by Homerun Nievera, Negosentro.com
It’s not that big of a secret that most of the today’s startups are driven by passion, rather than big budgets, which, by itself, is not that bad of a thing. Limited resources tend to give birth to fresh ideas and out-of-the-box thinking, which are the two qualities huge corporations often lack. The area where inexperienced startup founders do face major difficulties is frugal marketing, which requires the same level of effort and ingenuity but plays by entirely different rules. If you are facing similar problems, here are a couple of ideas that should point you in the right direction.
Find yourself a partner
The one thing people often forget about marketing is that you don’t need to do it alone. If you find a partner, you can share your resources and marketing channels, and, what’s even more important, you can come together to envision an efficient marketing approach. Ideally, your products/services should be compatible because you want your audience to cross over as much as possible. But, don’t think of this as a rule – sometimes, the most unusual alliances draw the most attention.
Put the focus on benefits and not on the features
Granted, there are a lot of people who are passionate about the long lists of features, but remember – the features, by themselves, are of no use. It is how these features change people’s lives and offer them various benefits that truly counts. So, instead of focusing on the sheer specs and numbers, do your best to present yourself as a hero who can truly change the way people live their lives.
Create a unique brand voice
Your goal is to give your customers the idea what your brand is all about. For instance, what are the first things that cross your mind when you hear the word Apple? That’s right – quality, ease of use, and innovation. How much of it is true is open to debate, but no one can argue that, through a strong brand voice, Apple forever bound these associations to its name.
Start a blog
You have to be aware that you are starting from scratch, so you have to give your future customers a good enough reason to visit your website even if they are not aware of your products/services. The best way to do that is by starting an engaging blog that will cover the topics from your niche. Navigating these unfamiliar waters may prove to be difficult at first, but finding an experienced marketing strategist in Melbourne, Sydney or any other major city is not that hard, so you can always ask for help.
Engage your customers to do marketing for you
The goal here is to create a viral chain reaction that will engage your customers. What you’ll have to do to cause such a reaction is to give your customers enough of a reason to bring their friends into the game by running a contest or creating an appealing loyalty program. As time goes by, you will maintain positive word of mouth with great customer service and open, two-way communication.
Reach out to influencers
Another way you can initialize positive word of mouth is by reaching out to influencers relevant to your target audience. Make a list that will include a couple of hundreds of names and send them a direct message or an email. Keep in mind that these people have a lot of experience, so don’t try to get a free endorsement and be honest about your intentions.
All these marketing approaches don’t require too many resources, but they can make a very strong influence on your marketing campaign. The road to becoming a household name is long and laborious. You don’t have to make it even harder by barking up the wrong tree.
—
Homerun Nievera is the publisher of Negosentro.com and WorldExecutivesDigest.com. He has interests in several tech and digital businesses as director and chief strategist.
Homerun is a digital evangelist, content marketer and lifelong learning advocate. Homerun is the “He Said” in the popular Facebook Page He Said, She Said.
