marketing for (almost) no money - startup special
DESCRIPTION
A pragmatic view (based on our experience) of the DOs and DON’Ts of marketing for start-ups. Top tips: start with research, don't jump blindly into social media, don't forget about email marketing, and always look for the right partners! Oh, and this is the 16th edition of the presentation, last updated on 17 May 2012. Thanks for viewing, and don't hesitate to ask questions.TRANSCRIPT
Effective marketing for startups
on zero budget
Leo Exter, founder @ westartup
The things I do
There really is NO “silver bullet”
Clever is good… well-funded is better
Marketing isn’t complex… it’s complicated
Exception?
No, just proves the rules…
Strategy
Forget about it.
For now.
The Missing Word
Don’t
• Don’t wait with name, logo & business cards
• Don’t start with advertising
• Don’t do press releases
• Don’t waste time!
There’s no such thing as “people”
There’s individuals and their unique needs
This is a niche.
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Chose yours wisely:Not too big
Not too smallVery clearly defined
Research: test your (implicit) assumptions
• Talk to 1 person to understand
• Survey 100 peopleto make a choice
•Listen!
Build a basic website first
Work with forums
Fans for every conceivable thing
Find “movers and shakers”
Make them privileged partners
Email marketing:bad rep, great results
• Perfect for keeping in touch with your customers
• Follow basic rules for success
• Plenty of good free tools around
http://www.b2bemailmarketing.com/
Social media: BEWARE!
Not free: costs you time!
Not everyone is (really) on Facebook
More miss than hit – It’s not as “viral” as you think– Takes a lot of skill to do it right
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Social media crash course
Stick to the big 3
Good content wins
Be social!
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Do-it-yourself PR
Don’t forget about “traditional” press!
Choose right journalists, focus
Bring them storiesto copy / paste
Partner power!
Ideal partner:– Same target– Awesome power– Complementary
(non-competing)
Find a win-win
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To create word-of-mouth: under-promise and over-deliver
“€ 75 for a life-changing experience”
Dann Rogge
Get professional help
Wait till you’ve run out of free stuff to do
Think three times before choosing the cheapest service
Always watch out for bullshit
