How to Start Up Your Online Marketing Campaign in 5 Steps

Published on January 26, 2015

Growing a business requires a solid marketing plan. As a startup business, (this certainly applies to a young, established one looking to grow as well) identifying your target audience and making them take notice of your product is a key to your ongoing success.

A proven method to reach this end is creating an online marketing strategy that works - and works from the very beginning of your launch.

Easier said than done? Certainly. Luckily for you, the online world is a dynamic and evolving medium, saturated with a plethora of information and potential leads. The key is to learn how to bring your company to the foreground of all that activity.

Steamfeed recently presented a substantial eleven step program for starting up your own online marketing plan (read to the bottom for the full list.) Here are the top five you should focus on.

1. "Marketing First, Product Second"

This quote from Moz's Rand Fishkin is spot on. No matter how good your product is, without a interested market, it becomes completely meaningless.

When it comes to your startup, the same philosophy applies. What good is your startup company without a client base?

But, if you build a marketing machine first, you are in an enviable position. Even if your early products don’t take off, you have a captive audience that’s returning again and again...

- Rand Fishkin

Before you even begin to show your new startup the light of day, engage in marketing activities. Generate interest in your target audience group (or maybe even start by defining a target audience group) to create a great transition into an official introduction, and generate success for your business.

2. Consistency is Key

Having a regular marketing effort is essential (just as having a regular content creation and social media schedule is essential) for lasting success and growth over time.

To create a lasting impact, posting on social media needs to come with consistent frequency in order to stay afloat. While you may catch the attention of a prospective client on one post, a real lead will only develop when their attention and interest has been cultivated. High-quality updates on a regular basis are the cornerstone to this.

3. Serve Customers With an Intensified Focus

When starting up, it is important to interact with your client base at real time. Answer their questions, identify their desires, create personal connections, thank them for their interest, follow up on contacts.

This takes a heightened sense of focus, but will pay huge dividends. You will have a better understanding of what your customers want, and learn how to fulfill it from your end. If you are able to take the time to create lasting relationships, your business has a springboard to jump off of.

4. Make Use of Available Technologies

There are a LOT of technologies available to the small business owner, and it is to your benefit to make use of them. In fact, all of your customers are likely using them already, so its time to get in the game.

This means saying yes to a Facebook business page, Twitter profile, LinkedIn profile, Google+, Gmail, Google Calendar, Pinterest... the list really goes on and on. Go the places your customers are going, and optimize your performance there for the best results.

5. Quality, Creative Content (and Blogging)

Make sure what you are putting out into the world is actually something you're proud of. Take the time to create quality content - content that customers will find useful and interesting - to get maximum exposure (and build a following!)

Blogging twice a week, for example, is a great way to create that lasting exposure, provided you craft the blogs with care, uniqueness, and intrigue. There are some great ways to build a blog from the ground up which you should absolutely take advantage of.

Interested in 6 more steps?  Read Steamfeed's full article: 11 Steps for your Startup Online Marketing Plan 

If this is an overwhelming prospect for you, we recommend working with a content creation company, like Geek | Chicago, to optimize your platform's performance, or to help get things started for you. Don't hesitate to send us an email or give us a call!