Learn about the different ways to market your startup
You now have your business up and running. Now is the time to start getting people to pay attention to it. Learn below different ways to get your startup in front of people.
When you finish planning your creative startup, the real work begins. But don’t worry about being overwhelmed with this part–this is the fun part! Now you can use your talents to start bringing your business to life! I have outlined the steps I used to start my own business to help guide you along this path.
Email Marketing
Email Marketing
When starting your business, you need to have the right legal setup. This can be a few different classes and will vary depending on the business you are setting up. I have listed the most popular ones below that you will most likely want to choose from. Keep in mind, this applies to the U.S. and every state, county, and city varies in legal structures. As far as international business formation goes, this may not apply to you and you should consult a lawyer or law professional in your country.
Lead Generation
When starting your business, you need to have the right legal setup. This can be a few different classes and will vary depending on the business you are setting up. I have listed the most popular ones below that you will most likely want to choose from. Keep in mind, this applies to the U.S. and every state, county, and city varies in legal structures. As far as international business formation goes, this may not apply to you and you should consult a lawyer or law professional in your country.
Affiliate Link
ConvertKit
Whether you are sending out emails or gathering emails, ConvertKit is the best tool to help you. ConvertKit is the best tool out there for creating an email list and building a community, so click my affiliate link below to start building leads and growing your email list.
Social Media Marketing
The value of social media
There is no doubt that social media has changed the landscape of marketing forever. No matter what the platform is, you can reach an audience at a global level easier than ever before and a lower cost than ever before. There is a lot of value to different platforms but each has a different type of media and a different demographic. Look below at some of the most popular platforms to see how you can get started and grow your audience.
Facebook was the first big platform that changed the landscape of social media and marketing. Facebook owns Instagram which we will talk more about below, which widens the influence of Facebook’s reach. The demographic for Facebook is not as young as it used to be, but rather for businesses and middle-aged people. It’s true, all our parents are on Facebook so that is who you should be targeting on Facebook.
Due to the amount of content on Facebook, you will want to invest in Facebook Ads. This will help you focus on your specific target audience and track analytics to see what is converting and connecting with your audience.
Instagram is currently the most popular social media platform as of the end of 2019. If you are creative, this platform was originally created for you, as it is image-based in its content. If you need a place to start on social media, link your Facebook to Instagram and you can increase your reach without making extra posts.
Instagram stories are also a great way to make content and connect with your audience. By showing behind the scenes of your work and business, you allow your audience to see you as more than a business, but a person and help them connect. You can also use the stories to advertise your posts.
Twitter is best for short-form communication. Whether it is a quote or just a quick tip of value, twitter is the easiest way to get the message out to your audience. Twitter is also good for providing quick updates for your community if you are offering something.
Twitter Tip: If you write something insightful, take a screenshot of the tweet and crop it to share on Instagram and then Facebook too if you connect your accounts.
After Instagram, you want to be starting on LinkedIn. This underutilized platform is on the verge of expanding and gives you the best organic reach for your content. Even if you are starting from zero, you have a great chance to reach thousands organically (meaning no paid ads like with Facebook).
LinkedIn was first built for networking professionals with each other and building a virtual roll-a-dex. Now, however, the platform is evolving to share more professional based content which allows you to grow your community and reach more people.
YouTube
YouTube is not just merely for binge-watching cat videos. YouTube is the second-largest search engine in the world, right behind Google. In fact, YouTube is owned by Google so they work well together and can by starting a YouTube not only do you create more content, you can help drive traffic back to your site and increase your SEO.
There are a lot of different types of video content you can create from tutorials to recording your podcast sessions.
Pinterest is similar to YouTube in the fact that it functions as a search engine. This is a great platform for Creatives as a lot of people come on the platform for inspiration. If you can create content to help inspire this demographic and provide value, you can generate traffic for your website and your business.
Digital marketing strategies
Digital Marketing
Digital marketing has changed traditional methods by making it easier to reach more people faster and less expensive. There are a lot of different aspects to keep in mind when thinking about digital marketing and I will go over a few basic terms you will come across and some simple ways to get started.
Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
One of the most popular terms you will hear regarding digital marketing is search engine optimization or SEO. This means in simplest of terms, helping search engines like Google find and rank your website so people can find it easier. It is often said if you don’t exist on the first page of Google, your website might as well not exist. While there is some truth in this, it’s not the reality. It takes some time to get ranked and often times people give up too soon. By keeping your site up to date and full of relevant content targeting the right keywords, your site will start ranking in Google.
Search Engine Marketing (SEM)
While search engine marketing or SEM might seem similar to SEO, it’s not entirely related. SEM refers to placing ads for your site at the top of Google’s organic rankings. You probably have seen these with the gree or yellow “ad” at the top of your searches. This method of marketing can be very effective if you have the right keywords. People will only find your ads if they search for the right keyword, so some research will be needed before you employ an SEM strategy.
Influencer Marketing
Influencer marketing is a really new strategy and can be risky if not executed correctly. Influencer marketing is basically reaching out to someone who has a lot of followers on social media to advertise your brand. Sometimes they will require payment or if you have a physical product, you can send it to them for free and ask if they like it to promote it to their audience. This can be similar to affiliate marketing but with more of an emphasis on social media.
The risk comes in from the influencer you reach out to. If the influencer is known for controversy and your brand is based on wholesomeness, it might not be the right fit for you and your marketing strategy. It’s like most things, do some research and see if it’s a right fit for both of you!
Content Marketing
Content Marketing is key
No matter what the business is, content marketing should be key in your marketing strategy. Content marketing is defined by creating and distributing high quality, valuable content to your audience. The key to this is value. By providing value through all your distribution channels (social media, your website, etc.) you aim to attract and retain a defined audience. By defining your audience ahead of time, you will be able to figure out how to provide value and develop a strategy. If you need help with this, download my worksheet on defining your customer profiles!
Affiliate marketing
The Win-Win of affiliate marketing
A great way to provide value to your customer base is by recommending tools you personally use and find value in. Affiliate marketing is doing exactly this but you get a small payment for referring customers to these tools and the cool part is that the customer doesn’t pay any extra for the referral. It is a way of saying thank you to the person giving you value for free, and therefore a win-win scenario for everyone. That is a method I use for this site as well. The tools I recommend are the same tools I use and I know that can help you accomplish your goals since they help me accomplish mine.
Affiliate marketing is a great way to help you earn a little extra income but only if it is executed correctly. Often times affiliate marketing can be seen as scummy because people do it in a scummy way referring anything even if it doesn’t work or provide value. However, if done correctly, affiliate marketing is more than just about making extra income, but about finding partners to provide even more value to your customers/clients. If you focus on value and the win-win scenario, affiliate marketing is a great way to provide more value and gain more traction in your creative startup.