10 Simple Marketing Strategies For Startups

Do you need a good marketing strategy that won’t break your bank? Take a look at these marketing strategies for startups to help get you started.

You’re excited to be your own business owner, but with this title comes a ton of responsibility.

One of those is marketing — not the easiest thing to do in today’s complex digital landscape.

However, the right marketing strategies for startups can help you to remain on top of the revenue race.

As the owner of a startup, you’re all about spending your dollars wisely. Like Mama said, they don’t grow on trees. Here’s a run down of 10 simple marketing strategies for startups that’ll put you on the map and, in turn, make Mama proud of you without breaking the bank.

Let’s get started!

1. Top Marketing Strategies for Startups Include the Use of News Releases

If you have something that is newsworthy to say about your venture, a news outlet will jump on the opportunity to “break” the news — a win-win for both you and the outlet.

It’s for this reason that news releases are one of the most popular ways to get the word out about your company. With a news release, you can easily get your business’s brand in big-time publications.

2. Search Engine Optimization, or SEO

In today’s world, your business might as well not exist if it doesn’t have an online presence. However, having a website and even publishing regular blogs on it is only parts of the equation. You also need to improve your SEO if you want to maximize your results.

Yes, SEO can sound scary if you know nothing about it. And face it: Most small business people don’t unless that’s their niche. But the truth is that a little research and dedication can help you to master the basics.

An online tool such as Moz’s Keyword Explorer can help you to pinpoint relevant keywords to use in your website’s content, which can generate site traffic.

It’s critical that the content you produce online is high quality. Although applying SEO can certainly be time-consuming, the financial benefits will outweigh the time cost in the long run.

3. Email Marketing

Email marketing is among the least costly marketing strategies you can use.

If you have a solid list of organically curated email recipients, you can easily claim an immense return on your investment. Just be sure to send regular emails and make them non-invasive for the rest results.

4. Personal Branding

Personal branding is just as important as corporate branding is. That’s why promoting yourself on your own dedicated blog is one of the most valuable marketing strategies for startups today.

People are constantly looking for tips and advice online. So, doesn’t it make sense to paint yourself as an expert in your field with a well-written, well-maintained blog?

The more blog followers you attract, the more traffic you can direct to your website. And that means more potential sales.

The truth is that consumers typically trust other individuals more than they do corporations. So, it’s vital that you connect with consumers on a personal level even as you promote your business offerings.

5. Referral Program

One of the most effective marketing strategies for startups is to steer clear of marketing altogether.

Wait…what?

Yes, you read that correctly. Instead of trying to market your business, why not develop a system where your customers do all of your marketing for you — for free? After all, research shows that customers are more inclined to purchase products recommended by their friends.

Putting together your own referral program isn’t complicated or expensive. Simply offer existing customers discounts if they refer new customers to you. Alternatively, you can offer cash rewards — whatever will get more clients in the door.

6. Content Marketing

We already mentioned blogging earlier, but content marketing is more than just producing blogs. It actually takes a wide range of other forms.

For instance, you could produce podcasts, infographics, and videos for your website or social media as well. These items can do wonders for your business’s brand reputation and ultimately boost your website traffic and bottom line.

7. Social Media

Marketing on social media is not something you can be casual about. However, it is free, so it’s worth tapping into.

Start by setting up a profile for your startup on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Then, fill out your profile information and syndicate content that target customers would like.

Most importantly, stay connected. After all, that is the whole point of social media, right? Over time, you could easily grow your audience by the hundreds and even the thousands, which may translate to more sales long term.

8. Custom Buttons

This is one of the easiest ways of promoting your business.

Custom buttons featuring your business’s logo can quickly increase your brand’s visibility. A couple of custom buttons FAQ include whether you can have a professional design your button for you and if you can take advantage of these products without breaking the bank.

The answers to these questions are yes and yes.

Feel free to have your employees wear them or even to give them out at trade shows, seminars, and conferences, for example.

9. Pay-Per-Click, or PPC, Advertisements

These advertisements can be expensive if you are targeting keywords that generate a lot of traffic.

However, going back to social media, you don’t have to pay a lot for particular ads on Facebook, for example. Therefore, it is possible for budget-conscious entrepreneurs to promote themselves through PPC advertisements.

10. Forums

Let’s revisit social media once again, this time focusing on community groups or forums.

Spend a little time in groups on sites such as Facebook. You might end up learning about local events you could utilize to promote your company. In addition, you could answer people’s questions with your expert advice and potentially gain a few customers as a result.

How We Can Help

We offer the opportunity to promote your company through your own well-maintained startup blog. We also make it easy for you to share the blog on Facebook, Twitter, and Google+.

Get in touch with us to find out more about how we can help you to market your business and get in front of a global audience this year.