9 Marketing Strategies For Startups To Boost Growth And Visibility
The opinions expressed by the owners are their own.
Tired of reading the usual marketing tips for your startup? When I started my journey as an entrepreneur, I knew how to build something, but marketing was a different game. Every corner of the internet repeats the same advice: paid advertising, email campaigns, blog posts and SEO.
The market seemed saturated and I began to wonder if a marketing strategy could make a difference until I applied these nine little-known but powerful marketing strategies that will revitalize your startup and help you stand out from the crowd.
1. Guerrilla marketing
Guerrilla marketing is an innovative and unconventional approach to promoting your brand that allows you to create a unique impression by avoiding traditional marketing methods. It's a very broad term, but this strategy essentially focuses on high-impact, low-cost tactics that capture your audience's attention in unexpected ways. For example, host a people-print event where volunteers say your brand name and, with their consent, take a picture of it .
Here are some examples of popular guerrilla marketing campaigns:
- Airbnb's Van Gogh Bedroom campaign. Airbnb has turned a replica of Van Gogh's bedroom into an Airbnb rental. The company marketed the experience on social media and it went viral, resulting in a significant increase in brand awareness.
- Burger King's Whopper Detour campaign. Burger King is offering customers a price for just a penny when they order from McDonald's. The campaign generated a lot of buzz on social media and the company's mobile app saw a surge in downloads.
- Coca-Cola's share a coke campaign. The campaign was a huge hit, generating millions of social media mentions and a dramatic increase in sales.
- Stupid ways to die on subway trains. The Metro Trains campaign created a catchy song and video featuring cartoon characters behaving dangerously next to trains to promote rail safety. The video went viral and led to a significant reduction in train accidents.
- Old Spice campaign "The man your man can smell". Old Spice has released a series of hilarious ads featuring a shirtless man promoting the benefits of Old Spice. The ad went viral and resulted in a significant increase in sales.
Related: 7 Guerrilla Marketing Tactics That Will Grow Your Business When The Money Drops
2. Promotional Items
It may sound cliché at first, but get creative with your promotional items. Instead of printing t-shirts to sell on your website, think outside the box. For example, at Discovery Dose, we print fun facts about alcohol on beer kegs and hand them out for free in bars across Europe. Pretty creative, don't you think?
3. Online directories
Listing your startup in online directories can help you get new customers and improve your search engine rankings. Search directories that serve a relevant audience, such as B. Wellfound (formerly AngelList Talent), Product Hunt, and CrunchBase.
Related: Local Search Trouble? This is what you need to keep your local SEO strategy competitive in 2022.
4. Answer questions in the forum
Quora, Reddit, and Stack Exchange are popular question-and-answer platforms where people can ask and answer questions on a variety of topics. Find questions about the problems you're solving and provide really valuable answers that will improve your startup.
5. Use your personal brand
Almost 20% of my startup leads come from my personal social media accounts and online articles. To achieve the same result, try to establish yourself as an expert in the field, build an audience and submit articles to various publications.
It can even be as simple as posting updates to your personal Facebook account. After all, Facebook moms are some of the most loyal supporters you'll ever meet.
6. Public speaking
Public speaking is a powerful way to build your personal brand and promote your startup. By sharing your thoughts and experiences, you can gain credibility and attract new customers, especially if you stand out.
Consider the following chat options:
- podcast
- TEDx Talks near you
- Guest lectures at colleges and universities
- webinars and conferences
- Networking events and meetings
See also: The Complete 20-Step Guide to Ace Public Speaking
7. Street marketing
Go out in public and talk to anyone who will listen. You can even organize a public contest where people answer questions about your line of work and then, with the participants' prior consent, record the experience and use it as advertising material. Hit two targets with one shot.
8. Marketing with hashtags
Hashtag marketing is a powerful strategy that harnesses the power of social media to build organic engagement and brand awareness. A well-crafted and memorable hashtag can inspire people to use it and turn them into effective word-of-mouth promoters for your business.
For example, Coca-Cola's #ShareACoke campaign brilliantly uses the marketing power of hashtags to create a sense of connection and encourage users to share their experiences.
9. Affiliate Marketing
A marketing subsidiary is essentially a separate company with its own goals that complement the parent company's marketing efforts with its operations. Although it requires more effort and has a longer-term focus, affiliate marketing can be a great asset in improving your startup's marketing efforts.
For example, if you run a FinTech startup, launching a newsletter or publication that provides valuable business and investment insights can create an engaged audience that is genuinely interested in your industry. This audience can then be used to monetize and bring new customers to your startup, which ultimately benefits your core business goals.
Are you ready to outshine the competition?
When you step into the world of marketing strategies that actually work, you have the potential to take your brand to new heights. It's time to make a lasting impression and give your startup the credit it deserves. The future of your brand's success begins now.
Comments
Post a Comment