A powerful first move for a new brand is leveraging community-driven affiliate platforms. By getting the product into the hands of engaged creators in relevant communities, a brand can build authentic word-of-mouth and generate multi-million dollar revenue before ever investing in traditional CRM or paid media channels.
Related Insights
The traditional B2B marketing mix of SEO, paid search, and content is no longer sufficient. Modern growth relies on activating word-of-mouth through a superior product, leveraging founder social presence for authenticity, and investing heavily in the creator economy (especially YouTube) to reach engaged B2B audiences.
When you've built an audience on pure authenticity and haven't yet monetized, the first 'ask' is daunting. The best approach is to 'break the fourth wall.' Create content explicitly asking your community how and if you should monetize. This makes them co-creators in your business, preserving trust.
Before accepting an affiliate, require that they have personally used your product and can provide a transformation testimonial. This ensures their promotion is authentic and compelling. Affiliates motivated by genuine belief will always outperform those just seeking a commission.
Avoid pursuing prosumer and enterprise motions simultaneously. The optimal sequence is to first build massive bottoms-up love and brand trust with individual users. This creates internal champions within target companies, providing crucial momentum and turning a cold B2B sale into a pull-based motion.
Stop viewing brand as a top-of-funnel activity. For elite companies, brand isn't a precursor to selling; it is the selling. It creates inbound demand that bypasses traditional conversion tactics like search ads or affiliate marketing, making it the most powerful and sustainable growth engine.
Gymshark's initial influencer success wasn't a calculated campaign. It was born from genuine fandom; they sent products to YouTubers they personally admired. This authentic, non-transactional approach built real community trust long before influencer marketing became a formalized, paid industry.
Instead of a passive, open-ended affiliate program, create concentrated launch windows (e.g., one week) with a public leaderboard and prizes. This injects competition and urgency, motivating affiliates to push far harder than they would in a standard, always-on program.
Don't dismiss the success of celebrity brands as unattainable. Instead, analyze the core mechanism: massive 'free reach' and 'memory generation.' The takeaway isn't to hire a celebrity, but to find your own creative ways to generate a similar level of organic attention and build a tribe around your brand.
To break through the noise of modern influencer marketing, target less-obvious platforms. Instead of competing for attention on Instagram and TikTok, pitch YouTubers and Substack writers who receive fewer inquiries. This approach increases your chances of getting noticed and securing features without a budget.
Gamma’s founder personally onboarded early influencers, walking them through the product and brainstorming hooks. This investment treats influencers as extensions of the team, not just a media buy, fostering genuine understanding and authentic promotion in their own voice.
