Marketing Strategist

---
name: marketing-strategist
description: "Expert full-stack marketer specializing in funnel design, go-to-market engineering, conversion copywriting, email sequences, landing pages, A/B testing, and growth strategy. Applies frameworks from Hormozi, Schwartz, Brunson, Kennedy. Use when planning launches, designing funnels, writing marketing strategy, building GTM plans, or creating growth models. Triggers: marketing strategy, GTM, go-to-market, funnel design, growth plan, launch plan, email sequence."
metadata:
  version: 1.0.0
  author: Humblytics
---

# Marketing Strategist

## Purpose

Full-stack marketing strategy covering funnel architecture, go-to-market planning, conversion copywriting, email sequences, landing page strategy, and growth modeling. Combines proven direct-response frameworks with modern SaaS and product-led growth tactics.

## When to Use

- Designing a marketing funnel from scratch or restructuring an existing one
- Planning a product launch or go-to-market strategy
- Building email sequences (onboarding, nurture, sales, re-engagement)
- Developing a growth model with acquisition channels and conversion targets
- Creating a quarterly marketing plan with prioritized initiatives
- Evaluating marketing spend allocation across channels
- Crafting offer positioning and pricing strategy

## Before You Start

1. **Understand the business** — Look for product briefs, AGENTS.md, or company context. What does the product do? Who is it for?
2. **Identify the business model** — SaaS, e-commerce, lead gen, marketplace, etc. This shapes every recommendation.
3. **Current metrics** — If available, get current traffic, conversion rates, CAC, LTV, churn, MRR
4. **Competitive landscape** — Who are the top 3 competitors? What channels do they use?
5. **Budget and resources** — What is the marketing budget? How many people on the team?
6. **Timeline** — What is the urgency? Launch in 2 weeks vs 6-month plan?

## Core Frameworks

### The Value Equation (Hormozi)

Every offer must maximize perceived value:

```
Value = (Dream Outcome x Perceived Likelihood of Achievement) / (Time Delay x Effort & Sacrifice)
```

To increase value:
- **Increase dream outcome** — Make the end result more desirable
- **Increase perceived likelihood** — Add proof, guarantees, specificity
- **Decrease time delay** — Show faster results, quick wins
- **Decrease effort** — Make it easier, done-for-you, automated

### Levels of Market Awareness (Schwartz)

Match your messaging to where your audience is:

| Level | Awareness | Marketing Approach |
|-------|-----------|-------------------|
| 5 | Most Aware | Direct offer, price, CTA |
| 4 | Product Aware | Differentiation, proof, comparison |
| 3 | Solution Aware | Show your mechanism is superior |
| 2 | Problem Aware | Agitate problem, introduce solution category |
| 1 | Unaware | Story, pattern interrupt, education |

Most B2B SaaS audiences are Level 2-3. Most consumer audiences are Level 1-2.

### The Funnel Architecture

Every marketing system follows this skeleton:

```
TRAFFIC → CAPTURE → NURTURE → CONVERT → DELIVER → RETAIN → EXPAND
```

**Traffic**: Where do qualified prospects come from?
- Organic: SEO, content, social, community
- Paid: Ads, sponsorships, partnerships
- Earned: PR, word-of-mouth, referrals

**Capture**: How do you get permission to follow up?
- Lead magnet, free tool, newsletter, free trial, freemium

**Nurture**: How do you build trust and demonstrate value?
- Email sequences, content, webinars, case studies, retargeting

**Convert**: What is the conversion mechanism?
- Self-serve checkout, sales call, demo, consultation

**Deliver**: How do you deliver the promised outcome?
- Onboarding, activation, customer success

**Retain**: How do you keep customers?
- Product value, community, ongoing communication

**Expand**: How do you grow revenue from existing customers?
- Upsells, cross-sells, referrals, annual plans

### The GTM Engine

For any launch or channel, define:

1. **ICP (Ideal Customer Profile)** — Demographics, firmographics, psychographics, behaviors
2. **Problem Stack** — The 3-5 problems your ICP faces, ranked by pain intensity
3. **Offer Stack** — Core offer + bonuses + guarantee + urgency/scarcity
4. **Channel Strategy** — Where your ICP spends time and attention
5. **Message-Market Match** — Copy that speaks directly to the ICP's language and pain
6. **Conversion Mechanism** — The specific path from first touch to purchase
7. **Unit Economics** — CAC, LTV, payback period, break-even timeline

### Email Sequence Frameworks

**Onboarding Sequence (7-14 days)**:
1. Welcome + quick win (immediate value)
2. Setup/activation guide (reduce friction)
3. Feature highlight tied to their goal
4. Social proof / case study
5. Check-in + offer help
6. Advanced use case
7. Upgrade nudge or commitment ask

**Nurture Sequence (for leads not ready to buy)**:
1. Deliver the lead magnet / promised value
2. Problem agitation — deepen the pain
3. Teaching email — share a framework
4. Case study — show someone like them succeeding
5. Objection handling — address the top concern
6. Soft CTA — invite to trial or demo
7. Direct CTA — clear offer with deadline

**Re-engagement Sequence (for churned or dormant)**:
1. "We noticed you've been away" — what's new
2. Value reminder — what they're missing
3. Win-back offer — discount or extended trial
4. Final email — last chance, then reduce send frequency

### The Kennedy Direct Response Principles

1. **There must be an offer** — Every piece of marketing must ask for something specific
2. **There must be a reason to respond now** — Urgency, scarcity, or deadline
3. **There must be clear instructions** — Tell them exactly what to do next
4. **There must be tracking and measurement** — If you can't measure it, don't run it
5. **There must be follow-up** — The money is in the follow-up, not the first touch

### Growth Model Template

> Note: MRR/revenue/CAC/LTV come from a billing source (Stripe/ChartMogul), not Humblytics — Humblytics returns revenue=0 unless a revenue connector is attached.

Build a simple growth model:

```
Monthly visitors: [X]
  x Signup rate: [Y%]
  = New signups: [Z]
  x Activation rate: [A%]
  = Activated users: [B]
  x Conversion rate: [C%]
  = Paying customers: [D]
  x ARPU: [$E]
  = New MRR: [$F]
  + Expansion MRR: [$G]
  - Churned MRR: [$H]
  = Net New MRR: [$I]
```

Identify the **single biggest lever** — which metric, if improved by 20%, would have the largest impact on revenue?

## Channel Selection Framework

### For B2B SaaS (< $100/mo)

**Primary**: Content SEO, Product-led growth, Community
**Secondary**: Paid search (branded + competitor), LinkedIn organic
**Tertiary**: Partnerships, integrations marketplace, AppSumo (for launch)

### For B2B SaaS ($100-500/mo)

**Primary**: Content SEO, Outbound email, LinkedIn
**Secondary**: Paid search, Webinars, Partnerships
**Tertiary**: Events, PR, ABM

### For B2B SaaS ($500+/mo)

**Primary**: Outbound sales, ABM, Events
**Secondary**: Content SEO, Partnerships, Webinars
**Tertiary**: Paid search, LinkedIn ads

### For E-commerce

**Primary**: Paid social (Meta, TikTok), Email marketing, SEO
**Secondary**: Influencer, Affiliates, Google Shopping
**Tertiary**: Content, Community, PR

## Output Expectations

When asked for a marketing strategy, deliver:

1. **Situation Analysis** — Current state, metrics, competitive position
2. **Strategic Recommendations** — Prioritized list of 3-5 initiatives
3. **Funnel Architecture** — Specific funnel design with conversion targets
4. **Channel Plan** — Where to invest time and budget, with expected ROI
5. **90-Day Roadmap** — Week-by-week execution plan
6. **Metrics Dashboard** — KPIs to track with targets
7. **Quick Wins** — 3 things to do this week for immediate impact

## Related Skills

- **cro-optimizer** — Optimize the conversion funnel with data
- **ad-expert** — Execute paid advertising campaigns
- **content-strategist** — Build the content engine
- **copywriting** — Write the copy for landing pages, emails, and ads
- **funnel-reporter** — Track funnel performance and revenue metrics