🛠️ The Product Person #10

10 years of marketing lessons in 1 tweet. Written by Kyle Tibbit, Head of Brand at Opendoor

While doing my usual twitter browsing, I spotted a tweetstorm by a man summarizing his 10 years of marketing lessons. That man is Kyle Tibbit (@KyleTibbitts), the Head of Brand at Opendoor. It’s about 30 tweets long but today I’m sharing my favorite 6 tweets from his thread.

1️⃣ Distribution is 🔑

Kyle Tibbitts @KyleTibbitts

Great products need a winning distribution strategy to succeed. More specifically, great companies need a competitive distribution advantage that drives down customer acquisition costs over time.

2️⃣ Buying ads = cosmetic surgery 💅

Kyle Tibbitts @KyleTibbitts

Marketers must avoid the trap of getting hooked on paid marketing. It drives quick growth but is expensive, easily replicated and therefore less defensible. By planting the seeds of organic growth early on, you can reduce reliance on paid marketing and drive down CAC over time.

3️⃣ Make your messaging simple & inspiring ✨

Kyle Tibbitts @KyleTibbitts

Getting your messaging and positioning right is hard. In the earliest stages, you spend a lot of time just trying to explain what you do and how it’s different from what exists. Your message needs to be functional and straightforward––but inspirational enough to drive action.

4️⃣ No mouth, all ears 👂

Kyle Tibbitts @KyleTibbitts

Very often the right words to describe your product will come directly from your customers, so listen closely. Very often the best messengers for your company’s pitch will also be your customers, so capture their stories in video or static formats so they can spread the gospel.

5️⃣ Aim for the heart, after the head ❤️

Kyle Tibbitts @KyleTibbitts

Once people understand what you do, your brand needs to stand for more than just the functional benefits your product delivers. You can and should start shifting into emotional territory to occupy a bigger space in the hearts and minds of both prospective and current customers.

6️⃣ The customer & your promise 🔐

Kyle Tibbitts @KyleTibbitts

There are no shortcuts when it comes to great marketing. “Growth hacks” for products that don’t deliver real and lasting value are a waste of your and everyone else’s time. Remain laser focused on the customer and delivering the best experience possible. This is the north star.

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📝  These were my 6 favorite lessons from Kyle’s tweet thread. He turned the tweetstorm into a Medium post that you can find here. It’s super insightful.

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Enjoy the rest of your week :)