Turning a startup into a success story is never easy.
However, you will find it’s much easier if you are able to put your startup in front of your market, positioning it as the solution to their problems.
To help you with this, we have some proven advice about the mindset it takes and the tools you need to connect with customers.
The Mindset You Need to Successfully Market Your Startup
Before we jump into the list of tools you can use to gain attention from your market and create customers, we need to talk about the mindset required to really make the most of them.
Although the Internet represents unprecedented opportunities for startups, marketing is still a very long-term game.
This is actually something we had to learn at Magnificent Marketing.
We admit it. When we began our content marketing efforts a couple of years ago, we really wanted to see results that first month.
That didn’t happen.
But we were patient. We put in the time and effort – the “sweat equity” – and we began seeing traction, little by little.
Today, marketing is as much a priority as it ever was, but it’s also a lot easier.
You’ll be able to say the same someday, but only if you ignore the allure of overnight success and put in the work required to market your startup.
9 Types of Tools That Will Improve Your Startup’s Marketing Tactics
With the right mindset in place, the next step is putting your plan into action by utilizing powerful platforms. Here are nine categories where software can help along with some options we recommend.
1. Project Management Software
Your marketing efforts need to be organized, tracked, and managed, just as you would with any other endeavor important to your startup’s success.
To do this effectively, use project management software. This will also make it easy to keep all of your team members on the same page.
· Basecamp
· Trello
· Zoho
2. Content Marketing
Content marketing has become one of the most valuable ways attract attention to your company. When done well, the right content can serve as a major differentiator, too.
A lot of content marketing comes down to understanding your market and simply double-downing on what you find works over time.
Still, software will go a long toward helping with this. Here are the best platforms:
· Cadence9
· DivvyHQ
· HubSpot
· Idio
3. Email Marketing
Despite no lack of options, email marketing offers one of the best ROIs.
A sufficient email list will give you a valuable resource you can turn to again and again for reoccurring business.
These platforms will help you compile these lists, segment them, send the actual emails, and much more:
· Act-On
· Marketo
· Pardot
4. Search Engine Optimization
Every business needs a website, but that’s not enough to get found. For that, you need to invest in SEO.
One really easy – and free – way of discovering what your market is interested in is actually Google Suggest. Search for topics relevant to your startup and then scroll to the bottom of the page where Google will show you, “Searches related to” whatever you typed.
That said, SEO is too important to the future of your business to not leverage the power of software for attracting potential customers. Here are some extremely reliable platforms:
· Ahrefs
· KWFinder
· Moz
· SEMrush
5. Social Media
Social media continues to prove itself as a marketing channel with endless possibilities. There’s just so much you can do with it. You can use it to call attention to new posts, engage with your market, connect with influencers, monitor your competitors, and so much more.
All of these activities are incredibly easy to do when you use software like these titles:
· Buffer
· Klout
· LeadREV
While those tools are helpful for keeping track of who’s saying what about your company, you also want to pay attention to these conversations outside of social media, as well.
Whether the attention is negative or positive, you can only respond if you know about it.
Fortunately, all you need to do is set up notifications with Google Alerts.
7. Outreach
Even if you’re the most disruptive of startups, chances are, there are already plenty of influencers and authorities speaking to your market.
These individuals represent a huge opportunity for your startup. Using outreach software, you can identify and build a relationship with them. Down the road, they can become a source of excellent content. Your startup will even benefit simply by associated with these voices.
Don’t be surprised if your outreach efforts actually turn you into an authority.
I can tell you that it’s a great feeling when you find invitations in your inbox from people who want to interview you or feature you in their content. That’s a passive form of marketing that will pay off again and again for years to come.
Here are some tools that will help you build this network:
· gShift
· Inkybee
· Tomoson
· Traackr
8. Graphics
Don’t forget about the visuals you use to engage your market. Aside from supporting your actual content, visuals have also proven extremely effective at increasing the “shareability” of your work.
If you don’t have the budget to hire a full-time graphic designer, don’t worry. These platforms will help:
· DilogR
· Canva
9. Accounting
Why are we including accounting software on our list of tools for startups?
Because, far too often, bootstrapped startups leave marketing last on their list of things to spend money on.
Use one of the below platforms to create budgets and you’ll have an easier time finding room for your marketing costs. As time goes on, continue increasing the amount you allocate as necessary.
· QuickBooks
· Wave
Start with a Plan and Stay Focused
All this advice might seem like a lot. You may even feel overwhelmed.
Remember: marketing your startup – even with powerful platforms – is a long-term goal.
Put your plan together, choose software from the above list that will help execute it, and then keep focused. Celebrate the small victories along the way and you’ll soon be enjoying extraordinary ones.
ABOUT DAVID REIMHERR
David brings 20 years of sales, marketing, strategy & branding experience to the table. He has a strong belief that there is no one right way to do things. He realizes that a mixture of tried and true marketing techniques combined with the latest and greatest marketing tools and strategies will result in the most effective and greatest results.
David will be the point person to put your marketing plan and strategies in place to be executed by The Magnificent Team.
