Hiring your first marketing lead is a pivotal moment for any startup - but figuring out who to hire, when to hire, and what skills you actually need can be overwhelming.
This session will cover the critical aspects of making your first marketing hires, including:
What specific marketing skills and experience to prioritize based on your business model and growth stage
When to hire in-house versus working with a fractional CMO or contractor
How to write a compelling job description that attracts the right talent
Salary ranges and budget expectations for different marketing roles in the Boston startup ecosystem
How to evaluate marketing candidates even if you don’t have marketing expertise
You will gain insights into structuring a progressive marketing team, setting realistic performance expectations for new hires, and identifying early warning signs that a hire isn’t working out. Panelists will share real-world hiring wins and mistakes, equipping you with actionable frameworks to make confident marketing decisions.
This session is a part of Startup Boston Week 2025 and is perfect for early-stage founders, technical founders, and startup executives looking to formalize their marketing efforts and build a scalable team.
Strategic partnerships have become a secret weapon for resource-constrained startups to drive exponential growth without significant investment.
This session brings together experts who have mastered the art of building mutually beneficial business relationships that deliver outsized results. Panelists will share how to:
Identify and evaluate potential partners for alignment and mutual benefit
Craft compelling partnership propositions beyond just “exposure”
Structure scalable partnerships at different startup stages
Leverage AI tools to accelerate partner outreach and activation
Measure success beyond vanity metrics and avoid common pitfalls
This session is designed for early-stage founders, growth marketers, B2B leaders, and SaaS companies looking to expand reach and credibility through strategic partnerships.
AI isn't just a luxury for startups—it's a transformative growth tool. In fact, studies show that startups leveraging AI can see conversion rates improve by up to 20%, giving you a serious competitive edge. In this hands-on workshop, you'll progress from AI fundamentals to advanced implementation, collaboratively building a functioning AI agent modeled after your ideal customer profile—right there in the session. You'll walk away with this custom agent plus a tailored strategy for scaling AI across all your marketing efforts. This session will cover the critical aspects of AI-powered marketing, including:
Creating a strategic AI implementation roadmap aligned with your specific marketing goals and resource constraints
Mastering advanced prompting techniques that generate exceptional outputs for content creation, analytics, and customer targeting
Building and customizing AI agents that mirror your ideal customers—allowing you to test messaging and automate engagement without technical expertise
Evaluating which AI platforms deliver maximum ROI for early-stage startups at different growth stages
Through live demos, guided exercises, and collaborative problem-solving, you'll gain practical skills to immediately implement in your business. This workshop empowers early-stage founders, startup marketing managers, and growth professionals to harness AI's full potential without enterprise-level budgets. This session is a part of Startup Boston Week 2025 and is perfect for early-stage founders, startup marketing managers, and growth professionals looking to maximize impact with limited resources.
Maximizing your presence at trade shows and through traditional marketing channels like flyers, brochures, and direct mail can drive significant business growth - even with limited resources.
This session will cover key strategies for getting the most out of your marketing investments, including:
How to strategically select trade shows and direct marketing efforts based on business goals and budget constraints
Pre-show and pre-campaign research and outreach tactics that lead to high-quality conversations and leads
Creative booth alternatives, on-site activations, and marketing materials that grab attention without premium sponsorship costs
Building a follow-up system that maintains momentum and converts conversations into deals
You will gain insights into building a scalable, cost-effective marketing strategy, using AI and automation to streamline outreach and follow-up, and developing creative, memorable brand experiences that continue delivering value long after the event or campaign ends.
This session is part of Startup Boston Week 2025 and is perfect for startup founders, marketers, and business development professionals seeking to maximize trade show and marketing ROI on a startup budget.
LinkedIn isn’t just a social network—it’s a strategic growth engine for startups. In this hands-on workshop, you’ll build a customized AI agent that captures your unique voice to produce authentic, high-impact content tailored to your business goals, whether that’s securing partnerships, raising capital, or driving sales. This workshop will guide you through:
Designing an AI agent that captures your expertise and produces authentic, high-impact content
Creating a content strategy that drives specific business outcomes, including fundraising, partnerships, and customer acquisition
Identifying LinkedIn content formats and storytelling frameworks that maximize engagement with minimal effort
Setting automation boundaries to maintain authenticity while scaling your reach
Did you know that 82% of consumers are more likely to follow a micro-influencer recommendation than a big-name influencer? Micro-influencers have become a powerful yet underutilized tool for startups looking to drive authentic engagement and customer acquisition without large budgets.
This panel will feature industry experts from across the influencer ecosystem, sharing actionable insights on:
Identifying and evaluating micro-influencers who align with your brand
Crafting cost-effective influencer partnerships at different startup stages
Structuring agreements to drive business outcomes and authentic content
Measuring success beyond vanity metrics and optimizing ROI
Leveraging influencer-generated content across multiple channels
This session is designed for early-stage founders, D2C startup leaders, B2B marketers, and content managers looking to scale customer acquisition through authentic, scalable influencer strategies.
