7 Simple Startup Marketing Strategies
If you’re an entrepreneur, or have a business of any size, then one of the most important things you’ve got to do is market your product. Whether it’s a physical good or service, marketing can be divided into three main categories:
Inbound marketing (using tactics like SEO and social media), outbound marketing (advertising) and content marketing (writing blog posts on topics related to your company).
But which should you focus on first? And how much time should you spend on each one? Here are some key insights for startups looking to grow their customer base with these 7 simple startup marketing strategies.
Get clear on your goals: Use SMART goals to help you focus on specific, measurable marketing goals. Once you have these goals in mind, start writing down things that will help you achieve those goals.
For example, if your main goal is to get 1000 visitors per month to a website within 2 months and 20% of them become paying customers than how will you do it? Lay out your goals and then put a plan together for how you’ll achieve those goals with dates and deadlines.
Define your target audience: Do you only want to market to certain demographics or target specific personas? Start mapping this out and see if there are any trends amongst your customers.
For example, is the majority of your audience female? How old are they on average? Are they married with kids or college students? What else can you learn about them that could help you build your target audience? How can you find this audience? Your time is valuable, so it’s important to focus on ways to spend marketing effort that is worth your time.
Start with the basics, such as advertising campaigns and content marketing which will help you reach a wider audience or attract new leads. If you’re looking for something more specific, then consider tools such as an automated social media and lead generation tool which can help you find contacts within your target audience.
Have a clear brand message: Now that you’ve identified your target audience, it’s time to think about what you want them to know about your brand. The goal is to get attention from potential and current customers and show them the value of your product or service.
So ask yourself: How can you present yourself best? Is it through information on social media, blogs, emails or other content? Or how about paid advertisements or word of mouth?
Have a unique competitive advantage: It’s easy to see that brand positioning is important in marketing. Two products can have similar features, but if one presents itself differently than the other it will gain more interest from potential customers.
What makes you unique and better than everyone else who is selling similar products? Is it the price, quality, style or a particular service you provide? If your value is not clear to customers then you need to come up with an effective way to demonstrate it.
Develop a good reputation: There’s a reason why companies like Google, Apple, and Amazon are so successful. They have great customer service. Customers don’t mind paying more for products when they know that the company will take care of them if anything goes wrong.
So how can you make sure your customers get good service? First, be responsive to their needs in a timely manner. Encourage your customers to reach out to you if they have any questions or problems. And make sure that issues are handled immediately and effectively.
Start a blog: If you don’t already have a blog, now is the time to start one. Having an active blog with fresh content will help engage potential and current customers who are interested in your niche.
In fact, 70% of consumers are more likely to purchase from a business with an active blog. Not only can you reach new customers through your blog but it’s also a fantastic way to maintain and grow relationships with existing clients (and leads).
Add inbound marketing strategies: It’s important to keep up with the latest trends in marketing. Inbound marketing strategies are a high priority for many marketers today because they work! The idea is to help customers find you by providing valuable content that will attract leads, almost like word of mouth.
There are a number of ways to use cognitive neuroscience principles in your marketing campaigns. Whether you’re selling products online or running a brick-and-mortar business, these marketing strategies will work for you if you do them right. They’ll help you drive more visitors into your marketing funnel and convert casual visits into sales.
