Launching a new\u00a0startup\u00a0is exciting and scary at the same time.<\/p>\n
You\u2019re wondering if you had the right idea, and if people will like\u00a0your\u00a0product or service.\u00a0Will\u00a0your\u00a0business be one of the 10% startups that succeed… or part of the 90% that fail?<\/p>\n
Of course, what matters most is\u00a0to\u00a0come up with a product that people need. You also want\u00a0to\u00a0surround yourself with a team of talented professionals, partners and colleagues who can come up with innovative ideas and who are not afraid\u00a0to\u00a0disagree with you when you’re wrong.\u00a0The most difficult thing when you launch a new\u00a0startup\u00a0is\u00a0to\u00a0advertise\u00a0it. Nobody knows you or\u00a0your\u00a0product. So\u00a0how\u00a0can you spread the word?<\/p>\n
Here are a few tips for online entrepreneurs:<\/p>\n
Startup\u00a0entrepreneurs, particularly online\u00a0startup\u00a0entrepreneurs, are often introverts who prefer\u00a0to\u00a0work on their project instead of socialising. That doesn\u2019t mean they shouldn\u2019t attend networking events with fellow entrepreneurs and investors, even if they dislike it. Online entrepreneurs should attend technology fairs, cocktail events and university lectures\u00a0to\u00a0talk with a wide range of people and let them know about their new project. Word of mouth can be a powerful tool\u00a0to\u00a0spread the word about\u00a0your\u00a0company and gain the trust of potential investors.<\/p>\n
If you don\u2019t feel comfortable around people, you might want\u00a0to\u00a0work on\u00a0your\u00a0social skills, even if you\u2019d rather be at home watching a good movie.<\/p>\n
No matter what,\u00a0your\u00a0website must be optimised for Google, Bing and other search engines.\u00a0Your\u00a0startup\u00a0is an online business, and you must make it easy for potential clients\u00a0to\u00a0find you on the web. SEO<\/a> is one of the best tactics\u00a0to\u00a0advertise\u00a0your\u00a0business online.<\/p>\n Is\u00a0your\u00a0meta data optimised<\/a>? Have you analysed\u00a0your\u00a0competitors\u2019 rankings on Google? Have you published a blog on\u00a0your\u00a0website<\/a>, with interesting content? Are you using the right keywords? Is\u00a0your\u00a0website fast enough? Have you started a link building campaign? These are questions you must ask yourself.<\/p>\n You just created\u00a0your\u00a0website, but nobody is visiting it. What should you do?<\/p>\n That\u2019s where paid advertising comes into play. PPC\u00a0Advertising<\/a> matter because they can bring targeted, relevant traffic\u00a0to\u00a0your\u00a0website from the start and turn these users into\u00a0your\u00a0first customers. It takes months for SEO\u00a0to\u00a0take effect and produce results. In the meantime, you need paid advertising\u00a0to\u00a0get things rolling<\/a> and start\u00a0to\u00a0earn money. You can then reinvest this money into\u00a0your\u00a0business while you wait for\u00a0your\u00a0organic traffic\u00a0to\u00a0kick in.<\/p>\n Facebook has recently limited the reach of ads on people\u2019s timelines, and yet it\u2019s still important\u00a0to\u00a0create social media pages\u00a0to\u00a0interact with existing or potential customers. People leave reviews on Facebook, they share\u00a0your\u00a0images on Pinterest and retweet what you have\u00a0to\u00a0say about\u00a0your\u00a0company and industry on Twitter. You need\u00a0to\u00a0engage with\u00a0your\u00a0audience on social media channels, and it\u2019s especially important when you start a new business, because people don’t know you.<\/p>\n Create at least a Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn page for\u00a0your\u00a0startup\u00a0to\u00a0try\u00a0to\u00a0build a following and increase word-of-mouth.<\/p>\n Creating a YouTube channel can be a great idea\u00a0to\u00a0engage with\u00a0your\u00a0audience. You could try\u00a0to\u00a0come up with different guides related\u00a0to\u00a0your\u00a0industry, or funny, entertaining short clips that can go viral. You don\u2019t need a Hollywood budget\u00a0to\u00a0launch an interesting, popular YouTube channel for\u00a0your\u00a0startup. Creating a YouTube account is free, and you can shoot\u00a0your\u00a0videos with\u00a0your\u00a0smartphone or a cheap video camera. Entertaining and\/or interesting videos can get mass exposure<\/a>, and they can be great\u00a0to\u00a0advertise\u00a0your\u00a0business online and give you the edge over\u00a0your\u00a0competitors. Of course, this will have a cost in terms of time and money, but it\u2019s worth it.<\/p>\n Infographics are fun, and a great way\u00a0to\u00a0advertise\u00a0your\u00a0business online<\/a>. People love them, because our brains can process graphics much faster than text. Infographics look like mini comic books and web users can\u2019t resist sharing them.<\/p>\n It\u2019s relatively easy\u00a0to\u00a0create beautiful infographics nowadays with websites such as\u00a0canva.com<\/a>. If you have no clue\u00a0how\u00a0to\u00a0do that, you should hire a graphic designer\u00a0tocreate an infographic for you. People get bombarded by new content online every day, so\u00a0your\u00a0infographic needs\u00a0to\u00a0look really good and be interesting\u00a0to\u00a0get shares and likes.<\/p>\n Another interesting idea is\u00a0to\u00a0self-publish an eBook on platforms such as Amazon Kindle or the iTunes store\u00a0to\u00a0spread the word about\u00a0your\u00a0business and increase\u00a0your website\u2019s authority. You can publish eBooks for free, and they don\u2019t need\u00a0to\u00a0be as thick as a Game of Thrones novel\u00a0to\u00a0sell well, because many people would rather read shorter books.<\/p>\n Publishing an eBook can certainly raise\u00a0your\u00a0startup\u2019s profile and increase people\u2019s awareness of\u00a0your\u00a0brand. New customers will discover\u00a0your\u00a0company, and if they find\u00a0your\u00a0eBook helpful, they\u2019ll realise you can help them and will trust\u00a0your\u00a0business in the future.<\/p>\n You created a search engine for babysitters? Why not stick a few ads up in supermarkets? Or you designed a website for dog walkers? What about advertising it in vet clinics<\/a>? You could also pay for a billboard ad or an ad in a magazine, but of course, you need a much bigger budget\u00a0to\u00a0do that.<\/p>\n You can create business cards with\u00a0your\u00a0logo, or t-shirts, posters and other merchandising and distribute them for free\u00a0to\u00a0raise people\u2019s awareness of\u00a0your\u00a0brand.<\/p>\n Combining online marketing with offline advertising is always a good idea.<\/p>\n Author:<\/strong> Gregory Golinski is a digital marketing executive for\u00a0YourParkingSpace, the number one online parking marketplace in the UK.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Launching a new\u00a0startup\u00a0is exciting and scary at the same time. You\u2019re wondering if you had the right idea, and if people will like\u00a0your\u00a0product or service.\u00a0Will\u00a0your\u00a0business be one of the 10% startups that succeed… or part of the 90% that fail? Of course, what matters most is\u00a0to\u00a0come up with a product that people need. You also […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":1980,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[1660,1658,1659,1657],"class_list":["post-1978","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-digital-marketing","tag-digital-marketing-for-startup-business","tag-entrepreneur-marketing","tag-startup-advertising","tag-startup-marketing"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n-Paid traffic is essential, especially when you’re getting started<\/h2>\n
Related Read:\u00a08 Critical Questions Startups Need to Have Answered Before Making an App<\/a><\/strong><\/h3>\n
-Social media is still relevant<\/h2>\n
Related Read:\u00a0Actually Actionable Advice: Using Social Media Marketing as an Opportunity<\/a><\/h3>\n
-Why not create a YouTube channel too?<\/h2>\n
-Infographics are a powerful tool<\/h2>\n
-What about publishing an eBook?<\/h2>\n
-Don\u2019t forget good old offline advertising<\/h2>\n
You Might Also Like:\u00a0Digital Marketing for Small Business \u2013 Why You can\u2019t Cut it with a Boiler-Plate Strategy<\/a><\/h3>\n
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