Business
A simple guide to marketing your tech startup
Once your startup is up and running, don’t make the mistake of trying to save money by neglecting the company’s marketing.
Most startups come from humble beginnings. Many start with a team of a few dedicated people with a great idea, but no clue how to sell their product. If this sounds like you, never fear. The world of marketing can be a daunting one. While you may be great at building a marketable product, you’ll need to know what strategies to implement so that people can find your product.
Here are a few tips on marketing for the tech industry that you can use – even if you don’t come from a marketing background.
You need a good website and a good SEO ranking
For people to find your product, you will need a website that appears in related Google searches. SEO is the practice of optimizing online content for search engine algorithms. It’s the first step in creating a successful website.
Make a list of keywords related to your product. Imagine you are someone looking for your product. What would you type into Google? This is a keyword. Using keywords on your website and in your blog posts will help Google find you and display your website in relevant searches.
You’ll also need to use backlinks. This is when other websites link to your website. The more credible or authoritative the website, the better. Building backlinks takes time and effort, so try these tips.
Know your target market
In order to reach the right potential audience, you will need to determine your target audience, a marketing term meaning the group of people most likely to want your product. Knowing your target audience will allow you to hone in on this group of people, saving resources and maximizing efficiency.
Base your marketing strategy on appealing to these people. Develop a brand voice and image that resonates with your target market and you will actually have to do a lot less persuasion.
Set your core metrics for measuring success
You’ll need to know how to measure success. Spend some time deciding the exact target figures you want to achieve. This will help you and your team to put their efforts into the right areas. It will also help you to determine whether your current marketing efforts are actually working. In the tech industry, some crucial metrics include traffic, leads, conversion and revenue. By tracking these four crucial metrics, you should be able to get a good grasp of your company’s growth in its early stages.
Enlist the help of an expert
Once your startup is up and running, don’t make the mistake of trying to save money by neglecting the company’s marketing. The tech industry is an especially competitive one and you will need to enlist a marketing expert who can develop an effective strategy. Unless you’re able to take the time to learn the ins and outs of marketing for the tech industry, you’ll be better off hiring ahead of marketing. This will give you the time you need to focus on improving your product. In the tech industry, it’s imperative that you stay on top of trends and developments by constantly improving and updating your product.
Have any thoughts on this? Let us know down below in the comments or carry the discussion over to our Twitter or Facebook.
Editors’ Recommendations:
- This contact lens startup might just be the future of AR
- How to split equity in a startup
- A Bitcoin mining startup scammed people out of $720M by exploiting potential returns of investment
- Should startups hire a CIO?