A startup is a company in its initial stages of development that is created by its founders and financial backers to develop a unique product or service. Startups have become hugely popular in the tech space because they are the vehicle through which a great idea, when combined with passion, a little luck, and hard work, can lead to huge success and the rewards that come with it. Some of today's most valuable digital companies began as startups and many digital entrepreneurs have dreams of replicating this success and becoming the next billion-dollar unicorn.
The mistake many startups make, however, is in thinking that the benefits of their product and service are so superior that they will be enough to ensure ascendancy in the market - that their products or services are so good that customers will come to know about it of their own accord. In the increasingly crowded startup space, this is almost impossible without reaching out to their target market through effective marketing: without doing this a startup will find it almost impossible to reach its target customers in the highly competitive digital marketplace that exists today.
To be successful startups, like businesses of all types, need to get their name and brand out in the marketplace. They need to use both old and new marketing techniques to reach their potential customers and provide them with information about the products or services they are offering and their brand. Because startups are new entrants to a market, they can face unique challenges in getting information about what they do in the market and achieving name recognition. Startups need to create a brand identity that differentiates them from their competitors to attract customers. As a result of the relentless competition in the digital sphere, startups need to focus on their promotion and marketing efforts right from the start. Following are some of the best ways to promote a new startup.
Sending Emails
Sending emails remains an essential marketing strategy for getting the word out to customers about a startup. It is an inexpensive method for reaching customers and can be scaled easily to reach a huge number of people. The key element of this process is finding potential customers' email addresses. This can be done either by using existing lists or by harvesting prospects' email addresses through an offer or giveaway or by providing valuable information to prospects in the startup's field of business. Emails can be harvested by providing useful content (such as guides and videos) and can include signup for a newsletter or other source of information to maintain interest.
Creating a Website
Having a website is essential for any successful business in this information age. Today, no matter what type of business a startup is in it is essential that it have a strong online presence. A website provides information about what a startup does, its values, and the benefits it offers the customer. It should be a central repository of information for customers about the startup where they can learn about its business and the benefits it provides. It must also offer a method for customers to sign up for the startup's products and services or take the next step in the sales process. Having a professional website that is easy to use and that provides valuable information to the user about the startup's products or services is an essential way of building trust with potential customers and proving its professionalism.
Having a Presence on Social Media
Social media sites are another space where startups must have a presence in today's digital world. These sites attract more than 2.5 billion people globally and are a necessary channel for any startup's marketing strategy. With an effective presence on social media, a startup can get its name and brand in front of people and engage in conversations with potential customers that can be invaluable when establishing a brand. By posting relevant, engaging content on social media a startup can motivate its prospects to discover, interact with and see the benefits of its offerings and eventually make them customers.
Offering Custom Corporate Gifts
Custom corporate gifts, especially in the professional services industry, are a great way to gain lasting visibility and maintain long-term relationships with customers. One of the most effective ways a startup can reach its target audience is by offering them custom corporate gifts that are tailored and relevant to them. Custom corporate gifts typically feature the name, logo, and other business details of the startup engraved on them. They are meaningful and useful for target customers, by improving their productivity and efficiency or otherwise providing value, and, through their ongoing use, keep the startup's name and brand in customers' minds.
Branded custom corporate gifts not only make a startup's brand memorable for their customers' minds they also have other benefits including generating leads, maintaining existing customers' loyalty, boosting positive feelings about the startup, and often resulting in additional business opportunities. Customers also appreciate these types of corporate gifts more than other types of marketing and they have been shown to have a positive impact long after their initial distribution.
Using Paid Search Advertising
Paid search advertising enables a startup to get its name in front of highly targeted prospects relatively inexpensively. Search engines, social media sites, and other properties can offer advertising that is laser-focused on particular groups or individuals based on their attributes which can thus be highly tailored to a startup's offering. Websites and search engine results can feature custom adverts that are displayed based on keywords that are relevant to a startup's business and where they only charged when a customer responds by clicking on, or otherwise showing interest in, the advertisement. By creating relevant and engaging adverts a startup can reach precisely the audience they are targeting at a low cost which improves their marketing return on investment.
