My Best Marketing Advice to Startups + How To
Decrease your Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC), enjoy higher retention rates, and keep your competitors at bay by driving awareness around your brand. Something practically all successful companies do, so you should too.
If you decide to skip the awareness part, you might be faced with a scenario where your marketing won't work or acquires customers at too high of a cost.
But wait, what does awareness mean?
By awareness, I refer to activities that focus on getting your brand known while not trying to sell your product/service!
Let's take HubSpot as an example. They have written TONS of great articles and rarely promote their own products. Instead, they try to create awareness around their brand.
When they do try to sell you something, chances are you will listen.
Data has also shown that it takes people around 6-10 interactions with a brand before considering it. And I'm not referring to 6-10 pushy sales ads. I'm talking awareness stuff. Like HubSpot does!
Isn't it better to focus on sales?
Let me share an experience.
A while back, I went to a Google Seminar about marketing. They told us that they've seen in their massive data pool that spending 60% of a budget on awareness campaigns results in MORE customers for unknown companies...
...Versus spending 100% on sales ads. Hm.
I then started a freelancing gig as a Growth Hacker at one of the world's leading parking apps, and guess what?
If we entered a new city, where the brand was unknown, we'd get MORE customers if we spent ~60% of our budget on pure awareness campaigns ("Free ice cream!") and the rest on sales ads ("Download our app!")
Lastly, if you look at some of the most successful companies, they do the same. For example, Tesla, Mcdonald's, Coca-Cola, and Apple drive massive awareness around their brands in efforts that are not sales-focused.
I'm convinced. Give me inspiring examples!
Here are a few examples of creating awareness before selling to your audience.
- Produce videos that explain a topic closely related to your business. Market the videos on forums, Slack/Discord channels by responding to people who need help with the issue. Or pay $$$ to get your video in front of your target audience. You can re-target the same audience with sales ads after they know about your brand!
- Start communities (Slack/Discord channels, subreddits) and discuss topics related to your business, focusing on giving. Throw in the occasional sales pitch after some time.
- Set up a website with the sole purpose of helping and, at the same time spreading awareness around your brand. It could be a comparison site, an online tax calculator, etc.
How do I get started?
Before you start driving awareness, it's a good idea to figure out WHAT content you should create, WHERE to spread it, and WHO your audience is.
To figure that out, you need a basic Brand Strategy and your subsequent Buyer Persona. Starting there will help narrow your focus and increase your chances of success.
The articles linked above will explain more.
Takeaways
- Awareness is a fluffy topic, but tangible results = Lower Customer Acquisition Costs.
- Content Marketing is an effective way to drive awareness around your brand.
- To drive awareness effectively, start with your Brand Strategy.
PS. Next-level is understanding your whole sales funnel, where awareness is the top layer. Read about it here.
Do you intentionally focus on awareness?
