Marketing is both a science and an “art” that gives a company the opportunity to be profitable and sell its products better than its competitors. Marketing is also a tool that will ensure the loyalty of your customers, in a very competitive market. The marketing approach allows you to determine the collective and human needs of unsatisfied consumers to be able to respond in a cost-effective manner.

How to develop a marketing plan and strategy?

In an environment where competition is fierce and customers have the freedom to choose between one product, service and another, it is necessary to carefully accommodate the value creation process. If there was a time when companies were just making products before selling them, and marketing was often downstream of production, this is certainly not the case today.

Currently, since the competition is fierce and the abundant supply, one is obliged to put marketing upstream of the product in order to define the offer and to better target the market. Today, design takes on a whole new dimension. It’s about having a product idea, talking about the concept, doing a market research, talking about segmentation, targeting for a good positioning. Only after the product development, the pricing, the supply, the distribution, the sales force. Promotion and advertising are essential points that must be developed to have a good brand image.

Marketing and Value Definition

Marketing is first and foremost a way to find a product idea. Then, you have to define a concept that will be associated with the product. The next step is to do a market research to identify the segments of the market to invest. It is therefore a matter of determining a set of customers for the product, the targets that can be profitable to be able to define a certain positioning. This first phase is considered strategic marketing. This phase is the most important to produce and especially sell the product in the best conditions.

Marketing developments

Aside from traditional products and services developed by businesses for commercial purposes, thinking about their marketing strategy is also a necessity for all activities, including non-profit ones. Here, the product can be an action, a country, a person, a program, an idea and the like. It can be cultural events, sports or events. Social marketing is a form of marketing which uses techniques and marketing principles in order to bring an audience to abandon, modify, reject or accept a voluntary behavior in their interest, in the interest of the together or group of society.

More and more startups are created in the field of new technologies. But without prior marketing thought, your business may be just a flash of straw. We will see the marketing strategies for startups that have the most success …

Their advantages:

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They attract a maximum of visitors to your website;
They take them there on a journey, because they will like what you say there;
They convert them into active customers, because you will be able to motivate them to take action;
They avoid wasting time, because it’s your business that interests you, not your marketing.
Because having a good marketing strategy is important but it is even more important that it is productive. You must not spend weeks there. Your expertise must remain at the center of your concerns. No need to do your marketing if you do not have time for your main business.

Here are 5 effective and easy-to-design marketing strategies that any startup wishing to take off should use.

1- SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING
You must have a profile on the main social networks. But that is not enough. You have to animate them to engage your audience.

Your communication must be done in two ways:

Publication of articles (or summaries of articles) about your activity (product, industry, event, …);
Response and interaction with your readers.
Establishing a personal relationship with your audience is essential to then talk about ‘Business’. Start by talking by focusing on your product. The social media marketing will carry out your promotion at very low costs. Nevertheless, think about planning an advertising budget to develop your community and ensure that your publications are seen (especially on Facebook)

2- THINK “PARTNERSHIP”
In general, you have an interest in outsourcing certain tasks to partners. Building strong relationships with other companies is as valuable as dealing with your customers. Finding good partners will optimize your value chain.

If you are a B2B startup, creating connections, a network, with other companies is even more important. A good way to create good business relations is to set up an exchange of good procedures and expertise. This is your promotion and is helpful to everyone.

3- THINK YOUR PROSPECTS
Your startup needs to think about “How do I meet the needs of my target customers? “. This question seems trivial but it is essential. How many startups are launching with a great idea but do not meet any need and arouse no desire?

If you are unable to make your product attractive, it is likely that you lack strategy. Only realize your prototype when you know that you are meeting an existing need, or that you can create it.

Design your message to put the value of your product forward. But above all, emphasize the benefit to your customers. What interests your potential customers is what they will get out of your offer. Finally, the way is of little importance.

4- MAKE YOUR CUSTOMERS INVOLVE
Your business will last if it engages its customers in a real relationship. It is much easier to retain a customer than to acquire a new one. This will create a positive flow in your cash flow. But it’s not always easy to build loyalty.

For example, you could subscribe to your weekly newsletter. You could also send him exclusive promotions.

You are not looking for customers who will only buy once and then go to see your competitors. Think about “loyalty” right from the start of your startup.

5- DO NOT EXCHANGE YOUR BUZZ
Social media marketing is a great way to get in touch with people. But do not waste too much time discussing anonymously with your “friends” and “followers”. Having thousands of people following you and talking about your product is great. But what interests you is having more customers, buyers. Do not just look for people to talk to, try to convert your readers into ringing and stumbling customers.

Too many entrepreneurs make the mistake of thinking that if we talk about them, their marketing strategy is promising. But in reality, your marketing will pay only if your customers pay.

CONCLUSION
When launching your startup, building customer loyalty is an important step. For this, set up a strategic marketing that will help you to

easily be found by your prospects (website, B2B meeting, promos visible goods, …);
convince your customers of the interest of buying your product.
Whether online or offline, your goal is the same: to create a strong and lasting relationship with your customers.