Scout7 Academy
You built the product. Here is how to get customers.
Step-by-step marketing guides for founders who have built the product and now need customers. Each one is a task you can finish, and each one ends in a checklist.
Free to read. No signup. 18 sections, 136 of 198 guides written so far.
New to a term? The marketing glossary explains each one in plain English.
Who are you?
Pick the one closest to you. You get your own path, and the guides show the ones that fit you first.
- SaaS
SaaS founder
Self-serve software. People sign up and try it without a sales call.
Start with: How to market a SaaS product
- B2B
B2B founder
Sales-led: software, services, manufacturing or wholesale. You do the selling.
Start with: How to market your B2B business
- D2C
D2C brand founder
Your own products, sold online: Shopify, Amazon, Etsy, TikTok Shop.
Start with: How to market a D2C brand
- Agency
One-person agency
You run marketing for small businesses, alone or almost alone.
Start with: How to market your marketing agency
All 18 sections
From the first plan to running an agency. Titles not written yet are listed so you can see what is coming.
- 1Make your marketing planDecide who you sell to, what you say, where you show up and what to spend.23 of 23 written
- 2Get your first customersFind and win your first paying customers, mostly with free methods you can start today.12 of 12 written
- 3LaunchPlan a launch that brings real signups, orders or meetings, not just one busy day.9 of 9 written
- 4Get found on GoogleGet your pages found on Google and check that the visits keep growing.15 of 15 written
- 5Get recommended by ChatGPT and AI answersGet ChatGPT and other AI tools to name you when buyers ask for help.7 of 7 written
- 6Make content people look forMake a steady stream of useful posts, videos and articles that bring buyers to you.8 of 8 written
- 7Grow on social mediaPick one or two platforms, post what your buyers care about and grow a following.14 of 14 written
- 8Reach buyers directlyBuild a list of buyers and reach them by email, LinkedIn or phone.8 of 8 written
- 9Close the dealTurn interested buyers into signed deals with calls, demos and proposals.8 of 8 written
- 10Sell through partners, events and storesGet partners, events and stores to put your product in front of more buyers.10 of 10 written
- 11Get reviews, press, creators and referralsGet customers, reviewers, creators and reporters to vouch for you.12 of 12 written
- 12Email and newslettersBuild an email list and send emails that bring people back to buy.7 of 7 written
- 13Paid adsDecide if ads are worth it yet, then run small tests that pay back.3 of 10 written
- 14Turn visitors into customersMake your website clear enough that visitors sign up, book a call or buy.0 of 10 written
- 15Keep customers and grow each oneKeep the customers you have, and help each one stay longer and spend more.0 of 9 written
- 16Measure what's workingTrack where customers come from and what they cost, then do more of what works.0 of 7 written
- 17Get help: hiring, agencies and AIDecide when to get help, who to hire and what AI can do for you.0 of 3 written
- 18Run a marketing agencyStart, price, fill and grow a small marketing agency, one client at a time.0 of 26 written
Newest guides
- Get reviews, press, creators and referralsSaaSHow to get G2 reviewsGet G2 reviews when you have only a few users: claim your free profile, ask every person who used your SaaS for real work with your review link and three tips that get reviews approved, follow up 3 times, ask each new user at their first result, send 100 personal messages a day, and count reviews and signups every Sunday.
- Get reviews, press, creators and referralsD2CHow to find micro-influencers for your brandFind micro-influencers for your brand with no budget: write 20 words your buyers use, add 100 creators a day from Instagram, TikTok and Shopify Collabs who pass a 2-minute check, send each a personal message offering a free product with no promise to post, ship up to 10 a week with their own code within the FTC rules, and count posts and orders every Sunday.
- Get reviews, press, creators and referralsD2CHow to get UGC for your brandGet UGC for your store without a budget: write a 20-second video brief, ask every buyer for a phone video, send 100 personal messages a day offering a free product for an honest video, get a written yes for posts and for ads, and test the top 3 as ads every Sunday.
- Get reviews, press, creators and referralsD2CHow to get TikTok Shop affiliates to postGet TikTok Shop affiliates to post: set a 20% commission with free samples and sample rules today, find and invite 100 creators a day who already use products like yours on camera, send every sample with a one-page brief and follow up until the video is live, and count videos and orders per creator every Sunday.
- Get reviews, press, creators and referralsD2CHow to get into holiday gift guidesGet into holiday gift guides with one store and no PR agency: pick one gift-ready product under a price line, put up a gift page with photos and a free affiliate code, send 100 one-product pitches a day to the writers and creators behind last year's guides, ship samples only on a yes, and use a Sunday count and a month-by-month calendar to pitch the guides still open.
- Email and newslettersD2CHow to write an email popup that isn't just a discountWrite an email popup that isn't just a discount: give away the answer shoppers want before they buy, ask one question in Shopify Forms, send 100 people a day to it, write back to everyone who joins, and judge it every 500 views by first orders.