Have you ever wondered why some startups seem to grow quickly while others don’t? Are you often surprised when you come across a startup that has been around for months, but despite having an innovative idea few people seem to know about them?
This all boils down to some startups knowing what to do and what not to do and others going about growing their startups all wrong. The good news is, it’s never too late to turn the growth of your startup around.
Do Use Tools to Manage Tasks
Startups usually have limited financial resources to help get them off the ground. However, little investments can assist you with growing your startup.
It’s understandable that with so many tools on the market it can be hard to know which ones to invest in. By spending time selecting the tools that best fit your needs and budget, you can save time down the line, therefore, allowing yourself to start making profits.
Tools That Startups Can Benefit From
- Canva – Canva will bring out the graphic designer in anyone. You can create infographics, newsletter photos, and other marketing graphics with just a few clicks. They have thousands of templates available and you even have the option of creating teams so your team members can work on projects together.
- Trello – Trello is the master tool for staying organized. Team members can be added to boards where you keep all projects in one organized place. You can add checklists, keep tabs on which team member is working on what, and integrate your boards with Slack. Never miss a deadline again or have something important slip through the cracks.
- Salesmate Free Sales Pipeline Template – Investing in CRM can be useful, however, during your launch period you may find that a template is a great way to kickstart your sales pipeline. With the Salesmate Free Sales Pipeline Template you can customize it to your startups needs, keep track of deals, and plan future sales activity.
- CoSchedule Free Headline Analyzer – As a startup, you must get your name out their every chance that you get. You want to get a buzz going quickly so you start profiting. With the CoSchedule Free Headline Analyzer, you can make sure that all the content you produce, such as infographics, blog posts, and even videos, have a headline that encourages sharing, traffic, and search results.
Do Stay Ahead of Trends
To be a step ahead of your competitors, you must stay ahead of trends. Trends will help your marketing strategy, which jumpstarts your startups growth, but only if you are one of the early adopters.
Simply Ways to Stay Ahead of Trends
- Connect with Journalists – Journalists have built their careers on being the first to know what is going on. Connect with journalists in your niche so you can be in the loop about the different trends and analysis.
- Study Investors – By studying investors and their websites you can see what investments are hot, why they are in demand, and what the specific companies that are attracting investors are doing that you aren’t.
- Network in Person – Attend conferences in your niche, so you can get your name out there and connect with other experts who have more experience than you. The knowledge you gain from networking events will allow you to predict what’s going to be the next trend in your industry.
- Follow Trends Online – By using Google Trends, Reddit and Twitter, you can be the first to know what is trending among consumers. If you can get a marketing campaign put together quickly, you can be one of the first companies riding the trend and get a large boost of traffic.
Don’t Send Bad Emails
Whether you are emailing customers, reaching out to the media to be featured, or trying to connect with influencers, you want to make sure your emails have been created with perfection. According to Entrepreneur, consumers get hundreds of emails from brands each day. Then, when you think about trying to get your startup featured by the media or an influencer, they are also receiving numerous emails per day. You must do something to stand out.
How to Send Good Emails
- Create a Catchy Headline – Your headline must stand out or your email open rate is going to be nonexistent. According to iContact, 47% of email users open emails based on their subject lines, so make sure you include appealing ones.
- Your Email Address Is Low Quality – When you are a startup it is important to come off as professional or people are going to think its fake or spam. Therefore, instead of using johnsmith81@gmail.com skip straight to johnsmith@yourcompanyname.com. An easy way to do this is to sign up for G Suite account.
- Your Email Isn’t Conveying the Right Message – When your emails are opened, the recipient should immediately know what you want. It should be straight to the point, since they’ve never heard of you before, and you should have an attention-grabbing email signature that allows them to check you out without having to do a Google search to find basic things such as your location, phone number, and social media profiles.
Don’t Miss Asking for Referrals
According to a study, consumers are more likely to share a bad experience than they are to share a good one. This means it’s up to you to ask your customers to leave you a testimonial, review, or even just let their circle know about their experience. To help kickstart your referral marketing, you can offer consumers a small incentive such as a specific percentage or dollar amount off their next order.
Closing Thoughts
Growing a startup obviously isn’t easy because if it was everyone would be doing. However, once you know what to do and what not to do, you can grow your startup and increase your profits.
What is something you think a startup should or shouldn’t do when they are trying to grow?
