Article Contributed by Francesca Holmes
Startups focus all their energy and time trying to get their product into the market. But they also need to focus on spreading the word about them and building a buzz in the market.
Startup marketing differs from marketing for established businesses in that there is no product recognition in the market and the budget is very limited. So you need to build brand identity, stoke brand loyalty and enhance brand perception while keeping the marketing spend on a tight rein.
Digital marketing encompasses all market outreach activities you carry out on the Web. Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram and Google Plus are social media channels where there is something for virtually every business. You can also make use of Google AdWords to help your company’s name crop up in searches.
Blogs are a great way to build and maintain the online audience. They also help establish thought leadership and brand identity.
If you are a startup owner and are wondering about how to best execute your digital marketing strategy here are a few tips for you.
- Make Use of AdWords
Google AdWords is the great platform for lead generation, provided you zero in on the most accurate and appropriate keywords for your business.
You must actively manage your keywords and track progress. Using Google Analytical tools, you can measure performance, click-throughs and conversions from each set of keywords.
You should continuously fine-tune your keyword strategy and strive to drive more traffic to your site. This will also enable you to understand how ripe the market is for your product or service, and how customers come looking for you.
But as obvious as the benefits may seem, startups need not always fare well when employing AdWords. The cost is prohibitive for smaller companies competing against global giants. As opposed to a few years back, the pay-per-click cost has gone up several dollars, ranging from $5 up to $70, or even more. This is mainly because all important keywords are locked down by the big players in the niche. Also, AdWords need close and continued monitoring. Forgetting to turn off an ad or directing a click to a non-existing page can prove to be very costly.
So evaluate your needs and check whether you are financially capable of supporting an AdWords campaign. If you can afford the price of acquiring traffic who may or may not convert, then AdWords is great for you. This will also help you gain exposure in the market. Also, consider comparatively cheaper options like Bing Ads to save money on clicks.
Since your aim is to drive traffic to your website ensure that the landing pages are fresh, updated, informative, well-designed and fast loading. A website that takes more than three seconds to load can drive away visitors. A good WordPress hosting service can speed up your WordPress site considerably. Choose your hosting company carefully no matter on what CMS platform your site is.
- Social Media Metrics Matter
Many companies have garnered customer recognition and brand identity due to a one-off blockbuster social media campaign, like the YouTube ad for Dollar Shave Club featuring its CEO Michael Dubin. But for most of us, we need to sweat it out on a daily basis to find our place under the sun in the social media universe.
Social media needs skill and expertise, so if you do not have them hire employees who are social media natives. They will be able to reflect the values, character and personality you want your startup to exude on all relevant platforms.
All social media platforms are not equally effective for all businesses. If you feel visual presentation is important then Instagram, YouTube, and Pinterest are essential to grab eyeballs.
Influencer strategy works best for startups where you earn the loyalty of someone who has popularity, thought leadership and/or huge follower base in your niche. The influencer can be a blogger, celebrity, expert, reviewer or even a customer who has taken a genuine liking to your product and wants to share the story of your company with their social media friends and contacts. As the entrepreneur, it’s your responsibility to reach out and identify influencers, or if you are truly lucky they can be earned organically. As they share your story, your brand presence grows among your target audience.
Tweets, shares, likes, and comments are important but ensure you are not a narcissistic marketer obsessed with these numbers. They may buy you popularity but for your product to sell you need to achieve much more.
With the marketing potential so evident most social media channels now provide tools that allow you to drill and delve deeper into user profiles and identify suitable targets.
- Email Marketing Is Evergreen
Though email marketing has been around for far too long, bear in mind that it is still the most profitable method for marketers. Email marketing has the lowest cost of acquisition per customer.
Successful email marketing campaigns have highly targeted mailing lists where you send useful and informative content to users at regular intervals. If your content is relevant and useful, users will begin to look forward to your mails. The CTA buttons will allow them to sign up for alerts and newsletters.
Email marketing helps build brand recognition and loyalty, and the chances of users or subscribers becoming your customers increase significantly.
Email marketing is a highly efficient lead-generation tool. You can trigger emails when a user visits your site and carries out any specific task. An effective signup form will help your mailing list grow.
Do not send a standard email or newsletter to all your subscribers. Segment your list and identify customer groups who have similar buying interests, are located in same/nearby/similar location, are existing customers or are potential customers. By customizing your newsletters to cater to the needs of different segments you have better chance of conversions. Addressing specific and relevant pain points or needs is the best way to get your subscriber to respond to your CTA.
Conclusion
A successful digital marketing campaign will help startups gain all-important brand recognition and brand identity. It will also drive in early explorers who will help spread the word about your business in nascent stages. Ensure you remain aware of all digital marketing channels and choose ones that suit your business most to carry out campaigns.