There is a very subtle line separating successful startups from those that are less so. Other than being extremely devoted to developing and organizing their ideas, all prosperous startups have another characteristic in common – they do their marketing properly. For those of you who still have doubts about what startup marketing has done right that has to encompass, here are some of the most important things to keep in mind.
1. Mind the market
If nobody has the slightest need for what you have to offer, then why even bother pitching your business?
Examining the market you want to enter has to be done with utmost care. This includes measuring your market size with its characteristics in mind. This may include size, wealth, competition, as well as your own value proposition.
2. The power of promotion
There is nothing quite like promotional items that will remind your customers of you whenever they use them.
This is why you should use various personalized products with your brand name to promote your business.
Of course, never neglect promotion on social media either. The process of making your online presence is equally important as any other means of promotion.
Always try and be consistent on all channels of communication. Also, create compelling content that will engage readers either on social media or via email campaigns.
3. Early PR catches the worm
In light of the fact that the competition is merciless, there has to be something that will make your business stand out from the crowd. This is why you need to preach and advocate about it but try and do so through carefully selected channels.
PR is done even before you launch your business. One way of doing so is making use of PR tools and services which is possible without even hiring a PR firm. You can use as many of those as you can, but experts recommend that you don’t go over 10.
Instead of hopelessly sending news releases and outreach emails hoping they will strike a chord with a journalist or a blogger, these tools help you distribute, measure, and track everything you send out there.
4. Organic or paid visibility?
Both.
Choosing keywords for organic search is a must for any startup.
Once you determine your core keywords, you can expand that list by creating a sub-list of secondary keywords. Unlike core keywords that are as specific as possible, the other list includes related keywords relevant to your niche market.
The same goes for paid advertisements.
They increase brand awareness and help you create a customer base. Needless to say, the budget you create for the marketing strategy has to be planned to the last detail.
ROI (Return on Investment) and other metrics are there to show you if any of the campaigns are working or not.
5. Influencer marketing
Influencers are real gems for startups.
Bloggers and Return on Investment who already have an influence on your target group can be utilized in your favor.
Approaching them is not exactly rocket science but there are some things to keep in mind.
You can interact with them through liking, sharing, or commenting on their content to build a relationship. It is then that you can move forward with a proposition that should be authentic and clear.
At the end of the day, it all boils down to having a sound strategy. Plan everything and go step by step, leaving very little room for mistakes and surprises.
About the Author:
Carolin Petterson is a businesswoman and content marketer with years of experience under her belt. She has had the opportunity to contribute to many popular business and marketing websites.
