How to Market Your Startup Online
If you thought that conceiving a business idea and launching a startup was difficult, try marketing. It will make your head spin. Regardless of the industry you're in, you will face a lot of competition. It will take time and patience to bring your brand closer to your target audience.Times have changed since door-by-door advertising was a thing. Now you've got the whole internet to search for new clients. And the question you should be asking yourself is, "How do I get heard in the internet noise?”You will have to stand out from the crowd.“Starting your own business is like riding a roller coaster. There are highs and lows, and every turn you take is another twist. The lows are low, but the highs can be high. Be strong, keep your stomach tight, and ride along with the roller coaster that you started” – Lindsay Manseau, photographer and entrepreneur.Embrace the fact that bad and good times will happen as your business grows and moves on.Here are some startup marketing strategies that will help you make your business noticeable and produce more sales.
Strategies for promoting your business online
Reach out to the influencers
Using influencers is a great way to target a specific audience, get your brand a voice, and gain traction.You don’t want to target everyone. Instead, you want to focus your advertisement on people whose problems you can solve with your product. These people resonate with your product or service because they need it. Engaging with the right influencer for exposing your product to the target audience will help you build up your credibility and expertise within your niche.
Build email lists
Building a list of emails should be one of your priorities. You can do this by using a landing page or an opt-in form on your website. Offer your visitors some incentives in exchange for their email address: discounts, free ebooks, prizes, etc. If you don't know where to start, peek at what your competitors are doing. Just don't mindlessly copy their methods.Email lists will allow you to directly connect with your target audience and build relationships with them.
Publish industry-related content
Content marketing is as essential as networking. It won't bring you instant results, but it's free, and in the long run, there is little as efficient as content marketing. Just make sure you regularly publish content that matches the needs and interests of your potential customers.You want your content to be friendly to both search engines and customers. Do SEO research and use keywords to your advantage, but do not forget to keep your writing reader-friendly. Websites like Buzzsumo can be a great starting place for developing some content ideas.Great content provokes engagement. It encourages your customers to share it with their families and friends.
Publish content valuable for your customers
If you don't know how to be valuable to your potential customers, you might want to start off with how-to guides.Your potential customers have a problem that your product must solve, so they will be googling for a solution. Because of this, how-to guides often are among the most popular search queries. Writing a relevant one could boost your discoverability.A well-written how-to guide not only educates your visitors. It also shows them that you know your industry, thus improving your credibility. Attach a downloadable file with the article’s guide, and your readers will share it with colleagues, family, and friends. Content influencers are likely going to share your content with their audiences.You can also use your landing pages and opt-in forms to share your guide with the readers.
Guest posting
Another important marketing activity, guest posting, is a long-term strategy. Sharing links with relevant blogs that have a massive following will allow you to gain audiences and increase your search ranking. With time, you will be able to not only just post on different blogs but to have bloggers publish posts on your website.
Leverage warm leads
It's time to make use of your email lists. Start sending out newsletters and updates to keep your subscribers engaged.Do it the right way. Bombarding subscribers with loads of emails is intrusive and just fills their inboxes to the brim. Instead, send them updates once or twice a week. You want to nurture subscribers' interest in your brand, not divert them from it.
Get local
Don’t underestimate the power of local leveraging. This is a good way to start if you’re new and want to get traction for your business. Why don’t you ask your family and friends to share that great content you're creating? They will be marketing your brand for you.
Have your website listed on online directories
Contrary to what you may think, online directories are not outdated. Being listed on a relevant directory (the one matching your industry and audience) increases your chance of gaining more search traffic.
Start marketing now
These are just some of the proven tips to grow your business's popularity online. Combine them, or experiment, and come up with your marketing strategies. If you have any helpful ideas and advice –– send them over!Investing time and effort to grow your brand is the key to attracting great customers. What are you waiting for? Get out there and start marketing your startup!