There’s nothing quite like a startup – palpable energy, exhilarating uncertainty, and all of the hope in the world. Anyone who has worked in a startup environment can attest to the fact that it is a beautiful, chaotic world to live in. Having a “big idea” is fantastic. Unfortunately, however, there is a considerable distance between idea and execution.

Some of the best ideas have fallen flat due to a lack of execution. Those failures come in a lot of different packages, often budget-related, but almost always due (in at least some part) to a lack of marketing. Digital marketing services is paramount to success for a company in any industry. Digital marketing for a startup company, on the other hand, is a distinctive beast.

Building a digital marketing strategy for a startup means taking into account a wide range of knowns and unknowns. And since the large majority of startups fail within the first 5 years, getting your marketing strategy right the first time around is critical. This will take a strategic combination of creativity and resources that will showcase your new company in the best light possible to the widest net of potential customers.

Entrepreneurs often fail to think through digital marketing in the early days of their company. While worrying about building a team, securing funds, and cultivating your idea is undoubtedly important, marketing should be mentioned among those key factors. Today, we will spend some time breaking down some unique and useful methods for startups to properly market their new ideas.

Startups Should Focus on These Digital Marketing Strategies

From determining a winning marketing message to choosing the right channels to distribute that message, there are a lot of decisions that must be made early on in the marketing game. Startups are typically strapped for cash and that means these decisions must be made as accurately as possible the first time around. Most startups do not have the luxury of trial and error, so the goal must be to focus on what is most likely to resonate with your target audience.

So, what is the best course of action for startups looking to strategically market their new brand? How can entrepreneurs take advantage of reasonably priced digital marketing channels without spreading themselves too thin? The answer is both complex and simple. Starting with big picture goals and then mapping out how small objectives can help to achieve them.

The following are some of the most important digital marketing strategies for startups:

1. Identify who you are as a brand – create a persona
2. Identify who your target audience is – create a buyer persona
3. Build a beautiful, yet forthright website that is properly optimized with content built for both the reader and search engines
4. Commit to building out regular content for your website that adds value to your industry
5. Launch an email marketing strategy that connects, engages, and entices your audience to take action
6. Invest in social media marketing – both in regular posting and commenting and running paid ads on platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc.
7. Consider influencer marketing to achieve a massive reach quickly and efficiently
8. Launch a referral program and let your customers do the work for you
9. Track everything – with the right analytic tools in place you can make smart marketing decisions

Digital marketing and startup companies are a match made in heaven. With inexpensive options and a wide net of prospective customers to reach, startups are able to take advantage of digital opportunities that will showcase their brand strategically.

Big Customer Network builds impressive digital marketing for companies both large and small. With years of experience in working with startups, we look forward to the opportunity to apply our expertise to grow your brand!