Awareness. Awareness. Awareness. Did I mention awareness? As a #startup the first uphill battle is in getting the world to know you exist. Without awareness, none of the other marketing activities really matter (that much).
But here's the tricky part.
Good marketing is also about setting proper expectations. So you can't just shout at the top of your lungs to anyone that will listen to gain awareness. Nor engage in tactics that are pretty much the digital equivalent (I'm looking at you SPAM list buys and auto-follow, Like, post bots). Most startups struggle to tell their narrative story in a way that is both interesting and believable.
What to do?
I like to start by envisioning the startup story moved slightly into the future. Sort of a Stephen Covey-like:
Begin with the end in mind
And then beginning to backfill from there. Doesn't even have to be more than 6 mo's. It always helps to amplify through your first few customers' eyes, as you'll want their story(ies) intermingled with your own. And in 6 mo's time, you will be solving _X_ for those customers. They will recommend you by saying you did this well for them or helped them achieve this certain goal (the narratives of moving away from pain or toward pleasure are genuinely interesting, universal stories).
Struggle #2:
Budget. It's never enough.
As a startup, you'll always want to do more, spend more, or hire more than you're capable of. Don't worry-- this is very common. It's a garden-variety issue that will always have you in a state of envy at other Marketing Dept.'s who do things you simply can't.
The good news?
Lack of resources will make you a savvier marketer. Notice I didn't say better. You may or may not be better; But savvy implies understanding, comprehension and proficiency. Which boiled down means you're aware of what you can do and what you can't-- this changes and morphs the bigger the company you work for. Especially those with established, entrenched budgets (READ: budgets are there to be spent, sometimes effectively-- but more often than you'd think, not).
At any rate, being savvy with a non-existent marketing budget means most of your awareness activities will be done by you. Not an Agency, nor a large department. This is an amazing opportunity to experiment, test, learn and grow. Revel in it-- this is where Creativity is born
No comments:
Post a Comment