I suppose it’s accurate to say that at one point every business was technically a “startup”, but the definition of that word quickly changes once certain factors, like the overall goals, direction, and initial group of employees of the company are established. Some “startups” may be the fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth, etc., endeavour undertaken by an individual who already has the means and connections to quickly climb their way past their competition.
For the purposes of this post, however, we’ll be assuming that “startup” refers to the results of a fresh-faced entrepreneur starting their first business, with little in the way of assets at the outset.
That said, those new to the captain’s chair will no doubt have an almost infinite amount of questions regarding how to get their new business off the ground, many of which will revolve around marketing. After all, that’s one of the most crucial aspects of starting a company, and often requires a good deal of resources and budget. So for those still getting their feet wet in the world of entrepreneurship, we’d like to share this helpful article from the Intuit Small Business Blog, entitled Growth Hacks: 4 Tips for Successful Startup Marketing.
As you might expect, the article offers 4 methods that new business owners can use to start their promotional efforts off right. Here’s a look at one:
3. Choose the right social media channels. Not all social media sites are created equal: What works on one channel may not work on another. For example, Facebook would be an inappropriate place to post brief, frequent updates. If that’s how you plan to handle your marketing, use Twitter instead. Facebook is better for less frequent multimedia updates. B2B businesses should consider using LinkedIn for their social media marketing efforts. Have a lot of photos to share? Consider using Pinterest.
This is a great starting point, especially for those unfamiliar with social media and how it can be utilized to help market a business. In the past few years, it’s gone from an added asset to a marketing campaign to a full-blown part of it. The article from Intuit is correct: the incredible upsurge in the popularity of these platforms has resulted in the need to choose carefully, as not all of them will necessarily meet the marketing goals of every startup.
If you’re in the process of starting your first new business, or are getting ready to do so, we’d recommend reading this article for the insights it offers.
What do you think? Do you have experience creating a startup? Did you follow any of these tips? Are you starting a business soon and plan on utilizing them? Your thoughts are always welcome, so let us know!
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