Just Starting Out? 3 Strategies for an Early Stage Startup to Capture Attention

Working for a startup has been not only one of the most exciting and invigorating experiences, but also one of the most challenging. We built marketing materials from scratch, and were challenged to find ways to capture attention for a solution that many people don’t understand. No previous materials, no established credibility, and lots of trial and error.

It wasn’t easy, but I’m immensely proud of what our team has accomplished in such a short amount of time. Here’s what I learned about very early stage marking and the key to success

1. Hone in on your value proposition

Everyday I’m evaluating content, promises, and wording put forth by companies I encounter. The conclusion I’ve come to — the term “mixed signals” applies more to B2B marketing than the dating world. At blindnet, here’s what we did to focus on what really matters.

— Forget the fluff —

Fluff is meant for school papers when you need to expand in order to meet a word count, not marketing. When writing content and messaging for your company or product, always keep it short and simple. Don’t overdo it, or your audience lose sight of your value proposition. At blindnet, we never settle for the first time around, and always try to shorten whatever we have already created. Tweets have a 280 character limit, ideally we try to keep it to half.

— Compare everything to the value proposition —

Everything we produce, whether it is a tweet, blog, wording on the website, or a newsletter, needs to share the same purpose. After you create a new piece, make sure to always compare it side by side to your value proposition. Does it support your value proposition? Does it invite readers to resonate with your value proposition?

2. Gain traction with influencers

Repeat after me: influencers are your friends. The key word here is friends, not employees. Paying influencers to promote your product or be involved in your marketing is a bad gamble, especially at such an early age. Influencers or thought leaders should be someone you talk to, have a relationship with, and ask for advice.

Establish a relationship with influencers with the mindset of “What can I learn from this person?” and not “What can this person do for me?”

Not only does this make marketing more enjoyable, the authenticity from the relationship will shine through and outweigh what any paid promotion could achieve. At blindnet, we’ve never looked for people to simply promote our product. We want to be part of the conversation. To engage with industry leaders and learn from their perspectives and experiences. Not only have we achieved more quality content (and engagement) but it has facilitated discussions within our team on our own product based on feedback and advice we have received. Here’s how we did it

— Engaged with the community on twitter and LinkedIn —

Personally, I set aside 15 minutes everyday to simply see what conversations are happening online and actually engage. Don’t be the person who simply “likes” other content. React!

— Reached out to thought leaders in the industry and asked for advice —

For every blog we try to reach out to at least one thought leader. When we’re not blogging? We’re still reaching out, cultivating community.

— Cocreate materials with leaders in your domain—

A tweet that received the most engagement? One with quotes from two other thought leaders in the space

3. Celebrate

This may be the American in me, but I love to acknowledge and celebrate accomplishments at work, no matter how big or small.

That is why I really appreciate the company culture blindnet has established. We have biweekly ClubHouse hangouts (no work talk allowed 😜), celebrate each other’s achievements, and engage in discussions where everyone, no matter the position, is encouraged to discuss and contribute thoughts and ideas. It has created a culture of warmth and positivity, establishing somewhat of a small family. While obviously positive on my end, I have seen positive consequences for my colleagues and the company as well.

— Celebrate every win, no matter how big or small —

At blindnet, we even celebrate a single tweet.

When we get good client feedback, we share it with the team to celebrate everyone’s hard work. When we publish a new blog, we acknowledge the effort and support each other in sharing it to wider audiences. When we release a new product version into production, we name the version by the person who contributed the most with the direction.

— Engage in building culture, in person and online —

Host bi-weekly get-togethers for the team. Soon, this will be in person, but due to covid we’ve been chatting on the app, Clubhouse.

Have a “fun” channel on slack. After having a debate on our recent clubhouse chat about the best patisseries in Paris, I recently posted my findings and conclusion 😜

— Play a game —

At blindnet, we’re always trying to improve our product. Whichever team member makes the most suggestions gets the new product version released in their name i.e. Version.5.0.Vuk. May seem small, but it creates excitement and increases motivation.

Whatever you decide to do, stick to the point and be yourself. It’s easy to get caught up in the flurry of promises and “solutions” that you can find online. If you stay true to yourself (value proposition) , engage with the community, and build up your team, people WILL notice your success.