Successfully Launching Your Startup’s Marketing Campaign on a Budget

You have a great product. You have a fantastic team. Now let the world know and begin monetizing. What is the biggest problem? Budget. With an ever-increasing number of startups, it’s hard to get any attention without turning your entire budget over to a PR or marketing firm.

However, with an understanding of modern techniques and some creativity, you can launch a highly successful campaign on your own.

Multimedia Marketing

Long gone are the days when hanging a shingle outside your door was visibility. However, people do still exist in the real world during this digital age. With this in mind, consider a multimedia approach to marketing. By tapping into every available resource, your customer base will soar.

You may have focused your campaign primarily on social media, but print media still matters – a lot; ignoring it would mean ignoring a huge percentage of possible consumers.

Don’t forget these tools when getting your business’s marketing campaign off the ground:

• Business Cards: Arm your employees with their own cards. These are sometimes a perspective client or investor’s first impression of your company. The quality of paper, sophistication of design, and layout speaks volumes about your business.
• Print: Once you have a defined target audience, reach out to them with flyers or pamphlets. Get materials in a person’s hand and they are likely to at least glance at it. With robust design and good information, this can lead to customer conversion.
• Billboards: Whether traditional style, car wraps, or a shiny digital sign, billboards get attention. They offer a large space, but you should avoid the temptation to pack it with too much information. Your audience will likely have only a few seconds to see it. Make your company’s name, contact, and call to action clear.
• Packaging: Change the orientation, use bold design schemes, or include a small giveaway inside the package. Though many people shop online, large retail stores continue to represent a huge market. Shelf appeal still matters.
• Design: Within your website or app, consider various forms of media. You should tailor video elements, blog content, images, and articles to your target audience. Make your site searchable by smartphone or desktop. Ensure design elements work seamlessly regardless of device.

Find Your “Je ne sais quoi“

Marketing campaigns that work are memorable – that’s partly because they are unique. Unique campaigns grab consumer attention to increase brand recognition and customer conversion. You can achieve this through a number of carefully crafted means. Here are some key points to remember when you look for that special something that separates your business from the pack.

• Voice: A well-crafted voice will earn you brand recognition, even in the absence of imagery. Decide what personality your company would have as a person – this is in the vein of company culture, but it’s more about giving a personality to your business – a face for consumer to see. Consider your target audience and talk to them. By reinforcing that dialogue, your business will be recognizable and relatable.
• Omnipresence: As mentioned above, it is important to be visible in both the digital and physical marketing spheres. This means being everywhere. A website, social media connections, paper materials, billboards, etc., are all valuable. To permeate the mainstream consciousness, be bold in your choices. Hire a graffiti artist to paint murals, create interactive displays on the street, or implement your technology at a music festival. Think outside the box. Assess your target, where your audience spends time, and integrate your name into their environment.
• Partnerships: What companies can help you facilitate insertion of your product into the desired market? Do not be shy about approaching businesses outside your spectrum. Creative and unlikely partnerships can lead to high-impact results.
• Creativity: Consumers deal with a constant influx of advertising and new products. For people to notice you, it is important to be creative in your approach. Build your design around your customers – what they want and need. Keep the customer first, the product second, and everything else behind it.

Speak to Your Customer Base

Don’t focus on sales and forget the customer. Consumers tend to prefer companies with which they can connect. Cultivate this relationship with your clients, and you will attain greater brand loyalty. Consider these methods to connect:

• Dialogue: Give customers some outlet to communicate. Listen to what they have to say about the product, their concerns, and their desires. By transforming this feedback into engaging content, you are both broadening and continuing the dialogue. Consumers who feel as though the company understands their needs are likely to keep coming back.
• Benefits: Features can be exciting and important tools toward increasing customer engagement. However, benefits are what people really look for in a product. Make certain your materials highlight your product’s benefits to the user.
• Discounts: Focus on a target group of people to offer discounts to; this will create a sense of importance in that audience. People who feel especially well cared for are likely to come back and tell their friends. Word-of-mouth advertising has more power than any part of a campaign.
• Celebrate: Bring your customers into the fold by celebrating with them. Send out materials or promotions for birthdays, company milestones, customer membership anniversaries, or holidays. This increases brand loyalty by making the client feel like family.

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Maintain the Human Element

Putting a face to a name can make a huge difference in social situations. It is no different in business. It’s no mystery that people respond better to a person than a corporation. Give your business a personality while marketing; your consumers will have a better response to a company they feel is run by people than a business pushing a product. There are a few ways to keep the human element active in your marketing campaign.

• Personality: As your business grows, expand the aforementioned “voice.” Advertisements can put a face to that voice and make it even more relatable. Make sure you are engaging your target audience and remaining true to your company personality.
• Trade Shows: These are excellent venues to expand your brand awareness and educate potential clients. Pick displays and giveaways specific to your company’s product and personality. Consider the items you have collected at such events in the past. Which did you throw away? Which were boring? Eliminate those options from the list immediately, and force yourself to think of newer ideas. Always aim to deliver something people will want to keep.
• Interviews: TV and radio shows are great ways to develop a human feel to your business. By providing expert commentary, you can increase brand awareness and bolster your company’s reputation.

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Conclusion

A comprehensive marketing strategy is vital to any startup. If you do not have the capital to invest in a PR or marketing firm, do not fret. Plenty of options are available to help you use the money you have wisely.

Remember that your company’s creativity is what got you this far. Leverage that to think outside the box. Incorporate every virtual and real-world avenue that you can, and always keep your business’s personality and the client in mind.