Aha! So you’ve come up with this wonderful, earth-shattering product idea for a start-up! What’s more, you’ve even gone off and executed it, bringing the beast to life, so to speak. But what next? Indeed, what? Well, you’ve got to keep the juggernaut going, and go for the jugular! Specifically, what we mean is go out there and put it in people’s faces, or at least make it known to your target market that your product’s out there. Well, well, well, that’s where marketing ever so delicately tiptoes in, and settles down at your particular table. Now, if you were even a bit perplexed about what to do at this stage, fear not, for we’re right at hand to calm your jangled nerves, and set you well on your way. Let’s get stuck in, shall we?
Go back to go forward
At the very outset, it may make sense to go back to that seminal moment that sparked it all off! Go back to that time when you or your team realised that this idea will really blast everything to smithereens, and revolutionise lives. Now, try to recreate and replicate that impact and conviction in all your messaging. Believe in your product. If you don’t, no one else will! Let this impact burst through, and you could be well on your way.
Set your sights right
Don’t appeal to everyone if you don’t have to. Speak precisely and only to you target audience. Trust us, we know it’s great to have a large populace to sell to, but things don’t quite work that way, do they? Besides, appealing unnecessarily to the larger public could seem to be a wasteful and irrelevant exercise. Instead, just figure out who your core market is right at the start, and reach out to them effectively and efficiently for maximum conversions!
If the price is right
Price is probably the most crucial element of the marketing mix, and some start-ups fall woefully short of getting this aspect bang on. While some of them are guilty of selling themselves short and appearing less premium than they ought to, still others price oppressively high and miss the mark. The only right way to go about this is to understand your market, the market conditions and the other players in the game, inside out. It pays to do your homework, and test the waters before going headlong with an established price. However, if you do get it wrong, don’t hang about too long to change it.
5, 6 pick up tips
This segues in nicely from the last tip, which speaks about research. Here we cannot stress enough on the importance of keeping tabs on all the marketing trends. Keep yourself abreast of all the goings on in the field, and across segments. This will let you know who bombed, who didn’t, and what in fact was the bomb! This exercise will teach you what to do, and what not to touch with a barge pole.
Plan it to rule your planet
Don’t just go in there in ‘bull meets china shop’ fashion! Draft a marketing plan and schedule, and prepare to execute said plan and schedule with metronomic accuracy. Also, don’t give said plan the step-motherly treatment, instead, delve and deliberate over it in detail. While we’re at it, we might as well add that you stay away from the overly fanciful, and include things that you know you can sure as heck deliver when called upon.
Keep yer eyes peeled
Now, once you’ve executed the marketing plan, it’s not yet time to put your feet up and relax! In fact, assume a more sprightly countenance and closely monitor the progress of your plan. Now, with digital marketing occupying the pride of place in your plan, it’s easier to measure and monitor. So, when it comes to excuses in this regard, you have none!
Sleep when you’re dead
Don’t ever kid yourself that the job is done. Coz, heck, it’s not! If your marketing plan is going a treat, don’t just drop off, coz the chasing pack will have you well in their sights. Why not instead continue to innovate, strategize, evolve, adapt and adopt to keep yourself ahead for all time to come!
