How awesome is that! I’m receiving a lot of emails these days.
Instead of replying to each one individually, I’ve decided to start answering them collectively through my blog posts. First up, I want to break down how to get started with marketing for startups!
However, my tips can be applied no matter your level of experience.
Let’s dive in.
Cyfe / Measurement plan
The first thing I always begin with—regardless of the company—is creating what’s called a measurement plan. This comes from Google and is essentially about defining your goals with your website, app, or online business in general.
Once you’ve defined your goals, you can set up specific KPIs. For example, if your goal is to increase revenue, you’ll need to bring in new customers or retain existing ones.
Focus on measurable metrics like: revenue, new vs. returning customers, and repurchase rate.
To be able to measure this, you should create a data dashboard.
It can track metrics like monthly new signups, lifetime value per customer (how much each customer is worth over, say, 10–20 years). These metrics help determine how much you should invest in acquiring new users.
This is a standard example of a good measurement plan for smaller startups.
Once the plan is in place—and it doesn’t have to be perfect—you can continue refining it as more data becomes available.
You should be able to track measurable units such as average order value, number of transactions, revenue, and more. These elements can be tracked using Google Analytics.
Google Analytics
I assume you’re familiar with Google Analytics. If not, it’s worth looking into.
If you find Google Analytics overwhelming, especially if all employees need access to the data, a KPI dashboard might be a better solution. If you’ve read my previous posts, you can probably guess I recommend Cyfe.
Cyfe works similarly to Google Analytics, but can also integrate data from Facebook, email newsletters, Instagram, and many other platforms.
This allows me to extract the most relevant data for the company—based on our measurement plan—so they only focus on what matters most.
Cyfe dashboard example from SlikhaarTV
[Tweet “If you can’t measure it, you can’t manage it.”]
Once you’ve built your measurement plan and established your business goals, you can begin outlining a strategy.
And you need systems in place—otherwise, nothing will be streamlined, and worst of all, you won’t know what caused your success!
Project Management
Call it project management or task management. I have a simple system: I use Wunderlist (a to-do app that syncs across devices) for daily tasks, and Trello for broader project planning.
Trello works by using organizations and boards.
Here’s an example board for Bevco.dk
I’ve set up columns like to-do, done, and ideas. These are the categories I most commonly work with because they clearly show what’s in progress and what’s completed. Ideas are for broad concepts—like marketing strategies—we brainstorm later.
Super powerful! Especially for small teams that want to move fast without pulling in 10 different directions.
[Tweet “A success is certain, if you can replicate it.”]
Create content that builds relationships
As a startup, the best thing you can do is get as far as possible without spending too much money. The ability to build a business without burning millions is also crucial if you’re seeking investment.
To take advantage of this strategy, you need data on your site.
To get data—assuming you’re building an online business—you need traffic. (This also connects back to the metrics in your measurement plan.)
Instead of spending 100,000 DKK on a TV ad, I recommend creating content that builds relationships.
No matter your industry, you can create content that forms connections with potential customers. I call this type of marketing the new sales engine, and it’s gaining massive traction.
The easiest way to create content and drive traffic is to add a blog to your website. Then you can write high-quality posts. Great content doesn’t just drive traffic—it also helps you rank in Google.
My good friend Rune created a tool called Rankscanner (note: I now use Accuranker), which tracks your website’s ranking in Google for different keywords. It also checks for technical issues on your site (now used by over 2,000 users).
He tested this blog strategy on Rankscanner, and the results were amazing!
Green numbers show our rankings improving rapidly.
Of course, many factors influence rankings—but if you create genuinely great content and have a fast, well-built blog, you can go far before investing heavily in marketing.
Plus, the traffic gives you data, which helps define your ideal audience through platforms like Cyfe. This creates huge value when pitching to investors.
Build a funnel to attract leads
You’re probably familiar with the term funnel from Google Analytics. It’s essentially a path to conversion.
You need to build a system that attracts potential customers from various sources and at different points in their journey—then convert them into paying customers.
In the past, sales were forced upon people. Today, it’s about creating the right environment for a sale. You need to create content that educates users about your product.
Let’s say you sell men’s clothing—start with content like:
- 5 tips to keep your white shirts clean
- 5 ways to tie your tie
- The ultimate guide to choosing the right jeans
- How to tie a tie [VIDEO]
See how simple it is? No matter your industry, you can do the same. It’s not about creativity—it’s about using tools to see what works, then making it even better for your audience.
Visit Buzzsumo.com and enter the URL of the top players in your industry.
I used Fashionbeans.com, one of the biggest fashion blogs.
Suddenly, we see their most shared blog posts—a goldmine of ideas for your own content. If you’re smart, you can create even better posts.
Tip: Repeat this process for your competitors and you’ll quickly see which content types and topics perform best. Also note which social platforms work best—that’s key for the next section.
Use the right social media platforms
Another key element is choosing the right social platforms for your industry. There are more platforms than most people realize.
So, where should you be active?
Where your users are, of course. The Buzzsumo trick earlier gave insight into which platforms dominate in your niche. In fashion, it’s clear that Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter are dominant. Buzzsumo doesn’t track Instagram, so do your own research there.
Here are some guidelines:
- Pinterest & Instagram: Great for visual products
- Facebook & Twitter: Great for content and driving traffic
- YouTube & Vimeo: Ideal for educational videos and guides
- Google+: Phasing out
- LinkedIn: Fewer shares but high quality for B2B
Be consistent
One of the biggest pitfalls in content and social media marketing is giving up too soon. It takes time—Rome wasn’t built in a day. If your industry is competitive, it takes more than one blog post and one day.
Update your social media daily, and publish at least one blog post per week for a year before judging your success.
If after a year you haven’t seen much traffic, ask yourself if you’re in the right industry or have the right skills. It may be time to team up with a professional.
Reach out to major accounts
Want to kickstart your product on social media? Reach out to big names. I’ve had great success with this. When we skyrocketed Tattoodo from 1,000 Facebook fans to over 1 million, we used Ami James as a celebrity ambassador—you can do the same.
As platforms like Facebook and Instagram grow, so do influencer accounts. Reach out to individual models or big niche accounts. Let’s stick with fashion as an example.
Even though Instagram doesn’t “officially” allow selling through profiles, it still happens all the time. I’ve used this tactic extensively.
Large fashion-related Instagram accounts:
- @Zaramen
- @Mensfashionspost
- @Mensuitsteam
There are tons of large accounts in every industry. Keep a spreadsheet of who you contact and what they charge.
Then send a killer image of your best-seller or newest product.
Here’s an example of a strong campaign by Atolyestone.
It might cost you a few products and anywhere from 500–2,000 DKK for a post. But it can kickstart product sales if done with the right strategy and follow-up.
It also boosts brand value, increasing Google searches and allowing you to educate your audience.
Contests – low-cost marketing
Another great way to build relationships is through contests. It’s one of the cheapest marketing methods to gain followers. You can run giveaways, tag-a-friend campaigns—there are countless ways to go viral if you’re creative.
Best contests collect emails. I ran a campaign for SlikhaarTV and got 10,000 participants for a chance to win a year’s supply of hair wax.
That’s 10,000 new email leads—a powerful asset. Just make sure you use a solid app to run the contest.
Facebook Advertising
The final key marketing element is advertising—and yes, it costs money. But instead of blowing your budget on massive campaigns like TV, test with small amounts on Facebook Ads or Google Ads.
Facebook advertising is extremely powerful for boosting the content you’ve created.
It doesn’t take long to set up a Facebook campaign. The first step is understanding your ad structure using Power Editor.
Ad structure and targeting
With Facebook Ads, you can target very specific audiences by age, gender, and interests.
Unlike Google, where you typically target broader segments via search terms and placements (also remarketing).
Using Power Editor, you can build precise audiences based on your website traffic, leading to much higher conversion rates.
Example: I set a daily budget of 20 DKK and immediately began receiving data. With the right ad setup, I got two clicks per krone—meaning 40 visitors for 20 DKK.
If you can get even one sale per 40 visitors, you’re ready to optimize and scale—and you’re learning how your site performs.
I spent 100 DKK on an ad, got 220 visitors
Those 220 people shared my post over 100 times, boosting its reach even further
Bonus tip: Content is dying, loyalty has killed it
As the internet has matured and tech has improved, it’s become harder to gain traction—no matter your business. It’s easier than ever to join the race.
While I still believe in content strategy, we must recognize it’s a dying strategy. How will you compete in 5 years when Zalando dominates fashion, Amazon kills books and general retail, and Alibaba expands aggressively?
There’s only room for a few winners—those who succeed must focus on more than content and low prices.
Loyalty
We’ve become used to paying monthly for products and services. Whether it’s Spotify for music, Netflix for movies, or Amazon Prime for deals and shipping—this model builds loyalty!
Just look at how fast Amazon Prime is growing.
Once people sign up and it works, it takes a lot to make them switch. They become users. These are called first movers. Even Apple is starting to join in (at least in the U.S.).
So before you dive into your content strategy or flashy Facebook ads—strategies everyone else is also using—ask yourself:
Can you sell your product through a subscription model or add a service?
What’s next? My predictions:
- Pay a monthly fee for wholesale-priced clothes (Zalando, ASOS, Zappos)
- Subscribe through iTunes or Apple TV for a custom TV package
The big players will keep growing, like offline retail. Companies like Zalando, Amazon, and Alibaba will be able to offer everything—faster, easier, and cheaper. It’s about who wins the game and how many niches have space.
Imagine paying 99 DKK per month and getting everything at 80% off?
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