The Ultimate 30 60 90 Marketing Plan for Startups: A Practical Guide for the First 90 Days

30 60 90 Marketing Plan

Marketing at early-stage startups isn’t about doing more, it’s about doing the right things in the right order.

Days 0–30: Diagnose First

  • Talk to users, audit what exists, define success, align on messaging
  • Don’t market yet—just learn

 Checklist: Customer profiles, one-line pitch, team messaging doc, competitive map, 90-day goals

Days 30–60: Build Your Foundation

  • Fix your website, messaging, and lead capture systems
  • Align founder + brand presence, prep reusable content

Checklist: Website, LinkedIn presence, 2–3 strong content pieces, email nurture, content plan

Days 60–90: Launch Small, Learn Fast

  • Start with quiet, trackable experiments
  • Tight feedback loops > big launches

Checklist: Soft launch, follow-up flow, onboarding, feedback system, 90-day review

Remember: You don’t need to go viral. You need to go live, and learn what actually works.

You’re Hired. Now What?

You just hired your first marketer, or you are that first marketer. The product is still in development or has just gone live. The pressure’s on.

But here’s the truth: your job isn’t to “look busy”, it’s to build foundations that work.

You don’t need 50 ideas. Just 5 right ones.
You don’t need speed. You need the right sequence.
You don’t need a big launch. You need small wins that compound.

And here’s what nobody tells you: you don’t have to figure this out alone.

Most early-stage marketing advice assumes you have clarity, systems, and direction. You don’t. That’s exactly why this role is hard.

Whether you’re a founder doing marketing yourself or a new hire stepping into the unknown, this guide gives you a blueprint for the first 90 days.

Section 1: Days 0 to 30 — Don’t Market Yet, Diagnose First

Goal: Understand your market, your customer, and your message, before you write a single post or run a campaign.

Most early-stage marketing fails because people do too much, too soon with too little insight. The best marketing starts with asking the right questions.

Don’t worry if this is your first time. You don’t need experience, you need curiosity and the discipline to hold off on “doing” until you know what matters.

Your first 30 days should be about learning, not doing:

  • Audit everything: Look at product features, pitch decks, old campaigns, and customer conversations. Understand what exists before adding anything new.
  • Talk to users: Get on 10 calls. Ask who they are, what problem they’re solving, how they found you, and why they chose you (or didn’t).
  • Define “success”: Align with your founder/team on what marketing success means in the next 90 days. Is it leads? Feedback? Retention? You can’t hit a goal you haven’t defined.
  • Clarify your message: Make sure your team agrees on what you do, who it’s for, and how it’s different. (If 5 people give 5 different answers, start here.)

Think of it like this: marketing is like a steam engine. It takes time to build pressure before you get momentum.

Your 30-Day Checklist:

  • Customer profiles based on real interviews (not assumptions)
  • Messaging that your whole team agrees on
  • One-line pitch that makes sense to strangers
  • Competitor analysis (for differentiation, not copying)
  • Success metrics everyone’s aligned on

Section 2: Days 30 to 60 — Get Ready to Distribute

Goal: Make sure everything people land on actually works, before you send anyone there.

Now you have clarity. But before you start creating content or running ads, make sure your foundation can turn interest into action. This is where most startups lose potential customers.

Position first, promote second:

  • Position first, promote second: Align your messaging across every customer-facing touchpoint. Website. LinkedIn. Sales decks. Emails. Consistency builds trust.
  • Set up your marketing “surface area”:
    • Your website should clearly answer: What do you do? Who’s it for? Why now?
    • Your founder and company LinkedIn should reflect the same positioning.
    • Your lead capture and follow-up systems should be working before you run a single ad.
  • Write once, use everywhere: Create 2–3 foundational pieces—your origin story, market insight, or why your solution matters. Repurpose them across LinkedIn, email, decks, and support docs.
  • Build systems, not just assets: Start a content calendar. Draft nurture emails. Set up light analytics. The goal is repeatability, not one-off efforts.

Here’s a scary stat: 45% of B2B startups skip systematic marketing during this phase. Don’t be one of them.

Your 60-Day Checklist:

  • Website that clearly explains your value
  • LinkedIn strategy for founder and company
  • 2-3 solid content pieces
  • Email sequence that actually nurtures
  • Content plan you can stick to

Section 3: Days 60 to 90 — Launch Small, Learn Fast

Goal: Get your first signals, not just attention. Small experiments now lead to scalable marketing later.

You don’t need to go viral. You need to go live. Big launches are for companies with big audiences. You’re not there yet. Focus on small experiments that give you real signal, not just noise.

Run tight loops for big insights:

  • Launch quietly, but deliberately: Use a waitlist, early access invite, or a founder-led announcement on LinkedIn. You’re not trying to go viral. You’re trying to find what resonates.
  • Tighten your feedback loops: Set up systems to track replies, DMs, sign-ups, bounce rates, and conversions. Share learnings with your team every week.
  • Test paid, only if ready: If your landing page is converting and you can measure results, try small-budget paid campaigns. But don’t force it.
  • Build credibility through social proof: Highlight early testimonials, usage stats, or even enthusiastic quotes from beta users. Trust builds traction.
  • Refine, don’t restart: Use insights from this phase to tweak messaging, content or flows, not overhaul them completely.

The goal is a system you can repeat, not a one-time splash. Companies that focus on sustainable approaches in their first 90 days keep 3x more customers.

Your 90-Day Checklist:

  • Soft launch sequence (not a big announcement)
  • Email and LinkedIn follow-up that converts
  • Simple onboarding with clear metrics
  • System for collecting customer feedback
  • 90-day review with real recommendations

What Trips Up Most Teams

After working with dozens of early-stage startups, I’ve seen the same mistakes repeat, regardless of industry or product.

The First 90 Days of Marketing

Here’s the Thing Nobody Talks About

Most startup marketing playbooks assume you have clarity, budget, and a team. You don’t, and that’s exactly why those playbooks fall apart in the first 90 days.

I’ve worked with companies going from zero to one—as a strategic advisor, a hands-on interim CMO and a partner to the first marketing hire. I’ve seen what works when you have no time, no team, and no margin for error.

Here’s what I’ve learned:
The founders who win prioritize internal alignment as much as external messaging.
When your whole team knows who you serve, what you stand for, and why it matters, marketing becomes easier, faster and more effective.

If you’re in the phase of internal alignment, or about to be, let’s talk about how strategic support can help you nail these critical first 90 days instead of just surviving them.

What’s Next?

I’m working on a deeper guide packed with templates, real-world frameworks and stories from the trenches—the kind of manual I wish I had earlier.

If this guide resonated with you, keep an eye out for that release. And if you’re in the middle of those 90 days right now, founder or first hire, and want to talk through your situation, I’d love to hear from you.

Drop a message. Sometimes one conversation can unlock your next six weeks.

Know a founder or marketer who needs this?

Share this guide with them, help them skip the guesswork and start strong.

About The Wise Idiot

We’re The Wise Idiot, and yes, that’s really our name. We’re a content marketing agency that’s been helping startups and growing brands tell their stories since 2017.

Here’s what we do: we take the stuff that makes your business special and turn it into content that actually works. Whether that’s writing that doesn’t put people to sleep, websites that make visitors stick around, or social media that gets people talking, we handle

FAQs

Q1. What exactly should I be doing in my first 90 days of marketing?
You should focus on sequencing over speed.

  • Days 0–30: Learn—talk to users, audit assets, clarify your messaging.
  • Days 30–60: Build—fix your website, align positioning, and create reusable content.
  • Days 60–90: Launch—test quietly, collect feedback, and refine.

Q2. What if I don’t have any customers to talk to yet?
Start with lookalike audiences—people using alternatives, early signups, or folks from your network who match your ideal persona. Ask about their workflows, pain points, and tools—not your product.

Q3. How do I know if our positioning is “good enough”?
If 3 people outside your company can clearly explain what you do, who it’s for, and why it matters after one read—you’re close. Bonus: your team should all say the same one-liner too.

Q4. When should I start spending on ads?
Only after your landing pages are converting and your tracking is set up. Don’t pay to amplify noise, only amplify signals.

Q5. What’s the biggest mistake to avoid in the first 90 days of marketing?
Rushing into tactics without alignment. A few high-leverage decisions early on beat dozens of low-impact tasks later. The first 90 days should prioritize clarity over content.

Q5. I’m a founder doing this solo, should I hire someone now?
Not always. Get clear on what you need: strategic support, execution, or both. Sometimes a fractional expert can help you shape the path before you bring on full-time help.

Explore more Content