How to Market your Startup Like a Big Business
The Best Unsolicited Marketing Advice You’ll Ever Get
So you’ve decided to start your own business. Hopefully, by now, you’ve gone through the slew of financial and licensing logistics. For the purpose of this article, we’re going to assume that you’re either officially “open for business” or will be very soon. Whether you’ve already hired a crew of 20 or you’re still on the hunt for employees, now is the time to consider how you will successfully market your startup. Time is of the essence here but you don’t want to rush into any decisions either as acting too hastily can cost you wasted money and your first impression.
There’s a lot to consider when marketing a startup so we’re here to help you get started and make sense of it all. From navigating common challenges to planning a marketing budget to implementing our very own comprehensive digital marketing platform, to taking advantage of local networking opportunities, to using SEO to draw investors to your site; get ready to dive into all things startup marketing with this easy-to-read guide.
No Marketing is Better than Bad Marketing
Remember this – you only get one shot at a first impression so make sure it’s a good one. If your budget is small, there is a solution and it is not amateur/DIY marketing. Don’t fall victim to this route that we’ve seen ruin businesses before they’re even off the ground.
Consumers are savvier than ever. They know good marketing from the bad so your ad must be top-notch to get them to pay attention...and click through to your site. Because today’s shoppers are exposed to so much good marketing, when they see anything subpar it’s painfully obvious. But wait, there’s more! (bad marketing lingo intended to prove a point here) If these consumers like your ad in the very first seconds they view it, they’ll subconsciously make more mental notes to decide whether or not you’re worth a click.
As a new business owner, it’s your responsibility to present your company only in the very best light online so your potential customers and clients like you and trust you right out the gate. Doing this is no easy task either. As fully explained in the article linked below, if your budget is very small we suggest starting very slow but better yet, making use of SmartStart, our very own marketing ecosystem built exclusively for budget-constrained business owners. You can learn more about it here.
No Marketing Is Better Than Bad Marketing
Plan Your Marketing Budget Like a BOSS
It’s easier said than done. When you start looking at agencies so few are transparent with their pricing. It’s a challenge for both parties as no agency can determine the perfect fit for your budget and you’re still trying to wrap your head around what your company’s benefit-cost ratio is. Plus, there is no one size fits all and pricing is always subjective too.
Not to stress though; we’ve done tons of our own research and created an extremely thorough and helpful whitepaper on the subject. We think it’s a guide that healthfully balances what’s practical and what’s realistic. The whitepaper, appropriately named “Your Startup: How to Plan a Marketing Budget” includes a diverse range of sources, considerations, and techniques, all with notes based on our own experience. With strategy, website development, and content marketing in mind, it will serve you well in your marketing planning obstacle course. Click here to download the free whitepaper now.
Your Startup: How to Plan a Marketing Budget
Comprehensive Marketing for the Budget-Constrained
Unless you’ve been merely scanning this article, then you will recall a mention of SmartStart, our very own comprehensive marketing platform that was created with startups, non-profits, and evolving businesses in mind. We built this platform when things were most uncertain in the world as the pandemic was arguably at its height and companies everywhere – both new and old, were losing their marketing budget due to a rapid decline in business.
This all-encompassing platform grants entrepreneurs a quick and easy way to obtain social media management, a modern website, ad automation, clean and engaging email campaigns, and so much more. Just in its first year, SmartStart has received tons of praise and we’re still finding new ways to make it even better with every client who uses it! If you’re curious about how SmartStart could benefit your new business, click here to check out its numerous offerings and abilities.
Market like a big brand, even if you aren’t one yet.
Free Marketing at a Stone’s Throw
Okay, you’ve been told time and time again...network! It’s true though – networking is a free (or very cheap) way to market your business to your peers and potential clients. Whether you’re posting up at a networking event with free samples and marketing swag or you’re an outgoing businessman or businesswoman making your rounds in a crowded arena, handing out business cards and talking shop with everyone you meet; you’re doing it right! We applaud you for these efforts.
Because we pride ourselves on our active engagement in the community, we decided to start an event calendar, which highlights all of our favorite tech and creative happy hours, coffee hours, seminars, and conferences, in the area. So if you live in Nashville and networking is your jam, then this calendar will speak to you!
How to Engage the Nashville Creative Community
Use SEO to Attract Clients AND Investors
You know you need organic website traffic in order to properly run your new (aka unestablished) business. Word of mouth isn’t an option yet and won’t be for a long time. Even the most seasoned of companies can’t rely solely on word of mouth or print marketing. Not only do you need potential customers to find your site; you also need potential investors to find you and want “in.”
So how do you get organic traffic exactly? Well, that’s a loaded question and an answer that would take hours or more to fully explore but we’ll go ahead and sum up some highlights from MojoMediaPros’ CEO Steve Lomas’ presentation and slideshow linked below.
You need to remember that it’s all about the user experience (UX) when it comes to SEO. Knowing who your customers/investors are is essential in getting them to your site. What are their personas – age, gender, profession, etc. Also, what are they searching for and what is their end goal? It’s crucial to always maintain a user-first mindset.
You’ll want to satisfy your intent. Analyze your post-click actions. Determine if users are coming back to your site. Are they getting the answers they need? Second, you must satisfy trust, and to do that you’ll want to look at your local search first. Your business info is spread around to 70+ 3rd party search directories and more times than not, the info is wrong. Whether it’s an incorrect phone number, address, or website link, this can cost you the trust of a potential investor (or customer) in a second. Because of this reality, you’ll want to consider managing your local search with the help of an employee or service.
It’s also important to note that keywords still matter and you shouldn’t be looking at Google as the be-all, end-all search engine. Finally, investing in killer content should always be a priority in terms of both SEO and keeping investors and customers engaged with your site.
Maximizing Web Presence to Attract Investors
Marketing looks a lot different now than it did even 20 years ago. It’s smarter, faster, and very hard to keep up with. Only the experts fully get it and even they have their confusion and roadblocks sometimes. We know there is an abundance of marketing lingo and how-to that’s quite daunting even for the most brilliant of business owners. Our goal is always to provide you with information that will help you navigate the process every step of the way.
