{"id":135036,"date":"2021-08-31T11:00:45","date_gmt":"2021-08-31T16:00:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/?p=135036"},"modified":"2025-12-18T09:17:39","modified_gmt":"2025-12-18T14:17:39","slug":"building-a-go-to-market-strategy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/building-a-go-to-market-strategy\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Build a Go-to-Market Strategy in 8&nbsp;Steps"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"intro-txt\">Most new products fail\u2014we\u2019ve all heard that. But the better you prepare your product and yourself for the product launch, the better your chances of escaping that disheartening statistic.<\/div>\n<p>The go-to-market strategy is <em>the<\/em>&nbsp;method to give yourself the green light to introduce a new product and make any significant changes while there\u2019s still&nbsp;time.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><\/span><\/p><div class=\"intro-tok\" id=\"intro_tok\" style=\"display:none;\"><div class=\"intro-title\">Contents<\/div><a href=\"#\" class=\"expand-dots\"><span><\/span><span><\/span><span><\/span><\/a><\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><\/span><\/p><div class=\"recommendation\"><div class=\"recommendation-title\">Recommendation<\/div><div class=\"recommendation-content\">\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/docs.google.com\/spreadsheets\/d\/1NGCZgH9EwCSrDXz0OOwDjoAGGYDW-jn_E2_ANQL93EE\/copy\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Go-to-market strategy template<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u2014just click on the link to make your own editable copy in Google Sheets.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><\/span><\/p><\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\"post-nav-link clearfix\" id=\"section1\"><a class=\"subhead-anchor\" data-tip=\"tooltip__copielink\" rel=\"#section1\"><svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewBox=\"0 0 14 14\" style><g fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><path d=\"M0 0h14v14H0z\" \/><path d=\"M7.45 9.887l-1.62 1.621c-.92.92-2.418.92-3.338 0a2.364 2.364 0 0 1 0-3.339l1.62-1.62-1.273-1.272-1.62 1.62a4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.885 5.884l1.62-1.62L7.45 9.886zM5.527 5.135L7.17 3.492c.92-.92 2.418-.92 3.339 0 .92.92.92 2.418 0 3.339L8.866 8.473l1.272 1.273 1.644-1.643A4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.897 2.22L4.254 3.863l1.272 1.272zm-.66 3.998a.749.749 0 0 1 0-1.06l2.208-2.206a.749.749 0 1 1 1.06 1.06L5.928 9.133a.75.75 0 0 1-1.061 0z\" style \/><\/g><\/svg><\/a><div class=\"link-text\" data-anchor=\"What is a go-to-market strategy?\" data-section=\"what-is-go-to-market-strategy\">\n<h2>What is a go-to-market strategy?<\/h2>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<p>A go-to-market (GTM) strategy is a company\u2019s plan to bring a new product or service to the market. Fundamentally, it identifies what you will offer, to what market, at what price, how you will offer it, and what is required operationally to launch the product\/service.<\/p>\n<div class=\"post-nav-link clearfix\" id=\"section1\"><a class=\"subhead-anchor\" data-tip=\"tooltip__copielink\" rel=\"#section1\"><svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewBox=\"0 0 14 14\" style><g fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><path d=\"M0 0h14v14H0z\" \/><path d=\"M7.45 9.887l-1.62 1.621c-.92.92-2.418.92-3.338 0a2.364 2.364 0 0 1 0-3.339l1.62-1.62-1.273-1.272-1.62 1.62a4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.885 5.884l1.62-1.62L7.45 9.886zM5.527 5.135L7.17 3.492c.92-.92 2.418-.92 3.339 0 .92.92.92 2.418 0 3.339L8.866 8.473l1.272 1.273 1.644-1.643A4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.897 2.22L4.254 3.863l1.272 1.272zm-.66 3.998a.749.749 0 0 1 0-1.06l2.208-2.206a.749.749 0 1 1 1.06 1.06L5.928 9.133a.75.75 0 0 1-1.061 0z\" style \/><\/g><\/svg><\/a><div class=\"link-text\" data-anchor=\"GTM strategy vs. marketing strategy vs. business plan\" data-section=\"gtm-strategy-vs-marketing-strategy-vs-business-plan\">\n<h2>GTM strategy vs. marketing strategy vs. business plan<\/h2>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<p>These terms are often used interchangeably despite not being the same. Here\u2019s a quick comparison of a go-to-market strategy, marketing strategy, and business plan:<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-135138\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/gtm-strategy-marketing-strategy-business-plan.png\" alt=\"Difference between a GTM strategy, marketing strategy, and business plan\" width=\"540\" height=\"649\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/gtm-strategy-marketing-strategy-business-plan.png 1800w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/gtm-strategy-marketing-strategy-business-plan-354x425.png 354w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/gtm-strategy-marketing-strategy-business-plan-768x923.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/gtm-strategy-marketing-strategy-business-plan-1278x1536.png 1278w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/gtm-strategy-marketing-strategy-business-plan-1704x2048.png 1704w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 540px) 100vw, 540px\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"post-nav-link clearfix\" id=\"section1\"><a class=\"subhead-anchor\" data-tip=\"tooltip__copielink\" rel=\"#section1\"><svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewBox=\"0 0 14 14\" style><g fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><path d=\"M0 0h14v14H0z\" \/><path d=\"M7.45 9.887l-1.62 1.621c-.92.92-2.418.92-3.338 0a2.364 2.364 0 0 1 0-3.339l1.62-1.62-1.273-1.272-1.62 1.62a4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.885 5.884l1.62-1.62L7.45 9.886zM5.527 5.135L7.17 3.492c.92-.92 2.418-.92 3.339 0 .92.92.92 2.418 0 3.339L8.866 8.473l1.272 1.273 1.644-1.643A4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.897 2.22L4.254 3.863l1.272 1.272zm-.66 3.998a.749.749 0 0 1 0-1.06l2.208-2.206a.749.749 0 1 1 1.06 1.06L5.928 9.133a.75.75 0 0 1-1.061 0z\" style \/><\/g><\/svg><\/a><div class=\"link-text\" data-anchor=\"Why is a go-to-market strategy important?\" data-section=\"why-is-it-important\">\n<h2>Why is a go-to-market strategy important?<\/h2>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In an ideal, frictionless, non-competitive world, you\u2019d launch your product with a single click followed by a single tweet. Everyone would then know about your product, want it, and things would take care of themselves.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">But, unfortunately, things aren\u2019t that simple. So let\u2019s look at three reasons why you need a go-to-market strategy.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3>1. Set up for growth<\/h3>\n<p>Setting up for growth means that you can identify the best-case scenario for your product launch and understand how to tackle that opportunity.<\/p>\n<p>When developing your go-to-market strategy, you\u2019re making sure&nbsp;that:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>The product solves your target audience\u2019s problem.<\/li>\n<li>There is demand for your product and possibly more demand in the near future.<\/li>\n<li>Your customers will see the value of your product and be able to afford it.<\/li>\n<li>The profits from the product will allow your company to&nbsp;grow.<\/li>\n<li>You\u2019re not entering an oversaturated market.<\/li>\n<li>You have a substantial advantage over the competition.<\/li>\n<li>You are operationally ready for growth (or have a plan to scale&nbsp;up).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>2. Decrease risk<\/h3>\n<p>Conversely to setting up for growth, the risk-decreasing role of a go-to-market strategy is to help you identify the worst-case scenario and do all you can to avoid&nbsp;it.<\/p>\n<p>What\u2019s the&nbsp;risk?<\/p>\n<p>If your product launch flops, it may be tough to regain ground for your product or brand, as bad reviews can stick to the product and the brand behind it. Although that\u2019s not a massive deal for giants like Microsoft and Apple that can afford the odd flop, most companies don\u2019t have virtually unlimited budgets and safety nets.<\/p>\n<h3>3. Align the company toward a product launch<\/h3>\n<p>Preparing for a product launch often gets lost in the prose of day-to-day revenue operations. But what better time to <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/seo-buy-in\/\">get buy-in<\/a> from all other departments? What other way to manage expectations for the launch?<\/p>\n<p>Aligning the company means everybody knows that you\u2019re about to launch the product and is ready when you push that big, red \u201claunch\u201d button.<\/p>\n<p>So no more \u201cmarketing didn\u2019t give us any materials,\u201d no more \u201csales have no idea what they\u2019re selling,\u201d and no more support reps desperately seeking answers throughout the company. Nobody needs that kind of&nbsp;drama.<\/p>\n<h3>4. Assess and secure resources<\/h3>\n<p>Before even contemplating the launch of anything, you need to make sure you\u2019ve got enough time to prepare and enough money to support your tactics. A go-to-market strategy secures that formally.<\/p>\n<div class=\"post-nav-link clearfix\" id=\"section1\"><a class=\"subhead-anchor\" data-tip=\"tooltip__copielink\" rel=\"#section1\"><svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewBox=\"0 0 14 14\" style><g fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><path d=\"M0 0h14v14H0z\" \/><path d=\"M7.45 9.887l-1.62 1.621c-.92.92-2.418.92-3.338 0a2.364 2.364 0 0 1 0-3.339l1.62-1.62-1.273-1.272-1.62 1.62a4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.885 5.884l1.62-1.62L7.45 9.886zM5.527 5.135L7.17 3.492c.92-.92 2.418-.92 3.339 0 .92.92.92 2.418 0 3.339L8.866 8.473l1.272 1.273 1.644-1.643A4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.897 2.22L4.254 3.863l1.272 1.272zm-.66 3.998a.749.749 0 0 1 0-1.06l2.208-2.206a.749.749 0 1 1 1.06 1.06L5.928 9.133a.75.75 0 0 1-1.061 0z\" style \/><\/g><\/svg><\/a><div class=\"link-text\" data-anchor=\"How to build a go-to-market strategy\" data-section=\"how-to-build-a-go-to-market-strategy\">\n<h2>How to build a go-to-market strategy<\/h2>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<p>You can\u2019t predict everything. No one can. But there are still many things you can predict and influence when launching a product. So rather than reinventing the wheel, let\u2019s run through how to build a go-to-market strategy around tried and tested components step by&nbsp;step.<\/p>\n<p>Feel free to use our go-to-market strategy template as you go along (you will need Google Sheets to use it). Click on <a href=\"https:\/\/docs.google.com\/spreadsheets\/d\/1NGCZgH9EwCSrDXz0OOwDjoAGGYDW-jn_E2_ANQL93EE\/copy\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">this link<\/span><\/a> to make an editable copy on your Google Drive.<\/p>\n<h3>1. Identify your market&nbsp;(along with your competitors)<\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Market research is your first port of call. The sooner you can employ it, the better. However, this is a super important yet time-consuming process, so we\u2019ve written a <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/market-research\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">separate article on this topic<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Let me give you a few takeaways from that article so we can move forward.<\/p>\n<p><strong>First<\/strong>, 90% of your success lies in having the correct data. You need to gather and analyze primary research (done by yourself) and secondary research (done by others and already available).<\/p>\n<p>Secondary research includes industry reports, industry statistics, whitepapers, etc., and it\u2019s the most affordable (relatively) and quickest way to get data about your market.<\/p>\n<p>For example, if you\u2019re in the 3D printing business, you need to get a hold of the Wohlers Report, which provides a \u201cworldwide review and analysis of additive manufacturing (AM) and 3D printing.\u201d<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_135062\" style=\"width: 570px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-135062\" class=\"wp-image-135062\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/1-wohlers-report.png\" alt=\"Wohlers Report cover\" width=\"560\" height=\"667\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/1-wohlers-report.png 800w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/1-wohlers-report-357x425.png 357w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/1-wohlers-report-768x915.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 560px) 100vw, 560px\"><p id=\"caption-attachment-135062\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">An example of secondary market research for the 3D printing industry. Source: <a href=\"https:\/\/wohlersassociates.com\/\">Wohlers Report<\/a>.<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Such reports offer a macro perspective of the marketplace and a bird\u2019s-eye view of your surroundings.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Second<\/strong>, no market research is complete without competitive analysis. Really, this is a must. A competitive analysis tells you what the competition is doing right, wrong, and not at all. Here\u2019s a step-by-step guide on <a href=\"\/blog\/competitive-analysis-guide\/\" data-ahr=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/competitor-analysis\/\">how to conduct one<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>By the end of your competitive analysis, you should be able to conduct a SWOT analysis.<\/p>\n<p>Here\u2019s an example SWOT analysis for an imaginary email marketing tool:<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-135063\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/2-swot-analysis.jpg\" alt=\"SWOT analysis example\" width=\"521\" height=\"640\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/2-swot-analysis.jpg 1303w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/2-swot-analysis-346x425.jpg 346w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/2-swot-analysis-768x943.jpg 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/2-swot-analysis-1251x1536.jpg 1251w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 521px) 100vw, 521px\"><\/p>\n<p>Besides the types and market research methods mentioned above, I encourage you to perform primary research. Conducting primary research can unveil unique market insight and help you understand where the untapped market potential lies. For this, consider surveys, interviews, and focus groups.<\/p>\n<p>To tie together the key findings from market research, consider the following table. We\u2019ve filled it with dummy data for the 3D printing industry. If you can fill it out based on your research, you\u2019re good to go for the next step of the <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">go-to-market<\/span> process.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-135140\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/example-data.png\" alt=\"Define your market using these categories\" width=\"540\" height=\"588\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/example-data.png 1800w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/example-data-391x425.png 391w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/example-data-768x836.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/example-data-1411x1536.png 1411w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 540px) 100vw, 540px\"><\/p>\n<h3>2. Identify your customer<\/h3>\n<p>Once you\u2019ve got a good idea of the market, it\u2019s time to move a \u201clevel lower\u201d and understand who you\u2019ll be trying to sell&nbsp;to.<\/p>\n<p>Depending on your resources, there are two ways you can identify your customers:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>The scientific way<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u2013 Talk to potential customers (based on the market research you\u2019ve already done). This can be your leads, social media followers, or simply people you know who may be interested in your product. You can also consider using services like <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.surveymonkey.com\/market-research\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">SurveyMonkey<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.usertesting.com\/homepage\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">UserTesting<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, or <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/remesh.ai\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Remesh<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to reach these people.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>The educated-guess way<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u2013 If you can\u2019t talk to real people at this stage, you need to get creative. The trick here is to use your competitors\u2019 data and \u201cenrich\u201d it with other sources. For example, your competitor may publish a case study with a quote from a client whom you can then research on LinkedIn. You can also look up industry data on the type of role that person has in the company. You may find that, for example, organic search is the #1 spending priority, according to a CMO survey.&nbsp;<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Typically, the end product for this step is a buyer persona\u2014an imaginary person you create that represents the common characteristics of your customers (an archetype). Know that your target market may have multiple buyer personas.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Here\u2019s an example of what a buyer persona for Ahrefs may look&nbsp;like:<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-135026\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/buyer-persona.png\" alt=\"Example of a buyer persona\" width=\"540\" height=\"855\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/buyer-persona.png 900w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/buyer-persona-268x425.png 268w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/buyer-persona-768x1216.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 540px) 100vw, 540px\"><\/p>\n<p>A buyer persona helps you visualize your customers\u2019 buying journey, internalize who they are, and empathize with their challenges and&nbsp;goals.<\/p>\n<p>You can use the buyer persona as an aid in organizing and communicating insights about your potential customers. If you\u2019re looking for more information on this topic, here\u2019s a detailed guide on creating a <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/how-to-create-a-buyer-persona\/\">buyer persona<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you\u2019re selling B2B, it\u2019s also worth mapping out the decision-making process within the type of organizations you\u2019re targeting. This is known as the buying center and helps you determine who to direct your product or services marketing toward.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Initiator:<\/strong>&nbsp;starts the buying process<\/li>\n<li><strong>User:<\/strong> the actual end user of the product<\/li>\n<li><strong>Influencer:<\/strong>&nbsp;convinces others of the product<\/li>\n<li><strong>Decider:<\/strong>&nbsp;approves the purchase<\/li>\n<li><strong>Buyer: <\/strong>owns the budget<\/li>\n<li><strong>Approver:<\/strong>&nbsp;management that pushes the initiative on a larger scale<\/li>\n<li><strong>Gatekeeper:<\/strong>&nbsp;controls the flow of information<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>For example, let\u2019s say that you\u2019re targeting SEO agencies. The buyer center can look something like&nbsp;this:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Initiator:<\/strong>&nbsp;senior SEO manager<\/li>\n<li><strong>User:<\/strong>&nbsp;SEO managers, content marketing managers, SEO analysts<\/li>\n<li><strong>Influencer:<\/strong>&nbsp;director of content marketing<\/li>\n<li><strong>Decider:<\/strong> head of&nbsp;SEO<\/li>\n<li><strong>Buyer: <\/strong>operations specialist<\/li>\n<li><strong>Approver:<\/strong>&nbsp;CEO<\/li>\n<li><strong>Gatekeeper:<\/strong>&nbsp;operations specialist<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>3. Define product positioning and&nbsp;price<\/h3>\n<p>Product positioning and price form the basis of how the market will perceive your product. If developed correctly, they work in tandem to aid your product\u2019s adoption.<\/p>\n<h4>Product positioning<\/h4>\n<p>Positioning is one of those classic evergreen concepts in marketing. It was coined in the late 60s by Jack Trout and later discussed in a bestseller book co-written with Al Ries, \u201cPositioning: The Battle for Your&nbsp;Mind.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>According to Trout and Ries, to position a product (or brand) is to make sure that consumers instantly identify that product with a particular benefit or a small set of benefits.<\/p>\n<p>Why only one benefit or a small set of benefits? Because in our increasingly noisy society, products and brands need oversimplified messages to stand&nbsp;out.<\/p>\n<p>Let\u2019s look at an example of positioning. This example is probably one of the most spectacular and famous examples ever\u2014from Avis Car Rental:<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_135064\" style=\"width: 553px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-135064\" class=\"wp-image-135064\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/3-avis.jpg\" alt=\"Example of brilliant positioning (Avis)\" width=\"543\" height=\"720\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/3-avis.jpg 1207w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/3-avis-321x425.jpg 321w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/3-avis-768x1018.jpg 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/3-avis-1159x1536.jpg 1159w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 543px) 100vw, 543px\"><p id=\"caption-attachment-135064\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Source:&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.businessinsider.com\/heres-the-new-tagline-avis-will-use-after-50-years-of-we-try-harder-2012-8?IR=T\">Business Insider<\/a>.<\/p><\/div>\n<p>At the time of publishing this ad, Avis was number #2 in the car rental business. Avis took that inconvenient fact and flipped the script.<\/p>\n<p>Slack is another good example of product positioning\u2026<\/p>\n<p>From the very beginning, Slack has positioned its product as an anti-email tool and pushed this narrative at every marketing opportunity.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/4-slack-messaging.jpg\" alt=\"Slack's positioning. Anti-email app (example 1)\" width=\"700\" height=\"200\"><\/p>\n<div style=\"width: 680px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/5-slack-billboard.jpg\" alt=\"Slack's positioning. Anti-email app (example 2)\" width=\"670\" height=\"447\"><p class=\"wp-caption-text\">Source:&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.cmo.com.au\/article\/649502\/slack-cmo-why-we-re-investing-hyper-local-australian-brand-campaign\/\">CMO.<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n<p>That\u2019s positioning in a nutshell. It\u2019s not creating something new or different; it\u2019s manipulating what\u2019s already in the prospect\u2019s mind.<\/p>\n<p>The most helpful tool when developing your positioning is the perceptual map (also called a positioning map). A perceptual map illustrates the positioning of products (or brands) in the minds of the customers.<\/p>\n<p>To create one, you identify attributes (aka dimensions) that define the product space and determine the position of given products in that&nbsp;space.<\/p>\n<p>The best (most scientific) way to develop a perceptual map is to assess the factors that impact customer buying decisions and ask a sample of your prospects to rate products on those factors. You usually then plot the results on a two-dimensional chart.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_135067\" style=\"width: 560px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-135067\" class=\"wp-image-135067\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/6-perceptual-map.jpg\" alt=\"Sample perceptual map\" width=\"550\" height=\"550\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/6-perceptual-map.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/6-perceptual-map-425x425.jpg 425w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/6-perceptual-map-768x768.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 550px) 100vw, 550px\"><p id=\"caption-attachment-135067\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Source:&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.edenkleiman.com\/switch-bar\">Eden Kleiman.<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n<p>Nestle commissioned the perceptual map above to help bring a new chocolate bar to market (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.edenkleiman.com\/switch-bar\">case study<\/a>). It shows how consumers perceive competing chocolate in New Zealand. For example, they deem Lindt\u2019s dark chocolate bar with chili a mature and exotic choice and Milkybar as a more traditional option appealing to a younger audience.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When positioning a product, make sure that you meet these requirements:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>The target consumer cares about your positioning<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u2013 It just can\u2019t be something unique yet completely irrelevant. That won\u2019t&nbsp;work.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>The organization is uniquely suited to delivering it<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u2013 What will you base the positioning on, what\u2019s your competitive advantage, why should the consumer believe you, and does your product have the right features?&nbsp;<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Competitors are not adequately addressing it<\/b> \u2013 But you&nbsp;can.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h4>Price<\/h4>\n<p>Product pricing should be a function of your positioning. If you want consumers to see your product as an affordable choice, your price tag should communicate that.<\/p>\n<p>Of course, a new product must be profitable to the company first and foremost (unless you\u2019re doing a crazy stunt like a price war to make the competition bleed out). If you want to learn more about securing profitability with product pricing, read <a href=\"https:\/\/sumo.com\/stories\/how-to-price-a-product\">this article<\/a>. For now, let\u2019s focus on the marketing aspect of pricing.<\/p>\n<p>A helpful exercise to help determine a product\u2019s price is pinpointing where it sits in terms of price vs. benefits (see the table below). While you\u2019re at it, you can also map your competitors. Generally, the winning strategies are the ones in&nbsp;green.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/7-value-proposition-map.png\" alt=\"Value proposition matrix with examples\" width=\"1800\" height=\"1263\"><\/p>\n<h3>4. Define product messaging and core marketing tactics<\/h3>\n<p>Now it\u2019s time to discuss what to say to potential customers and which tactics and channels you should use to communicate with&nbsp;them.<\/p>\n<h4>Product messaging<\/h4>\n<p>Product messaging catches the attention of your target audience and educates them about your product.<\/p>\n<p>From an operational point of view, product messaging is the strategic center of your communication with the customer. It\u2019s the matrix of every message that will be crafted for your target audience, be it a single digital ad, a PR release, product training, or the content on the product\u2019s webpage.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Below, you will find an example of a product messaging framework filled out with data for our product.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>To maximize the document\u2019s effectiveness, you should have sales, product, and possibly even legal departments review it.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-135071\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/8-product-messaging-framework.jpeg\" alt=\"Product messaging framework with sample data\" width=\"534\" height=\"1023\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/8-product-messaging-framework.jpeg 1069w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/8-product-messaging-framework-222x425.jpeg 222w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/8-product-messaging-framework-768x1471.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/8-product-messaging-framework-802x1536.jpeg 802w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 534px) 100vw, 534px\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"recommendation\"><div class=\"recommendation-title\">PRO TIP<\/div><div class=\"recommendation-content\">\n<p>When doing this, focus on what makes you unique, keep things short and straightforward, and don\u2019t try to appeal to everyone.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<h4>Core marketing tactics<\/h4>\n<p>\u201cIf you build it, they will&nbsp;come.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Don\u2019t count on&nbsp;it.<\/p>\n<p>Markets are crowded with solutions for pretty much everything, and consumers are overloaded with information. You need something to cut through the noise\u2014which is where marketing tactics come&nbsp;in.<\/p>\n<p>Marketing tactics are activities that help you achieve marketing goals. They\u2019re a means to an&nbsp;end.<\/p>\n<p>In my opinion, there are two roads you can take when developing your marketing tactics:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Copy others <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u2013<\/span> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Find out how similar companies introduced their products or take inspiration from the companies\/marketers you admire. See what results they got and what they had to invest to pull them off. Then remix, improve, and use the tactics for yourself.&nbsp;<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Get creative <\/b>\u2013 Develop something custom and unique.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>Let\u2019s discuss the first approach: <strong>copying others. <\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Firstly, there\u2019s no shame in copying others. Take content marketing as an example. Who started it? Michelin? John Deere? Nobody knows, and nobody cares.<\/p>\n<p>What people care about is whether it&nbsp;works.<\/p>\n<p>Today, thousands of companies use content marketing, including us. <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/timsoulo\/status\/1374242996531597315\">This Twitter thread<\/a> explains Ahrefs\u2019 take on content marketing:<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-theme=\"light\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">Let\u2019s talk about the \u201cROI of Content Marketing.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Far too often us marketers get challenged with this question by our boss (or our client):<\/p>\n<p>- How do I know that my investment in content will guarantee a positive return? \u2026&amp; how can I MEASURE it?<\/p>\n[Read more..]\n<p>\u2014 Tim Soulo (@timsoulo) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/timsoulo\/status\/1374242996531597315?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">March 23,&nbsp;2021<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">But copying is an art in itself. We\u2019ve all heard the phrase, \u201cGood artists copy, great artists steal.\u201d In other words, don\u2019t try to be someone else but do selectively take elements from your inspirations and use them to your advantage.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>You can copy (\u201csteal\u201d ):<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Promotion channels<\/li>\n<li>Marketing tech stacks<\/li>\n<li>Ad formats<\/li>\n<li>Types of marketing collateral<\/li>\n<li>Types of content<\/li>\n<li>Website layouts (but not from your direct competitors)<\/li>\n<li>SEO tactics<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>You probably shouldn\u2019t copy:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Creative copywriting (headlines, ad copies, straplines, etc)<\/li>\n<li>Logos and other elements of corporate identity<\/li>\n<li>Value propositions<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">On the other hand, if you\u2019d like to <\/span><b>get creative,<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> here are some questions that should help your creative juices flow:&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What marketing channels are you going to use to attract your audience?<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">How can your prospects learn about the functionality and the benefits of your product?<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">How can your prospects experience your product?<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">How will you stay in touch with people who are considering your product?<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">How will you retain customers and build brand loyalty?<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div class=\"further-reading\"><div class=\"reading-title\">Further reading<\/div><div class=\"reading-content\">\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/marketing-tactics\/\">16 Marketing Tactics That Work in&nbsp;2021<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/lead-generation-tactics\/\">10 Lead Generation Tactics That Work (With Examples)<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<h3>5. Define product distribution<\/h3>\n<p>Distribution is the process of making a product or service available to the consumer.<\/p>\n<p>For simplicity, we can segment distribution channels based on product type: digital or physical.<\/p>\n<h4>Digital products<\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Proprietary\/direct <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u2013<\/span> <\/strong>Your software can only be bought through your website. You control the entire experience and don\u2019t need to pay a third party (except for your payment processor). This is probably the most common model out&nbsp;there.<\/li>\n<li><strong>App stores and marketplaces <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u2013<\/span><\/strong>&nbsp;Your software is available only (or primarily) through third-party services like Apple\u2019s App Store or the platform you integrate with, like the Atlassian Marketplace. Fees differ depending on the platform, from 5% in your first year to 30% of your revenue after&nbsp;that.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Partner programs <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u2013<\/span><\/strong>&nbsp;You pay a commission (or provide other benefits) to partners who promote your business (<a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/affiliate-marketing\/\">affiliate marketing<\/a>)&nbsp;or act as service partners (Xero <a href=\"https:\/\/sixteenventures.com\/saas-channels#:~:text=Look%20at%20a%20company%20like%20Xero%2C%20with%20their%20SaaS%20accounting%20package%2C%20and%20how%20~50%25%20of%20their%20business%20is%20via%20channels%3B%20specifically%20CPA%20and%20Accounting%20firms.\">supposedly gets ~50%<\/a> of its business through its partner program). This is usually an auxiliary channel.<\/li>\n<li><strong>OEM <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u2013<\/span> <\/strong>Your product is packed inside another end product. For example, Amazon AWS runs the backend of many popular services, including Netflix.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h4>Physical products<\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Direct distribution <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u2013<\/span><\/strong>&nbsp;You sell directly to customers, be it online or in physical stores. You keep all revenue and have direct contact with your customers. Contrary to digital products, hardware manufacturers rarely rely on this as their only channel. They usually employ a mix of distribution channels.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Mass (intensive) distribution <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u2013<\/span><\/strong>&nbsp;You offer your products in as many places as possible. You can expect a distributor to take as much as 40% of your revenue.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Selective distribution <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u2013<\/span><\/strong>&nbsp;Your product is sold only in selected stores\u2014typically those specializing in your niche that can provide added value, like high-quality support.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Exclusive distribution <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u2013<\/span><\/strong>&nbsp;You sign a deal with one or two partners who have the exclusive rights to offer your product in a particular region (that usually means excluding direct sales in that region as&nbsp;well).<\/li>\n<li><strong>OEM <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u2013 <\/span><\/strong>Your product is packed inside another end product. Think \u201cIntel inside\u201d and Microsoft Windows shipped with the majority of&nbsp;PCs.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>So as you can see, the architecture of your product pretty much defines your distribution. For instance, apps made for specific platforms have only one way to distribute, and the usual choice for SaaS products is direct distribution.<\/p>\n<p>Another factor that can determine your distribution is the market environment, i.e., consumer habits and your competition. If everyone on the market leverages some kind of third-party distribution model, it will be hard to penetrate the market relying only on direct sales. And yes, that even applies to&nbsp;Apple:<\/p>\n<div style=\"width: 1010px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/7-share-of-sales.jpg\" alt=\"Apple's U.S. sales by product and retailer (2017)\" width=\"1000\" height=\"387\"><p class=\"wp-caption-text\">Source:&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/9to5mac.com\/2017\/10\/19\/apple-store-sales-cirp\/\">9to5mac.com<\/a>.<\/p><\/div>\n<p>That said, most of the time you\u2019ll have some room to mix and match. As is the case for Xero, it may make sense to you to provide the product directly and through intermediaries too. Or you can mix direct distribution with mass distribution and OEM, like Intel does with its processors.<\/p>\n<p>In any case, consider the costs and benefits of choosing one model over the other. Any kind of indirect distribution will cut a portion of your revenue, but it can increase revenue in the long run by putting your product in front of more people.<\/p>\n<h3>6. Sync marketing, sales, and support<\/h3>\n<p>As we\u2019re getting close to the end of the process of creating a go-to-market strategy, you\u2019ll see that arguably the most challenging part is already behind us. Everything from now on relies more on internal than external factors.<\/p>\n<p>First, you need to tie everything together by synchronizing marketing, sales, and support departments for the upcoming product launch.<\/p>\n<p>As every organization is different, I won\u2019t advise you on how to make your organization \u201cclick.\u201d Instead, I\u2019d like to share a few tips on what worked for me when launching new products or milestone features:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><strong>Work as much as possible with other departments <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u2013<\/span><\/strong> This is a must&nbsp;when developing your <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">go-to-market<\/span> strategy (at any stage of the process). Conduct internal interviews (but don\u2019t make them formal) and ask people for their insight and&nbsp;ideas.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Gather requirements from other departments <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u2013<\/span><\/strong>&nbsp;Ask your teammates what they need to support the product launch on their&nbsp;side.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Create \u201cthe source of truth\u201d <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u2013<\/span><\/strong>&nbsp;This is fundamental documentation that serves as the go-to source for any future work with the product. Examples include press releases, product manuals (or online knowledgebase), pricing tables, sales messaging guides, and&nbsp;FAQs.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h3>7. Determine the budget, time frame, and resources needed<\/h3>\n<p>Getting any product to market will take time, resources, and money. You need to define these things upfront if you want to promptly get your product to market without breaking the bank or planning for things you don\u2019t have the resources for.<\/p>\n<p>This kind of task is best tackled with other departments and C-suite executives.<\/p>\n<p>If you\u2019re working with a fixed budget, allocating time and resources is relatively straightforward. Just divide the budget between marketing tactics and divide your tactics between team members to make sure that everything gets done on&nbsp;time.<\/p>\n<p>If you have more flexibility in those three areas, you will need to make some estimations to get the project off the ground. Here are a few options:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Use data from similar projects <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u2013<\/span><\/strong>&nbsp;For example, the budget for a previous GTM strategy.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Use known variables <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u2013<\/span><\/strong>&nbsp;For example, you can take your CAC and multiply it by the number of clients you expect to attract in the first&nbsp;year.<\/li>\n<li><strong>List everything and add it up <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u2013<\/span><\/strong> Simple as that. The trick here is to be as specific as possible when listing elements of the budget, time, and resources. Fortunately, there are tools for that: free templates for Google Sheets or Excel, ready-made templates within <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/seo-project-management\/\">project management<\/a> tools (like Monday.com), and online estimators like Eastimate or Simple Estimate.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Calculate the average to give yourself some margin <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u2013<\/span><\/strong> It\u2019s called a three-point estimation. You take three different estimates and calculate the average. Your three estimates can be these: an optimistic scenario, conservative scenario, and pessimistic scenario. Your conservative scenario can be calculated by one of the methods listed above. Other scenarios will be accordingly modified versions of the conservative one.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>8. Define your success metrics<\/h3>\n<p>Your success metrics link your objective and the measures the company can control to achieve that objective. There are essentially two philosophies to consider when defining your go-to-market strategy metrics.<\/p>\n<p><strong>The first philosophy<\/strong>&nbsp;is to measure key metrics for the entire customer journey for maximum insight and control.<\/p>\n<p>For example, you could base your success metrics on the flywheel model. In this model, you measure three main stages of the customer journey: attracting, engaging, and delighting. Growth happens as a \u201cbyproduct\u201d of optimizing for those three metrics. This is how HubSpot grows its company (after ditching the old funnel model) and how Jeff Bezos designed the growth strategy for Amazon.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-135069\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/8-marketing-flywheel.png\" alt=\"The marketing flywheel concept\" width=\"535\" height=\"640\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/8-marketing-flywheel.png 1338w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/8-marketing-flywheel-355x425.png 355w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/8-marketing-flywheel-768x918.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/8-marketing-flywheel-1284x1536.png 1284w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 535px) 100vw, 535px\"><\/p>\n<p><strong>The second philosophy <\/strong>is to track just one or a few \u201ctrue north\u201d metrics. Examples include conversions (or sales), revenue growth, and Net Promoter Score (NPS).<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/marketing-kpis.png\" alt=\"What the NPS scale represents\" width=\"900\" height=\"480\"><\/p>\n<p>If, however, you feel that you need a tailored solution for your <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">go-to-market<\/span> strategy, here\u2019s a thorough guide on how to <a href=\"https:\/\/hackernoon.com\/metrics-game-framework-5e3dce1be8ac\">develop your own success metrics<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><\/span><\/p><div class=\"further-reading\"><div class=\"reading-title\">Further reading<\/div><div class=\"reading-content\">\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/marketing-metrics\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">25 Marketing Metrics You Should Consider Tracking<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/aarrr-metrics-framework\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">AARRR Pirate Metrics Framework: What It Is &amp; How It&nbsp;Works<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><\/span><\/p><\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\"post-nav-link clearfix\" id=\"section1\"><a class=\"subhead-anchor\" data-tip=\"tooltip__copielink\" rel=\"#section1\"><svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewBox=\"0 0 14 14\" style><g fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><path d=\"M0 0h14v14H0z\" \/><path d=\"M7.45 9.887l-1.62 1.621c-.92.92-2.418.92-3.338 0a2.364 2.364 0 0 1 0-3.339l1.62-1.62-1.273-1.272-1.62 1.62a4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.885 5.884l1.62-1.62L7.45 9.886zM5.527 5.135L7.17 3.492c.92-.92 2.418-.92 3.339 0 .92.92.92 2.418 0 3.339L8.866 8.473l1.272 1.273 1.644-1.643A4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.897 2.22L4.254 3.863l1.272 1.272zm-.66 3.998a.749.749 0 0 1 0-1.06l2.208-2.206a.749.749 0 1 1 1.06 1.06L5.928 9.133a.75.75 0 0 1-1.061 0z\" style \/><\/g><\/svg><\/a><div class=\"link-text\" data-anchor=\"Three examples of successful go-to-market strategies\" data-section=\"three-examples-go-to-market-strategy\">\n<h2>Three examples of successful go-to-market strategies<\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><\/span><\/p><\/div><\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We\u2019ll take a quick look at the early days of LinkedIn, Ahrefs, and SEGA of America.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3>LinkedIn<\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">LinkedIn started in 2002. Its aim? Give professionals a trusted place to find and transact with each other online. Back then, no one was solving this problem \u201cthe right&nbsp;way.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_145519\" style=\"width: 936px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-145519\" class=\"wp-image-145519\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/linkedin-pitch-deck.jpg\" alt=\"Excerpt from LinkedIn's pitch deck\" width=\"926\" height=\"681\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/linkedin-pitch-deck.jpg 1852w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/linkedin-pitch-deck-578x425.jpg 578w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/linkedin-pitch-deck-768x565.jpg 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/linkedin-pitch-deck-1536x1130.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 926px) 100vw, 926px\"><p id=\"caption-attachment-145519\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Source:&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/piktochart.com\/blog\/startup-pitch-decks-what-you-can-learn\/\">Piktochart.<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To get the product off the ground, it experimented a lot with the network effect.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For example, it devised a \u201cdouble viral loop\u201d; new users invited more new users and engaged old users by making connections with their current and past companies.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As its user base grew, this became even more powerful. Consequently, its user base grew exponentially.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Takeaway:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to solve a problem no one is solving may not be enough. You still may need to experiment a lot. And when you find something that works, double down on it and keep tweaking.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You can learn more about LinkedIn\u2019s growth story in \u201c<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Startup-Growth-Engines-Successful-Extraordinary-ebook\/dp\/B00LA95B68\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Startup Growth Engines: Case Studies of How Today\u2019s Most Successful Startups Unlock Extraordinary Growth<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<h3>Ahrefs<\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ahrefs started in 2011. Its aim? Provide the best link analysis tool on the market for&nbsp;SEOs.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The strategy was simple: build a better web crawler than the competition.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Of course, plans like \u201cwe\u2019ll be better than the competition\u201d are easier said than done. But when you actually accomplish such a thing, your customers can become your best \u201cpromotional tactic\u201d through positive <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/word-of-mouth-marketing\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">word of mouth<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. WOM has remained one of Ahrefs\u2019 top user acquisition channels.<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_145520\" style=\"width: 2009px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-145520\" class=\"wp-image-145520 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/seo-poll-link-data-providers.png\" alt=\"A poll about the most trusted link data providers\" width=\"1999\" height=\"771\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/seo-poll-link-data-providers.png 1999w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/seo-poll-link-data-providers-680x262.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/seo-poll-link-data-providers-768x296.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/seo-poll-link-data-providers-1536x592.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\"><p id=\"caption-attachment-145520\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Source:&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/aira.net\/state-of-link-building\/link-building-techniques-and-tools\/\">Aira<\/a>.<\/p><\/div>\n<p><b>Takeaway:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> If the market already has a similar solution, you can start by being better at one thing important to your audience and then expand to other areas. In other words, there may be a possibility to take on the competition \u201cpiece by piece\u201d instead of competing in all areas from the&nbsp;start.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Also, when you get your product right, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/medium.com\/swlh\/marketing-isnt-really-that-hard-ebd3cfb8e8a7\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">marketing will feel much lighter<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3>SEGA<\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">SEGA re-entered the North American market in 1985. Its aim? Beat Nintendo to win the U.S. home console market.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.netflix.com\/pl-en\/title\/81019087\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Netflix\u2019s \u201cHigh Score\u201d<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> devoted a whole episode to this famous go-to-market strategy (minus the \u201cboring parts\u201d). Here\u2019s SEGA of America CEO Tom Kalinske and his battle for beating Nintendo at its own&nbsp;game.<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_145521\" style=\"width: 458px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-145521\" class=\"wp-image-145521 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/tom-kalinske-battle-plan.png\" alt=\"Tom Kalinske's GTM strategy for SEGA of America (from Netflix's &quot;High Score&quot;)\" width=\"448\" height=\"252\"><p id=\"caption-attachment-145521\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Source:&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.netflix.com\/sg\/\">netflix.com<\/a>.<\/p><\/div>\n<ol>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Lower the price <\/b>\u2013<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Allegedly the easiest part. However, SEGA\u2019s Genesis console was more technologically advanced than what Nintendo offered.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Defeat Mario <\/b>\u2013<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&nbsp;That\u2019s how the hit game <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Sonic_the_Hedgehog\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sonic The Hedgehog<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> was&nbsp;born.&nbsp;<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>More sports <\/b>\u2013<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&nbsp;Because teenage players were into sports. It just so happened that Madden NFL game developer was looking for a fast enough console to make the game actually exciting (SEGA Genesis was the fastest console on the market).&nbsp;<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Cool for teens <\/b>\u2013<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Nintendo was marketing for children 9\u201313 years old. By going after the older audience, they were making the console look cool for the younger audience. Two friends with one&nbsp;gift.&nbsp;<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Make fun of Nintendo <\/b>\u2013<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u201cGenesis does what Nintendon\u2019t.\u201d The cherry on&nbsp;top.&nbsp;<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I won\u2019t spoil the show any longer, so watch episode #4 of \u201cHigh Score\u201d when you get a chance.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Takeaway:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> It may take a mix of different things to compete in the market successfully. Start by knowing your market really well.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2>Final thoughts<\/h2>\n<p>Building a go-to-market strategy requires a lot of work and a lot of skill. However, there\u2019s no better way to secure the launch of a product. I\u2019d even be willing to bet that it\u2019s better to have an \u201cokayish\u201d <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">go-to-market<\/span> strategy than none at&nbsp;all.<\/p>\n<p>So keep calm and carry on with your <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">go-to-market<\/span> strategy. When you\u2019re done with all the steps, you\u2019ll have a tool that increases your chances for success, plus it will let you and your teammates sleep better during that stressful time of a product launch.<\/p>\n<p>Got questions? Ping me <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/m_makosiewicz?lang=en\">on Twitter<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The go-to-market strategy is the&nbsp;method to give yourself the green light to introduce a new product and make any significant changes while there\u2019s still&nbsp;time. A go-to-market (GTM) strategy is a company\u2019s plan to bring a new product or service to<span class=\"ellipsis\">\u2026<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"read-more\">Read more \u203a<\/div>\n<p><!-- end of .read-more --><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":159,"featured_media":135044,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"wp_typography_post_enhancements_disabled":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[390],"tags":[],"coauthors":[412],"class_list":["post-135036","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-marketing","odd"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.2 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>How to Build a Go-to-Market Strategy in 8 Steps<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"A go-to-market (GTM) strategy is a company&#039;s plan to bring a new product or service to the market. Here&#039;s how to build one in eight steps.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/building-a-go-to-market-strategy\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"How to Build a Go-to-Market Strategy in 8 Steps\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Prepare your product for launch.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/building-a-go-to-market-strategy\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"SEO Blog by Ahrefs\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/Ahrefs\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2021-08-31T16:00:45+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-12-18T14:17:39+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/fb_go_to_market_strategy.png\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1920\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"990\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/png\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Mateusz Makosiewicz\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:description\" content=\"Prepare your product for launch.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@m_makosiewicz\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@ahrefs\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/building-a-go-to-market-strategy\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/building-a-go-to-market-strategy\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Mateusz Makosiewicz\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/c7e64c851ecc4eabb77eaefae90a440c\"},\"headline\":\"How to Build a Go-to-Market Strategy in 8&nbsp;Steps\",\"datePublished\":\"2021-08-31T16:00:45+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-12-18T14:17:39+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/building-a-go-to-market-strategy\/\"},\"wordCount\":4537,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/building-a-go-to-market-strategy\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/fb_go_to_market_strategy.png\",\"articleSection\":[\"General Marketing\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/building-a-go-to-market-strategy\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/building-a-go-to-market-strategy\/\",\"name\":\"How to Build a Go-to-Market Strategy in 8 Steps\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/building-a-go-to-market-strategy\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/building-a-go-to-market-strategy\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/fb_go_to_market_strategy.png\",\"datePublished\":\"2021-08-31T16:00:45+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-12-18T14:17:39+00:00\",\"description\":\"A go-to-market (GTM) strategy is a company's plan to bring a new product or service to the market. 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