It’s no secret that the start-up world is tough. There are countless new start-ups every day, but only a few of them will become long-lasting companies that grow and build a solid user base. Given this, it’s vitally important that you think carefully about each aspect of your business plan, from idea to thriving business. The following will explore one key component of building a stellar start-up: marketing campaigns.
What Is Marketing?
In the simplest sense, marketing is anything that you or anyone else does that helps grow people’s awareness of your product or service. This means that anything that results in people talking about or thinking about (or buying) what you offer counts as marketing.
Get Clear On Differentiation
The first thing you’re going to have to do as a start-up manager looking to craft a results-driven marketing campaign is figure out what makes your product or service different from what your competitors are offering. It’s important to note that quality isn’t a strong enough differentiator. Quality can be subjective, and so it’s often not enough to convince someone to abandon a product or service they’re comfortable with and try something new. If quality is one of your focuses, that’s great; just make sure you have another feature you can highlight with your marketing.
You need to be able to succinctly answer the question: how are you different? If you can’t, this is a major indication that your broader business plan or even your product or service needs work. If you don’t have an answer to this question, spend some time studying your competitors; try to figure out what they do and what you do differently. If the truth is that there isn’t a differentiating factor, spend some time reading their reviews. Figure out what holes your competitors’ products or services have and fill those niches. Do people want a certain feature? Do they hate the size? What complaints do customers have about your competitors? Can you provide them with what they’re looking for?
How your product or service differs from the competition is going to be a huge portion of your branding and marketing. You can’t gloss over this step.
Select Measurable Goals
There are a ton of different ways to measure marketing results. In today’s hustle culture, it’s far too easy to get sucked into focusing on outcomes that don’t actually affect your bottom line. Does it matter if you get 10,000 more followers if none of them become paying customers? Your sister’s friends might be impressed, but your business might be floundering.
Take the time to figure out what your actual goals are. Do you want to help people? Do you want to be earning a certain profit? Do you want to build a buzz in order to position yourself as an expert? Are you looking for acquisition deals? Digital marketing gurus at webserv.io emphasize that your goals should be front and center in the crafting of your marketing campaign. As a bonus, this step can help you make decisions in the vast sea that is the digital realm. Every time you’re presented with an option, you can return to your specific and measurable goals and see whether the choice you’re considering is actually focused on your goals or simply some external marker of social standing.
Where Is Your Target Audience?
Figure out where your ideal customer hangs out. Wherever your target audience is, you need to be. Join their preferred platforms. Communicate via their preferred communication methods. Meet your target audience where they are.
Always Be Pitching
When you’re managing a start-up, you always need to be ready to pitch. Take the time to write out your elevator pitch (a simple one or two-sentence summary of who you are, who you help, what you help them do, and how you help them do it) and study it until you can say it in your sleep. You never know who has connections or hidden wealth. You never know who’s got an uncle who’s a journalist or an aunt who’s a professor. In the world of start-ups, you’re always networking with everyone you come into contact with. Dress with awareness of this. Comport yourself with awareness of this. And be ready to pitch whenever, wherever.
The above information should help you narrow down what’s unique about your business and specifically what you hope to accomplish within your company as well as where your target audience spends their time. Once you know this, you can begin experimenting. Try something and pay attention to your specific goals. If something moves you closer, keep doing that. If it moves you further, ditch it for something else.
