Channel & Lifecycle Planning
Purpose: decide which acquisition channels to test and how to plan marketing across the customer lifecycle — the layer above on-page SEO/CRO tactics. Three complementary frameworks:
- Bullseye — find the one channel that will actually move the needle (channel selection).
- See-Think-Do-Care — map content and intent to lifecycle stage (Google).
- RACE — operational planning loop across Reach/Act/Convert/Engage (Smart Insights).
Use this when a team is spreading thin across channels, has no channel-test discipline, or needs a lifecycle-wide plan rather than point optimizations.
Contents
- Bullseye (channel selection)
- See-Think-Do-Care (intent mapping)
- RACE (planning loop)
- How they compose
Bullseye Framework (Gabriel Weinberg, Traction)
Most startups die from a channel problem, not a product problem. Bullseye finds the one channel that works before scaling it.
| Ring | Action |
|---|---|
Outer — what's possible |
brainstorm at least one idea for all 19 traction channels (see list) — force coverage, don't pre-filter |
Middle — what's probable |
pick the ~3-5 most promising channels and run cheap, parallel tests (small budget, time-boxed) |
Inner — what's working |
double down on the single channel showing traction; pour resources there |
The 19 channels (cover all when brainstorming): viral marketing, PR, unconventional PR, SEM, social/display ads, offline ads, SEO, content marketing, email marketing, engineering as marketing, target-market blogs, business development, sales, affiliate programs, existing platforms, trade shows, offline events, speaking engagements, community building.
Rules: test channels in parallel, not serially; judge on cost-per-acquisition and scalability, not vanity reach; expect the winning channel to change as you scale (re-run Bullseye at each growth stage).
See-Think-Do-Care (Google / Avinash Kaushik)
Map audience intent to lifecycle stage; match content + KPI + channel to each.
| Stage | Audience intent | Content | Primary KPI |
|---|---|---|---|
See |
largest addressable audience, no intent yet | awareness / brand / educational | reach, brand lift |
Think |
some commercial intent, researching | comparison, how-to, considered content | engagement, assisted conversions |
Do |
strong commercial intent, ready | product pages, offers, CTAs | conversion, ROAS |
Care |
existing customers (≥2 purchases) | onboarding, support, loyalty | retention, LTV, NPS |
Anti-pattern it prevents: pushing Do-stage "buy now" messaging at a See-stage audience
(wasted spend). Pair the Care stage with growth (retention) and pulse (LTV/NPS).
RACE Planning (Smart Insights)
An operational planning loop wrapping the lifecycle: Reach → Act → Convert → Engage
(plus a Plan core). Use it to assign goals, KPIs, and channels per stage and to run a
continuous review cadence.
| Step | Goal | Example KPI |
|---|---|---|
Reach |
build awareness, drive visits | unique visitors, share of voice |
Act |
prompt interaction / leads | leads, time on site, micro-conversions |
Convert |
turn into customers | sales, conversion rate, revenue |
Engage |
retain & grow | repeat purchase, retention, advocacy |
RACE is the operating cadence; See-Think-Do-Care is the intent map; they align closely (Reach≈See, Act≈Think, Convert≈Do, Engage≈Care).
How They Compose
- Bullseye picks where to play (which channels earn investment).
- See-Think-Do-Care decides what to say at each intent stage on those channels.
- RACE runs the operating loop — goals, KPIs, and review cadence per stage.
Handoffs: on-page execution for chosen channels → seo-audit.md / cro-patterns.md /
geo-optimization.md; content structure → content-architecture.md; lifecycle retention
(Care/Engage) → growth; KPI instrumentation → pulse; channel CAC/ROI causality →
experiment (incrementality) + pulse (attribution-modeling.md).