Launching a marketing program at an early-stage startup is equal parts exhilarating and overwhelming. With limited budget, headcount and time, marketing leaders often struggle to determine how to begin and how to scale.
In a recent episode of Share of Voice, Jennifer Tanner talked to Kiley Nichols, Head of Marketing at NetBox Labs, to discuss precisely that. As the first marketing hire at a small open source startup, Kiley built the program from the ground up. Her insights offer a tactical and honest roadmap for others navigating the same terrain.
Here are Kiley’s tips for building a marketing function from scratch based on her experience.
Always Start With Content
One of the first decisions any startup marketer has to make is where to focus. For Kiley, the answer was clear.
“Everything begins with content,” she said. “It’s the foundation to making sure everyone’s on the same page about your messaging and pain points. It informs everything — from product to sales.”
Building out top, middle and bottom-of-funnel content helped NetBox Labs create assets that worked across the entire buyer journey. It also gave the team early wins in SEO, sales enablement and awareness without the high price tag of paid channels.
Takeaway: Content is a strategic investment, not a “nice to have.” Start by defining your core messages and buyer pain points, then create content that addresses each stage of the funnel.
Get the Website Right
Alongside content, Kiley prioritized optimizing the website she inherited.
Why? Because your website is your best-performing sales rep, and in early-stage companies, it’s often the first (and sometimes only) touchpoint for prospects.
From improving message clarity to optimizing user flows, early website improvements gave Kiley a strong foundation that scaled with NetBox’s marketing efforts.
Takeaway: Don’t leave your website as an afterthought. Even light-touch optimization can improve conversions and support everything from organic traffic to campaign performance.
Outsource Smartly
As a team of one, Kiley quickly realized she couldn’t and shouldn’t do everything solo. She recruited contractors and agencies to support areas outside her expertise, like marketing ops and WordPress development. The key, she said, was treating those partners like part of the internal team.
“I knew enough to know that cobbling together a CRM setup wasn’t going to be good for our data long-term,” Kiley explained. “We brought in experts early to make sure we were set up for success.”
Takeaway: Strategic outsourcing lets you scale efficiently, especially for specialized or time-intensive tasks. Identify your gaps early and bring in trusted experts.
Build a Budget Based on What’s Working
Budgeting at a startup is a constant balancing act. Kiley’s approach is grounded in clear planning and outcome tracking.
“I start with our goals and estimate where MQLs, meetings and pipeline will come from based on what’s been working,” she said. “Then I tier spend accordingly: foundational tools, then high-performing programs, then tests if there’s room.”
She also highlighted the importance of flexibility, noting that larger projects like a website redesign or a major event might mean skipping testing for a quarter.
Takeaway: Tie every budget decision back to impact. Build your plan around what’s proven to work, and leave room to adapt based on evolving business needs.
Prioritize Ruthlessly And Say No When Necessary
Startup marketers are flooded with ideas, requests and “could we just” initiatives. Knowing when to say no is a superpower.
“The biggest challenge is prioritization,” Kiley said. “You have to keep asking, ‘Does this serve the goal?’ Sometimes the most powerful thing you can do is say no or at least, ‘not right now.’”
One surprising place she pulled back? Paid programs. Though her background was in demand gen, early paid experiments didn’t deliver what she needed. She chose to reinvest that budget into content and website improvements instead.
Takeaway: Be ruthless about what earns you time and money. Track performance, trust your data and don’t be afraid to shift course.
Make Marketing a Team Sport
To expand your marketing reach, you don’t need to hire a full team; you just need to get others involved.
Kiley shared how colleagues across the company, from product to engineering, contributed ideas and content themes and even helped set up event booths.
“We’ve reached a point where it’s not just me suggesting topics. Other teams are sharing what they’re hearing from customers,” she said. “That’s when you know marketing is working.”
Takeaway: Invite collaboration early and often. Internal alignment creates better content, stronger campaigns and a deeper sense of ownership across the organization.
Use AI to Accelerate, Not Replace
Finally, Kiley advises startup marketers to get comfortable with AI tools. She uses ChatGPT to jumpstart content creation, brainstorm campaign ideas and draft data narratives.
“It’s a great thought partner,” she said. “It helps get the work started, especially when you’re juggling a million things.”
Takeaway: AI won’t replace marketers, but it can absolutely make them faster and more effective. Experiment, iterate and find the use cases that work for you.
Final Thought: Focus on What Matters Most
Marketing at an early-stage startup is never about doing everything. It’s about doing the right things — at the right time — with intention.
Kiley Nichols’ approach at NetBox Labs shows how a thoughtful, focused strategy rooted in content, collaboration and continuous optimization can lay the groundwork for scalable success.
As she put it, “Start with content. Know what’s working. And always keep your eyes on the goal.”
Check out Kiley’s Share of Voice episode. Want to explore strategies for punching above your marketing weight? Let’s chat!
