Channeling Success in 2025
Part 4 of my GTM playbook
Channel Strategy is Part 4 of my 6-part GTM Playbook, a process for developing culturally relevant go to market strategies.
Today, I outline 10 ways to simplify your Channel Strategy.
I’ll give everyone a teaser but the best parts are behind the paywall. Consider becoming a paid subscriber so you don’t miss the good stuff.
Let’s get into it.
If you've been following my GTM Playbook series over the past few months, you’ve probably noticed the structure that’s guiding the process.
I call it The 6 C's framework. It’s not the most inventive name—I might rebrand it someday—but for now, it’s straightforward, memorable, and gets the job done.
We began with Culture, taking a macro view of current cultural norms and narratives to explore where your brand fits within them. I outlined the dynamics of mainstream culture, subcultures, and countercultures, and how to identify the space your brand belongs in.
This led us to Community, the second C. Your Community Strategy pinpoints the groups driving the cultural narratives your brand aligns with. These are your people. Unlike consumer personas (which I address during the Brand Strategy phase), this is an actionable plan to engage with individuals who share your brand’s values, beliefs, desires, goals, tastes, and preferences.
Once you are clear on where your brand fits into the cultural zeitgeist and the communities it resonates with, the next step is to decide what you want to say and how to say it in a way that is ownable and unforgettable. This is your Content Strategy. Today, it's not enough to churn out content just to feed the beast. Brands that break through often break the rules. I explore this, and four other ways to avoid soulless content, in this piece.
As we move through each C, the funnel narrows from macro to micro, and the GTM Playbook becomes increasingly tactical. The fourth C is Channel Strategy. In my experience, this is the stage that can leave brand owners feeling overwhelmed. I get it. The sheer number of channels a brand must master to consistently show up, break through, build awareness, and drive sales can feel daunting. Plus, there are more channels than ever, with new ones emerging daily. Just for fun, let's look at a few of the most common ones:
Website
SEO/Search
Blog
Email
SMS
Social Media: TikTok, Meta/IG, Threads, X, YouTube, Pinterest, LinkedIn, Substack, BlueSky, to name just a few (remember, organic and paid strategies may be required for each)
Affiliate/Influencer marketing
Sponsored placements
Podcasts
TV / streaming advertisements
Direct mailers
Traditional print advertising
Billboards, posters and OOH advertising
In-store marketing
Niche forum-like platforms like Reddit, Discord, Mighty Networks, and WhatsApp, where authentic community-engagement and UGC dominate
Event marketing
And finally PR, which sits at the intersection of Content and Channel strategy
This is a lot. Too much for a pre-market, startup or early stage business. Even large companies with massive budgets struggle to consistently manage and cohesively integrate their message across all channels. But I have some good news. After more than a decade of helping founders develop their brands and bring them to market, I’ve learned this about Channel Strategies: simplicity wins. A focused, deep-not-wide approach outperforms overextension every time, and trying to do too much too soon is often the fastest way to fail.