Pick the first working channels

Who this is for

Founder led lower-middle market companies with 5 to 50 million in annual revenue starting structured demand.

The quick answer

Referrals, targeted outbound, partner co marketing, and events where buyers do business usually work first. Organic search works when you publish helpful pages that answer buyer questions. Paid helps only when you can track pipeline and win rate by channel. Start narrow, learn fast, and move spend to the few that create meetings and revenue.

The method in six steps

Anchor on the ICP
Build lists that match your filters and disqualifiers. A tight list beats a wide one.
Operationalise referrals
Ask after a clear win. Provide a two line request and a sample intro note. Track referred meetings and wins.
Run targeted outbound
Fifty accounts, three contacts each, three value led touches. Tie messages to a current trigger and your promise.
Choose events with buyer density
Book meetings in advance. Simple booth or suite, one offer, and fast follow up.
Launch partner plays
Pick partners who share your buyer. Offer a joint workshop or assessment with a clear split and a next step.
Add paid only when ready
Do not spend until channel attribution works. Start with high intent search, measure for four weeks, and scale only if pipeline and win rate justify it.

Example

A firm used referrals and partner workshops to create early pipeline. Once dashboards were in place they added modest paid search around intent terms. Meetings and sourced pipeline grew without waste.

Pitfalls and fixes

Starting with many channels. Begin with two or three.
Activity without meetings. Measure meetings and pipeline, not clicks.
Paid spend without tracking. Build the views first.

Checklist

ICP lists
Referral ask script
Outbound plan with cadence
Event calendar and follow up plan
Partner offer and split
Channel dashboards ready