Why do you hate marketing?

This is not advice, this is just what i am doing. As a developer i obviously like to, well develop. What i am doing extra these days is whenever my dev task gets completed i create a blog post out of it and share it on social media. I dislike writing it as it creates additional friction and once development is over, everything is obvious! so it does takes extra effort to write but i have made it a point to not start any other task until i completed documentation of previous task. After that i share it on multiple channels like indiehackers/reddit/twitter etc. sometimes i brings traffic sometimes it doesn't but slowly google picks things up and starts bringing you traffic. Its small yet you don't do anything extra and people come to your site and sometimes look at your product.

For example i am planning to move my site to astro and as part of it i searched many themes and than selected one. Earlier it would have been the end of it. However this time i blogged about it and also shared it on indiehacker here is the post https://www.indiehackers.com/post/i-reviewed-all-astro-themes-for-saas-so-you-dont-have-to-f904496b80
It didn't go anywhere yet i showed up. Down the line it would help someone by saving their time or even me who knows.

I think this the bare minimum every developer should do.

Two reasons why developers hate marketing:

1. Marketing is a skill, just like developing. It takes years for a developer to get good, but somehow indiehackers expect to be good at marketing right away? It takes lots of time and practice. In the beginning, it feels hard just like learning any new complex skill.

2. Feedback loop is much longer. Developing has a near instant-gratification feedback loop. You write some code, you can see the results right away. For marketing, you often don't see the results for days, weeks, or even months. With experience, good marketers know when they're on the right track or whether something they're doing is actually going to work. But in the beginning, you often feel like you're doing stuff that you have no idea whether it'll work or not.

If you have ever applied for a job I think you have done marketing before. If you have ever got a response to your application you have done it well and if you have got a job then you are an expert at Marketing/Sales.

Longer details:
Marketing/Sales will take time to learn be patient but persistent. I am a developer and it does not come naturally to me but I know I need to do it but more importantly I know I have done it in the past.

Here is how I think about it (I stands for any experienced developer)
0. To get my first job it wasn't enough to just finish school. I still had to do something else to get a job. (Attention is all you need)

1. When I created my resume I was marketing myself. When I applied for a job I was doing marketing and sales (not really sure whether its marketing or sales but it was essential)
2. When I was hunting for my first job tuning my resume and application was what I was doing most of the time. (Marketing needs to be given lot of time, budget it in your timelines/schedule).

So based on past I know I (any developer who has ever got a job) have done it before and stand a good chance to do it again.

You already have some products. You have to do something to get attention, Here are things you can do, any or all of these things can be done:

1. Write a blog post about the problem and how your product solves it
2. Create a video.
3. Create a flyer.

Once you have this content (think of it as resume) and then

1. share it on Indiehackers/linkedin/X/Facebook/Reddit/HN so that your potential customers know it exists,
2. Work on some seo (based on my research it takes time for seo to work but once it works its usually quite good).
3. Add link to these posts in your email signature or posts.
4. Send cold emails to your potential customers.

Do the above in while (True) loop and break from it when you get enough attention and problem remains of conversion.

All the very best!
Do share your learnings afterwards.

Here's the secret to marketing: talk less about yourself and more about your customers/their problems.

Assuming your product is good and solves a problem that people are actually willing to spend money to have solved, then it's a matter of:

• Showing up consistently where your target market is
• Demonstrating you understand their problems
• Positioning your product as a solution to those problems

Good marketing isn't about clever taglines or catchy jingles. Big companies get away with that, but you're not buying their products because of the tagline, you're buying them because of the brand.

If you don't have a brand, you need to be competent. That means following the above framework: identify the problem and position yourself as the solution.

Whether you choose social media, SEO, or any other channel will depend on where your target customer spends time and researches answers to those problems. From there, it's a matter of testing, iteration, and consistent improvements on your messaging.

I resonate with the discussions already happening here, and while marketing is a field I'm venturing into as a solo engineer with no prior experience, there's a particular concern that weighs heavily on me. My discomfort with marketing stems from observing how often products are aggressively marketed, sometimes exaggerating or misrepresenting their value. This observation has led me to worry about unintentionally contributing to what I see as a problem—overhyping my product in a way that doesn't align with its true value. This concern has significantly hindered my approach to marketing.

For someone new to marketing like myself, navigating this landscape is daunting enough, but striving to market ethically adds another layer of complexity. The core reason I developed my product was simply to create something beneficial and meaningful, not just for profit. The thought of overpromising capabilities that my product can't deliver, or aggressively advertising to those who aren't interested, feels counterproductive to this goal.

This dilemma underscores the challenge of balancing effective marketing with maintaining integrity and staying true to my original intent of creating a genuinely good product.

I'm not very fond of marketing because I feel it sometimes becomes too commercialized, possibly overlooking the true value of a product or service. I prefer getting to know the functionalities and quality of a product directly rather than through excessive promotion.

Personally, I'd much rather be creating stuff than marketing. But, I also want to build a successful business. To build a successful business, I need to either master marketing, or hire someone who can do it for me. I can't afford to hire someone.** So, if I want to build cool stuff and build a successful business, then I absolutely must put in the time to learn marketing. It's the biggest obstacle I need to overcome. It's the price I must pay to become who I want to be.

Even knowing all of the above, it's still tempting to revert back to focusing on writing code (or other product design activities). Struggling with market research, writing good copy, etc., can feel very unproductive; like you're wasting time. It's easy to feel productive when you're building something. After all it's your comfort zone.

Sure, you also need a good product/service. But if your top problem is lack of customers/clients or lack of market feedback (e.g.., product validation), then working on the product/service is your procrastination aid. It's tricking yourself into feeling "productive" even though you're avoiding the tasks that will move you toward your business goals the fastest.

** Business-wise, it's best to learn how to market yourself, as it is the most critical part of a successful business. Without it, you're always at the mercy of those who can market.

Have you tried using one of those growth hacking / marketing cheat sheets you can find online? Some of them have good tips and can give you a headstart

When I have advised any frustrated client I ask them. Do you know who you are offering the product or service to? Before marketing anything you have to know who you are going to sell to. Projects are done knowing the client, to satisfy their needs. The projects are not made for your consumption. Very common mistake made by many clients.

For my most recent project, I sat down and answered 45 questions. 31 questions about my niche market, and the rest about my buyer persona. I ended up with a 55-page document describing his daily life, work challenges, leisure activities, and preferences for books and movies. These details help define a buyer persona, informing how to effectively market my product over the competition.

It's worth noting that some marketing professionals may also make the same mistake when designing a product. Many times we focus on the wrong perspective of getting things done due to lack of time. And when things don't go well recurrently then we have to change our approach to tackling projects.

1. Recognize the Importance: Understand that advertising is fundamental for getting your tasks seen and displaying their value.
2. Start Small: Begin with easy advertising systems and center attention on one task at a time.
3. Learn from Others: Study profitable advertising techniques in your industry and research competitors.
4. Use Your Skills: Use your technical competencies to create content, optimize your website, or analyze data.
5. Collaborate: Consider working with entrepreneurs who can help complement your skills.
6. Stay Persistent: Marketing takes time, so continue to be dedicated and preserve your efforts.

"Build it and they will come", they said.

No. Build it, and tell everyone, and then they might come.

When they do come, they will go.

Focus on the one(s) that stay(s).

Learn why. Adore and find more of them.

With love - @libradoodle.

I'm not a developer; I'm a pure marketing guy. I can empathize with your situation because I started my SaaS business with very little knowledge of product development. Though I come from a marketing background, I've realized how challenging it can be to market a product or service effectively. Understanding your audience, competitors, and your product is crucial. Many people overlook the fact that good marketing is not always flashy; it's a reflection of your core product.

Therefore, your first and foremost task is to communicate. To do so effectively, you must craft your message and select the appropriate channels for sharing it. This approach may vary at different stages of your marketing efforts; for instance, your message may differ at the consideration stage from the awareness stage. In truth, the field of marketing is akin to an ocean.

To start with and for swiftly onboarding a few customers for your product, personal branding plays a highly effective role. This explains the recent surge in personal branding we've witnessed.

I've recently written more about the importance of personal branding; you can check it out here: https://replymind.com/blogs/importance-of-building-personal-brand-for-startup-business

I'm starting too, so I don't have much advice, I'm reading "Traction: How Any Startup Can Achieve Explosive Customer Growth" and I think it may be something interesting to you.

I don’t I actually love marketing!

forget all the attention economy based advices and buy some old classic marketing book. develop a business plan first, then create a marketing plan, and a marketing strategy.

If you feel it's not your territory then hire someone. Good marketers happily accept % if your product have real potential.

To my experience, to be active on social media like twitter is the best way to generate traffic to attract users for me.

For result!

I'd guess it is about ROI. Invest hours and get some validation, and eventually some return.

Not sure that is a perfect science