Marketing any business can be a challenge, especially a startup. Money is tight. Every penny is dedicated to developing the product or process. You are busy doing what you do and marketing comes in second or third or maybe even fourth on the “I’ll worry about that later” list.
Here are five easy tips that take little to no money, and only a little bit of time, that will help your startup grow and thrive.
- Discover your WHY. Why are you doing what you do? What gets you out of bed every morning? Write it down, pin it on the wall, put it on a post-it note on the mirror, live it.
- Share your WHY Story with the world. People connect with businesses that align with their core beliefs, so put your WHY Story on your website and any marketing materials, share it at networking events. The more you tell your story, the more chances you have of connecting with your tribe.
- Once you connect, build your tribe by keeping them in the loop. Share your wins and losses. Tell them more of the story as it unfolds. Utilize your favorite social channels to share and communicate with your fans and followers. Actually, have a conversation with them if possible. Conversations build relationships. Relationships build businesses.
- As those relationships grow, ask your tribe to help you succeed. Ask them to share your story. Ask them to refer you to their friends, family and network. Ask them for the sale. If you have done steps 1-3 correctly, your tribe WILL help you succeed.
- Deliver and over-deliver. As your ride or die fans start supporting you and referring their connections to your business, make sure you deliver over the top sales, services, and products. Do whatever it takes (within reason) to ensure that your customers have the best sales experience possible. Getting this right will grow your business exponentially. To quote an old shampoo ad, “they will tell two friends, and they will tell two friends” and so on.
A strong WHY story and the ability to build and nurture relationships are key to growing any business, especially a startup. Make time to network and meet people, tell your story, nurture those relationships, ask for help, then deliver.
As always, if you have any questions or comments, or if we can help your business grow and succeed, contact us and let’s schedule a quick strategy call. We would love to hear your WHY story.