Go-to-Market (GTM) Motions, Tactics, and Examples

When you’re launching a product or service, having the right go-to-market (GTM) strategy is crucial. Your GTM motion isn’t just about getting the product out there—it’s about how you plan to drive revenue, fuel growth, and make an impact in your market.

Let’s go through each GTM motion and the specific tactics that make them tick. At the end, we’ll cover a checklist to help you choose the right approach for your business.

What is a Go-to-Market (GTM) Motion?

A GTM (go-to-market) motion is the specific approach a company uses to bring its product to market, attract customers, and generate revenue. It defines how a company plans to engage its target audience, deliver its value proposition, and drive growth. Each GTM motion represents a unique strategy, tailored to the product, target customers, and overall business objectives.

Let’s review the six most common GTM motions.

The 6 Key GTM Motions

The six most common GTM motions are product-led, sales-led, content-led, community-led, paid-led, and partner-led. Each comes with its own playbook, unique advantages, and things to consider.

1. Product-Led Motion

In this approach, the product does the selling. You let customers experience its value directly—often through a free trial or freemium model.

• Key Characteristics: Self-explanatory product that delivers value quickly, with minimal need for a sales team.
• Best Suited For: Low-touch, self-service models targeting a broad market. It’s ideal for tech-savvy users who want to explore on their own.

2. Sales-Led Motion

This is the classic sales approach where direct interaction with potential customers leads the way. The sales team educates, demonstrates, and closes.

• Key Characteristics: Relationship-building, trust, and longer sales cycles.
• Best Suited For: High-price or complex products where personal guidance and detailed explanations are essential.

3. Content-Led Motion

With this strategy, you focus on creating and sharing valuable content that attracts and engages potential customers over time.

• Key Characteristics: Emphasizes brand loyalty, thought leadership, and long-term organic growth.
• Best Suited For: Companies that want to build trust and educate their audience, often with longer sales cycles.

4. Community-Led Motion

Community-led GTM revolves around building a strong, engaged user community. Here, the community itself fuels growth through feedback, referrals, and advocacy.

• Key Characteristics: Customer relationships are central, with organic growth driven by community referrals and feedback.
• Best Suited For: Businesses that thrive on shared purpose or collaboration among users.

5. Paid-Led Motion

Paid-led GTM focuses on using paid channels to generate awareness and attract potential customers quickly. This approach leverages media buying to create targeted visibility and increase traffic in a short amount of time.

• Key Characteristics: Fast, scalable reach that’s targeted through paid channels.
• Best Suited For: Companies looking for rapid brand recognition, particularly in competitive markets, or those with a need to drive immediate traffic and conversions.

6. Partner-Led Motion

Partner-led growth focuses on collaborating with external partners—like resellers, affiliates, or ecosystem partners—to expand reach, drive sales, and increase market presence. Instead of relying solely on direct sales, the company works through partners who can enhance distribution, add credibility, and tap into new markets.

• Key Characteristics: Indirect growth through partnerships, enhanced market reach, and reduced customer acquisition costs.
• Best Suited For: Companies looking to leverage external relationships for growth, such as those in B2B markets, or those expanding to new regions or industries.

Blending GTM Strategies

Many businesses use a mix of these motions to reach their goals. For example, you might start with a product-led approach to attract a broad audience, but use sales-led techniques for larger clients. Or, you could combine content-led strategies to nurture long-term growth and a community-led approach to keep users engaged.

For example, here at SharpStance, we blend content-led and sales-led motions to promote our product marketing services. If you’re reading this, that means our content-led approach is working.

Specific Tactics for GTM Motions

Each GTM motion has unique tactics that make it work. Here’s a breakdown:

Product-Led Tactics

• Freemium Model: Offer a basic version for free to entice users to upgrade.
• Free Trial: Provide a full, time-limited product experience.
• Self-Service Onboarding: User-friendly interfaces help customers start quickly, with minimal friction.
• Viral Loops: Features that encourage users to invite others.
• Product Analytics: Use data to track behavior and optimize the experience.

Best suited for: Low-price products with quick value. Companies targeting large markets where personalized sales are tough to scale.

Sales-Led Tactics

• Direct Sales Force: Have a team to demo, prospect, and close deals.
• Account-Based Marketing (ABM): Personalized campaigns targeting high-value accounts.
• Sales Enablement: Equip your team with the tools and training to succeed.
• Customer Relationship Management (CRM): Use CRM systems to track interactions and manage leads.
• Relationship Building: Foster trust through long-term, relationship-focused sales efforts.

Best suited for: High-price or complex products. Businesses with niche markets or where Customer Lifetime Value (CLTV) is critical.

Content-Led Tactics

• Content Marketing: Create blog posts, case studies, and ebooks to engage your audience.
• SEO: Optimize content to rank higher and drive organic traffic.
• Social Media Marketing: Use platforms to share content and build brand awareness.
• Email Marketing: Nurture leads with valuable content and personalized offers.
• Thought Leadership: Establish your brand as an expert in your industry.

Best suited for: Companies that aim to build long-term brand awareness and customer loyalty. Products that require education, with longer sales cycles.

Community-Led Tactics

• Community Building: Create spaces for customers to connect and share.
• Events and Meetups: Bring the community together for learning and engagement.
• User-Generated Content (UGC): Encourage users to share their experiences.
• Referral Programs: Incentivize customers to bring in new users.
• Customer Advocacy: Turn loyal customers into brand advocates.

Best suited for: Products that naturally foster a sense of community. Companies that value authentic customer relationships.

Paid-Led Tactics

• Digital Advertising: Run targeted ads on platforms like Google Ads and Meta Ads.
• Sponsored Content: Pay to promote branded content on high-traffic sites.
• Retargeting Campaigns: Use retargeting to re-engage visitors who showed initial interest.
• Influencer and Affiliate Marketing: Partner with influencers or affiliates to expand reach.
• Display Ads and Programmatic Advertising: Automate ad placements across various websites and apps.

Best suited for: Companies looking for quick, large-scale visibility. Ideal for competitive markets and products with immediate demand, or when rapid brand recognition is essential.

Partner-Led Tactics

• Channels: Work with channel partners like VARs and consultants to reach new markets and customer segments.
• Ecosystem Partnerships: Build alliances with companies offering complementary products, enhancing the overall value proposition.
• Referral Programs: Enable partners to refer your product within their networks, with incentives for successful referrals.
• Affiliate Programs: Compensate affiliates for driving new business, ideal for transactional products.
• Resellers: Collaborate with resellers who handle the sales process and add value through their own offerings.
• Nearbound Selling: Engage with partners’ existing networks to identify and pursue mutual opportunities, making use of shared relationships.

Best suited for: Companies looking to expand through partnerships, particularly in B2B markets or those exploring new regions or industries.

Key Considerations for Choosing a GTM Motion

1. Product-Led Growth (PLG): Can users see value quickly? Do you have resources for upfront user acquisition? Can you iterate based on feedback? If yes, PLG might be a fit.
2. Sales-Led GTM: Can you build a strong sales team? Is your product suited for a high-touch approach? Are you prepared for longer sales cycles? These are critical for sales-led success.
3. Content-Led GTM: Can you consistently create high-quality content? Is there search demand for your product? Are you ready for a long-term investment in brand-building?
4. Community-Led GTM: Does your product encourage a sense of community? Can you invest time in building genuine relationships? Can your community drive organic growth?
5. Paid-Led GTM: Do you need fast visibility and brand awareness? Do you have a budget for media buys? Is your market competitive, and do you need to reach customers quickly?
6. Partner-Led GTM: Are you seeking to expand through existing networks? Do you have complementary products or services that align well with potential partners?

Blending Strategies for Maximum Impact

Many companies find that blending these strategies gives them a strategic edge. Here are a few examples:

• Product-Led + Sales-Led: Start with PLG to bring users in, then use buyer enablement for larger accounts needing guidance.
• Content-Led + Community-Led: Attract users through content and keep them engaged through community activities.
• Paid-Led + Content-Led: Amplify your content reach with paid ads, especially in competitive markets where organic content alone may not break through.
• Partner-Led + Sales-Led: Partner with resellers or affiliates to reach new customers and follow up with a direct sales approach for high-value clients.

In the end, the right GTM strategy (or combination) depends on your product, market, and growth goals. Taking the time to think through these considerations will help you choose the approach that best aligns with your strengths and sets you up for success.