Planting the roots for a successful startup is difficult yet important. One of the key pieces in the successful startup puzzle is establishing a solid marketing plan. The reason being is simple; you’re new. With the exception of those working closely with you, not many people are aware of your business and all the amazing things you have to offer. Making sure that your business’s name and idea is promoted is crucial to your success.
While it might seem beneficial to tirelessly push your company on people through excessive advertising and other “in your face” marketing methods, this is not typically the best option. Rather than going to your audience, create intriguing marketing that draws your audience to you. Attract rather than annoy. The main two ways to accomplish this is through strong brand definition and inbound marketing.
Strong Brand Definition
First, you must decide what look and feel your company wants to project. Do you want to be seen as powerful and advantageous? Or would you rather be seen as laidback and chill? Once you figure out what overall disposition best reflects your company and product/service you must then project this idea through your brand elements. The main elements of a brand include: color, logo, typography and imagery.
Brand color is typically one or a few designated colors that set the tone for your company. There are many ways to utilize colors to get across a certain tone or feel. For more information on color psychology and how colors affect your branding, visit our posts: The Influence of Colors in Design, and Brand Essentials I: Determining Brand Color.
It goes without saying your logo is a key piece of your company’s branding. Whether you’re designing your logo in house or having a design company do so for you, make sure that the logo’s colors, imagery, and tone is appropriate for capturing your audience. If you’re interested in getting ideas for modern logo design check out 8 Interesting Logo Design Trends to Watch For.
Typography and imagery help solidify your brand. Typography, the style, arrangement, or appearance of letters, should be a continuation of your brand’s tone and can help carry the overall feel of your brand across all of your materials. From your website to digital ads to business cards, typography keeps things unified. The same is true for imagery. Imagery encompasses not only the pictures you use in digital and printed material, but also iconography, button design, and social media images. For additional information on these items check out Typography: Choosing a Font for Your Business and Building Your Brand Through Social Media.
Inbound Marketing
Now that you have an established brand, your startup needs to launch a marketing campaign that resonates with your audience and the best way to do so is through inbound marketing. The entire concept behind inbound marketing is to bring customers to you through strategic marketing efforts that don’t involve spamming the public with pushy marketing content. In today’s society, the best way to effectively reach prospective customers is by enticing them to reach out to you by presenting your business on a shiny platter that your audience can’t resist using. The realm of inbound marketing content is gigantic. There are endless possibilities when it comes to strategies to use and content to create. The key is to formulate a plan that works for both your company and your prospective customers. Once you establish the type of content your audience is interested in and how to reach them, then it’s time to start your marketing campaigns and track engagement and progress.
If your startup is in need of assistance establishing a marketing strategy, rest assured that the Metova team has got you covered. We have a great design team with branding experience and Inbound Marketing Certified strategists that are ready to help you reach your audience and excel in your company’s sector.
