We know from our work with some of Scotland’s most exciting startup companies that time is precious and having good quality, trustworthy information on every element of running a business is paramount. Marketing is a business essential, but it is even more important for start-ups.
The best marketing ideas are often simple and inexpensive, but they don’t come out of the blue. You need to think out-of-the-box and be innovative. Building a brand is an ongoing process, so nail that creative mindset from the outset and you will reap the benefits in the future!
Since marketing for startups is such a unique case, this guide should give you a good place to start. Read on for our top tips to spread the word about your startup!
1. Know your audience
It is useless to create strategies, actions, or use Twitter to communicate if you do not know who your audience is – or who you want it to be. The more you know about your audience the better!
A common pitfall is to believe that everyone is a target – If you try to appeal to everyone, you fail to create meaningful connections with your real potential audience. No matter the type of startup, it’s crucial for your marketing to reach the right people with the right message so do some audience identification work first!
2. Use social media and create quality content
Ignoring socials isn’t an option anymore -some businesses have even been built solely on the back of social media! At first, it almost seems impossible to gain and grow a following but as you pick up momentum you will notice it gets easier.
When planning content, try to be authentic, consistent, and make sure that whatever you create is fun and engaging, and relevant for the audience in mind! Identifying and using targeted keywords and hashtags can help more people discover your content.
3. Don’t just sell, engage with your audience
It can be tempting to focus on sell, sell sell – but more often than not, your customers don’t want to be sold to! Of course, you want to acquire as many customers as possible, but there is nothing wrong with giving your customers a brand that they feel a part of.
Nothing is better than returning customers who recommend your business to others in their circle. Build a reciprocal relationship and build trust, but most importantly ask for feedback and listen! In terms of social media, make sure you are interacting with your followers wherever possible.
4. Measure the results and use them to grow
In order to see if your strategies and actions are working, you need to establish and work towards KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) as a measuring tool. Some basic digital marketing KPIs might include measurement of: organic traffic, engagement, reach, and impressions. Google Analytics is an effective tool to help you analyse your KPIs and many social platforms have in-built measurement and reporting tools.
5. Study your competition
Identify your competitors and investigate their marketing approach and how they differentiate themselves to achieve stand-out campaigns. Try to establish if their successes could help inform your approach – but don’t outright copy them, rather use them as inspiration for what you could create yourself. Additionally, by learning from their mistakes you might even save your startup a few hardships!
6. Hire a pro – if you can!
While it’s not always possible, hiring a marketing professional is possibly the best marketing decision you can ever make. Done correctly, it can propel your new business to the next level, so it is important to invest the time in finding the right help (like us!).
Looking for support in growing your business and managing your reputation? Get in touch, we’d love to help.