The term bootstrapping means, “To start an enterprise with minimal financial resources.” The truth is that’s just another way of saying, “you have no cash so you have to do everything on your own.”
This is fine for a lot of things, but it can cause a few nights of zero sleep when it comes to those niche tasks you know nothing about, like, let’s say, marketing.
Mmmm hmmmm. Marketing is one of those tough to bootstrap parts of a business that people fear. But, given you have no choice, your only bet is to toughen up, buttercup, and get all creative because not having experience or a marketing budget is not a reason to let your brand’s image slump.
The trick is to do the startup thing of putting on as many hats as you can — PR representative, marketing executive, advertising manager, website builder, social media specialist — and getting all innovative with your strategies.
Of course, leaving you with that piece of sage advice and then walking away — turning the lights off as we go — is hardly what we are about at The 60 Second Marketer, which is is why we have pulled together a list of top tips when it comes to successful marketing approaches that cost dimes, not dollars.
A website that wows
It all starts with a website. Everything. It’s the most staple start of a startups success. It’s your first impression, your biggest brand advocate, your best salesperson, your modern day business card and where people first get a feel for what your brand is about and when you consider that most people make a judgment within nine-seconds, you start to realize just how important a website becomes. And just how important it is to get right.
The problem? Money. The solution? An all-in-one website that you can build yourself and all it needs is for you to visit the site that makes it all possible. No coding, just an idea of what will look good, which is something you can get from scanning the internet and making a note of those websites that stop you in your tracks and make your heart flutter. It’s that simple.
The perfect PR manager
Being your own PR representative may sound like a tricky role to play and one that will have a lot of negatives attached, but that is far from the case these days. Let’s think out loud for a second. A PR representative is going to reach out to reporters and bloggers and pitch them. That’s their role (albeit in a nutshell).
So, what do you think is going to be more influential from their point of view: a pitch from a PR representative or a pitch from the founder?
Exactly.
And that is exactly how you have got to look at it. Think about how much more punch you’ll pack when you say, “I came up with this idea” or “I am the genius behind this product” or “yes, I am the inventor.” People want to hear your story, not someone else selling your story. So, do your research, know what the bloggers, reports and influencers you want to approach write about and do it yourself.
Never neglect a blog
This is one of the easiest and most effective ways you can climb the ranks and become an expert. Blogging is the GOAT when it comes to boosting your SEO ranking, increasing your exposure, attracting new visitors, engaging with customers, offering value for free, creating shareable content and creating the perception that you are an industry leader.
Don’t believe us? Then just take a couple of minutes out of your day to read these 13 Kickass Facts About Business Blogging. The trick is knowing what makes a blog great is this day and age. To give you some idea, make your blogs 750 words or above, use original imagery, know how to place keywords into the content, be authentic, answer the questions your clients asking and make your tone of voice attractive to people — yes, we’re talking about a spot of humor, which is possible to add into anything, as this genius lawn care blog proves.
Videos are a great way to go
Words are great, but there are times where a video is better. So, try and incorporate short and snappy videos where you can. It could be you explain what your business does in video form, or you could go down the YouTube demo route to show off your products in action, or create a marketing video you hope will rack up more views than The Dollar Shave Club effort (which was a masterclass in what’s possible).
You don’t need much more than a shoestring budget, the camera on your iPhone 7 and some free editing software to produce a great video and, who knows, you could be one of those companies that see their video of a blender being used starts to rack up hundreds of thousands of views online. Ka’ching!
Don’t just upload your finished video onto your YouTube channel, though. Add them to your website, pop them on Vimeo and upload them directly to Facebook (because Facebook likes it when you do that).
Email campaigns are still excellent
Despite popular belief (read: people promoting social media marketing services), email marketing campaigns are still the best way to interact with your customers. Seriously. They have a lifespan of days and weeks, while a Facebook Ad only has an impact of around 37 minutes.
It doesn’t matter if you want to send out your latest blog posts to their inbox, tell them about a new product you have just started to stock, inform them of a flash sale, spread the word about a great review you just received or just say hi to your customers, using their first name at the start of your letter, like “Hey Charlie Swanson, we just wanted to say you are super-important to us; here’s 10% off your next order.” You’ll be amazed at just how effective this marketing technique is, especially when you consider how cost-effective it is too.
Make sure you go mobile
The world has gone mobile and we can’t see that changing anytime soon. The laptop took the desktop out of the game, the tablet took the laptop out and the smartphone has just as much power and ability as all of these and it fits into your pocket, which is why a huge majority of people now use their phones as their only source of everything (if that makes sense).
Basically, what we’re saying is, you need to get yourself in front of these incredibly valuable eyeballs in as many ways as possible. That means having a website that is mobile responsive, which doesn’t cost anything extra when building your own. It means opting to put your company on those relatively-cheap mobile phone advertising banners, which you can do by approaching the two main mobile ad networks, Third Screen Media and AdMob.
If you really wanted to test yourself, then you could even learn how to make a native app for your business, as this is the way the world is heading. Whatever you decide is best for you, though, embracing the world of mobile needs to be a big part of your marketing strategy moving forward, so make sure you don’t a) neglect it, b) think it isn’t worth the money or c) think you can succeed without it. You can’t.
And there we have it, your guide to bootstrapping your marketing.