The Guardrails of Success – Ten Pieces of Advice for Startups from Marketing Professionals
When a new startup client asked me for pieces of advice that she should keep in mind as she jumps into his first entrepreneurial venture. We met for several hours and covered an essential list to guide her in year one. I told her that a startup is like driving on the highway at 80 mph without guardrails.
Marketing consultants like me are often sharing advice with startups and young businesses. I wondered what other marketing advisors would add to my initial list. The following are the ten pieces of advice that talented marketing consultants often give to startup companies in different industries.
Ten Pieces of Advice for Startups
Focus on your target audience
Neil Patel, Digital Marketing Consultant.
“The most successful startups are the ones that identify their target audience and create a product or service that solves a specific problem for that audience.”
Define your unique selling proposition
Jayson DeMers, Founder and CEO of EmailAnalytics.
“Your unique selling proposition is what sets you apart from your competitors. It makes your product or service unique and valuable to your target audience.”
Build a strong brand.
“A strong brand is critical to the success of any startup. It helps you stand out in a crowded marketplace and builds trust and credibility with your target audience.”
Rachel Meranus, Chief Marketing Officer at InfoBlox.
Create a content strategy.
Sujan Patel, Founder of Mailshake.
“Content marketing is a powerful tool for startups because it helps you build brand awareness, generate leads, and establish thought leadership in your industry.”
Leverage social media.
Ann Handley, Chief Content Officer at MarketingProfs.
“Social media can be a cost-effective way to reach your target audience, build brand awareness, and generate leads.”
Don’t overlook SEO.
Brian Dean, Fonder of Backlinko.
“Search engine optimization is an essential part of any digital marketing strategy. It helps you rank higher in search engine results pages and drives more organic traffic to your website.”
Test and iterate.
Rand Fishkin, Founder of Moz.
“The most successful startups are the ones that are constantly testing and iterating their marketing strategies. This allows them to optimize their campaigns and achieve better results over time.”
Focus on customer experience.
Dharmesh Shah, Co-founder and CTO of HubSpot.
“The customer experience should be at the forefront of your marketing strategy. Everything you do should be designed to make the customer’s experience with your brand as positive and memorable as possible.”
Measure and track your results.
Amy Porterfield, Online Marketing Expert.
“It’s important to track your marketing results to identify what’s working and what’s not. This allows you to make data-driven decisions and optimize your marketing campaigns for better results.”
Stay agile.
Chris Ducker, Founder of Youpreneur.
“Startups need to be agile and adaptable in their marketing strategies. They need to be able to pivot quickly if something isn’t working or if they identify a new opportunity in the market.”
Guardrails for Success
By following these ten pieces of advice, startup companies can create a solid foundation for their marketing efforts and increase their chances of success in their respective industries. Think of each piece of advice like a headline – and you need to dig deep into each idea to ensure you have a strategy that fits your business goals, objectives, and long-range plans.
These ten guidelines are like guardrails and can also apply to more established businesses.
A startup is like jumping onto a highway at 80 mph. So you better know where the guardrails are to keep you on track.
What would you add to this list that isn’t covered?
You can set up a time to chat with me about your marketing challenges using my calendar. Email me jeffslater@themarketingsage.com Call me. 919 720 0995. The conversation is free, and we can explore if working together makes sense. Watch a short video about working with me.
Photo by Hogarth de la Plante on Unsplash
Hi Jeff
I keep this bookmarked on my laptop to remind me what to focus on! Very helpful.
Phil,
Thanks for your comment. These ten pieces of advice create a helpful framework for marketers and startup brands.
Cheers,
Jeff