Marketing Tips for Startups & New Businesses
You’re a startup founder or a new business owner…regardless of the space you’re in, or what product or service you offer, you need marketing. And, you may not have the budget to hire someone to build your internal marketing function or even consult, part-time. Here are guidelines for getting up and running. This article covers:
website basics
creating useful content
leveraging social media strategically
using email marketing
monitoring and adapting
networking and collaborating
using AI resources
The data widget wouldn’t let us show it precisely, but the exact stat is 45.9%. (Source: https://www.forbes.com/advisor/business/small-business-statistics/)
Website Basics
You’ve bought your domain name, and now it’s time to develop your web presence. There are lots of platforms that help you create a website fairly easily, with many really cool looking templates to choose from. However, it doesn’t matter if you have a beautiful website, if your potential customers or clients can’t find what they’re looking for. Make sure your information architecture is on point, meaning that you need to make sure that your navigation bar makes sense, that pages have the content they should have on them, and that data is easy to find. If your website is not created with user experience at the forefront, your web visitors will leave, and your web traffic (and potentially your bottom line), will suffer. We really enjoy using Squarespace and have found it quite simple to customize pages. And if you’re a fan of The Office Ladies podcast, Angela Kinsey and Jenna Fischer use it, too!
Creating Useful Content
Create content that resonates with your audience, answers their questions and hopefully, creates a desire to learn more about how you can help them. You have that great website built, and now it’s time to populate that Articles, Information, or News section. Share your expertise with:
articles
case studies
infographics
white papers/thought leadership reports
videos
Not only does this strategy help you promote yourself as a problem solver and thought leader in your space, but it also helps with SEO for your website.
An information architect looks at structure and categorization, user experience design, usability testing, content strategy, access and compliance, and technology integration.
Leveraging Social Media Strategically
Social media gives you have a direct line of communication to your customers and clients… if they know you’re out there. Identify where your potential audience is. For some startups and small businesses, it may be a combination of platforms (think Instagram/Facebook, TikTok as well as LinkedIn), while for others, LinkedIn may be the best place to focus your efforts.
(Learn how to open your LinkedIn company page here).
Pro tip: take a look at where your competition is sharing their message. Does it make sense to follow suit? Can you learn how to do something different (and maybe better) by studying their channels?
Share your story with a lens towards how you can help make your clients’ and customers’ lives easier, and how you can solve their problem at hand with what you offer. Regular posting can help increase following and engagement. Initiate a conversation with your audience by asking questions that invite them to respond in the Comments section, or by launching an interactive poll. Scheduling software such as Hootsuite can help automate this task when you’re a lean startup or small business machine. Be consistent, but don’t be cheesy (said the company with a robot logo ;).
Using Email Marketing
If you’re a startup or small business that is fortunate to have a verified email list of clients and customers, share your message with a permission marketing email. The effectiveness of email marketing hinges on personalization and segmentation. Tailor your emails based on the behaviors and preferences of your customers to keep things relevant for them. Provide value, by sharing the latest article, case study, infographic or video from your website, and promote that e-NL (e-Newsletter) on your social media channels.
That’s what integrated marketing is all about!
Monitoring and Adapting
Data is indispensable for making informed marketing decisions that can help you refine your strategy about getting your message out into the world. Most website building platforms come with built-in analytics you can monitor. Installing Google Analytics provides another rich data source around understanding traffic sources, tracking user behavior, seeing which pages viewers visit the most and stay on the longest, tracking conversions and other audience insights. And, it’s free! Social media channels also have dashboards that share insights about your posts, but they may not be as deep.
Networking and Collaborating
Building connections can significantly amplify your marketing efforts. Engage in industry meetups, seminars, and other networking events to forge valuable relationships. Consider collaboration with other startups or small businesses. This can lead to co-marketing opportunities that allow you to pool resources and reach wider audiences without doubling your expenses. Engage in activities like webinars, joint social media campaigns, or cross-promotions that offer mutual benefits.
What’s another approach?
Joining your local Chamber of Commerce is a wonderful way to make meaningful connections in your community while you promote your business. In our local area, we’re proud to be members of The Quincy Chamber of Commerce as well as the South Shore Chamber of Commerce, where we’ve met so many AWESOME people and are able to part of so many fun and uplifting community events! We’ve found that other business owners are very generous about sharing their experiences, listening to what is going on in your process, and kind when providing insights and advice. Plus, Chambers of Commerce host many helpful educational programs to help business owners.
Using AI Resources
Generative AI has opened a whole new frontier when it comes to marketing and content creation. While it’s an awesome resource, be aware of what it is good at, and what may take some tweaking, particularly with free versions of platforms. AI can help you generate content faster and assist in data analysis, but it doesn’t always have the nuanced tone you may be looking for, particularly when it comes to creating your Voice of the Company. Beware of AI hallucinations and make sure to inject your brand’s personality into any content it creates.
Navigating StartupLand & NewBusinessWorld: Doing it all?
Being the founder of a new business is a wild and incredibly busy ride, whether you’re a tech startup with a virtual staff of 5 or a brick and mortar business opening in your hometown. We know this experience, first-hand, and we feel your pain (and your joy, it’s not all exhausting, right? Some of it is amazingly fun and empowering!) Understanding marketing basics can help you get started.
But what if you’re still like… I don’t want to because (insert your reason here).
Well, then. #LetsChitChat
Because we’re startup/small business experienced, from building entire internal marketing functions from the ground up, in multiple industries, to working on a project by project basis.
We’re here to help :)
Authored by: Melissa E. Daley, CMO
Sources:
https://www.forbes.com/advisor/business/small-business-statistics/