Why Winning on G2 Helps you Win on LLMs
Advice for how startups can stand out early.
DEAR STAGE 2: We’re starting to see some really positive reviews from customers on G2, but it’s early days. What can we do to maximize our presence on G2? ~G2 CURIOUS
DEAR G2 CURIOUS: The fact that you already have customers willing to leave positive reviews is a great signal. The key now is to lean into your use of G2 and turn it into a growth engine. Categories evolve fast, especially in AI. G2 tracked over 5,000 new products in 56 categories this year (a 75% increase from last year). Positioning yourself early can define the narrative in your space!
I sat down with Sydney Sloan, CMO at G2 and Stage 2 LP, who shared her playbook for getting the most out of G2 in the early stages – and yes, Sydney has been on the other side of the table and built G2 into the marketing strategy for startups, including as the first CMO of Salesloft and Drata. She’s THE expert on helping companies go from “we just got our first reviews” to establishing a clear leadership position in their G2 categories. Here’s her advice:
Claim Your Profile & Hit the 10-Review Threshold First
Seems obvious, but you’d be shocked at how many startups haven’t taken the time to claim their profiles. Take the time to make sure your profile reflects your brand, messaging, and correct contact info.
Now it’s time to start thinking about reviews. Did you know that G2’s algorithm requires 10+ reviews to appear on a category Grid®? Without 10 reviews, your brand won’t show up where most buyers are comparing vendors, which means this has to be your first milestone. Sydney advises launching a simple campaign to get started:
Ask CSMs to request reviews from customers.
Add a banner or CTA in customer emails or in-app (via Pendo, WalkMe, etc.).
A personal ask from the CEO often drives higher response rates.
Sydney shared that at Salesloft, the team sprinted hard the moment the “Sales Engagement” category was created on G2. By immediately rallying customer reviews, they won the race against Outreach and others to secure a leadership spot in the G2 Grid. That early momentum paid compounding dividends.
Build a Steady Cadence of Reviews
Once you’re on the Grid, staying fresh is critical because G2 favors recency and weights recent reviews more heavily than 2-year-old ones. Sydney’s suggestions:
Create a review “drumbeat.” Ask for new reviews throughout a customer’s journey and whenever they have a success moment (new feature adoption, renewal, case study).
Encourage updates: when a customer edits their review after a year, G2 gives more weight to that “refresh.” It shows your product is maturing with them!
Use lightweight nudges: email signatures with review quotes and links, Slack reminders for CSMs, or even a small gift card incentive.
Use Reviews as a Customer Feedback Loop
For the CEO and leadership team, reviews are gold. Don’t just collect reviews; take the time to read every single one. Sydney recommends setting up a Slack integration to see reviews in real time. This helps you catch emerging product gaps or celebrate what customers love most.
Want to take it a step further? Respond! In the early days, it’s powerful for the Founder or Head of CS to respond personally, even to negative reviews. These customer feedback moments are critical for building trust with your brand.
A Few Final Pro Tips
Invest in Your G2 Presence: If your category already exists, consider G2 Advertising. These limited ad spots can land you in the top three vendor listings, putting you in front of buyers actively researching.
Keep an Eye on Competitors: Pick your top 3–5 competitors and monitor their review volume, sentiment, and recency. Seeing where they outpace you helps you focus your review asks.
Your G2 presence extends far beyond the platform—reviews and content are syndicated to marketplaces like AWS and Azure, and often surface in LLM search results. Once you're set up, keep your profile and reviews fresh, and look for ways to expand your reach. That might include licensing content to showcase report rankings, upgrading your profile, or leveraging Buyer Intent Data. Layer these in over time as you see results to increase visibility and track ROI more effectively.
Bottom line: G2 can be a true growth lever, not just a badge of honor. But you have to treat it like an owned channel, with consistent campaigns and founder involvement in the early days.
Until next week!