Have a Tech Startup? Here’s How to Market It
Though it may seem like everyone has hopped on the tech bandwagon, it’s not a given that the world will flock to the latest startup. In fact, the market has become so glutted—with everyone competing for customers’ attention with enough apps to crash even mega-memory devices, it takes some marketing savvy to come out on top of the heap.
Here’s how you can market a tech startup:
Use Paid Search Advertising
This might take some work, but if a company does it properly, it can yield more qualified views than any other online method. Look at the company’s target customers. Ask, “What are some of the questions they might ask when they search? Target those questions in the keywords, and the company will receive more qualified traffic than simple banner advertising.
Provide Value on Social Media
Too many tech companies get on social media to brag about their latest gadget or software. Don’t fall into that trap. Instead, join groups popular with the company’s target customers. Look at what questions they’re asking, what tech problems they’re experiencing. If the company’s product or related products can help them conquer their challenges, write informative articles and answers that are low-key, informational pieces that provide value and position the company as an authority in that field. Quora questions, Facebook groups, and LinkedIn discussions are excellent places to start. Be sure to link to the company’s articles from social media accounts for a double marketing punch.
Let Content Propel the Company to the Top
On the company website, provide white papers, case studies, and informative articles about the very problems the target customers have discussed on social media. It pays to listen! These articles can delve into a topic more in-depth than a social media discussion or post, so be sure to have your facts straight. Cite major influencers in the field, which will give the company’s articles more clout. If the company doesn’t have any writers on the staff, outsource the writing to a reputable agency, such as Get a Copywriter.
Take the Content Live
Where do the company’s target customers hang out when they’re not online? Find out, and book a conference room or a table at their favorite spot. Hold informal get-togethers for customers and their guests. Invite a guest speaker that’s an authority in the customers’ field to provide needed information, and then mingle with the guests afterward. Hand out stickers—a “thing” these days with the tech crowd—and maybe some thumb drives—all pre-loaded with an exclusive article or white paper that offers helpful information to help the company’s customers get ahead in their own businesses. Marketing offline with tangible giveaways can help cement the image in the customer’s mind that the company is more than some AI robot—that there are caring human beings behind the flashy technology.
Use Email to Follow Up
After each event—and before the company sends out white papers to inquirers, make sure that they have submitted their email address. Use your subscription list to build loyalty with perks like discounts on customers’ birthdays, exclusive e-books, and reminders for them to renew the license for their software or their device’s service contract.
With these tips on how to market a tech startup, even a brand new business can stand out among their less marketing-savvy colleagues and rise to the top of their fields.
