Andrew Chen of a16z nailed it last week with his new essay, 'Every marketing channel sucks right now.'

He is right. Marketing is hard.

Anyone doing SaaS marketing in the past 12 months knows:

1. You send a LinkedIn InMail, and it’s crickets.

2. Cold outreach emails go straight to spam.

3. SEO traffic at HubSpot and Salesforce has declined by 75%.

4. Ads keep getting more expensive.

5. Yes, there is plenty more…

What you need to do is change the game.

Vibe Marketing weaponizes Chen's key insight: in today's hyper-saturated environment, founders must exploit every quirk, loophole, and AI-powered technical advantage to create magnetic resonance where conventional marketing falls flat.

Here are 19 Strategies to break through the noise

You have to embrace novelty.

Think different if you want to break through in 2025.

1. Host micro-communities in Discord: Your team actively engages daily with your early users.

2. Create hyper-personalized cold outreach videos: Demonstrate the solution for 50 perfect-fit prospects.

3. Dominate a micro-vertical first: Not just "healthcare SaaS"; instead, think "scheduling for small dentists."

4. Run a podcast tour: Get on 15 niche shows with a dedicated audience in your space.

5. Create a VIP beta program: Offer monthly 1:1 founder strategy calls and priority feature implementation.

6. Partner with complementary businesses: Connect with 10 aligned founders for strategic cross-promotion.

7. Dominate industry Slack channels: Establish expertise as a helpful resource before subtle pitching.

8. Host virtual office hours: Offer 15-minute problem-solving sessions to demonstrate value.

9. Create "powered by" widgets: Provide embedded tools that deliver value while promoting your solution.

10. Build a referral-based waitlist: Create a private beta with line-skipping incentives for referrals.

11. Execute guerrilla marketing: Target industry conferences too small for established competitors.

12. Develop targeted outreach sequences: Create personalized Loom videos for 100 perfect-fit decision-makers.

13. Offer public "teardowns": Analyze potential customers' processes as lead-generating content.

14. Create content collaboration pods: Partner with 3-4 complementary startups for cross-promotion.

15. Deploy micro-influencer partnerships: Collaborate with high-engagement niche experts.

16. Create pop-up product experiences: Let prospects test your product at industry events.

17. Partner for co-marketed webinars: Bundle trials with adjacent SaaS tools.

18. Become a subreddit authority: Add value in 3-5 ultra-specific communities before introducing your solution.

19. Roll out exclusive community features: Generate word-of-mouth by launching within small groups first.

Apply unconventional growth strategies

The most effective startups don't rely on mainstream tactics that everyone else is using. Instead, they find creative, targeted approaches to reach their ideal customers.

The keys are specificity and personalization.

Focus intensely on a narrow audience and delivering exceptional value before asking for anything in return.

How to start

Select 2-3 strategies that align best with your strengths and customer profile, then execute them vigorously and with excellence before expanding your approach.

Get Expert Help to Grow Your SaaS

You can read all the growth playbooks in the world, but if you’re not turning these steps into real customers, you’re just spinning your wheels.

That’s why I created Vibe Your SaaS — a hands-on, tactical coaching program built for technical SaaS founders who want to stop guessing and start growing.

• I’ll help you define your ICP (Ideal Customer Profile)

• Build your first real marketing plan

• Launch a campaign that actually drives leads

• And stop wasting months “planning” without results

Spots are limited.
If you’re serious about growing your SaaS, book a free intro call here → Schedule an intro all now. Let’s vibe.