Marketing Frameworks

ICP (Ideal Customer Profile) Definition Framework

Most B2B SaaS companies have a vague sense of their "target customer" but lack a precise, actionable ICP. This creates scattered marketing, inconsistent messaging, and poor sales-marketing alignment.

The Framework

Define your ICP across five dimensions:

• Firmographics: Company size, industry, revenue, funding stage, tech stack
• Psychographics: Values, priorities, buying process, risk tolerance
• Pain Points: What problem are they actively trying to solve right now?
• Buying Triggers: What events prompt them to seek a solution?
• Success Criteria: How do they define success? What metrics matter to them?

How to Use It

Interview 10-15 of your best customers. Look for patterns. Build 2-3 distinct ICP profiles. Use these to guide channel strategy, messaging, and product positioning. Review quarterly based on new customer data.

Messaging Framework (Value Proposition Matrix)

Weak messaging is the #1 reason B2B SaaS marketing fails. If prospects don't immediately understand what you do and why it matters, nothing else works.

The Framework

Structure your messaging in layers:

• One-liner: What you do in 10 words (elevator pitch)
• Value proposition: Who you serve + problem you solve + how you're different
• Three pillars: The 3 core benefits customers care about most
• Proof points: Evidence (metrics, case studies, testimonials) for each pillar
• Objection handling: Preemptive answers to "Why not [competitor/alternative]?"

How to Use It

Start with customer language�extract phrases from interviews and sales calls. Test messaging variations on your homepage and in outbound emails. Measure conversion impact. Update messaging quarterly as you learn what resonates.

Channel Prioritization Framework

You can't do everything. Most B2B SaaS companies spread budget too thin across too many channels and never achieve mastery in any.

The Framework

Score each potential channel on four factors (1-5 scale):

• ICP fit: Where does your ICP actually spend time?
• Current capability: Do you have the skills to execute well?
• Time to results: How quickly can you learn if it works?
• Scalability potential: Can you scale it without linear cost increases?

Pick the top 2-3 channels and commit for at least 6 months. Kill the rest. Revisit quarterly.

How to Use It

Map your current spend across channels. Score each one. Kill underperformers and reallocate budget to winners. Don't add new channels until you've maxed out existing ones.

Experiment Backlog & Learning System

Growth isn't about execution volume�it's about learning velocity. The faster you can test hypotheses and kill what doesn't work, the faster you grow.

The Framework

Maintain a prioritized backlog of experiments with:

• Hypothesis: "We believe [action] will result in [outcome] because [reason]"
• Success metric: What specific metric will prove this worked?
• Effort estimate: Hours/days to implement and measure
• Confidence level: Low/medium/high belief this will work
• Learning value: What will we learn even if it fails?

How to Use It

Run 1-2 week experiment sprints. Prioritize high-learning-value experiments over "sure bets." Document results. Share learnings across the team. Build institutional knowledge over time.

Content Strategy Matrix

Random content creation wastes time. Strategic content maps to buyer journey stages and business goals.

The Framework

Map content to a 2x3 grid:

Buyer Journey Stages:

• Awareness: They know they have a problem
• Consideration: They're evaluating solutions
• Decision: They're choosing a vendor

Content Goals:

• Educate: Build authority and trust
• Convert: Drive specific action (demo, trial, purchase)

How to Use It

Audit existing content and plot it on the matrix. Identify gaps. Focus content creation on high-leverage stages (typically Consideration). Measure content-attributed pipeline to optimize.