Three examples of Marketing Success For Start-Ups
It is not uncommon for inexperienced entrepreneurs to cause themselves considerable problems by making one of two common mistakes: The first error is thinking a product can stand on its own with no strategy to market it to potential customers. The second error is spending a large percentage of an already thin budget on a marketing campaign that does not bring the results that are needed.
The good news is there are many innovative marketing strategies that are neither expensive or complicated to use. The even better news is there are three examples below that perfectly demonstrate how creative marketing efforts can benefit your company.
Buffer uses content marketing to drive growth
Buffer is a great example of what a start-up company can accomplish with great content marketing. The app company understood that content marketing is more than the passing fad some companies mistakenly believe it to be. Buffer understood that content marketing is needed to push a company into broader conversations.
Buffer began by partnering with leading publications in their industry and allowing guest posts from other bloggers. This elevated Buffer to the status of an industry expert and allowed the company to gain traction with potential customers through shared posts.
Content creators who work for the company then went to work on producing material for the company blog that now enjoys more than a million visitors per month.
Buffer understood the need for high-quality content that readers found shareable. The company earned itself rapid growth by concentrating its effort on producing and distributing this content.
Success in thought leadership can be earned by changing the way people think
The software-as-a-service industry is extremely competitive and the company HubSpot found themselves in need of a creative way to stand out from the crowd. Leaders of the company paid special attention to the way the internet was reshaping the way consumers conducted research regarding services and products.
There was no longer a reason for businesses to await cold calls from other businesses to know what options existed for purchase. They could now perform research in real-time from the office or at home.
HubSpot created the term and concept of inbound marketing about a decade ago. The premise was that marketers can now use the web to reach buyers in their places of comfort. The concept is so popular that multiple books have been written on the subject and there are multiple conferences each year for inbound marketers that include thousands of attendees.
HubSpot seized the opportunity to become the foremost authority on inbound marketing and directed its effort at the development of thought leadership pertaining to the topic. Today, HubSpot Academy is the top destination for individuals that want to learn the ins and outs of inbound marketing.
PR can save time and money needed for growth
It is common for startup entrepreneurs to feel a little nauseous when they view the particulars of their marketing plan. They know it is necessary to spend money on marketing but they often wonder if there is a more effective course of action that is unknown to them.
Warby Parker is an eyeglass company that was able to achieve 500 percent growth in a single year. This fact is even more impressive once you consider the company spent no money on marketing and advertising at startup.
Warby Parker published content in high-profile magazines like Vogue and GQ to gain the traction among fashion elite the company craved. The response was all the company dreamed of and more as it was only a matter of weeks before a waiting list was created that contained 20,000 names waiting for the company’s products.