Top marketing strategies for startups
I recently became acquainted with Alyssa Hitaka on TopTierStartups.com, a new content site rich in startup-related news, tips, and interviews with startup founders. I was curious to see what her startup founders saw, in terms of the top marketing strategies they’re successfully using today. Alyssa was kind enough to interview ten of her founders to get those lessons. And we’re both happy to share those lessons with all of you, to help you with your own marketing efforts. Here’s the list:
1. Katja Kaine at The Novel Company: Word of mouth and great customer service
Word of mouth is one of the most important ways that a founder can promote their products or services. Katja Kaine, founder of The Novel Company, has focused on slow and organic growth of her innovative writing technology, gradually building a strong reputation with her clients. Katja also emphasizes the importance of personal contact with customers: she answers all emails herself, which shows to users that the company really listens and cares, which further increases loyalty.
2. Robert Brüll at FiberCoat: LinkedIn and startup awards
LinkedIn is a must for just about every modern professional, and Robert Brüll, founder of high-performance materials startup FibreCoat, encourages fellow entrepreneurs to make the most of the platform to market their brands. His company also regularly participates in startup contests, and winning awards helps his company build its reputation, secure positive feedback, and gain traction with the target demographic. Combined with FibreCoat’s powerful LinkedIn presence, these awards go even further and help drive increased traffic to live events, further enhancing the company’s reputation with consumers.
3. Vita Valka on Camperguru: Connecting with consumers in real life
Today, many brands rely on digital media to promote their products and services, and Vita Valka’s Camperguru has also leveraged the algorithms on Facebook and Pinterest to generate interest and familiarity with the target demographic. However, what gives the innovative camping app its edge is the connections the team of ambassadors make with campers on the ground. Camperguru’s team of passionate campers tours some of Europe’s best campsites and personally spreads the news about the app at the perfect locations with highly concentrated groups of enthusiastic campers.
4. Wolfgang Rückerl at Entity: High-quality content and interactivity
Content marketing is a major growth driver for many companies today and Wolfgang Rückerl confirms his powerful role in the growth of his blockchain startup Entity. By focusing on valuable information, sharp images and thorough explanations of the more technical aspects of the business, Robert has built a solid community of users for his app. An important addition to its marketing strategy is social media engagement and interactivity, with Entity regularly designing contests, games and events for users and potential users to participate in. Robert attributes this interactive marketing approach to strengthening trust among followers and driving platform growth.
5. Stefanie Palomino at ROOM: Maintaining a holistic approach
There’s a lot that goes into promoting your new startup, with many ways to approach marketing and many factors to consider as your business continues to interact with consumers. Stefanie Palomino, founder of the innovative telecommunications application ROOM, emphasizes the importance of a holistic approach to marketing. She encourages business owners to think about the entire user journey, from their first encounter with your brand to their continued use of your service or product. The data you collect from existing customers, both quantitative and qualitative, can help define your precise marketing strategy, build lasting relationships and trust with loyal users.
6. Deanna Visperas at GoVirtuals: Influential workforce as a marketing strategy
A company’s staff determines its look and feel, and how a company feels can have a major impact on potential customers. Deanna Visperas, who founded the virtual assistant company GoVirtuals, firmly believes that her marketing success is rooted in the influential individuals who staff her team. According to Deanna, thought leadership and employee advocacy are key to building a brand’s reputation and building trust with consumers. So, nurturing your employees’ talents and influence is a great way to grow your business. Happy employees can lead to satisfied customers.
7. Mark Brouwers at Nocto: Collaboration with comparable brands
The start-up world is big and while similar companies are conventionally seen as competitors, Mark Brouwers reveals why it is often better to see them as partners. Mark has built his unique hospitality connector platform, Nocto, through partnerships with peers who share goals and demographics with his company. Designing win-win strategies helps both businesses grow, and as an added bonus, working together generally means saving you time, money, and effort. This marketing strategy also allows you to form meaningful relationships with other professionals in the industry, which can open all kinds of new doors for your brand.
8. Siebe van Mensfoort at Simbeyond: using industry events
While online marketing is a huge part of modern businesses’ promotional efforts, offline marketing can be just as powerful, if not more so. Siebe van Mensfoort, founder of Simbeyond, a startup that creates software tools for the development of high-tech devices, regularly participates in industry events to boost his brand. This marketing strategy has taken him all over the world, both to conference presentations and exhibitions, and has enabled all kinds of interested potential customers to discover Simbeyond. As a bonus, regular participation in industry events gives Siebe a good insight into the latest market innovations.
9. Sam Kynman-Cole top VIEW: Google Ads and direct calls
Sometimes the simplest marketing approaches are also the most effective. Sam Kynman-Cole of topVIEW, a digital start-up that allows businesses to create 3D virtual tours of their interior spaces, recommends Google Ads as an effective strategy for B2B businesses. However, he emphasizes reaching out to potentially interested parties directly as his main marketing approach. Calling is best, Sam advises, but a personalized email is also effective for less urgent situations. He also praises LinkedIn as a great way to make direct connections with specific people, much like personalized emails.
10. Joe Menninger at Startuprad.io: SEO and media exchanges
Search engine optimization (SEO) is a major buzzword in content marketing, and for good reason: it boosts your search engine rankings and helps potential consumers find your brand. Joe Menninger, founder of Startuprad.io, an English-language podcast about startup news in the German-speaking world, emphasizes the importance of transcribing podcast episodes. For each episode, he generates a transcript and a detailed blog post, enabling him to deliver high-quality audio content to listeners while still leveraging search engine algorithms. Joe also collaborates with other podcasts, creating a win-win scenario that boosts the followers of both shows.
So hopefully here are some helpful “nuggets” that you can all use in your business. Thanks again to Alyssa for her research and assistance in creating this post.
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George Deeb is a partner at Red Rocket Ventures and author of 101 Startup Lessons – An Entrepreneur’s Handbook.
