Building pipeline is one of the toughest challenges for early-stage startups. What works for one company rarely works the same for another. Yet across dozens of Seed to Series A teams, we’ve noticed a handful of repeatable campaign plays that consistently generate conversations and conversions.
Here are 10 of the campaign strategies that are proving most effective in 2025.
1. Launch a Technical Advisory Board (TAB)
Startups win when they lead with value. Inviting 10–20 industry experts to form a “brain trust” can generate 20–40 early conversations in just a couple of months. Those interactions not only help refine your product, but often convert into paying champions.
You’re not selling, you’re inviting people into the process. That lowers defenses, builds trust, and turns advisors into early customers.
2. Rethink Event Strategy — Skip the Booth
Instead of dropping $20K+ on a booth, the best ROI comes from coffee meetups, dinners, and micro-gatherings around the event. The conversations you have off the expo floor are the ones that actually turn into pipeline.
People buy from people. Authentic, one-on-one conversations beat shallow booth drive-bys every time.
3. Use Your Backyard Advantage
Map where your team lives and lean into those geographies. A casual, “Hey, I’m in your area next week – want to grab coffee?” message feels disarming and often sparks sales conversations.
Local meetings feel more organic and less transactional. The lower the pressure, the higher the likelihood of a “yes.”
4. Follow the Social Signals
Your buyers are already out there liking, commenting, and engaging with content in your space. Use tools to track engagement, filter for your ICP, and reach out with context: “Saw you engaging on X, curious how you’re thinking about Y?”
You’re meeting people where they already are and showing you’ve paid attention. That relevance drives higher response rates.
5. Lead With Education: Webinars & Newsletters
Don’t pitch. Teach. Host a short webinar, launch a monthly newsletter, and focus on solving pain points. Consistency earns trust, and eventually inbound leads.
Value-first content builds credibility. When prospects are ready, you’ll be top of mind.
6. Put the Founder Out Front
Founder-led content works. When founders share authentic insights and show up consistently, they become the go-to person buyers think of when facing a problem.
Buyers want to hear from founders, not faceless brands. Authenticity travels farther than polished marketing.
7. Turn Usage Data Into Sales Triggers
Your users are telling you what they need with their clicks and activity. Watch where they get stuck, when usage spikes, or when new features get traction, then time your outreach around those signals.
You’re showing up at the exact moment help is needed. Timely, relevant outreach feels like support, not a sales pitch.
8. Double Down on Website Visitors & Lookalikes
If someone visits your site, they’re shopping. Reach out with context tied to the pages they viewed. And if a customer like Capital One solved a pain point with you, run lookalike campaigns to reach others facing the same challenges.
Website visitors are already showing intent. Lookalike campaigns let you scale your proof points.
9. Ride the New Hire Wave
When leaders step into new roles, they have budget, authority, and urgency. Track job changes, congratulate them, and position your product as the quick win they need in their first 100 days.
New leaders want early wins. If your product helps them look good fast, you become part of their success story.
10. Build With Community in Mind
Communities (from Slack groups to LinkedIn circles) are where trust scales. Show up authentically, share value, and your pipeline will grow faster than any cold outbound sequence.
People trust peers more than vendors. If your name comes up in community conversations, you’ve already won half the battle.
Final Takeaway
There’s no single GTM playbook that works for every company. But these 10 plays have surfaced again and again as practical ways for early-stage teams to generate pipeline and convert customers.
We’re been able to help early teams pressure-test these tactics and find the ones that fit their motion best. No two companies are identical, but learning from patterns like these gives you a serious head start.
