A Beginner’s Guide to Digital Marketing for Startups
Digital marketing for startups is all about using the Internet to grow. To achieve that growth, startups need to be where their prospects and customers are: online.
In 2020, digital marketing is an essential strategy for all startups. But what is it, exactly? And what digital marketing basics do you need to know to grow your business?
Learn the basics of digital marketing for startups, and how to begin building a successful growth strategy in this post!
This blog is written for people with little to no marketing experience. That’s why I’ll focus on a few of the foundational elements of any digital marketing strategy for a startup company. (If you’re ready for a more advanced perspective, learn how to build a complete marketing strategy with this free Beginner’s Guide to Startup Marketing!)
Let’s jump in.
What is Digital Marketing?
Marketing is the act of connecting with your ideal prospects and clients, and sharing how your product, service, or solution can help them. Digital marketing is an umbrella term for online marketing strategies and channels. Digital marketing is created and/or executed using an electronic device or the Internet.
Digital marketing includes web-based marketing, as well as mobile apps and other technologies.
Even though digital marketing is tech-enabled, to be successful, it still needs to focus on creating human connection. This is true whether you’re a startup, a small business, an enormous enterprise, or even a solopreneur.
Digital marketing that feels impersonal, generic, or sterile is not going to succeed. The art and science of digital marketing is in building a real, human connection between your company and its audience digitally.
Based on this definition, TV and radio ads are also (at least technically) considered digital marketing.
“Many companies have forgotten they sell to actual people. Humans care about the entire experience, not just the marketing or sales or service. To really win in the modern age, you must solve for humans.”
What Isn’t Digital Marketing?
This is an excellent question. In 2020, nearly everything we do seems to be influenced by technology. There are a few channels and tactics that are not considered digital marketing, even though Internet-based platforms and tools are involved. Those channels include:
Direct mail
Event marketing via conferences, pop-ups, etc.
Print advertisements
Billboards
Door-to-door sales
Non-digital marketing strategies are sometimes referred to as “traditional marketing.” I’m not a big fan of this term, but you may hear it.
As the Internet becomes increasingly integrated into every aspect of our lives, these so-called “traditional” strategies will likely become a blend of non-digital and digital marketing.
Why Does Digital Marketing Matter?
Approximately 30% of American adults say that they are “almost constantly” online, according to the Pew Research Center.
Marketing is all about connecting with your ideal customers at the right time, in the right place, with the right messaging. Your potential customers are probably online, and some of them are probably online at this very moment. That’s why digital marketing matters.
What are the Best Digital Marketing Strategies for Startups?
The best digital marketing strategy for a startup is the one that best connects you to your current and future customers. If your customers aren’t making purchasing decisions based on social media, it doesn’t need to be a major part of your strategy.
Get this free guide to learn how to build a strong marketing strategy for your unique startup.
Don’t listen to anyone who tells you that you have to use a specific marketing strategy without explaining how it relates to your ideal customers.
The most popular strategies may not be a good fit for your unique startup. I’ve experienced this first-hand. (In fact, I was able to increase the number of leads generated by more than 350% for my former employer, a FinTech startup, without using social media or PPC ads!)
Your startup’s digital marketing strategy should include multiple different channels so that you increase your chances of meeting your ideal customers where they are.
What are the Best Digital Marketing Channels for Startups?
A marketing channel is the route through which a prospect gets information about a product, service, or solution. Some of the most common digital marketing channels are website/mobile, email, and social media.
These channels are common and popular because they reflect the ways that most people are researching potential solutions and determining if any of the available options will work for them.
If your customers are using online channels, you should be there, too.
For this reason, I would recommend that every startup have a mobile-optimized website. I have yet to encounter a business that is more successful without a website than with one.
If you don’t know where to start, I can help. Schedule a quick 30-minute intro call here.
Email remains a high-converting channel, on average. For that reason, I’d recommend that most startups at least explore email as a potential channel for them.
Finally, social media can be really valuable for B2C startups. For B2B startups, I usually recommend that they broaden their definition of social media. Instagram may not be a good channel for a regulatory technology startup, but industry-specific social networks might be a game-changer.
There are different tactics you should consider for each channel. Here are a few examples:
Channel: Website
Tactic: Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
On-Page SEO
Off-Page SEO
Local SEO
Tactical SEO
Channel: Email
Tactic: Account-Based Marketing
Tactic: Lead Nurturing
Channel: Social Media
Tactic: Affiliate Marketing
Tactic: Influencer Marketing
Other tactics are applicable to lots of different channels, and can be used in almost any digital marketing strategy. A few of those super-successful digital marketing tactics that can be used on multiple channels are conversion optimization, content marketing, and local business marketing.
Read Also: 5 expert tips for a successful marketing strategy
Are Digital Advertising and PR Good for Startup Marketing Strategies?
Depending on your startup’s goals and your budget, advertising and PR can be good strategies for you.
In particular, digital advertising can be a powerful marketing tool for startups, if you have a budget for it. You’ll want to be really thoughtful about how, where, and when you advertise. Advertising can include Pay-Per-Click (PPC), social media advertising, email newsletter advertising, display ads, digital magazine ads, and other native ads.
Define specific numeric goals for your advertising campaigns, and track your progress toward them. That way, you can ensure that your budget isn’t wasted.
Digital PR sometimes includes influencer marketing, journalist relationships, and link-building. It can also include digitally distributed press releases.
I believe that the best marketing tactics can be tracked, measured, and optimized. Even digital advertising and PR can be difficult to correlate to a sale. Advertising and PR can help you get early traction, and provide lead flow before your organic systems are fully developed.
Again, if you decide to explore advertising and PR as part of your startup’s digital marketing strategy, make sure that you can track and measure your success. This will help your startup ensure that you’re getting real value out of your spend.
Can Digital Marketing Work for My Startup?
Yes! Digital marketing strategies can work for any startup, regardless of industry or customer base.
The specific marketing strategy you use will depend on your business, your offerings, and most of all, your customers.
If you want help building a digital marketing strategy for your startup, The Lane Collective is here to help! Schedule your free, 30-minute introductory call today.
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