrating traction. Now, a structured GTM strategy is crucial to optimise spending, refine messaging, and drive sustainable growth.

What Does a Go-to-Market Strategy Cover?🔗

A robust GTM strategy should cover:

• Market Segmentation: Who your ideal customers are and where they are.
• Value Proposition: Why your product solves a specific pain point better than competitors.
• Messaging & Positioning: How you communicate value effectively.
• Marketing Strategy: The channels you will use to reach your audience.
• Sales Strategy: How you will convert leads into paying customers.
• Pricing & Revenue Model: How your pricing strategy aligns with customer expectations.
• Metrics & KPIs: How success will be measured.

How to Create a Go-to-Market Strategy (Step-by-Step Guide)🔗

Step 1: Define Your Ideal Customer Profile (ICP)🔗

Identify and segment your ideal customer based on:

• Industry & Company Size: Who benefits most from your product?
• Customer Pain Points: What problems are you solving?
• Buying Process: Who are the decision-makers and how do they buy?
• Where are they in the buying funnel?
• How do they research their problems, what channels will influence them?
• Early Customer Data: Use any existing customer insights to refine targeting.

Target the low hanging fruit initially. A big mistake many early stage businesses make is trying to appeal to a wide audience. Not only can this be costly, but it often means activity is spread too thinly to achieve cut through. Prioritise customer groups based on the ability to acquire and commercial value. Start with audiences that have high intent and are already at the bottom of the buying funnel (more on this to follow).

Step 2: Craft a Clear Value Proposition🔗

This is the big problem your product or service solves for your defined audience segments. Your value proposition should communicate:

• What your product does.
• Why it’s unique or better than competitors.
• How it addresses customer pain points.

Ideally it shouldn’t be longer than one sentence, and it should be simple and easy to understand. A mistake many businesses make, is having an over complicated, long winded value proposition, which ultimately makes it hard for internal teams to use and for customers to understand.

A good example: "Our AI-powered analytics tool reduces data processing time by 70%, giving small e-commerce brands enterprise-level insights at a fraction of the cost."

This example is simple, clear and benefit lead. It articulates the problem (and benefit) that the product solves for its audience, and it’s given substance by adding a fact or figure, that quantifies the impact.

A value proposition isn’t something that just sits in a strategy document and is never spoken about again. A value proposition should underpin your messaging and your product roadmap. Everything you make, say or do should anchor back to your value proposition.

Step 3: Build your Messaging Framework🔗

Now you have defined your target audience, and value proposition, you can start developing your messaging.

Keep this simple, create a brand on a page document that’s easy to interpret and use when developing campaigns.

• Emotional benefit: How do you want people to feel when they experience your product or service?
• Value proposition (as above)
• Identify your USPs (if you have them). If you are a service business, you might not have any USPs. However you can add stats and facts that quantify the value you offer to clients, that are unique to you and your service
• Functional benefits
• Key messages

Step 4: Select and Prioritise Marketing Channels🔗

Marketing channels will vary depending on the sector and business model. The right approach depends on many factors - budgets, target customer acquisition cost, target ROI, and most importantly an understanding of where your audience is. In addition, whether your business is D2C (Direct-to-Consumer), B2B (Business-to-Business), a hybrid of both, or operating through resellers or partnerships will have a big influence. Below is a breakdown of each model and the relevant marketing channels to be considered. This is a simplified view to give guidance, however, there can be overlap – for example, many B2B SaaS businesses will run paid ads on Google, assuming there is volume and the forecast ROI is in line with commercial models.

D2C (Direct-to-Consumer) Business Model

Key Marketing Channels:

• Paid Advertising: Facebook Ads, Instagram Ads, TikTok Ads, and Google Ads for direct consumer acquisition.
• SEO & Content Marketing: Blogging, product reviews, and influencer partnerships to drive organic traffic.
• Social Media & Community Building: Engaging customers via Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube to build brand loyalty.
• Email & SMS Marketing: Retargeting and nurturing customers through email sequences and personalised offers.
• Influencer & Affiliate Marketing: Leveraging trusted creators to endorse your product.

B2B (Business-to-Business) Business Model

B2B businesses typically have a longer, involving multiple decision-makers.

Key Marketing Channels:

• LinkedIn Marketing & Outreach: LinkedIn Ads, InMail campaigns, and organic thought leadership to reach decision-makers.
• Account-Based Marketing (ABM): Targeting high-value accounts with personalised messaging.
• SEO & Content Marketing: Whitepapers, industry reports, and case studies to showcase expertise.
• Email Marketing & Nurturing Sequences: Personalised outreach to leads and existing clients.
• Industry Events & Webinars: Networking and establishing authority in your industry.
• Partnerships & Co-Marketing: Collaborating with complementary businesses to cross-promote services.

Hybrid (B2B & D2C) Business Model

Some businesses sell both directly to consumers and to other businesses. This is common in SaaS platforms or brands with both retail and wholesale operations.

Key Marketing Channels:

• Paid Ads & SEO: Driving traffic to both consumer and business-focused content.
• LinkedIn & Social Media: Custom messaging for B2B and D2C audiences.
• Sales Outreach & Partnerships: Direct sales for B2B, digital funnels for D2C.
• Customer Segmentation: Personalised marketing strategies for each segment.

Reseller & Partnership Model

In this model, your product is sold through third-party distributors, resellers, or strategic partners.

Key Marketing Channels:

• Channel Sales Enablement: Providing training, marketing collateral, and support to resellers.
• Partner Marketing: Co-branded campaigns and joint promotions.
• Trade Shows & Industry Conferences: Networking and securing distribution deals.
• B2B PR & Media Relations: Building credibility in industry publications.

Selecting the right mix of these marketing channels ensures you efficiently reach your target audience while maximising budget impact.

Step 5: Develop an Aligned Sales & Marketing Strategy🔗

Creating a high-performing sales and marketing strategy involves optimising conversion, maximising ROI, and minimising the cost to serve. Your approach should align with your product’s complexity and price point.

Set Clear Sales Objectives and Targets

• Define measurable goals such as conversion rates, revenue targets, and pipeline volume.
• Ensure targets align with broader business objectives and funding milestones.
• Set targets based on a realistic commercial model with a stretch added to drive ambition.
• Regularly review and adjust targets based on data insights and market conditions.

Build a Go-to-Market Team: Sales & Marketing Alignment

Sales and marketing must work together seamlessly to ensure a smooth lead handover and consistent messaging across all touchpoints.

How you establish Sales and Marketing alignment varies by sector. For example, an D2C ecommerce business might not need a full sales team, but will need to be hyper focussed on optimising the customer journey for conversion. Whereas a B2B business will need to adopt a structured approach to Sales and Marketing.

Regardless of sector, the following principles need to be considered:

Set up a GTM Team, that includes a representative from each area involved in driving revenue:

• Implement regular alignment meetings
• Define key metrics and agree how they will measured / reported on eg Marketing Qualified Lead (MQL), Sales Qualified Lead (SQL), Average Order Value (AOV)
• Build Simple Dashboards with all key KPIs on. Add trend data so week on week and month on month trends can easily be seen. Ensure performance Vs target is always visible

Create an Incentive Programme to Drive Results

To keep GTM teams motivated and results-driven:

• Establish commission structures that reward performance.
• Offer bonuses for exceeding targets or securing strategic accounts.
• Introduce non-monetary incentives, such as recognition, career growth opportunities, or exclusive events.
• Ensure incentives align with business priorities to drive profitable revenue growth.

B2B Sales Optimisation

• Account-Based Selling (ABS): Target high-value accounts with personalised outreach.
• Inside Sales: Develop an SDR (Sales Development Representative) team to qualify leads before passing them to closers.
• Partnerships & Reseller Networks: Expand market reach through strategic alliances.
• Enterprise Sales: Implement a consultative selling approach for high-value, long-cycle deals.

E-commerce (D2C) Sales Optimisation

• Set Clear Targets: Define benchmarks for conversion rates, repeat purchase rates, and average order value (AOV).
• Automate Customer Interactions: Implement AI-driven chatbots for customer support and post-purchase engagement.
• Optimise Onsite Conversion: A/B test website design, product pages, and checkout processes to reduce friction.
• Reduce Cart Abandonment: Use automated abandoned cart emails, retargeting ads, and exit-intent pop-ups.
• Minimise Returns: Offer clear product descriptions, size guides, and customer reviews to manage expectations.
• Enhance Delivery & Fulfilment: Competitive shipping options and hassle-free returns increase trust and long-term retention.

By integrating automation, reducing operational overhead, and refining the customer journey, e-commerce businesses can increase profitability without excessive human resource costs.

Step 6: Build a Sales & Marketing Funnel🔗

Map your marketing channels and customer journey to the marketing funnel, understanding where your audience is in their buying journey, and implementing tactics and mechanisms to move them to the next stage.

The stages in the funnel are:

• Top of Funnel (TOFU): Unaware and Problem aware
• Middle of Funnel (MOFU): Solution aware and Product Aware
• Bottom of Funnel (BOFU): Conversion and customer retention.
  

• 
  Map the happy path, showing the ideal customer experience: What communications do your customers need to receive and when as they move through their journey with you? For example welcome emails, guides and transactional emails
• Then map all drop out points and ensure there are tactics in place to re-engage your non-convertors: Use retargeting ads for visitors who engaged but didn’t convert (usually they have engaged with some problem or solution aware content but not converted)
• Use automation sequences to re-engage users that provided their details but didn’t convert to a sale. This is a key step as these users are often in the product aware stage and need convincing that your product is the right one for them
• Deploy chatbots or AI-driven support to answer sales queries instantly
• Personalise follow-ups based on CRM data, ensuring leads receive relevant information at the right time.

Implement a CRM System for Data-Driven Sales

A well-adopted CRM (Customer Relationship Management) system ensures:

• Accurate Data Capture: Store lead and conversion data to drive insights.
• Automations: Trigger timely and relevant communications based on customer interactions.
• Sales Performance Tracking: Monitor conversion rates, deal velocity, and customer lifecycle value.
• Lead Prioritisation: Help sales teams focus on high-intent leads.
• CRM Training: Ensure all sales personnel know how to use the CRM efficiently for maximum benefit.

Step 7: Define Pricing & Revenue Model🔗

Chances are, you already have a pricing model in place. It’s important this is regularly reviewed and assessed as part of a GTM execution to ensure you maximise revenue and ROI.

• Competitive Pricing: Benchmark against competitors.
• Value-based Pricing: Charge based on ROI your customers gain.
• Freemium or Trial Models: Lower friction for adoption.

Step 8: Set Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)🔗

Track meaningful metrics:

• Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC): Cost to acquire a customer.
• Cost of Sales (COS): Total cost to convert leads.
• Return on Investment (ROI): Revenue generated vs. marketing spend.
• Unit Economics: Revenue per unit vs. cost per unit.
• Average Order Value (AOV): Revenue per purchase.
• Lifetime Value (LTV): Total revenue from a customer over time.

Step 9: Test, Optimise, and Scale🔗

• Run A/B tests on messaging, pricing, and channels.
• Analyse drop-offs in the funnel and optimise.
• Scale winning campaigns while refining underperforming ones.
• Review and adjust targets accordingly
• Assess channel performance and optimise performance and budget allocation

Common Mistakes Founders Make🔗

I. Going Too Broad with Targeting🔗

Mistake: Trying to reach too many audience segments with generic messaging. Solution:

• Focus on a niche with the highest conversion potential.
• Create messaging that deeply resonates with their pain points.
• Allocate budget to channels where your audience actively engages.

2. Measuring the Wrong Metrics🔗

Mistake: Over-prioritising vanity metrics (reach, likes, engagement) over business-critical KPIs. Solution:

• Track CAC, COS, ROI, Unit Economics, AOV, and LTV.
• Build a clear funnel analysis to optimise conversions.

3. Over-Hiring Too Early🔗

Mistake: Hiring full-time employees for every marketing function. Solution:

• Use freelancers and fractional experts to keep costs flexible.
• Scale internal hiring as channels prove success.

4. Not Adjusting the Plan Quickly Enough🔗

Mistake: Sticking to an underperforming strategy for too long. Solution:

• Set clear milestones and pivot based on data.
• Use A/B testing to make incremental changes.

5. Not Tracking Data & Activity Properly🔗

Mistake: Not implementing a consistent approach to attribution, or tracking sales team activity. Solution:

• Implement a clear data-tracking framework from the start.
• Regularly review analytics to inform decisions.
• Ensure all marketing and sales activity is logged and analysed and actioned
• Implement a simple attribution model, this could be set up in GA4 to keep costs low, however it’s important to ensure this feeds into you CRM and internal systems for end to end reporting.

6. Lack of GTM Experience in the Team🔗

Mistake: Trying to scale with an inexperience or unqualified team. Solution:

• Hire experienced advisors or fractional experts.
• Invest in training and mentorship for internal teams.
• Learn from case studies and industry best practices.

7. Poor Systems Setup for Scaling🔗

Mistake: Inefficient processes and poor systems that hinder scaling. Solution:

• Ensure CRM and automation tools are fully integrated.
• Build scalable processes from day one.
• Regularly review system performance and make improvements.

Preparing for Investor Due Diligence🔗

To ensure your GTM strategy passes investor scrutiny:

• Know every number in your plan and justify assumptions.
• Have historical data and competitor insights ready.
• Avoid unrealistic forecasts—investors spot inflated hockey-stick growth projections.
• Show traction and scalability with real metrics.

Conclusion & Final Checklist🔗

A structured GTM strategy helps early-stage businesses scale effectively. By avoiding common pitfalls, tracking the right metrics, and staying agile, you can drive meaningful traction and prepare for future funding rounds.

GTM Strategy Checklist🔗

✅ Defined Ideal Customer Profile (ICP)
✅ Clear and compelling value proposition
✅ Focused marketing and sales strategy
✅ Targeted budget allocation to high-ROI channels
✅ Data-driven performance tracking with CAC, COS, ROI, AOV, LTV
✅ Scalable team structure using freelancers where needed
✅ Regular analysis and optimisation based on milestones
✅ Due diligence-ready with solid data and realistic forecasts

Looking for more advice? GTM Now have created a step-by-step go-to market strategy playbook, which you can download for free here.