By: Cara Benson
As a startup, you’re likely investing most of your time, energy, & money into the business itself — your products or services, your branding, your people. It’s easy for marketing & engagement efforts to fall by the wayside rather than remain a critical focus.
Marketing, however, is key for the growth that’s critical to your success. A majority of startups don’t have the budget to hire a dedicated team or marketing agency, but fortunately, there are a number of effective, low cost strategies for getting the word out and engaging potential customers.
Go Local
It may seem like a no-brainer, but make your friends, family, & local community your number one fans first. Word-of-mouth is something that digital marketers have been trying to replicate ever since the Internet came into existence, and for good reason. It’s powerful. No other source is more trusted than the people you know and, well, trust.
Post on Craigslist, local forums, & directories, & place free ads in the local paper. Attend networking & other meetup events around town & share your story. Don’t overlook the impact of speaking at local Chambers of Commerce meetings. Invest your time in your community & you’ll reap the rewards.
Another great way to engage with your local network is to start a newsletter, especially if you don’t have a strong Website yet. TinyLetter, created by MailChimp, is one free & no-frills option. It’s a great way to keep everyone you know in the loop about your progress, & having an audience — no matter how small — is a great tool to keep you motivated.
Host Events
On the other side of the in-person marketing coin is hosting your own events, when on-site logistics planning becomes very important. Most marketers agree that ‘live’ events provide a valuable opportunity to form connections in an increasingly digital world, & are an efficient way to turn strangers into engaged customers. It’s something you can do even if you plan to function primarily Online without a storefront.
Don’t over-engineer it. Keep it simple, fun, & free. If hosting in an owned property isn’t an option, consider partnering with a beloved & friendly local establishment. To promote & manage the event, you can take advantage of most high-end event management software tools for free if you don’t charge admission. Plus, there are a number of cost effective ways to promote your event Online using keyword targeting, social media, & email (like your newsletter).
Optimize Your Website & Content
When it comes to your Online strategy — & make no mistake, carving out a digital footprint is critical — you may hear a lot about Google Adwords, which can definitely be a worthwhile avenue over time. However, it takes a lot of money & resources to test & improve campaigns. When starting your Website, prioritize optimizing your pages for SEO, meaning making yourself visible in the organic results in search engines like Google, where most people will go to find or learn more about you. WordPress & Squarespace both have free integrated SEO tools that can do a lot of the work for you.
To support any Website & SEO efforts, you must publish Content not only about what’s going on with your business (things you should really save for your newsletter anyway), but about your industry in general. Make yourself an authoritative voice people want to listen to. This way, you can also capture the attention of people early in the customer journey, people who are still figuring out what the options in the space are.
Keep up a regular blog publishing schedule & use it as an opportunity to fine tune your brand voice. Create Content about things your ideal readers & customers will want to share, & don’t neglect critical keyword research that will help your Site rank well for the kinds of things your target audience is searching for.
Leverage Your True Fans
Influencer marketing will quickly become your SEO strategy’s best friend, and can work for you on a number of different levels. As a startup, curating a strong online network of relationships with people who can turn into brand advocates will be the foundation of your freemium online marketing strategy. Don’t underestimate the power of other people who share your brand simply because they believe in what you’re doing.
Follow & engage with influential people in your space on their social networks. Subscribe to their blogs & take the time to leave comments on or share the things that strike you. This way, if you find yourself in the position of reaching out & wanting to work together, you will have a foundation of engagement to build on rather than pitching ice cold.
Use The Social Media That’s Right For You
It can be easy to fall into the trap of thinking that you need to be active on every single social media account that exists, but this isn’t necessarily the case. While it’s important for reputation & brand image purposes to make sure you own your name on influential platforms, focus most of your efforts on the channel that makes the most sense for your industry, audience, & startup goals.
According to Kickofflabs, the following business & social media platform pairings prove the most effective:
- Facebook – B2C Products
- Twitter – B2B
- Instagram – Highly visual products & services / strong brand image
- LinkedIn – B2B
- Pinterest – Highly visual products & services / strong brand image
- Quora – Finding B2B leads
- com – Local marketing
As a startup, use social media as another way to drive exposure to your Content & again, as a way to engage & build relationships with other people in your space.
About the Author: Cara Benson is Community Manager at Eventbrite.
All views & opinions expressed in this article are solely that of the author. This Website may or may not subscribe to the same.
