Ninety percent of startups fail. There are a lot of reasons why a company can fail. CEOs can be too confident in themselves, or the team may not work well together.

Tech startups are especially vulnerable to failure from making simple mistakes. There are so many competitors in the modern tech startup scene that one bad move can crumble the whole operation.

Not the least of which is neglecting tech marketing. The best tech startups invest in their marketing departments and work to distinguish themselves. They are more than just their products.

Successful tech startups have a story to tell and can establish a brand early to attract customers. They also stand apart from the crowd and can attract investors.

Keep reading to see four tech marketing mistakes to avoid!

1. You Can Build It, But That Doesn’t Mean They’ll Come

Just because you developed an impressive piece of software that’ll change the world doesn’t mean people will use. You have to work to sell your products because they won’t sell themselves.

That means investing in a sales team and a marketing team. Sales and marketing go hand-in-hand, even if marketing is creative and sales teams handle numbers. You shouldn’t invest in one and not the other.

Marketing teams bring people in. Sales team lock them in. Make sure they can do their jobs.

2. Tech Marketing is a Careful Balance

It’s good to invest in your marketing team. But at the same time, you shouldn’t overspend on them. You need to make sure you have enough resources to build something to sell.

Just because the tech industry spends around 15 percent of its budget on marketing doesn’t mean you need to. As a startup company, you need to be agile and lean with your money.

Overspending on marketing can sink you just as badly as underspending can.

3. You Are Not Your Marketers

You should already know how to be an entrepreneur. It’s a lot of leadership, accountability, and most of all responsibility. That leaves no time for you to be a marketer.

It doesn’t matter how much you want to be like Steve Jobs. It doesn’t matter how many marketing books you’ve read heralding him. You’re not him.

Trust in your marketing team to do their jobs. You do yours – lead them.

4. You Still Have a Lot of Growing to Do

The worst thing you can do is to try and sell yourself as an established company. The boring, beige logos of established companies were made only through exciting, stressful work. They have stories behind them.

This is the time when you make those stories. As a startup, your brand should be new and exciting because that’s what you are.

Tech Marketing Makes the Winners

A successful company knows the value of having good marketing. Tech marketing is no different.

Just because the products you build are high-profile, fancy, and potentially ground-breaking doesn’t mean anyone will want them. You have to put the work in to sell those things just like you put the work in to make them.

And if you need tips about how to successfully market your tech startup, just contact me.

Your small business offers a hot new product or service, and you know you provide amazing customer service. 

But for some reason, your sales numbers just aren’t there.

In all likelihood, you just need a jolt of energy from a creative marketing campaign.

Many small businesses utilize a rule of thumb that allocates 5 to 7 percent of sales towards advertising. However, if sales on a primary product line are slow, this could be problematic.

Marketing can be expensive. There is a real risk that increased revenue could be offset by additional cost.

Don’t panic.

There are many creative marketing campaigns that can be accomplished on a tight budget. Read on to explore 5 great marketing strategies for small businesses.

1. Creative Marketing on a Budget Always Involves Social Media

What better way to reach an infinite number of people on a budget than through social media? Any business in today’s world should use Facebook, Twitter, and other forms of social media for free marketing.

One great way to draw attention to your social media platform? Offer coupons that are exclusively available on social media.

Social media allows your business to build and develop a rapport with an emerging customer base. You can also announce the launch of new products and services, and obtain priceless feedback from those customers.

Most importantly, you can get very creative with social media. Do this by developing company-specific memes and promoting web content with attention-getting headlines.

2. Videos are Key to Marketing Campaigns

Sometimes, what works for massive corporations can also work for a small business.

Check the websites and social media accounts of major corporations, and you will certainly find the use of videos.

For a small business with a limited budget, consider uploading instructional videos on YouTube. The best part is that you can record and upload a video using a smart phone.

Videos are a great tool for marketing towards millennials, who utilize Snapchat, Instagram, and YouTube often.

3. Hold Contests and Hand Out Prizes

Organizing a contest is an old-school method to build up excitement among the customer base. Contests also create intrigue among prospective clients.

While contests have certainly been around for a long time, hosting them on social media can pay additional dividends.

Major companies, like Disney, raffle off park tickets to contestants who like and share their Facebook page. This is a great way to increase your social media following.

4. E-mail Newsletter

Group e-mail is another great method to communicate with the customer base. Collecting e-mail addresses is important because it allows for this mass communication.

Try drawing readers in with a witty subject line or a digital coupon.

5. Reward Existing Customers for Referrals

One theme from this article? What works for major corporations can also work for small business. Companies of any size can benefit from offering rewards to customers who give your business a certain number of referrals.

While it may seem like a risk at first, trust us when we tell you it will pay off ten-fold. 

Thank existing customers with discounts or rewards dollars for helping spread the word about your product or service.

Wrapping Up

When budgets are tight, it’s time to embrace the powerful role that social media can play in launching an affordable marketing campaign.

Other ideas, like referral rewards and contests, have also been proven to be successful.

For any questions about creative marketing strategies, please do not hesitate to contact us.