“We don’t have the budget for real marketing.”
We hear this all the time from early-stage founders. But here’s the truth:
Your problem isn’t budget — it’s direction.
Big impact doesn’t always require big spend. What it does require is clarity, focus, and the right testing mindset. At Douce, we’ve helped lean teams grow fast with these exact strategies — here are 3 low-cost, high-conversion tactics that work.
1. Build a Landing Page MVP — with Notion
Don’t blow your budget on a beautiful website before you’ve proven your message.
Instead, try this:
👉 Create a one-pager in Notion that clearly explains your product’s value.
👉 Use communities or paid ads to drive traffic.
👉 Track what happens: Do people stay? Fill a form? Leave comments?
💡 If your landing page can’t convert attention into action, design won’t fix it.
(One of our clients got their first 100 users from a single Notion page.)
2. Only Pay for Intent
Most startups waste money on broad exposure — boosting posts or running Meta ads without clear purpose. Don’t do that.
Instead, buy only high-intent clicks:
Google searches with conversion intent
Retargeting ads for users who engaged with specific, high-signal content
Reddit threads or niche newsletters where your audience is already primed
🧪 Each click should test one idea: a message, a CTA, or a pain point.
If you’re not validating something, you’re just burning cash.
3. Create a “Mid-Funnel Conversion Relay”
Many startups try to push users to sign up or buy too early — before trust is built.
Instead, insert a conversion middle step to warm up your audience:
Examples:
A 3-question quiz that captures email and segments user intent
A “What type of investor are you?” assessment that leads into product recommendations
A free PDF or guide that acts as both value-add and lead magnet
🎯 These micro-conversions build momentum.
They don’t just collect leads — they help shape a narrative your user believes in.
Final Thought
Most early-stage growth comes down to this:
Stop trying to look bigger than you are.
Start proving your value in small, scalable ways.
You don’t need a huge budget. You need a tighter loop between message → traffic → action → learning.
🛠 Want help figuring out your first funnel or message stack?
DM us — we’ll help you pick one tactic that matches your current stage.
