This is the age of start ups. Every other day we hear of yet another entrepreneur who has made it to the big league with a new venture. One of the biggest challenges faced by start-ups is that of creating a brand identity that grabs attention and stands apart from the competition. If your new venture has to capture the notice of customers and stakeholders, you need to position yourself as a unique thought leader and carve out your own identity in the consumer marketplace.
As a startup, you must be able to reach out to the masses and get them to realize your value. You should be able to drive profits on a shoestring budget, and make your brand the latest buzz in the market. And that’s where digital marketing can make all the difference. A slow pace of growth can kill a startup−and in fact the vast majority of startups fail to even leave the ground and sputter out before they even start.
Digital marketing helps you to reach out and connect with your users on a personal level, creating an impact that is not easily forgotten. You can acquire customers faster and retain them through targeted campaigns that keep them engaged and appreciative of your products and services. Startups are often cash-strapped, and fulfilling entrepreneurial dreams on a miniscule budget is hard to say the least. Digital marketing is cost effective, simple and hits the right spots. Targeted marketing campaigns drive sales, create brand awareness and set up a flow of traffic that gets people talking about you.
The big question is –just what are the digital marketing strategies that can help startups to hit the ground running? Digital marketing takes many forms, and you should choose a business strategist to narrow down the options and define what is workable for you.
Social media marketing is the new-age platform that helps you get seen and heard. Depending on the nature of your business, you can set up accounts on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, Google Plus, Tumblr, Pinterest, and Instagram. Build up an online community of loyal customers who can get regular notifications about updates to your business.
Your website is the face you present to the world, and a clever website which has engaging design and compelling content can draw online footfalls and generate leads.
SEO optimization helps to put your website on top of search engine lists, getting you noticed.
Content marketing builds brand awareness and creates your USP. Setting up a blog on your website and communicating user testimonials creates interest among prospective clients.
Email marketing gives a personal touch, and helps you communicate with a worldwide audience. Service providers like MailChimp, Aweber or Constant Contact make it easy for you.
Referral programs and affiliate marketing are other online means of marketing where customers get paid for bringing in referrals, or affiliate partners help to market your business for you and are rewarded for their efforts.
Performance marketing is a very effective form of online marketing that generates instant results. The most common strategies employed for performance marketing include Pay Per Click networks like Google adwords, Yahoo! Bing Network, BuySellAds and ADsmonster that generate interest in your product by periodically reminding customers that you exist. Such forms of paid advertising give you a higher ROI in a shorter span of time, and are useful for startups who wish to build up their customer base quickly.
Different forms of digital marketing would work for each phase of your business−starting from the conception stage, and right through the implementation, execution and growth stages. Make sure that you devise a smart digital marketing strategy that covers all these phases and sets you up for success.
