A focused and strategic marketing effort is integral to the success of any business, and all the more so for a startup. In fact, having a detailed marketing plan is a crucial component of your business plan. Whether you are creating a for-profit or nonprofit business plan, focusing on marketing is key.
You need to develop your marketing plan well before you launch your business.However, all is not lost if you haven’t been able to do so. You can still come up with an effective startup marketing plan to get your upcoming startup business noticed. Following these simple tips to help create your marketing plan.
- Market Segmentation – If you want to create an effective marketing plan, you need to know who your target audience is. This is where market segmentation comes in. Don’t make the mistake of believing that your startup product/service will appeal to everybody, because it won’t. Invest in market research to find out exactly which country, demographic and personality your brand can potentially hold the maximum appeal for, then find ways to appeal to their sensibilities.
- Survey Your Target Audience – In order for your startup marketing plan to bear fruit, you will need to know how viable your primary product/service offering is. Are there other companies in the market offering the same product/service? If there are, is your target audience aware of it? Even if your target audience is aware of these brands, how can your brand offer them more value than these other companies? Ask your target audience questions that can help you strategize an effective marketing plan and provide them samples of your product/service, so they can give you feedback. You can then use this information to better your product/service offering.
- Market on Social Media – Social media marketing is a no-brainer for any marketing business plan in our times. If you want your startup to gain the attention it deserves, you have to promote it on social media. Don’t just stick to social networking platforms either, start a company blog as well. A company blog will allow you to share your brand story more organically with interested readers. You can link your blog with your social media pages, so incoming traffic to your blog/social networking page gets distributed. Focus on providing your audience with valuable content, both on your blog and social media pages. The content may not always be directly related to your business either. When your audience comes to perceive you as a source of actionable knowledge, they are more likely to engage with your brand as well.
A startup marketing business plan need not be very complex. While it helps to bring a PR team on board, it won’t harm your startup if you aren’t able to do so right away. All you need to do is be mindful of your marketing practices and you will observe that your audience is responding to your marketing initiatives as desired. Good luck!
