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The Ultimate Guide to

Startup
Marketing
Friday, December 20, 13

Table of Contents
Foundation

Social Media

Startup PR

Choosing a market

Choosing social media networks

Craft meaningful position statements

Dening success

Dening the best times to post

Dene your startup sensitivities

Dening keywords

Using a keyword list

Identifying writers for a media list

Setting core metrics

Creating & using an inuencer list

Creating a press kit

Estimating a conversion rate

Setting up a blog

Reaching out to journalist

Slides 17-19

Test and Iterate

Slides 20-23

Best Practices

Creating a topic list

Setting up analytics tools

Sell the solution

Knowing what content to publish

Measuring against benchmarks

Have a compelling story

Guest blogging

Brainstorming creative new ideas

Use all your resources

Slides 1-6

Slides 7-11

Slides 12-16

Setting a budget

Content creation

Capturing emails

Friday, December 20, 13

Slides 24-27

Startup Marketing
is a Whole
Dierent Science
Build it and they will come doesnt work
Those overnight success stories are often the result of years of hard work.
Startup marketing is challenging because of limited resources (Time,
money, or talent.)
Every eort, no matter how small, must be awlessly executed.
Traditional strategies dont always work.
The secret is combining the right channels: Content marketing and PR.

Friday, December 20, 13

Foundation
Before you start laying bricks you need a solid
foundation. Learn how to choose a market, dene
keywords, dene success and set a budget.

Friday, December 20, 13

Choosing a Market
Only a small portion of the population is
interested in your product.

You
 cant
 be

everything
 to

everyone

You waste time and money by trying to


market to everyone.
Identify a niche target market and focus on
just them.

Friday, December 20, 13

How Do You Choose a Market?


1.

Market Size - Who are you targeting and how many potential
customers are there?

2.

Market Wealth - Does this target have money to spend on your


product?

3.

Market Competition - Is the market saturated with competitors?

4.

Value Proposition - Is your value proposition unique enough to


cut through the noise? What are your dierentiators?

Friday, December 20, 13

Dening Success
Success is dierent for every startup.
Dene your idea of success early and
rigidly.
Make sure your team and partners
understand your denition of success.
Stay consistent each month. Pick a
denition and commit to it.

Friday, December 20, 13

Success
 may
 be
 500

new
 signups
 for

Startup
 A
 while

Startup
 B
 thinks

success
 is
 $50,000

monthly
 revenue.

Setting Core Metrics


Core metrics should be measurable and
specic.
Use highly valuable metrics based on your
customer acquisition funnel.
Only measure what matters! Focus on
your KPIs.
TIP: record baseline metrics as soon as
you start so you can easily determine
growth and whats working/whats not.

Friday, December 20, 13

Vanity
 metrics
 are

appealing
 to
 your
 ego,

but
 they
 are
 useless!
They
 are
 not
 tied
 to

real
 growth
 so
 you

wont
 know
 how
 your

startup
 is
 doing
 until

its
 too
 late.
Let
 me
 explain...

Setting Core Metrics


Lets
 say
 your
 goal
 is
 100
 email
 signups
 in
 one
 month.
 To
 determine
 your

core
 metrics,
 work
 backwards
 through
 the
 signup
 funnel.
 For
 100
 signups,

youll
 want
 to
 focus
 on
 (1)
 the
 conversion
 rate
 of
 the
 signup
 form,
 and
 (2)

the
 amount
 of
 unique
 traffic
 you
 get.

3%
 is
 a
 decent
 conversion
 rate
 for
 most
 SaaS
 startups,
 so
 well
 use
 that
 as

an
 estimate.
 In
 that
 case,
 youll
 need
 to
 send
 approximately
 3,333
 unique

visitors
 to
 the
 top
 of
 your
 conversion
 funnel.
If
 you
 focus
 on
 those
 core
 metrics,
 you
 know
 youll
 be
 able
 to
 achieve
 your

goal
 of
 100
 signups.
 A
 3%
 conversion
 rate
 and
 3,333
 unique
 visitors
 sounds

much
 less
 daunting
 than
 100
 signups.
 Focus
 on
 the
 moving
 parts
 (core

metrics),
 not
 the
 big
 picture
 (goal).

Friday, December 20, 13

Setting a Budget
Inbound
 marketing
 leads
 cost
 less
 than
 outbound
 marketing

leads,
 but
 dont
 kid
 yourself:
 they
 are
 not
 free.
Set a budget early in the game and accept that limit.
Carefully plan how you intend to divide that budget.
If your blog has been your most powerful lead generator, consider
investing upwards of 50% of the budget there. If not, try a new
eBook, guide, webinar or whitepaper.

Friday, December 20, 13

Dening Core Keywords


Build a list of words or phrases that are
highly relevant to your brand.
What would someone type into Google to
nd your startups website?
Start a core keyword list of three to ve
keywords that summarize your startup.
Your core keywords should be based on your value proposition.
Tip: Your core keywords make excellent blog categories.

Friday, December 20, 13

Dening Secondary Keywords


Content
 Marketing
 requires
 an

intelligent
 approach
 that
 hinges

upon
 fresh,
 relevant
 content

that
 will
 offer
 value
 to
 visitors

while
 attracting
 Google
 and

other
 search
 engines.
 Its
 not

just
 about
 keywords
 anymore.

-
 Blake
 Boldt
 of
 SocialMedia
 Today

Friday, December 20, 13

Expand your core keyword list to


include more specic terms.
E.g. content marketing might
include secondary keywords like
corporate blogging, blogging best
practices, email marketing how to, etc.
Use free tools to nd keywords that
are low competition and high trac
(Lots of people are searching for
them, but few results are displayed.)

Estimating a Conversion Rate


Assign values to your goals and conversions.
Example: Newsletter signups. 100 signups could be incredible
growth if your conversion rate is 20%. If the conversion rate is
closer to 1%, 100 signups might be insignicant.
Estimate your lead conversion rate and the lifetime value of a
customer.
Assign values to goal completions, like newsletter signups.
$2,500 per month from a newsletter is more indicative of success
than 100 newsletter signups.

Friday, December 20, 13

Social Media
Social media is one of the most popular ways to promote
content and reach inuencers.
(That can mean potential customers visiting your website and
thousands of new leads.)
Social media is invaluable to startups. Here are a few tricks to
get the most out of it.

Friday, December 20, 13

Choosing the Right


Social Media Networks
A common mistake is trying to master every social network.
Each popular social network has unique characteristics. For example,
Facebook is typically for visual posts. Twitter is often powered by links.
Tumblr, caters to a young, laid-back audience. And Reddit detests spammers.
Content shared on those channels require a dierent approach. For
example: Reddit requirers a slower, specic and unique conversational style.
Be mindful of the network and community you are trying to reach.
Consider the demographic!

Friday, December 20, 13

Best Day & Time to Post


There
 is
 no
 universal
 perfect
 time
 to
 post.

But,
 here
 are
 some
 best
 practices:

Twitter:

Facebook:
- 5 p.m. EST is the best time to get a retweet. - Saturdays are best.

- One to four link tweets per hour is the best


- 12 p.m. EST is the best time to share.
frequency.
- 0.5 posts per day is the best frequency
- Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays,
Saturdays and Sundays are the best days
to tweet.
- 6 a.m. EST, 12 p.m. EST and 6 p.m. EST are
the best times to tweet to get clicks.

Friday, December 20, 13

Using a Keyword List


Use your keyword list to maximize engagement eorts on social media.
For example, an employee feedback SaaS company like 15Five should
use keywords like employee feedback, employee engagement, etc
For Clarity, an advice service for entrepreneurs, some of the keywords
might be for professional advice, or Business advice.
Using a social networking management tool like HootSuite allows you
to monitor these keywords. Set up search streams with your core
keywords. Youll be able to monitor conversations, join in and solidify a
reputation this way.
Tip: Use your keyword list in your online ads (If applicable)

Friday, December 20, 13

Creating and Using an


Inuencer List
Inuence the inuencer. It will take a long
time for your startup to inuence thousands
of people. Focus on connecting with people
who already have that influence.
Look for how engaged their followers are
and check their follower/following ratio.
Dont be fooled by a high follower count.
Tip: Journalists and community leaders are
great inuencers as well. Dont limit
yourself to celebrities.

Friday, December 20, 13

78%
 of
 social
 media

users
 said
 blog
 posts

by
 brands
 influenced

their
 purchase

behavior
 moderately

or
 highly.

Setting Up Your Blog


Choose the right platform for your audience,
install the necessary plugins and extensions
and make the design functional. Remember,
people are here to read/see GREAT content so that should be the focus.

Friday, December 20, 13

Setting Up a Blog
Choose the right platform for your needs. Is it Wordpress, Blogger or
Tumblr?
Install necessary plugins to help with the workow (We like SEOYoast,
Calendar, and Akismet.
How does your design look? Does it
appeal to your target demographic? Is it
professional looking?
Your blog is about publishing great content
at the right time to the right people. Design
should simply enhance that.
Friday, December 20, 13

Be Sure Your Blog


Design Is Functional
Basic requirements for a great design include:
1. Clear Call to Action (Do the eye squint test. Sit 6 feet away from your screen
and squint your eyes. What stands out at you the most? It should be your CTA!)
2. Search functionality
3. Clear subscriber box
4. Social Media Icons for sharing
5. Large area in the header for a great photo
6. Featured Images

Friday, December 20, 13

Startup PR
PR remains a mystery in many startup circles.
Whens the right time to tell people about your startup?
Is early coverage in industry blogs valuable? What
message resonates with writers? How can you translate
press coverage to sales? Should you hire a PR rm?

Friday, December 20, 13

Craft Meaningful
Positioning Statements
A series of engaging positioning statements is vital.
Think of your product as the solution to a common
problem.
What is your product?
How will it aect others?
Who will care?
Say what the product is capable of, but also clearly
describe its value proposition and the problem it
solves.

Friday, December 20, 13

It
 all
 boils
 down
 to:
-
 What
 to
 say.
-
 When
 to
 say
 it.
-
 Who
 to
 say
 it
 to.

Dene Your
Startup Sensitivities
Keep your friends close and your enemies
closer.
Identify your competitors strengths and weaknesses to understand how
to market your product better.
Gather all information available on competitors. If they have an edge,
then look at an angle where theyre lacking.
Youve only got a short time to engage writers before pitching them.
Focus on the one or two strongest aspects of your value proposition and
use those to gauge media interest.

Friday, December 20, 13

Identifying the Right


Writers for a Media List
Pitch only writers/journalists who already write about your
industry.
Look at writers who have covered stories with similar
themes.
Pitch the right writer for your story. For example, if your
product is exclusively for iPhone, dont pitch an Android
product journalist.
Build real relationships and get to know the identied writers
on a personal, non-promotional level rst. Set up private
Twitter lists and actively engage with them.
In due time, those relationships will benet you and your
startup.

Friday, December 20, 13

Build
 your
 network

before
 you
 need

them.
-
 Jeremiah
 Owyang,
 Partner
 and

Industry
 Analyst
 at
 Altimeter

Group

Creating a Press Kit


The key to a successful media launch is rooted
deep within a killer media kit. Here are the items
needed:

Media Advisory (The product pitch!)

Logos & Screenshots

Founder Bios & Photos

Friday, December 20, 13

Media Advisory
Include how the product is changing the world. The pitch should be included in the
headline or rst paragraph of the release. Write it and direct it towards someone who
will care.
Include this information on the company and
its founders:

Company Name

Website

Twitter Handle(s)

CEO & Co-Founders

Launch Date

Fees

Friday, December 20, 13

Logos & Screenshots


Most writers merely skim a media advisory, so increase the chances of
coverage by ensuring it is tight and eective.
Visuals and Founder Information
Include supplementary visuals to accompany the story (e.g. company
logo(s) and relevant screenshots).
Provide a brief biography of each co-founder and include headshots.
What is the driving force behind the company? Include any tidbits
writers can use to make your story more interesting.
We recommend using a personalized Dropbox for each journalist. It will
also tell you if theyve viewed the folder - conrming interest.

Friday, December 20, 13

Reaching Out to Journalists


Engagement with journalists prior to reaching out is key. Dont assume
theyre interested. Be polite and request to send information on a story
that may interest them.

Build a relationship rst so it doesnt come


o as insincere.
They may decline, but by continuing to
build on the relationship, they could accept
in the future.

Friday, December 20, 13

Content Creation
Its time to kick content creation into high gear.
Managing a blog and other forms of content can seem
daunting though.
Fortunately, four little steps is all you need to get started.

Friday, December 20, 13

Creating a Topic List


Create a topic list based on your core keywords.
Put all of your ideas on a calendar once you have
around 15-20 topics.
Tip: Add descriptions to your topic ideas. You might
not remember your idea when you go to write the
post three months from now.

Friday, December 20, 13

Knowing What Types


of Content to Publish
Each of the ve main types of
content (eBooks, webinars,
newsletters, video and guest
blogging) have unique advantages
and disadvantages.
Consider your options carefully with
your target market in mind.
Dont try to do everything right
away.
Friday, December 20, 13

When
 starting
 out
 with

blogging,
 aim
 to

contribute
 70%
 of
 the

content
 you
 create
 to

other
 blogs
 to
 help

establish
 yourself
 as
 an

expert
 in
 the
 space.

Webinars
Hearing your voice and engaging with you
live gives customers a sense of familiarity.
Use webinars to help establish yourself as an expert in the space, establish
rapport with prospects, as a lead generating engine or to explain a complex
idea or product to an audience.
Have someone on your team live tweet your webinar using a custom
#hashtag(s). Make sure you are providing great nuggets of wisdom,
something easily re-tweetable.
Make sure to post your contact information or a call to action. Cross-promote
your webinar on your blog.

Friday, December 20, 13

eBooks & Guides


Oer a free eBook in exchange for an email
address. This is simple to create using tools like
Mailchimp and Wordpress.
Follow up. Ask their opinion of the eBook to
open the door for conversation.
Track downloads and metrics against your
goal(s) to see if free content works. Remember,
Content Marketing is a slow process. Dont
expect quick wins right away. It takes time to
build a great reputation!

Friday, December 20, 13

Newsletters
Email marketing is far from dead.
In fact, 56% of businesses said
they planned to increase their
use of email marketing in 2013.*
Make subscribing to your newsletter quick and
straightforward. The setup is so easy a monkey could do it.
But ... dont go overboard with email blasts. Once you overuse
the connection, youll lose it. Dont be an annoying friend.
* ExactTarget: http://www.exacttarget.com/blog/50-email-marketing-tips-and-stats-for-2014/

Friday, December 20, 13

Videos
If a picture is worth a
thousand words, imagine
what a video is worth.
Keep it simple by creating an explainer video or an
introduction video.
Put the video on your startups website or blog.
Statistics show most people would rather watch than read.
Theyre also more likely to buy after watching a video...

Friday, December 20, 13

Videos = More Customers


Dropbox
 introduced
 a
 simple
 explainer
 video

on
 their
 landing
 page
 and
 saw
 an
 additional

75,000
 subscribers
 in
 only
 24
 hours.
Onlineshoes.com
 converts
 45%
 more

customers
 using
 video
 and
 has
 seen
 a
 359%

year-over-year
 increase
 in
 video
 views.
 

Product
 pages
 with
 video
 have
 higher

conversion
 rates
 than
 product
 pages
 without

video.

Friday, December 20, 13

Guest Blogging
Guest blogging is an incredible way to build your inuence and
establish expertise in your eld.
Start by making a list of 20-30 blogs / publications that interest you
and compliment your industry. Look for contributing guidelines and
follow the process. If there are none, reach out (via email or Social
Media) to the editor to ask if you can contribute some content.
The content you contribute should always by 100% authentic and
original.
Once youve built a reputation, create your own writers page and
link to the content you have published.

Friday, December 20, 13

Capturing Emails
Capturing emails can be divided into three
categories: email submits, newsletter subscriptions,
and blog subscriptions.
Email marketing is best managed by a tool like
MailChimp, which allows you to send custom emails.
You can setup email campaigns based on your RSS
feed, which means subscribers will receive an email
whenever new content is published.

Friday, December 20, 13

Test and Iterate


You have to continuously improve your marketing
strategy by testing and iterating.
Always refer to your metrics for success to see if you
are on the right path.

Friday, December 20, 13

Setting Up Analytics Tools


The key to measuring success is a great analytics
tool.
Google Analytics is a no-frills solution. If you need
something more user-friendly and advanced, tools
like KISSmetrics are available.
All analytics tools will have you insert a snippet of
code on your website. Be sure they are committed
to preserving fast load times.
Friday, December 20, 13

Measuring Against
Benchmarks
Measure week over week and
month over month. Compare your
core metrics to the previous period.
Look for consistent growth.
Attribute signicant growth or
decline to an event (e.g. a viral
tweet or a disastrous newsletter).
Isolate and then either replicate it
or avoid it.

Friday, December 20, 13

If
 you
 cant
 measure
 it,

you
 cant
 manage
 it.
-
 Peter
 Drucker,
 Management

Consultant

Brainstorming
Creative New Ideas
Dont only iterate and optimize
what youve already been doing.
Always try creative new things.
Some of your new and innovative
ideas will fail, but the few that
succeed will be well worth it.
Never get complacent!

Friday, December 20, 13

Best Practices
What are the industry experts saying? What are the top startups
doing? Here are three startup marketing best practices.
1. Sell the solution. Touch upon, but dont dwell on the problem.
Quickly get to the point: how your solution is the ultimate x.
2. Have a compelling story. Use your story to dierentiate yourself
from the competition. Having a relatable story is a fast-track to
establishing authentic relationships.
3. Use all of your resources. Dont overlook any marketing idea - big
or small. Get your team excited to tell your startups story. Write a
blog post on a trending topic. Run a contest to drum up some hype.

Friday, December 20, 13

Conclusion
Startup marketing is a blend of complex
science AND art.

Tested formulas should always be approached


with personal nesse and are.
When marketing comes from a passionate
perspective and mapped with thoughtful
strategy, the results will not only be
measurable but exactly the momentum
you need to take your startup to the next level.

Friday, December 20, 13

www.onboardly.com

Friday, December 20, 13

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