Startups are my favorite projects. During my career, I’ve had the opportunity to enhance business websites, manage entire digital marketing programs and be a one-woman digital marketing show for several interesting startups. Working with startups gives me a chance to hone my skills while getting a new company off the ground or elevating an existing company.
As a marketer, working with startups requires understanding the full scope of the digital marketing process. Before acquiring clients, you should build your skills in the following areas:
• an understanding of website development (including knowledge of web platforms such as WordPress, Shopify, Magento, etc.)
• information architecture
• user experience (UX)
• branding
• content creation
• video marketing
• lead generation and an understanding of buyer behavior
• email marketing
• native ads
• paid ads
Establish The Campaign’s Foundation
Paid ads — pay per click (PPC) and social media — boost traffic while you employ other strategies for organic. I believe these are the bones of a startup’s digital marketing campaign for the following reasons:
• They’re budget friendly — you only pay for clicks.
• You can target the right market at the most opportune time.
• You get measurable results on visits and costs.
• They increase brand recognition.
• They allow you to select which page prospects see first.
• You have full control over the paid search campaign.
Beyond understanding these techniques and knowing how to employ them for the best results, digital marketers must: 1) develop a plan that works within the client’s budget, and 2) refine and test strategies, one at a time, to find the sweet spot.
Over time, I’ve found that the best philosophy is to learn the whole ropes course, stick to what you do best and contract the rest out to web developers and freelance writers.
Working With Developers
It’s vital for all digital marketers to have a basic understanding of website building. I’ve learned a lot from taking code classes and reading web usability books from Steve Krug — books like Don’t Make Me Think and Rocket Surgery Made Easy. These efforts can help you speak to web developers more intelligently, using their own language, and develop mockups they can work with.
On the other hand, I’ve also learned that web building is best left to the people who make their living doing it. Having a good basic knowledge of the craft can help you identify the best candidates to work with as freelancers.
Vetting Freelance Writers
Content writing is another area that is sometimes better left to expert writers. Writing is a time-consuming task, and it can take time away from your other marketing efforts. Before hiring a writer, however, vetting your potential candidate is critical.
Something that has helped me is to fine-tune my process for vetting the best writers. I have created a document for a writing contest in Upwork. Interested writers get a topic for which they create the title and the content. I give them a set of requirements to follow, along with some search engine optimization (SEO) guidelines. I find that the writers who follow all the rules and have creativity tend to make the best candidates.
Don’t Underestimate The Value Of Planning
There are many facets to digital marketing, and it can be tough to keep up with all the planning details. It’s almost impossible to tackle everything at once without burning yourself out.
My planning calendar is my workplace BFF. By keeping a calendar, you can assign different tasks to each day of the week for commitments like:
• creating static landing pages
• assigning topics to writers
• reviewing writers’ work
• creating videos
• assigning content to generate infographics
• creating page SEO, titles and meta descriptions
• developing content ideas for blogs, social media, videos and other content
When the website is ready, the content is ready to go as well.
Three Key Tips
I’ve had the good fortune of working with startups in the business idea phase, as well as the “Can you please help me make something happen?” phase — from creating engaging content and landing pages for lead generation, PPC and social campaigns. I enjoy working with all of them.
The best advice I can give to digital marketing professionals is:
1. Don’t miss a tactic or channel.
2. Do one thing at a time, and analyze it thoroughly.
3. Don’t be afraid to experiment.
Challenges are inherent in digital marketing. In my opinion, there’s not a greater feeling in the world than rising above them!