If you are like the typical startup, chances are high that you would have set out to conquer the world with your dazzling array of ideas. You had that revolutionary idea that would bring change to the world and take your venture to the very heights of stardom. You had everything going your way until the reality of the world in which we live today came by and gave you a hard slap in the face.
A competitive world
That’s when you discovered that the world in which we live today is ultra-competitive. That revolutionary idea that you thought had the potential to shoot you stardom had already been tried out and discarded by thousands of others.
And although there is always the slimmest of possibilities, the chances that you would drop out of High School, form a company in your dad’s garage and then take over the tech world, Gates style, are really very slim.
Startups have their work cut out for them
Okay, perhaps we exaggerate a little. The world is not such doom and gloom for startups. Each day, stories are told of small businesses that are launched and that actually go on to thrive, in spite of the odds. The whole point that we wish to make, however, is that the odds are stacked against startups.
You only have to read this Forbes report, which states that 90% of all startups fail, to understand what we are talking about. However, there are a lot of things that you can do to minimize the chances of that happening. This article offers a few Marketing tips for startups and should be useful to those who are looking to leave their mark in today’s world.
Why Marketing is Important
The importance of marketing in business can never be overstated. Your very existence as a going concern depends on your ability to attract new customers and retain existing ones. All the steps that you take in order to sell yourself are what is referred to as Marketing.
Without a vibrant Marketing plan, even that vibrant idea that we have just been talking about will not be enough to give your business the kind of visibility that it needs. It is your role, therefore, as a business owner or a marketing expert, to convince people, most of whom may never have heard about you and your products, that you have a product or service that can help transform their lives for the better. So, what are some of the things that startups need to do in order to increase this visibility?
Effective Planning
One of the things that differentiate a successful startup from the rest is planning. This is really where everything begins as far as Marketing for startups is concerned? There are a number of questions that you need to ask yourself right at the beginning. These questions will determine what you are going to do as far as making your brand known is concerned;
- What are your Marketing goals and how do you plan on achieving them?
- What Marketing avenues are open for you?
- Who is your target audience and how can you reach them?
- How much can you afford to spend this early in your company’s lifespan?
These and other questions are what should drive every startup’s Marketing drive.
Impact Launch
If you are going to make a break for the big leagues, you need a launch strategy that is a cut above the rest. Launching like Steve Jobs is not only reserved for Steve Jobs. The truth is that although it is difficult, all startups have the potential to have the kind of impact launch that is usually reserved for the big guns.
The trick lies in generating and maintaining the kind of hype that can get the entire world talking. You should, therefore, regard your startup’s launch date as the most important date for your business. There are a number of things that you can do in order to have the high impact launch that we are talking about here;
- Focus, during your Marketing campaign, on what people will gain and not solely on your product
- Get big names to support your launch
- Let people pre-order your products and services
- Build on that hype
Although it is possible for you to gradually grow into stardom, most businesses that are launched with a whimper never really develop what it takes to reach the stars. Today, there are various ways through which you can achieve the kind of hype that is needed to really get your venture going. Below, we talk about having an online presence and how this should be at the very center of every startup’s Marketing strategy.
Have an online presence
The twenty-first century has brought about the kinds of technological innovations that would have appeared to be pure magic only a few decades ago. Most of these are centered around the World Wide Web; that amazing collection of data that has literally put a seemingly endless amount of information onto our very fingertips.
Here, staggering amounts of information are exchanged every second. Social Media, a by-product of the internet age, has also transformed the ways in which human beings interact with one another.
The seemingly intangible entity that is the internet has transformed the world in very practical ways. So much commerce and communication take place through this medium on a daily basis that every startup should strive, right from the beginning, to have an online presence.
Half of the businesses out there do not have a presence online
You would think that we are overstating the fact, right? What business would, in this day and age, not have an online presence? The truth, however, is that nearly half of the small businesses that are out there did not have a website during a survey that was carried out in the United States only last year (2016).
Whether you are, whether a small dairy farm or a pizzeria operating out of a dingy alley, there is really no excuse for you not to have an online presence in this day and age. And, why is that? Well, for the simple reason that having your own blog, website or social media account is really the only way through which you can effectively market your startup in the 21st century.
Online is where people are now spending their time and you need to be there to be able to tap into this tide. We now live in a world of Digital Marketing, and you do not want to miss out on the ongoing trends.
Local Listings
Having an online presence for startups includes getting listed on local review sites. Think of Yellow Pages and Yelp. These sites are, believe it or not, the place where people go when they are looking for local services providers. It is important, therefore, for all startups to be listed on these sites in order to give them maximum visibility.
Google My Business
Google My Business is another great way through which you can increase your startup’s visibility. Once you have registered your startup, it will begin to appear in Google Search and in Maps. This gives people the ability to leave reviews about your business and to positively engage with your brand.
The Importance of Feedback
One of the biggest mistakes that you can ever make as a startup is to enclose yourself within an impenetrable bubble. There is so much going on that you just do not have the time to listen to what people have to say, right?
Nothing, however, could be further from the truth. Getting Feedback should be at the very center of your Marketing strategy. If you are going to reach out to people using a website or a blog, make it possible for them to tell you what they think about you and your products and services.
No doubt a lot of what you will get will be brutal, but that is really the nature of every business’ existence. You will also discover that people are generally not bothered to take the time to leave feedback. Why not, in any case, give them some incentive to get them going?
Reward People, and they will Reward you
We have already mentioned that there are thousands of startups out there, many of which actually share the same ideas. So, how do you break out from the fold?
Marketing is what allows you to stress your differences, which gives you the ability to carve out your own niche. One of the ways through which you can get yourself greater visibility is by offering people some incentive to engage with your brand.
People ordinarily have so much going on in their lives that they would ordinarily not be bothered with your attempt to break through to them. However, it is a fact that human beings are always on the hunt for freebies. Give them some launch-day and other discounts, and you are likely to make them momentarily pause to give you that chance that you are looking for.
