Your business is forming, products are ready for launch and it’s time to consider how to get visibility and build you brand. How and where do you tell your story and why should you? What makes your start-up special? Why should anyone invest in your company? Can you establish your grounds when going against some of the biggest companies ever known to mankind? Can you co-operate and partner up with them and ensure financial growth? A global research conducted by The Unilever Foundry (US 2017) suggests collaboration between large corporations and start-ups is on a rise and these two are to co-exist creating a dynamic business ecosystem. How do you get credibility and exposure to get there? Answer is simple; By doing some brilliant Content Marketing. CMI research (US 2018) estimates B2B companies with documented Content Marketing strategy to be more successful than their competitors without clear strategy with 65% vs. 14% ratio. Here’s all you need to know to get started. This crucial, but often overlooked form of marketing is a real lifesaver for businesses at the early start-up days when the budget for marketing hasn’t been decided, allocated or it’s simply questionable for other reasons. You can do this regardless of the level of marketing knowledge or expertise and when correctly done, content marketing runs cost-efficiently with long term results. This is an opportunity to educate audiences, gather leads and build credibility. But beware, there’s a catch: only original content and thoughts are interesting and will have an impact in the littered advertising wonderland, the Internet. As an author you have the freedom to tell the story of your choice; you can write about anything, including and excluding products or software the business specializes. This is the birth of your brand and a time for storytelling. Do it properly. Take no shortcuts. Be dynamic and experiment, and most importantly be consistent. To get started all you need is a bit of creativity, dash of own ideas, a pinch of attractive media and a catchy strategy outlining channels and platforms to utilize. Simple and practical way to start is blog or a newsletter for which you’ll find plenty of platforms & templates online. You could publish a blog on your own website or perhaps even on social media. Depending of your industry and current skill sets you could produce informative videos or other forms of interactive media. Especially if your audience is younger or your market segment is built on visual aspects. Aesthetic looks, styles and format are important, but the real challenge is knowing where your audience is and how to keep them interested. For instance, depending whether you provide B2B or B2C services, you need to consider the channels carefully. Know your audience and understand their behavior. Follow up closely and pay attention to trends and you are off to a good start. Be careful not to sacrifice your authenticity by producing material for the masses as this is a shortsighted effort. Remember; quality over quantity. Tactics to mass-produce vague media can bring quick results but such tactics are rarely sustainable. Why put the hours in doing so? Know what you represent and act accordingly. Define what you want to achieve, do research and estimate how much can be done by yourself. Do not panic or feel lost if you can’t grasp on where to start. Figuring this all out on your own be overwhelming, I get that. There are hundreds of super helpful tutorials online to guide you through the process or alternatively you could turn to marketing professionals for help; hiring an agency with years of experience will certainly give you a nudge towards the right direction. Choice is yours. Producing authentic and relevant material might sound like a backbreaking task but rest easy, it’s well achievable once you get started and plan well. Good news is; technological advancement of the times we live in provides you with vast selection of tools to build with; numerous sites for publishing articles, editors to make videos or infographics and a great number of social media platforms for engagement, and not to mention professional business and employment-oriented environments such as Linkedin which are necessary for networking. Utilize channels which suit your company profile and goals. Regardless if your deadline for a product launch is getting closer or perhaps it’s already live, once your content is out there the dialogue is on. Publish, get feedback, interact, engage, repeat. Establish friendships and partnerships, build the trust in your brand. Interacting with your audience allows you to change tactics, add a missing feature or fix a bug last minute if so required. Embrace the feedback, reach out to people and nurture this relationship – It'll take you a long way. Engaging audiences are the greatest asset business can have, make sure they are treated with care and respect. Let’s finish with something brought up earlier; be consistent. This will be the key factor which must not be ignored. Make sure the content and channels are consistent with your brand image. However, do not let this to limit your topical reach either. Lead your readers and viewers boldly; take this as an opportunity to grow as a company, as a person and as a publisher. Be challenged and improve, learn. By expanding your territory, you will enable vertical and parallel growth for yourself and for your business, establish partnerships, stay ahead of the competition and strive for better.
0 Comments
|