LOW-COST ONLINE MARKETING STRATEGIES FOR STARTUPS

Start-up companies often find themselves in disadvantageous positions. This is because of stiffer competitions from already well-established firms besides possession low levels of operating capitals and financial leverage. They will often find it quite difficult to make some headway under these set of conditions.

However, this ought not to be so. Start-ups can still make some headway and grow to full maturity. To do so, they have to adopt and utilize some online marketing strategies. We have sampled and are going to discuss some of the top tips of these kinds below.

 

LOW-COST ONLINE MARKETING STRATEGIES FOR STARTUPS

Create a Website

Start by creating a website. You can never boast of being present online without a duly designed and appropriately constructed website. This is the main channel with which a start-up may possibly communicate and interact flawlessly with the rest of the world.

The site has to possess a relevant domain name, be optimized for search engine optimization and constantly updated. It also has to be comprehensive in scope by incorporating among others, a message box, contact details, and information about the company.

Establish and Actively Update a Blog

Apart from a functional website, a blog is also vital to the success of a start-up. This is because it is the blogs serve as the official channel through a company may communicate with its clients. Most blogs are also interactive.

This is to mean that they allow for two-way communication between the company and the rest of the world. For this reason, they are great and awesome for updating clients and would-be customers of any milestones and new products the start-up may launch from time to time.

Leverage e-Commerce Platforms

Electronic commerce is increasingly becoming the preferred channel for buying and selling goods. This is mainly because the platform negates the need for direct visits to the stores and less time wastage. For this reason, any start-up that wishes to grow and mature ought to seriously think of leveraging these e-commerce platforms.

The start-up may for instance register as an affiliate marketer of a leading e-commerce giant, open an online sales store with these platforms, and even enroll in a referral program. These strategies will undoubtedly improve their standing.

Utilize Search Engine Optimization Techniques

Search engine optimization techniques are those strategies that are intended to improve the visibilities of websites in the search engine results page. They do play a role in deepening the influence of websites by reason that highly visible sites are more likely to elicit sales inquiries and positive feedbacks.

Some of these strategies may cost you some money, granted. However, the accompanying benefits are way too huge to be overlooked or downplayed.

Make Use of Backlinks and Hyperlinks

Other than the search engine optimization techniques mentioned above, hyperlinks and backlinks also play a crucial role in increasing the flow of inbound traffic. These are special links that are placed on foreign sites. When clicked on those foreign sites, they direct visitors to your website.

To implement them, you have to identify those foreign sites that closely mirror your company’s goals and objectives. Proceed thereafter to make arrangements with them to host these links in their sites.

Build a Mailing List

Electronic mails are the simplest and by far the most significant means of online communications. You just cannot make meaningful marketing progress via the online platforms without making good use of this vital tool of communications.

This is why you have to build a mailing list. You can create a custom mailing list by using a sign-up / sign-in template. From time to time, you have to send out newsletters and other contents to the addresses you have built. This form of marketing is mainly useful for keeping in touch with past clients by enticing them to make repeat orders.

Respond Promptly to Inquiries and Online Reviews

As hinted earlier, most people world over is increasingly using the internet platforms for all their buying and selling. This means you also have to be very active on the internet platform. Some of the issues you may wish to pay keen attention to are the online reviews and inquiries.

From time to time, do pay a visit to your website and blogs to read what your contacts are saying. Respond promptly and appropriately to these reviews and inquiries. This will build confidence with them and set you apart from the others in the field.

Initiate and Utilize Referral Programs

Referral programs are those that are designed to enhance the growth of the start-ups. They mainly entail using existing customers to reach out to potential clients in exchange for some incentives. These incentives may take the forms of bonus points, free goods, reduced prices, and special status within the organization, among others.

Given the complex nature of such programs, you, by all means, require an expert to guide and aid you in putting in place one. You also require some huge capital outlay to be able to successfully roll out such a program also. Using social media may however drastically cut down this cost.

Put in Place an Affiliate Program

Other than a referral program, an affiliate program would also do well to promote a start-up. This is the use of third parties to further the activities of your company. They may sell the merchandise that is produced by the company, engage in the active publicity of the start-up and source business leads.

Just like the referral programs, affiliate programs also require huge capital outlays. They are however very effective than almost all other strategies because they allow for one-on-one contact with clients. Moreover, the costs may be reduced when social media platforms are used instead of real people.

Do not forget the Power of Social Media

Lastly, do not forget the power of social media marketing plan. On theplatforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube, you may place adverts, create pages, implement affiliate programs, and use the followers and fans to refer others to your company, among others.

These platforms are cheaper, more effective and have greater reach than most other online platforms. They also appeal to younger internet users and are hence great for those products that suit their liking.

CLOSING REMARKS

Well, if you are an entrepreneur, you are now good to go! It is our hopes that you have indeed obtained the guidance you require making the right steps for enhancing the visibility of your company. Please note that there are other strategies that may also yield the needed outcomes.

In case you are dissatisfied with the ones we have singled out above, you may wish to carry on from where we have left. All the best in your new start-up business!