How Privy’s Former CMO Learned to Love Low-Budget, Scrappy Marketing

If you’re a startup founder or marketer trying to grow with little or no money, here’s some good news: Starting small can be your biggest strength. Some of the best marketing we’ve ever done – from our early jobs to our time at Drift – came when we had no money to spend.

When there’s no big budget to fall back on, you have to think differently. You need to act fast and find out what really grabs people’s attention. You learn by trying things, not by making long slide shows asking for $50,000.

In this piece, we’ll share real examples of low-cost marketing that worked for us — and how you can try them too.

Our Own Experience With Low-Budget Marketing

Our first job out of college was at a PR agency. This was back in 2009, and the way things were done was very old-school. We made lists of reporters, sent them cold emails, and just hoped they would write about us.

But then social media started to change everything. We realized we didn’t need to follow the old ways. Instead, we could talk to reporters directly on Twitter.

We followed what they wrote, left thoughtful comments, and sent them messages that showed we knew their topics well. It wasn’t hard. But at that time, nobody else was doing it. And it worked. We got quick wins, and our team started asking what our “secret” was. The truth? We were just curious and willing to try.

We also used to write for one of the company’s top leaders. We spent hours finding blogs and leaving smart comments. Back then, blog comments were a good way to join the conversation.

Those comments sometimes led to press. Reporters noticed smart replies and thought, “Hey, let’s include this person in our next article.” That one small step led to big results.

In the early days, we read everything we could about social media and online marketing. We loved posting on Reddit and answering people’s questions on Quora.

Later, when we worked at HubSpot, we helped start their first podcast — The Growth Show. We found useful Reddit threads and shared the podcast in creative ways. It got lots of attention and links. That’s when we really understood how powerful low-budget marketing could be.

At Drift, we used the same smart, small-budget mindset — just on a bigger scale. We didn’t buy expensive ads all over San Francisco. Instead, we spent $1,200 on just one billboard near a customer’s office. It had a screenshot of her tweet. She took a photo with it, and her post gave us more attention than a big ad ever could.

Another time, we went to SaaStr. We didn’t get a booth. Our CEO had a speaking slot, so we flew out with podcast gear in a backpack. We recorded interviews, wrote blog posts, and made a bunch of content — all from one plane ticket.

4 Tips for Marketing Without a Budget

1. Show up where you already have some power.

The easiest and cheapest way to start is with social media. That’s where people spend their time — whether they’re buying software or clothes.

When we say social, we don’t just mean running paid ads or posting promotions. We mean really joining in where your audience is. That could be sharing posts on LinkedIn, replying to Reddit threads, or giving useful tips in small Slack groups.

2. Make things people want to share.

The best low-cost ideas are often the ones people remember most. At Drift, we sent handwritten notes and free shirts to new customers. Why? Because they took pictures and posted about it. It gave us more reach and made people feel good.

When we launched our book, we spent $5,000 putting up posters all over Boston, just like musicians do before a concert. People saw them, took photos, and helped spread the word.

3. Focus on content, not money.

Many marketers ask, “How much can we spend on this?” But a better question is, “What useful or interesting thing can we create?”

Great content doesn’t have to be fancy. A simple email with smart ideas can be better than a polished newsletter full of designs. A podcast recorded at home can be more helpful than one made in a big studio.

The goal is to put out content that really helps people. If it works, you can improve it and invest more later.

4. Test small before going big.

Low-cost ideas are a smart way to test if something works. Before spending big money on ads or events, try the idea in a simple way. See if it gets attention on social media. See if customers like it. If yes, then you can put a budget behind it.

Being scrappy doesn’t mean you ignore budget. It means you test first, and then support the good ideas with money.

Scrappy Marketing Is a Way of Thinking

There’s nothing wrong with spending money, once you know it works. Budget should help grow what’s already strong, not cover up a weak idea.

Spend money only when you see signs that something is working. For example, if a small email campaign did well, maybe turn it into a full podcast. Or, if you did well at a free event, consider paying to sponsor it next time.

What we don’t believe in is starting with spending. We’d rather take $5,000 and use it in a smart way than waste it on a booth no one remembers.

Scrappy marketing isn’t just for small startups or teams without money. It’s a way of working. It means staying close to your customer, moving quickly, testing ideas, making helpful content, and building trust where it counts.

That’s how we’ve always done it. And we believe in it — every time.