Turning a business idea into an actual startup is certainly an exciting moment. But there are a lot of challenges and a bit of the unknown ahead. And if you want to grow your startup into a successful company, you need to have a few business and marketing ducks in a row.
If you do it right, however, you can enter into a world of financial freedom, and the ability to do more of what you want. For instance, there are platforms like The 1-Hour Workweek that have a 3-step success formula to, “Avoid all of these marketing barriers and roadblocks that are stopping you from achieving the time-freedom and financial-freedom that you deserve.”
Getting the time freedom and financial freedom you want will not come easy. That’s why we compiled four easy steps to maximize startup growth and success to help you get off to a quick start. Let’s take a deeper look.
Step 1: Identify a problem and find an easy, cost effective solution
This may seem like a no brainer. Of course you are going to find a solution to a problem for your startup. However, there are some key differences between finding a solution and finding an easy, cost effective one. There is definitely a solution for almost any problem. It just comes down to making a solution attainable for the Average Joe.
First step, find a problem. This could be something you want a solution for in your personal life, and see others needing the same solution too. Or it could be totally out of the box. Whatever it is, find one. Then get to the whiteboard and computer to find the best, most affordable solution.
Once you have that, do market research. The number one reason startups fail is lack of market interest. Be sure you do research, like checking the monthly search volume for your solution’s keywords to get an idea of market potential.
Step 2: Create a lot of content around your solution
Content is very important to the success of your startup. You need to showcase your solution to your target audience in the most effective and concise way in order to convert them into customers. This can be tied back into your keyword research. When checking keywords to see if you have a market need, write down the best keywords and use them in your content strategy.
A few helpful content tips include:
- Create powerful and clickable headlines
- Become an authority in your startup’s industry
- Highlight your solution very concisely (elevator pitch and mission)
- Get a lot of testimonials, both text and video
- Make your content feel urgent
- Always have clear call to action content
- Deliver a value proposition
- Always ask for the purchase
You should also do competitor research. This can help you see what keywords are being used successfully, how content is developed, and much more. If you can outrank your competitors online, you have a good chance of growth and success for your startup.
Step 3: Create an online presence that stands out among competition
While we are on the topic of outranking competition online, you need to have a strategy for creating your online presence, as well as increasing it over time to maximize startup growth and success.
This mean getting a website, optimizing it, and making user experience a priority. Getting a website is easy, but be sure to employ the following to optimize it:
- Think about mobile users and mobile-friendly SEO tactics
- Have plenty of white space to ensure your website is not cluttered
- Utilize plenty of video and high quality images to peak interest
- Have clear and concise call to action buttons throughout your website
- Two dedicated fonts
- A very easy to navigate website that takes anywhere a user wants to go in two to three clicks
Step 4: Have an email marketing strategy in order to remarket and convert
Putting an email marketing strategy in place is another essential element of growing your startup into a successful business. It not only keeps your startup on the minds of customers, but also increase conversions. This is because email marketing adds value to the brand/customer relationship while increasing touchpoints for sales.
For instance, you can provide seasonal offers that you know your target audience will love, as well as need. Back to school offers are good examples. You can also deliver timely data and research to your followers via email marketing, giving them information they will find useful. This is a very effective way to make a touch with a potential customer too.
In conclusion . . .
The above 4 steps to maximizing startup growth and success are certainly not the end-all, be all for those looking for startup help. They are, however, a few of the most important steps to have in your overall startup plan. What is your top startup tip for those just starting out? We want to hear from you.