"What's in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell just as sweet." William Shakespeare uses this line in his play Romeo and Juliet to convey that naming things is irrelevant.
However, the significance of ShiftLeft in the marketing world is becoming increasingly relevant in today's competitive markets. In the context of marketing, "shift left" is a term that refers to the process of moving specific tasks or responsibilities earlier in the marketing cycle.
Three key reasons why shifting your Go-to-Market approaches will help your business scale:
Moving the focus of marketing efforts to earlier stages of the buyer's journey might involve building brand awareness and generating interest among potential customers rather than solely focusing on closing sales or conversions.
Bringing in critical stakeholders or decision-makers earlier in the marketing process might involve working more closely with sales teams or other departments to ensure that marketing strategies align with overall business goals and objectives.
Front-loading marketing research and analysis: This might involve investing more resources into market research and customer analysis earlier in the marketing process to help ensure that marketing efforts are more targeted and effective.
In the context of GTM approaches, "shift left" involves:
Starting the marketing process earlier in the product development cycle, focusing on building awareness and generating interest among potential customers well before the product is ready to launch.
Placing a greater emphasis on customer onboarding and activation rather than simply on customer acquisition. This can ensure effective customer onboarding so that they become active and engaged product users, leading to long-term growth and retention.
Looking at the customer journey from a more holistic perspective and identifying opportunities to engage with customers earlier in the process. This might involve creating content and marketing messages that speak to customers at different stages of the journey and using data and analytics to personalize these messages for maximum impact.
Some real-world examples:
Slack: Slack used a "shift left" approach by building buzz and generating interest well before the product was ready to launch. This involved sending out exclusive invitations to potential users, which helped create a sense of exclusivity and build excitement around the product before it was publicly available.
Apple: Apple has used a "shift left" approach by prioritizing branding and marketing early in product development. This has allowed Apple to create a strong brand presence and stand out in a crowded market, helping to drive demand for its products.
Dropbox: Dropbox used a "shift left" approach by offering a free trial with limited storage space. This allowed users to try out the product before committing to a purchase, which helped to build a large user base and generate buzz through word-of-mouth referrals.
HubSpot: HubSpot used a "shift left" approach by offering a free version of its product with limited features. This allowed users to try out the product before committing to a paid version, which helped to build a large user base and convert many of these users to paying customers over time.
Airbnb used a "shift left" approach by engaging with customers at different journey stages with personalized messaging. For example, if a customer has searched for a particular type of property (such as a beach house), Airbnb might send them personalized recommendations for similar properties to consider. This helps to build a stronger relationship with the customer and increases the likelihood of a booking.
Amazon: Amazon used a "shift left" approach using data and analytics to personalize marketing messages and offers for individual customers based on their purchase history and browsing behavior. By doing so, Amazon creates a more personalized shopping experience, which helps to build stronger relationships with customers and increases the likelihood of repeat purchases.
Shifting left involves taking a more proactive and strategic Go-to-Market approach and engaging customers earlier. By doing so, organizations can build stronger customer relationships, increase customer loyalty and retention, and ultimately drive growth and success.
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