7 Best Digital Marketing Strategies for Startups

Startup companies are in an awkward position. Many people have no idea who they are, what they stand for, or what they do. It puts them in a hard position — trying to gain customers and clients so they can get to the next level.

If that sounds like your startup, know that it doesn’t have to be that way. With a strong online presence and a few digital marketing strategies, you can begin to grow your business. These tactics will help you build your brand identity and trust within the industry and promote your products or services. 

Let’s look at some of the best digital marketing strategies for startups and get you headed down the right path.

Embrace personalization and customization

Personalization matters more than ever in today’s world. Our world is filled with computers and machines, and people are longing for the personal touch we once had. Your company can be the one to give it to them with personalized marketing campaigns. 

By using key data points, you can customize content for every different group of people you are marketing to. You can measure results from these campaigns and track customer behavior to see what type of content they respond to best. This information will matter as you put together future campaigns. 

Try these tips for data analysis so you can personalize your next campaign:

• Use a CRM system. The customer relationship management software was designed to track customer behavior. Keep track of their preferences, watch how they engage in trends, and see their customer life cycle. Use these insights to create campaigns that work specifically for that client.
  
• Use the information you learn. This information should be at the center of your keyword research and your search engine optimization (SEO). Understanding your customers and customizing your marketing approach to them can put you in front of that audience quickly.
  
• Invest in data analytics and research. The more time you put into understanding your customers, the better your marketing content will be. You can tailor your approach more effectively and identify key pieces of information you need to deliver your best content.

Utilize account-based marketing

Account-based marketing (ABM) focuses on targeting specific accounts instead of the masses. This is a strategic approach that is designed to engage specific accounts through targeted advertising, email marketing, and personalized content.

Technology plays a big part in identifying which accounts to target. It can also help you to analyze the effectiveness of your marketing and sales campaigns. 

For example, it can pull data to identify decision-makers and help marketing teams understand their pain points or track campaigns and measure performance. Campaigns that are not doing well can be optimized and testing results compared.

This targeted, more personal approach to marketing can work better than traditional marketing. 

Here are some tips for getting started with an ABM strategy:

• Identify accounts to target. This may be potential customers or current ones. It could also include a mix of the two. Also, identify the decision-makers that you want to target at each company.
  
• Develop personalized messaging for each account. The messages should be based on pain points for that account and be different for the accounts. Include case studies, videos, brochures, or other materials that focus on their challenges.
  
• Use a variety of channels to reach the audience. Don’t limit yourself to only email or social media networks. Include podcasts, videos, webinars, and anything else that may reach your target group.
  
• Track the results. As with any successful digital marketing strategy, you’ll want to measure your results. Make changes as needed, and vet what works best for each account. Know that this is an ongoing process and may need to be optimized more than once. Keep notes for the next time you need to market to that group.

Build a community around your brand

Create a strong brand identity from the start. Understand your core values and your mission, and be sure they will resonate with your customers. Then, decide on a tone of voice to communicate your messages to your audience.

Use this way of messaging across all marketing channels, including your website, social media content, blogs, and videos. This consistency will help you build brand awareness and allow you to become easily recognizable in the marketplace.

Once you’ve solidified your branding, you can start to create a community around it. 

Here are a few tips to get started.

Update your business website to match your brand identity

Include call-to-action buttons and clear messaging on what your brand is all about. Make sure your “About Us” page gives some real-life details that share who you are as a brand so your customers can relate to you. 

Set your website up so it is easily found by using search engine marketing to enhance your content and keywords.

Optimize your site speed and ensure your website is mobile-friendly

You only have about 5 seconds to draw your customers to you, and you don’t want to waste any of that time on loading.

Create a social media presence

Take time to understand where your target audience is most active, and create an online marketing strategy for that platform. If you’re unsure, Facebook is almost always a good place to start. Share posts and blogs, link to your website and be active on your page. 

Always respond to customer comments, questions, and messages as soon as you can. Being responsive and present is crucial to building an online community.

Consider looking into online forums for your industry

These are great places to connect with potential customers, answer questions, and get feedback. You can find these by going to your search engine and searching “online forums for (your industry).”

Leverage influencer marketing

Influencers are the latest big thing on the internet. These personalities have a large audience that follows them, and that audience is very loyal. Influencers post blogs and create videos or do podcasts and silly stunts on social media platforms nts that are eaten up by their followers. 

Take advantage of some of these influencers in your industry. Partner with them and let them help you promote your product or service. Influencers spend an immense amount of time building audiences in the niche. Their audience trusts them and, by extension, will trust your brand as well.

Here are a few influencer marketing strategies for your startup company:

• Find the right influencers. Look for those who have values similar to your brand’s. Take time to identify those that are genuine and have a real connection with their audience.
  
• Build a relationship with the influencer before reaching out to them about any partnerships. Comment on their content, like their posts, and be real with them.
  
• Establish a clear strategy. While social media and influencers can be fun, the end goal is to generate leads and promote sales. Know what you want to achieve and what content you want the influencer to use. Define what success looks like so you know when you’ve reached it.
  
• Create a marketing budget for the influencer. How much are you willing to spend? How will you decide if you want to increase or decrease that budget? When does the influencer get paid? Make sure you set expectations and negotiate terms with the influencer before getting started.
  
• Measure your results. As with any social media marketing, you’ll want to track and analyze the results of your campaign. Adjust strategies based on what is working with the influencer and what is not.

Utilize remarketing/retargeting

In addition to running your regular social media and Google ads, consider using retargeting ads. 

These ads, also known as remarketing ads, target people who have previously visited your website or clicked on an ad but have not yet purchased from you. Since the targeted traffic is already aware of your brand, these ads cost less to place. They are effective at generating sales since your audience is familiar with you. 

People rarely buy from a brand the first time they see it. Using retargeting ads can keep your audience’s interest until they are ready to buy. 

These ideas on retargeting can help get you started on the right path:

• Use limited-time offers. Retargeting ads work most effectively when paired with a limited-time offer. By creating scarcity, you get people to head to your site to buy.
  
• Create personalized messaging and ads. These ads will show each individual the products that they were most interested in. This draws your customers back as they recognize that product.
  
• Use data tracking. Add a Facebook Pixel, use cookies, and integrate Google Analytics to track who has been on your website. You can then set your retargeting ads to target specific people — for example, someone who visited a product page but didn’t buy.
  
• Track your ads. Revisit them and check their performance regularly. Make changes to them based on how the campaign is doing.

Develop a comprehensive content marketing strategy

Content marketing involves sharing valuable and informative information with your audience. If done consistently, using high-quality content, you will attract new people and generate profits.

Planning appropriate content should be a top priority when scheduling your marketing activities. Use your content to engage with your customers. Provide them with helpful information that addresses their issues and struggles. 

As users become more familiar with what your company stands for, they will start to understand your brand. Eventually, they will show loyalty to you and share your content with others so you reach a broader audience. So, be sure to include a good content marketing strategy as part of your digital marketing plan. 

Here are a few tips for putting together your content:

• Identify who you want to reach with your marketing efforts. Define who your clients are in order to create content for your target audience to understand and identify with.
  
• Use multiple formats. Try blog posts, video content, infographics, podcasts, and even emails. See what resonates most with your audience and where you get the best response.
  
• Stay consistent. You need to post content often. But don’t post just to post. Sharing high-quality content less frequently is better than sharing poor content. Create a content calendar that lets you know what you plan to post and when to help you stay consistent.
  
• Use SEO-optimized content. Find keywords that are relevant to your business. Use terms your customers are likely to search for. This will help your audience find your content online. 
  
• Engage. After you post your content, encourage people to comment and share your posts. Reply to their comments and answer their questions. 
  
• Analyze the results of your content. There are many tools available for marketers to check on their content. Google Analytics is one of the most common. See how your content is doing. Why are people looking at it? What material does your audience see the most? Keep the results in mind for future content creation.

Use artificial intelligence and machine learning

Many marketers still shy away from using artificial intelligence (AI), which is understandable. But marketing actually has a lot to gain by using it correctly. 

The purpose of marketing is to analyze customer behavior, discover customer needs, and match them up with products that fit those needs. These are all skills that AI can help with dramatically. 

AI and machine learning (ML) can also help you improve your customer service and make sure you are responding promptly to your audience. 

Let’s look at a few ways AI can help with your marketing:

• Chatbots – Using chatbots on your website or social media channels lets you set up standard responses to get back to customers quickly. Look through the most frequently asked questions and set up standard responses for these.
  
• Analyze customer behavior – How your customers act on your website, what ads they click on, and what social media posts they interact with will dictate what your next marketing move is. AI can help you analyze this information and determine where to adjust your strategy.
  
• Personalize marketing campaigns – You can use the information given to you from AI to personalize your marketing campaigns based on individual preferences.
  
• Machine learning apps – Some businesses use machine learning apps to walk their customers through discovery apps, such as which makeup product is best for their skin tone, so customers know which product will work best for them.

A final note about digital marketing for startups

In the dynamic world of startups, a solid digital marketing strategy offers a transformative route from obscurity to recognition. Online marketing has quickly become the method of choice for many marketers to promote businesses because they can track results and tweak campaigns quickly. 

Personalization and customization are key to having a successful marketing campaign. Using data to tailor campaigns and foster engagement can increase the results of your campaign and help you quickly bring your brand to light. 

Account-based marketing hones in on specific accounts, delivering tailored content and engagement. Building a brand community amplifies recognition, while influencer marketing taps into established audiences.

Retargeting ads leverage familiarity to bring people back into the sales funnel and convert leads, and a comprehensive content strategy solidifies authority. AI and machine learning add a new dimension, enhancing customer interactions and personalization. In this journey, startups find a well-defined path to growth, recognition, and prosperity. 

By using a mix of digital marketing strategies for your startup, building brand awareness will start showing results, and you’ll see more people taking notice of your brand. 

There is no right or wrong approach for a startup when you’re just looking to start your marketing program. The key is to get started, try a few, make some adjustments, and keep going. 
Soon, you’ll start to understand the analytics and data that are coming in and be better able to adjust your campaigns so you have a lifetime of success.