20 Proven Marketing Channels for Rapid Traction — Part 2/4
In my previous write-up I went through #1 through 5. You can read about them here: Marketing Channels 1–5. Below you will find a number of traction channels that have proven to grow startups in their early stages. This is meant to be an overview to those starting their company and are a little lost when choosing where they want to direct their marketing attention.
6. Offline Ads
What
Any and all ads that aren’t online. TV, radio, billboards, flyers, newspapers ad magazines.
Why
If your target audience is older or less tech-savvy, then offline ads are a must. There’s less competition in this space and so the prices for certain offline ads are much cheaper.
Example
To hit the older audience, the Angry Birds team led an aggressive outdoor ad campaign. The campaign was targeted towards older folks that had a smartphone but weren’t familiar with games available.
7. Search Engine Optimization
What
The process of getting your website to show up on the major search engines (Google, Bing, Yahoo, Baidu)
Why
A vital part of your business is being found online. If you can’t be found based on related keywords then you’re losing out to the competition that is.
Special Note
You can’t afford to neglect SEO when it comes to your business. There’s no good example of a single successful company. If you want an example type in a product and see the first 3 results. For a complete guide on SEO click here.
8. Content Marketing
What
The running of your company’s blog in a way that actually converts into customers and not just page views.
Why
A blog will help with your SEO efforts if you write content relating to your product/service. But if you want to see actual traction from blogs, you’ll have to approach it like you’re writing an ad. Tell a story that matters with your solution as the “one ring.”
Example
OKCupid has for the longest time maintained one of the most interesting blogsthat I’ve seen. With fresh insights and an in depth look at the stories their user data tells — it is often featured by major publications. Not only does it get nation attention, but it also sets up OKCupid as an expert in their field — lending credibility.
9. Email Marketing
What
The systematic process of turning customers into advocates. Not only a tool to try and get people to use your product, but more importantly, a tool to turn customers into brand advocates.
Why
The real money in business lies in repeat customers. How much value a customer has over their lifetime is usually the best indicator of success. Email marketing allows you to wine, dine, and dazzle your customers. Make them feel special and you’ll have them on your team for life.
Example
500 Startups was able to optimize their email open rate to over 60% by A/B testing: subject line, sender, content, snippet preview, and lists.
10. Engineering Marketing
What
Using technology to produce apps, widgets, software, and micro-sites that are entertaining for customers to use.
Why
When done right, engineering marketing can be a source for thousands of leads that drive customers to your product/service.
Example
The author of “What the Fuck Should I Make for Dinner” created a micro-site that simply gives you suggestions on what to make for dinner based on the recipes in the book. This simple micro-site increased sales of his book by 243% in the first month it was set live.
Next week I’ll go through numbers 11–15.
