Digital Marketing for Startups: 9 Tactics That Always Work

If you’re new to digital marketing for startups and aren’t sure which tactics would always work, then this article is just for you.

Building your own company can be a lot of work. From drawing up a business plan, conducting market research to creating your website and developing your product. There are so many things to think about.

Marketing is an essential part of all these preparations, and when it comes to startups it plays a unique role. Compared to traditional marketing approaches, a startup marketing strategy has to not only fit within a limited budget, but it also has to provide quicker business growth. Done right, it can help you boost your band’s visibility, establish your digital presence and promote your business.

As a startup owner, you’re probably good at anticipating risks and already know what tools can help you go to market and scale. So now we’ll share with you nine tactics in which you can use to create a winning marketing strategy.

1. Follow the Three Golden Rules for Startups

To be successful at marketing for startups you need to have a great product and a great strategy. To achieve this, UserGuiding suggests always having in mind the following three golden rules.

You Will Regret the Things You Didn’t Try

If you have a great idea for how to market your product in a unique and attractive way give it a try. This will help you find the channels and the approaches that work best for your brand and for your target customers.

According to SaaStr, most startups find one or two channels that really work for them. Whether that’s content marketing, social media, partner programs, or email cold calling you need to keep at it to see what really works.

The Biggest Risk Is Not Taking Risks

The digital marketplace changes very quickly, and by not taking any risks, you might be putting your whole marketing strategy in danger. So show your unique take on life in your blog posts. Make that really creative ad. Reach out to and reference a bigger player in your industry and learn from them.

You Don’t Have to Reinvent the Marketing Wheel

If you want to go big, start small. You don’t need a massive campaign to get your name out there, nor do you need to come up with a never-before-seen marketing approach.

Read also: Marketing for Startups: How to Kick-Start Your Business?

By all means think critically, analyze and evaluate, just don’t do it for the sake of reinventing the marketing wheel. Do it so you can bring value to your customers and make their lives better.

2. Find the Channels that Work Best for Your Startup

In the early ages of your startup, one of the most important objectives is to find your core marketing channel. This should be a single channel that should become your secret marketing growth weapon.

To find your winning marketing channel, you need to systematically test and experiment with different ones so you can write off those that don’t perform well.

Read also: 6 Ways to Improve Your Omnichannel Ecommerce Strategy

3. Leverage Referrals

One of the most difficult parts of marketing is convincing people why your product is the perfect one for them. The best digital marketing strategy to leverage here is referrals.

Referral marketing has grown exponentially over the last few years. Shoppers increasingly look at testimonials, product reviews, and case studies to reaffirm their purchase decisions. According to Forbes, 60% of marketers say that referrals are an excellent way to generate quality leads, and 54% say that compared to other channels referral programs, they have a lower cost-per-lead.

Additionally, referrals are powerful because:

1. A customer can refer your business to one of their professional contacts. Professional contacts most likely have the same problems as they do, and as such, there’s a good chance that your product/service is a good fit for them as well.
2. A customer can refer your brand to one of their friends. Regardless of the industry or the situation the friend is in, this type of referral comes with a lot of trusts which is invaluable.

The goal behind this particular startup marketing tactic is to leverage the people who have bought your products and turn them into advocates on your behalf. Whether it’s writing a review, mentioning your brand on social media, participating in your case study, etc, referrals work great at building brand awareness and gaining press coverage.

4. Focus on What You Do 10 Times Better Than Your RIvals

Do you know how Facebook became the most popular social media platform? It was because they paid attention to what their competitor’s best strategies were, took them, and made them better.

Finding your competitive advantage and leveraging it to strengthen your digital marketing efforts is extremely valuable. This is a beneficial marketing tactic to use especially if you’re new to the industry you’re operating in. By analyzing your competitors. you will probably find that there are many areas in which you perform equally well or even better.

There might even be one or two key niches or features at which you are 10 times better. When you find what those are, focus your energy there. This way, new prospects looking for a new business to buy from will be convinced to pick you.

5. Become a Subject Matter Expert

When you’re new to the industry you’re operating in, becoming a thought leader can be difficult. However, you shouldn’t be discouraged. Instead, you should become a subject matter expert with your content.

Subject matter experts are individuals who have developed a very in-depth knowledge in a particular area. They are different from thought leaders which are informed opinion leaders in their field and the go-to people for expertise.

If, as a startup owner, you aspire to become a thought leader, you must first be a subject matter expert. So to do that, you need to:

• Gain knowledge on a particular subject.
• Look for opportunities to educate yourself even further.
• Test your ideas to ensure they work before sharing them.
• Be authentic and present yourself as an authority.

You can start off by writing 3 to 5 blog posts on a topic you’re knowledgeable about and that’s important in your industry. Then optimize this post for SEO and use your code channel to spread the word.

Read also: Niche Marketing Strategy: 8 Techniques to Develop a Specialized Brand

6. Make Every Email Count (For Real!)

Your email list is a valuable tool in your digital marketing arsenal. Done right it can really drive conversions. But how do you know you’re doing email marketing right? You start by evaluating your copy.

Writing creative emails it’s an art form and with persistence, you can become a natural at it. Here are a few tips on where to start:

• Write for Your Audience. Fully understand your target customers and their needs, wants, preferences, and tastes. Step into their shoes and write your emails with that in mind.
• Get Personal. Ensure that your email content is friendly and conversational. Use a tone that will make your recipients feel special.
• Have an Attractive Subject Line. Make sure it’s consistent with the contents of your email and that delivers what you promised in the subject line.
• Match Your Landing Page and Email Copy. This will create a cohesive experience for your audience, make you look professional, and increase conversions.

Additionally, make sure your emails are personalized. It’s better to have 100 carefully written emails than 1000 that are cold and impersonal.

7. Show Up Where the Big Guys Are

Do not shy away from being where your competition is. Whether that’s an online event, professional network, or a particular channel, show up and participate in the conversation.

As a start-up, you may not win over every client you speak with, but that should not discourage you. Instead, it should motivate you to get your business’s mission and values out to as many people as possible.

What’s more, when you do it at the same stage as the “Big guys” in your industry, you will be able to secure your place as a subject matter expert and authority in your niche.

Go out there and show them that you’re a force to be reckoned with!

8. Be the Biggest User and Advocate for Your Products

An amazing way to convince others that your product is worthy of their investment is to become its biggest advocate. Don’t just give the talk, walk the talk.

Being an advocate for your own products and services has a lot of benefits. On the product development end, this will ensure that everyone on your team will be involved with the product’s success which will ultimately help productivity.

On the marketing side, you will be able to really put yourself in your customers’ shoes that’s making it easier to decide which marketing strategies will work better for your product.

9. Reach Out to a Niche Community

If you want to increase your brand awareness and user base, a great way to achieve this is by reaching out to a niche community within your industry and expertise. This will help you get to better know your ideal customers and educate them on what you have to offer.

You can create different pieces of content, specifically targeted to this community and that address issues and concerns they may have. The more precise you are with your marketing efforts, the more effective your strategy will be.

Final Thoughts

Building a startup and promoting its products and services is an uphill battle. There’s fierce competition and to stand out you need to learn the best startup marketing strategies out there.

Apart from the obvious, like building a website and optimizing it for search engines, or designing content and social media strategies you should remember that there are some innovative marketing tactics as well. From referrals and brand advocacy to niche marketing and subject matter expertise, there are various marketing tactics to help you build a successful startup.

If you want to learn more about how to grow your website or scale your business, you can read more on our blog. Alternatively, if you have a specific query we can assist you with, get in touch with us through our contact form or leave a comment in the section below.