Startups Use the Same Channels
Most companies only use top-of-mind channels PR SEO
Using the same channels means having to deal with competition
Need to use which channels are appropriate for company
Primary research will help to determine which channels are appropriate
Bullseye Targeting
Brainstorm Research success/unsuccess of companies’ marketing
in industry Consider how successful the product can be
Rank Use bullseye to determine how successful each
strategy can be
Prioritize Determine “inner circle” – which channels would be
most successful now
Test Use cheap methods to determine how successful a
potential channel may be
Bullseye Targeting cont’d
Focusing Wringing the most successful channel of all the
customers you can
Repeat!
Traction Thinking
The 50% Rule Entrepreneurs are passed up by VCs because they’re
stubborn “Viral marketing strategy” is arrogant
Simultaneous Product Development and Traction are of equal importance
Getting responses from a customer want is valuable and free feedback
Traction Testing cont’d
The Law of Shitty Click-Throughs The longer a marketing campaign runs, the more it
starts looking like a campaign only about click-throughs Shake-up marketing to ensure that competitors aren’t
in the same space and that click-through rates aren’t becoming the measurement
Optimize through A/B Testing (A) Control Group (B) Experimental Group Measures effectiveness of changes in variables
Always Have a Traction Goal
Viral Marketing
Going viral means every customer you acquire brings in at least one more
Viral marketing: Word of Mouth Inherent virality Collaboration Communications Incentivize Embedded Leverage socal Networks
Public Relations
Traditionally refers to company communication with the public of all kinds
Your story must be compelling gin order to get people to react emotionally
Start small
Dollar shave club: 12000 customers with a $5000 video.
Social Ads
Work especially well for demand generation and building interest for new customers
The goal of social ads is typically awareness-oriented, not conversion-oriented
Social ads give companies the opportunity to start a conversation
Offline Ads
Taking advantage of unused (blue ocean) ad space: remnant advertising
TV ads are more often used as branding mechanisms $350,000
Later approach when looking to gain additional traction
Content Marketing
If I would have spent money on advertising that would be it. If you invest in content, it gets picked up by Google. People find it, they share it, and it refers customers almost indefinitely
Women found Eli Manning more attractive than Tom Brady. WHAT?
OKCupid and Unbounce wrote controversial posts to gain traffic and get people engaged.
E-mail Marketing
Personalized e-mails sent to customers whom have already engaged in a product/shown interest work best
Lifecycle e-mails – where the email cycle begins when a customer signs up for a product and ends when the customer becomes active.
Vero, Customer.io
One of the best channels to surprise and delight customers
Engineering as Marketing
Taking a product and making it better, then offering it to potential customers: HubSpot and their marketing grader (complements their product)
Micro-sites to produce engagement and help consumers learn more: hopefully lead them to the answer – your product
Provides something of true value for free, with no strings attached
Targeting Blogs
Directly approach writers of blogs and have them write stories about your startup, targeting different segments
Followed through, finding which blogs got the most clicks
Great way to get your first wave of customers
Business Development
Primarily focused on exchanging value through partnerships, whereas sales focuses on exchanging dollars for a product
Engagement helps both parties involved
Good BD deals align with your company and product strategy and are focused on critical product and distribution milestones.
Not every partnership works; build a pipeline of additional deals.
Sales
Process of generating leads, qualifying them, and converting them into paying customers.
The best customers are the ones who know they have a problem and are actively seeking a solution: give it to them
Qualify customers through the sales funnel.
Affiliate Programs
Pay people or companies to perform a certain action ClickBank; Commission Junction; Affiliate.com,
Pepperjam, ShareASale, Neverblue, Clickbooth,
Recruit partners from your customer base or people who have access to a group o customers you want to reach.
Flat fees for conversions are the simplest way
Trade Shows
The best way to decide whether to attend an event is to visit as a guest and do a walkthrough the year before.
Get people opinion to decide whether the trade show is worth your time
Preparation will determine your success
Success comes from the relationships you build and the prospective
Offline Events
Attend a conference, engage the users there
Build your own conference and build a reputation around the product you offer
Build a group and meet with them regularly
Throw a party!
Speaking Engagements
Spreads the story or message behind your company/promotion
You have to get the attention of event organizers to land speaking engagements
Start by speaking for free at co-working spaces, nonprofits, and smaller conferences or events
Community Building
Involves investing in the connections among your users, fostering those relationships and helping them bring more people into your startup’s circle
Helpful to have an already existing audience built up
Need to have a mission if you want to build an awesome community
I love they try to get you to join their forum (build their audience)
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