Publicity is a great way for startup businesses to increase their reach and connect with their audience in a positive way. PR horror stories should not put off startup marketers from pitching their stories. Startups are primed to benefit hugely from this type of coverage.

Bad publicity has led the decline of some of the biggest and most successful businesses ever. Do you remember how Gerald Ratner destroyed his jewelry business by labelling it as ‘total crap’?

With this in mind, publicity can seem daunting. Especially so for a startup with little experience in how to leverage the tool to their benefit.

But the startup stage is also where good publicity can have the biggest impact on growth. And it can shape your customers’ perception of your business.  

Content marketing is a digital marketing strategy that provides useful content to your customers. Well-executed, content marketing could be the biggest customer acquisition source for your business.

Quality content grabs the interest and imagination of your audience. And that is the surest way to rapidly acquire new customers and grow your business.

Growth is the most important feature of any business. So it makes sense that growth hacking has become a discipline in its own right. But what exactly is growth hacking? And how can your business deploy a growth hacking program successfully?

“A growth hacker is a person whose true north is growth.” So says angel investor and start-up advisor Sean Ellis. He first coined the phrase “growth hacking” back in 2010.

Against a fast-moving business landscape, the meaning of growth hacking can get lost. It is commonly understood to be a means of growing a business to get the attention of its target audience. And, at the same time, maintaining the expansion and retention of a product’s active user base.

Viral Marketing. There’s a buzzword that has literally gone viral.

The speed and ease of sharing content across social networks has ushered in a golden age for brands. There’s no better form of advertising than peer-to-peer referrals.

It is wise to encourage customers to share and champion your brand. And it is the execution of this idea that makes viral marketing such a powerful strategy.

Personalization is a key tool in a modern business’s digital marketing strategy. The consumer expectation is there but enterprises fail to meet these expectations when it comes to email marketing. 

A personalized email has to go beyond simply using a cheerful greeting and the recipient’s name. 

Marketers that get email right create a seamless experience for their customers. Show them you understand their needs and desires and you will earn their trust and respect.

Marketers know that email is a great way to reach and retain customers. But building your own email list can take a long time, meaning your business is unlikely to see a return on investment in the short-term. Newsletter sponsorship allows your business to reach prospective customers on third-party newsletters and can be a great acquisition channel.

Successful newsletters reach huge audiences. Sponsoring these in return for advertising space is a great way to leverage their circulation and drive targeted traffic to your website. For the newsletter distributor, sponsorship is an excellent source of income, so it is a win-win for all stakeholders.