After advising and marketing for tech companies for over 13 years, and for as much as I value my own profession, there is no escaping this path: Start by getting your first 10 customers. No joke. That is harder than it looks. You can do this via social media, cold calling, personal networks, door-to-door sales.

Then get the next 100. By then you'll know a lot about what kinds of people use your product. What do they have in common? What do they love? What do they tell their friends?

Only after you truly understand this does it make sense to do "marketing"-in the sense of buying advertising. Marketing actually encompasses all these things, but most people think of it as buying ads, so I like to clarify.

Then once you have all those users, talk to them. A lot. Use the phone, email, surveys, in person visits to know them intimately. Try to anticipate their needs. Get them to refer you to their friends by having an incredible experience. That is the single most cost effective way to grow a company. Advertising--even if on social media-is very expensive and can be time consuming. Until you know who is buying your product and why, it's hard to focus a marketing strategy enough to make it effective. Let me know if you have any questions on this.