All dressed up and nowhere to go? This essential guide to marketing your startup will optimize your exposure and success.

1. The Ultimate Guide to
Startup
Marketing
presents
Friday, December 20, 13

2. Table of Contents
Foundation Social Media Startup PR
● Choosing a market
● Defining success
● Defining keywords
● Setting core metrics
● Estimating a conversion rate
● Setting a budget
● Choosing social media networks
● Defining the best times to post
● Using a keyword list
● Creating & using an influencer list
● Setting up a blog
● Craft meaningful position statements
● Define your startup sensitivities
● Identifying writers for a media list
● Creating a press kit
● Reaching out to journalist
Content creation Test and Iterate Best Practices
● Creating a topic list
● Knowing what content to publish
● Guest blogging
● Capturing emails
● Setting up analytics tools
● Measuring against benchmarks
● Brainstorming creative new ideas
● Sell the solution
● Have a compelling story
● Use all your resources
Slides 1-6 Slides 7-11 Slides 12-16
Slides 17-19 Slides 20-23 Slides 24-27
Friday, December 20, 13

3. Startup Marketing
is a Whole
Different Science
“Build it and they will come” doesn’t work
Those overnight success stories are often the result of years of hard work.
Startup marketing is challenging because of limited resources (Time,
money, or talent.)
Every effort, no matter how small, must be flawlessly executed.
Traditional strategies don’t always work.
The secret is combining the right channels: Content marketing and PR.
Friday, December 20, 13

4. Foundation
Before you start laying bricks you need a solid
foundation. Learn how to choose a market, define
keywords, define success and set a budget.
Friday, December 20, 13

5. Choosing a Market
Only a small portion of the population is
interested in your product.
You waste time and money by trying to
market to everyone.
Identify a niche target market and focus on
just them.
You

6. can’t

7. be

8.
everything

9. to

10.
everyone
Friday, December 20, 13

11. How Do You Choose a Market?
1. Market Size - Who are you targeting and how many potential
customers are there?
2. Market Wealth - Does this target have money to spend on your
product?
3. Market Competition - Is the market saturated with competitors?
4. Value Proposition - Is your value proposition unique enough to
cut through the noise? What are your differentiators?
Friday, December 20, 13

12. Defining Success
Success

13. may

14. be

15. 500

16.
new

17. signups

18. for

19.
Startup

20. A

21. while

22.
Startup

23. B

24. thinks

25.
success

26. is

27. $50,000

28.
monthly

29. revenue.
Success is different for every startup.
Define your idea of success early and
rigidly.
Make sure your team and partners
understand your definition of success.
Stay consistent each month. Pick a
definition and commit to it.
Friday, December 20, 13

30. Setting Core Metrics
Core metrics should be measurable and
specific.
Use highly valuable metrics based on your
customer acquisition funnel.
Only measure what matters! Focus on
your KPI’s.
TIP: record baseline metrics as soon as
you start so you can easily determine
growth and what’s working/what’s not.
Vanity

31. metrics

32. are

33.
appealing

34. to

35. your

36. ego,

37.
but

38. they

39. are

40. useless!
They

41. are

42. not

43. tied

44. to

45.
real

46. growth

47. so

48. you

49.
won’t

50. know

51. how

52. your

53.
startup

54. is

55. doing

56. until

57.
it’s

58. too

59. late.
Let

60. me

61. explain...
Friday, December 20, 13

62. Setting Core Metrics
Let’s

63. say

64. your

65. goal

66. is

67. 100

68. email

69. signups

70. in

71. one

72. month.

73. To

74. determine

75. your

76.
core

77. metrics,

78. work

79. backwards

80. through

81. the

82. signup

83. funnel.

84. For

85. 100

86. signups,

87.
you’ll

88. want

89. to

90. focus

91. on

92. (1)

93. the

94. conversion

95. rate

96. of

97. the

98. signup

99. form,

100. and

101. (2)

102.
the

103. amount

104. of

105. unique

106. traffic

107. you

108. get.

109.
3%

110. is

111. a

112. decent

113. conversion

114. rate

115. for

116. most

117. SaaS

118. startups,

119. so

120. we’ll

121. use

122. that

123. as

124.
an

125. estimate.

126. In

127. that

128. case,

129. you’ll

130. need

131. to

132. send

133. approximately

134. 3,333

135. unique

136.
visitors

137. to

138. the

139. top

140. of

141. your

142. conversion

143. funnel.
If

144. you

145. focus

146. on

147. those

148. core

149. metrics,

150. you

151. know

152. you’ll

153. be

154. able

155. to

156. achieve

157. your

158.
goal

159. of

160. 100

161. signups.

162. A

163. 3%

164. conversion

165. rate

166. and

167. 3,333

168. unique

169. visitors

170. sounds

171.
much

172. less

173. daunting

174. than

175. 100

176. signups.

177. Focus

178. on

179. the

180. moving

181. parts

182. (core

183.
metrics),

184. not

185. the

186. big

187. picture

188. (goal).
Friday, December 20, 13

189. Setting a Budget
Inbound

190. marketing

191. leads

192. cost

193. less

194. than

195. outbound

196. marketing

197.
leads,

198. but

199. don’t

200. kid

201. yourself:

202. they

203. are

204. not

205. free.
Set a budget early in the game and accept that limit.
Carefully plan how you intend to divide that budget.
If your blog has been your most powerful lead generator, consider
investing upwards of 50% of the budget there. If not, try a new
eBook, guide, webinar or whitepaper.
Friday, December 20, 13

206. Defining Core Keywords
Your core keywords should be based on your value proposition.
Tip: Your core keywords make excellent blog categories.
Build a list of words or phrases that are
highly relevant to your brand.
What would someone type into Google to
find your startup’s website?
Start a core keyword list of three to five
keywords that summarize your startup.
Friday, December 20, 13

207. Defining Secondary Keywords
Expand your core keyword list to
include more specific terms.
E.g. “content marketing” might
include secondary keywords like
corporate blogging, blogging best
practices, email marketing how to, etc.
Use free tools to find keywords that
are low competition and high traffic
(Lots of people are searching for
them, but few results are displayed.)
“Content

208. Marketing

209. requires

210. an

211.
intelligent

212. approach

213. that

214. hinges

215.
upon

216. fresh,

217. relevant

218. content

219.
that

220. will

221. offer

222. value

223. to

224. visitors

225.
while

226. attracting

227. Google

228. and

229.
other

230. search

231. engines.”

232. It’s

233. not

234.
just

235. about

236. keywords

237. anymore.

238.
-

239. Blake

240. Boldt

241. of

242. SocialMedia

243. Today
Friday, December 20, 13

244. Estimating a Conversion Rate
Assign values to your goals and conversions.
Example: Newsletter signups. 100 signups could be incredible
growth if your conversion rate is 20%. If the conversion rate is
closer to 1%, 100 signups might be insignificant.
Estimate your lead conversion rate and the lifetime value of a
customer.
Assign values to goal completions, like newsletter signups.
$2,500 per month from a newsletter is more indicative of success
than 100 newsletter signups.
Friday, December 20, 13

245. Social Media
Social media is one of the most popular ways to promote
content and reach influencers.
(That can mean potential customers visiting your website and
thousands of new leads.)
Social media is invaluable to startups. Here are a few tricks to
get the most out of it.
Friday, December 20, 13

246. Choosing the Right
Social Media Networks
A common mistake is trying to master every social network.
Each popular social network has unique characteristics. For example,
Facebook is typically for visual posts. Twitter is often powered by links.
Tumblr, caters to a young, laid-back audience. And Reddit detests spammers.
Content shared on those channels require a different approach. For
example: Reddit requirers a slower, specific and unique conversational style.
Be mindful of the network and community you are trying to reach.
Consider the demographic!
Friday, December 20, 13

247. Best Day Time to Post
Facebook:
- Saturdays are best.
- 12 p.m. EST is the best time to share.
- 0.5 posts per day is the best frequency
Twitter:
- 5 p.m. EST is the best time to get a retweet.
- One to four link tweets per hour is the best
frequency.
- Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays,
Saturdays and Sundays are the best days
to tweet.
- 6 a.m. EST, 12 p.m. EST and 6 p.m. EST are
the best times to tweet to get clicks.
There

248. is

249. no

250. universal

251. perfect

252. time

253. to

254. post.

255.
But,

256. here

257. are

258. some

259. best

260. practices:
Friday, December 20, 13

261. Using a Keyword List
Use your keyword list to maximize engagement efforts on social media.
For example, an employee feedback SaaS company like 15Five should
use keywords like “employee feedback”, “employee engagement”, etc
For Clarity, an advice service for entrepreneurs, some of the keywords
might be for “professional advice”, or “Business advice”.
Using a social networking management tool like HootSuite allows you
to monitor these keywords. Set up search streams with your core
keywords. You’ll be able to monitor conversations, join in and solidify a
reputation this way.
Tip: Use your keyword list in your online ads (If applicable)
Friday, December 20, 13

262. Creating and Using an
Influencer List
Influence the influencer. It will take a long
time for your startup to influence thousands
of people. Focus on connecting with people
who already have that influence.
Look for how engaged their followers are
and check their follower/following ratio.
Don’t be fooled by a high follower count.
Tip: Journalists and community leaders are
great influencers as well. Don’t limit
yourself to celebrities.
78%

263. of

264. social

265. media

266.
users

267. said

268. blog

269. posts

270.
by

271. brands

272. influenced

273.
their

274. purchase

275.
behavior

276. moderately

277.
or

278. highly.
Friday, December 20, 13

279. Setting Up Your Blog
Choose the right platform for your audience,
install the necessary plugins and extensions
and make the design functional. Remember,
people are here to read/see GREAT content -
so that should be the focus.
Friday, December 20, 13

280. Setting Up a Blog
Choose the right platform for your needs. Is it Wordpress, Blogger or
Tumblr?
Install necessary plugins to help with the workflow (We like SEOYoast,
Calendar, and Akismet.
How does your design look? Does it
appeal to your target demographic? Is it
professional looking?
Your blog is about publishing great content
at the right time to the right people. Design
should simply enhance that.
Friday, December 20, 13

281. Be Sure Your Blog
Design Is Functional
Basic requirements for a great design include:
1. Clear Call to Action (Do the eye squint test. Sit 6 feet away from your screen
and squint your eyes. What stands out at you the most? It should be your CTA!)
2. Search functionality
3. Clear subscriber box
4. Social Media Icons for sharing
5. Large area in the header for a great photo
6. Featured Images
Friday, December 20, 13

282. Startup PR
PR remains a mystery in many startup circles.
When’s the right time to tell people about your startup?
Is early coverage in industry blogs valuable? What
message resonates with writers? How can you translate
press coverage to sales? Should you hire a PR firm?
Friday, December 20, 13

283. Craft Meaningful
Positioning Statements
A series of engaging positioning statements is vital.
Think of your product as the solution to a common
problem.
• What is your product?
• How will it affect others?
• Who will care?
Say what the product is capable of, but also clearly
describe its value proposition and the problem it
solves.
It

284. all

285. boils

286. down

287. to:
-

288. What

289. to

290. say.
-

291. When

292. to

293. say

294. it.
-

295. Who

296. to

297. say

298. it

299. to.
Friday, December 20, 13

300. Define Your
Startup Sensitivities
“Keep your friends close and your enemies
closer.”
Identify your competitors’ strengths and weaknesses to understand how
to market your product better.
Gather all information available on competitors. If they have an edge,
then look at an angle where they’re lacking.
You’ve only got a short time to engage writers before pitching them.
Focus on the one or two strongest aspects of your value proposition and
use those to gauge media interest.
Friday, December 20, 13

301. Identifying the Right
Writers for a Media List
Pitch only writers/journalists who already write about your
industry.
Look at writers who have covered stories with similar
themes.
Pitch the right writer for your story. For example, if your
product is exclusively for iPhone, don’t pitch an Android
product journalist.
Build real relationships and get to know the identified writers
on a personal, non-promotional level first. Set up private
Twitter lists and actively engage with them.
In due time, those relationships will benefit you and your
startup.
“Build

302. your

303. network

304.
before

305. you

306. need

307.
them.”
-

308. Jeremiah

309. Owyang,

310. Partner

311. and

312.
Industry

313. Analyst

314. at

315. Altimeter

316.
Group
Friday, December 20, 13

317. Creating a Press Kit
The key to a successful media launch is rooted
deep within a killer media kit. Here are the items
needed:
• Media Advisory (The product pitch!)
• Logos Screenshots
• Founder Bios Photos
Friday, December 20, 13

318. Media Advisory
Include how the product is changing the world. The “pitch” should be included in the
headline or first paragraph of the release. Write it and direct it towards someone who
will care.
Include this information on the company and
its founders:
• Company Name
• Website
• Twitter Handle(s)
• CEO Co-Founders
• Launch Date
• Fees
Friday, December 20, 13

319. Most writers merely skim a media advisory, so increase the chances of
coverage by ensuring it is tight and effective.
Visuals and Founder Information
Include supplementary visuals to accompany the story (e.g. company
logo(s) and relevant screenshots).
Provide a brief biography of each co-founder and include headshots.
What is the driving force behind the company? Include any tidbits
writers can use to make your story more interesting.
We recommend using a personalized Dropbox for each journalist. It will
also tell you if they’ve viewed the folder - confirming interest.
Logos Screenshots
Friday, December 20, 13

320. Reaching Out to Journalists
Engagement with journalists prior to reaching out is key. Don’t assume
they’re interested. Be polite and request to send information on a story
that may interest them.
Build a relationship first so it doesn’t come
off as insincere.
They may decline, but by continuing to
build on the relationship, they could accept
in the future.
Friday, December 20, 13

321. Content Creation
It’s time to kick content creation into high gear.
Managing a blog and other forms of content can seem
daunting though.
Fortunately, four little steps is all you need to get started.
Friday, December 20, 13

322. Creating a Topic List
Create a topic list based on your core keywords.
Put all of your ideas on a calendar once you have
around 15-20 topics.
Tip: Add descriptions to your topic ideas. You might
not remember your idea when you go to write the
post three months from now.
Friday, December 20, 13

323. Knowing What Types
of Content to Publish
Each of the five main types of
content (eBooks, webinars,
newsletters, video and guest
blogging) have unique advantages
and disadvantages.
Consider your options carefully with
your target market in mind.
Don’t try to do everything right
away.
When

324. starting

325. out

326. with

327.
blogging,

328. aim

329. to

330.
contribute

331. 70%

332. of

333. the

334.
content

335. you

336. create

337. to

338.
other

339. blogs

340. to

341. help

342.
establish

343. yourself

344. as

345. an

346.
expert

347. in

348. the

349. space.
Friday, December 20, 13

350. Webinars
Use webinars to help establish yourself as an expert in the space, establish
rapport with prospects, as a lead generating engine or to explain a complex
idea or product to an audience.
Have someone on your team live tweet your webinar using a custom
#hashtag(s). Make sure you are providing great nuggets of wisdom,
something easily re-tweetable.
Make sure to post your contact information or a call to action. Cross-promote
your webinar on your blog.
Hearing your voice and engaging with you
live gives customers a sense of familiarity.
Friday, December 20, 13

351. eBooks Guides
Offer a free eBook in exchange for an email
address. This is simple to create using tools like
Mailchimp and Wordpress.
Follow up. Ask their opinion of the eBook to
open the door for conversation.
Track downloads and metrics against your
goal(s) to see if free content works. Remember,
Content Marketing is a slow process. Don’t
expect quick wins right away. It takes time to
build a great reputation!
Friday, December 20, 13

352. Newsletters
Make subscribing to your newsletter quick and
straightforward. The setup is so easy a monkey could do it.
But ... don’t go overboard with email blasts. Once you overuse
the connection, you’ll lose it. Don’t be an annoying friend.
Email marketing is far from dead.
In fact, “56% of businesses said
they planned to increase their
use of email marketing” in 2013.*
* ExactTarget: http://www.exacttarget.com/blog/50-email-marketing-tips-and-stats-for-2014/
Friday, December 20, 13

353. Videos
Keep it simple by creating an explainer video or an
introduction video.
Put the video on your startup’s website or blog.
Statistics show most people would rather watch than read.
They’re also more likely to buy after watching a video...
If a picture is worth a
thousand words, imagine
what a video is worth.
Friday, December 20, 13

354. Videos = More Customers
Dropbox

355. introduced

356. a

357. simple

358. explainer

359. video

360.
on

361. their

362. landing

363. page

364. and

365. saw

366. an

367. additional

368.
75,000

369. subscribers

370. in

371. only

372. 24

373. hours.
Onlineshoes.com

374. converts

375. 45%

376. more

377.
customers

378. using

379. video

380. and

381. has

382. seen

383. a

384. 359%

385.
year-over-year

386. increase

387. in

388. video

389. views.

391.
Product

392. pages

393. with

394. video

395. have

396. higher

397.
conversion

398. rates

399. than

400. product

401. pages

402. without

403.
video.
Friday, December 20, 13

404. Guest Blogging
Guest blogging is an incredible way to build your influence and
establish expertise in your field.
Start by making a list of 20-30 blogs / publications that interest you
and compliment your industry. Look for contributing guidelines and
follow the process. If there are none, reach out (via email or Social
Media) to the editor to ask if you can contribute some content.
The content you contribute should always by 100% authentic and
original.
Once you’ve built a reputation, create your own writers’ page and
link to the content you have published.
Friday, December 20, 13

405. Capturing Emails
Capturing emails can be divided into three
categories: email submits, newsletter subscriptions,
and blog subscriptions.
Email marketing is best managed by a tool like
MailChimp, which allows you to send custom emails.
You can setup email campaigns based on your RSS
feed, which means subscribers will receive an email
whenever new content is published.
Friday, December 20, 13

406. Test and Iterate
You have to continuously improve your marketing
strategy by testing and iterating.
Always refer to your metrics for success to see if you
are on the right path.
Friday, December 20, 13

407. Setting Up Analytics Tools
The key to measuring success is a great analytics
tool.
Google Analytics is a no-frills solution. If you need
something more user-friendly and advanced, tools
like KISSmetrics are available.
All analytics tools will have you insert a snippet of
code on your website. Be sure they are committed
to preserving fast load times.
Friday, December 20, 13

408. Measuring Against
Benchmarks
Measure week over week and
month over month. Compare your
core metrics to the previous period.
Look for consistent growth.
Attribute significant growth or
decline to an event (e.g. a viral
tweet or a disastrous newsletter).
Isolate and then either replicate it
or avoid it.
“If

409. you

410. can’t

411. measure

412. it,

413.
you

414. can’t

415. manage

416. it.”
-

417. Peter

418. Drucker,

419. Management

420.
Consultant
Friday, December 20, 13

421. Brainstorming
Creative New Ideas
Don’t only iterate and optimize
what you’ve already been doing.
Always try creative new things.
Some of your new and innovative
ideas will fail, but the few that
succeed will be well worth it.
Never get complacent!
Friday, December 20, 13

422. Best Practices
What are the industry experts saying? What are the top startups
doing? Here are three startup marketing best practices.
1. Sell the solution. Touch upon, but don’t dwell on the problem.
Quickly get to the point: how your solution is the ultimate fix.
2. Have a compelling story. Use your story to differentiate yourself
from the competition. Having a relatable story is a fast-track to
establishing authentic relationships.
3. Use all of your resources. Don’t overlook any marketing idea - big
or small. Get your team excited to tell your startup’s story. Write a
blog post on a trending topic. Run a contest to drum up some hype.
Friday, December 20, 13

423. Startup marketing is a blend of complex
science AND art.
Tested formulas should always be approached
with personal finesse and flare.
When marketing comes from a passionate
perspective and mapped with thoughtful
strategy, the results will not only be
measurable but exactly the momentum
you need to take your startup to the next level.
Conclusion
Friday, December 20, 13

424. www.onboardly.com
Friday, December 20, 13