There's no doubt that getting your startup's first hundred users is a critical step in its success. But how can you do it without breaking the bank? Thankfully, there are a number of marketing tools that are free or low-cost and can help you get the word out. In this blog post, we'll highlight some of the best ones. Let’s jump right in!
The basics:
Social media - create profiles on all the major social media platforms and start sharing your content. Use hashtags, run ads, and partner with influencers in your niche.
Social media platforms are a great way to connect with your target audience and share your content. They provide a way for users to engage with your brand, and you can use them to run ads and connect with influencers.
The best social media platforms for startups vary depending on your niche and target audience. However, some of the most popular social media platforms for startups include Instagram, Tiktok, and Twitter. All three platforms, especially the latter two, have viable viral potential; with one good post, you can become viral. For example, startup companies can use the hashtag startup to join the startup conversation and reach new potential customers on Twitter.
When using social media, there are generally two strategies, companies that take themselves seriously or those that are more relaxed. For example, a startup company that sells software for businesses might want to take themselves more seriously on LinkedIn than they would on Twitter. If you want to come across as more approachable and human, focus on platforms like Instagram and Snapchat.
Be sure to research which platforms are the best fit for your startup and create profiles on all of them. Then, start sharing your content and engaging with users!
SEO (Search Engine Optimization) - make sure you optimize your website for search engine ranking for keywords that you value. Do keyword research, create quality content, and build links to your site. We'll go over free tools that can help you optimize for these keywords and track the effectiveness of SEO later on in this article.
SEO is essential for two primary reasons: it helps you rank higher in search engine results pages (SERPs) and drives traffic to your website. When you optimize your website for certain keywords, you'll rank higher in SERPs for those keywords. And when users search for those keywords, your website will appear as one of the top results.
This increased visibility can result in more traffic to your website. SEO can also help boost your brand's credibility and visibility, leading to more customers and sales.
If you're looking to grow your startup, SEO is a must-do! Several free tools can help you optimize your website and track the effectiveness of your SEO, and we'll show you these later in the article.
Email marketing - collect email addresses from your website visitors and send them regular updates. Email marketing is not dead! In fact, even today, email is one of the most effective marketing channels.
Email marketing can be a great way to stay in touch with your customers and keep them updated on your latest product or service offerings. It's also a great way to build relationships with potential customers and drive sales.
To get started with email marketing, you'll need to collect email addresses from your website visitors. You can do this by adding an opt-in form to your website or using a tool like LeadPages to create a landing page where visitors can sign up for your email list.
Once you have a list of email addresses, you can start sending regular updates to your subscribers. Include valuable content in your emails, such as coupons, exclusive offers, or helpful tips.
Paid advertising - use online advertising platforms like Google AdWords to drive traffic to your site. While you should spend most of your budget in the early days building the best possible product, what's the point of creating a great product that no one uses? While it may seem tempting to look at companies like Tesla, who spend nothing on paid marketing, this mode of thinking is naive in the early days.
Paid advertising can be a great way to get your startup in front of potential customers. Google AdWords is one of the most popular online advertising platforms, and it can be a great way to drive traffic to your website.
When creating your AdWords campaign, target relevant keywords and create compelling ad copy to grab the users' attention. You'll also want to set a budget for your campaign and track the results so you can optimize your ads for maximum effectiveness.
While you may say, well, this is paid! This article is about FREE marketing tools. The good news is that most, if not all, paid advertising services typically offer $100 in credit when you register. You can use this $100 to grow your initial customer base, and if you find this is an effective marketing method for your company, it may be worthwhile to continue.
Press and public relations - get media coverage for your startup by reaching out to journalists and bloggers. Getting media coverage for your startup is a great way to build credibility and visibility. You can also add your featured startup publications on the homepage of your website.
There are many ways to get media coverage, but one of the most effective is to reach out to journalists and bloggers who cover your industry. You can find these contacts by using Cision or Muck Rack tools.
Once you have a list of contacts, you can start reaching out and pitching your story. Be sure to have a well-crafted press release and pitch deck to make your startup stand out from the crowd.
Guest blogging - write articles for other blogs in your industry to get exposure for your startup. Guest blogging is a great way to get exposure for your startup. By writing articles for other blogs in your industry, you can reach a new audience and build credibility within your industry.
When guest blogging, be sure to choose high-quality blogs relevant to your industry. You'll also want to make sure that your articles are well-written and informative. Be sure to include a link back to your website in your author bio so readers can learn more about your startup.
Influencer marketing - identify influential bloggers and social media users in your niche and collaborate with them to promote your startup. Influencer marketing is a great way to reach a new audience and build credibility for your startup.
There are a number of ways to find influencers in your niche. One way is to use a tool like BuzzSumo or Followerwonk to search for popular bloggers and social media users in your industry. Once you identify some influencers, you can reach out and collaborate with them to promote your startup.
Offline marketing - print out flyers or business cards and hand them out at local events. Offline marketing can be a great way to reach potential customers who may not be online. You can print out flyers or business cards and hand them out at local events or sponsor a local event.This is a great way to get your startup in front of potential customers and build brand awareness.
When doing offline marketing, be sure to choose high-traffic events that are relevant to your target audience. You'll also want to make sure your materials are well-designed and eye-catching.
Hire a growth hacker - Another great marketing tool for startups is growth hacking. Growth hacking is a process of rapid experimentation across marketing channels and product development to identify the most effective, efficient ways to grow a business. A growth hacker specializes in this process and is usually a marketer and a coder hybrid.
Some popular growth hacking techniques include virality (creating content that is designed to be shared), A/B testing (testing different versions of content or ads to see which performs better), and email marketing (sending personalized emails to target users).
Participate in online forums and discussion groups relevant to your target market - This is yet another great way to get exposure for your startup. Online forums and discussion groups are a great place to connect with potential customers and build credibility for your startup.
You can find relevant online forums and discussion groups by using Google Groups or Reddit. Once you've found some groups, be sure to read the rules before posting so you don't get banned. When posting, add value to the conversation and avoid self-promotion.
By participating in online forums and discussion groups, you can build relationships with potential customers and learn more about what they're looking for. This is a great way to get feedback for your startup and generate new ideas.
Give away free samples or coupons to potential customers - A great way to get your startup in front of potential customers. Giving away free samples or coupons is a great way to generate buzz for your startup and get people talking about your product.
You can distribute free samples or coupons at local events or through online forums and discussion groups. You can also use social media to promote your giveaway. Be sure to choose a prize that is relevant to your target audience.
You can generate interest in your startup by giving away free samples or coupons and getting people talking about your product. This is a great way to build buzz for your startup and get people interested in what you're offering.
Free tools:
Social media analytics
There are various free social media analytics tools that startup founders can use to track their progress and measure their success. Some popular free social media analytics tools include:
Hootsuite Insights - Hooutsuite Insights can help you by providing detailed reports on your social media activity.
Sprout Social - Similarly to the other two, Sprout Social is a free social media management tool that startup founders can use to track their social media activity and measure their success.
By using social media analytics, startup founders can track their progress, measure their success, and make data-driven decisions about their marketing strategy.
Copywriting
Copywriting is an essential skill for startup founders. A good copywriter can help you create compelling content that resonates with your target audience and drives conversions.
Marketing Examples - Marketing examples gathers the world's best copywriting in one place.
Fantastic Texts - Featured on product hunt, Fantastic Texts brings you the most creative SMS ads for you to take inspiration from.
By improving your copywriting skills, you can create better content that resonates with your target audience and drives conversions.
Campaigns
Looking to start and plan your next marketing campaign? Here are a few resources to help you get started:
YouTube Ads Library - Youtube Ads Library is a gallery of Youtube's most successful ad campaigns.
Trend Hunter - Trend Hunter compiles the most effective marketing campaigns out now.
Swipe-worthy - Check out catchy marketing headlines that have made people click.
Email marketing
Email marketing is a great way to stay in touch with your customers and keep them updated on your latest product or service. Startup founders can cultivate relationships with their customers and build loyalty by using email marketing.
Really Good Emails - RGE compiles the best company emails to help startup founders improve their email marketing.
MailChimp - MailChimp is a popular email marketing service that startup founders can use to send newsletters, announcements, and other promotional material.
Constant Contact - Another popular email marketing service, Constant Contact offers a variety of features to help startup founders cultivate relationships with their customers.
Startup founders can stay in touch with their customers, build loyalty, and cultivate relationships by using email marketing.
Website builder
A website builder is a great way to get your startup's website up and running quickly and easily. With a website builder, you can create a professional-looking website without hiring a web designer or developer.
Webflow - Webflow is a popular website builder that startup founders can use to create professional-looking websites.
WordPress - WordPress is a popular content management system that startup founders can use
Squarespace - Squarespace is another popular website builder that startup founders can use to create beautiful websites.
Weebly - Weebly is a user-friendly website builder that startup founders can use to create simple, yet effective websites.
Landing pages
A landing page is a key component of any marketing campaign. A landing page is a standalone web page designed to convert visitors into leads or customers.
LeadPages - LeadPages is a popular landing page builder that startup founders can use to create high-converting landing pages.
Unbounce - Unbounce is another well-known landing page builder that startup founders can use to create landing pages that convert.
Instapage - Instapage is a powerful landing page builder that startup founders can use to create beautiful, high-converting landing pages.
LapaNinja - LapaNinja is a gallery of effective web design and pages that startup founders can use to get inspired on simple, yet effective landing pages.
Awwwards - Similarly to LapaNinja, Awwwards awards the best-looking and most functional homepages.
Startup founders can create high-converting landing pages that drive conversions by using a landing page builder.
Web analytics
Web analytics is the process of analyzing website data to understand how visitors interact with a website. By understanding how users interact with your website, startup founders can improve the user experience and increase conversions.
Hotjar - Hotjar is a popular web analytics tool that startup founders can use to understand how visitors interact with their websites.
Crazy Egg - Crazy Egg is another popular web analytics tool that startup founders can use to understand user behavior on their websites.
Mouseflow - Mouseflow is a popular web analytics tool that startup founders can use to understand how visitors interact with their websites.
By using web analytics, startup founders can make improvements to their website and increase conversions.
A/B testing tools
A/B testing is a method of comparing two versions of a web page to see which one performs better. By A/B testing, startup founders can improve the user experience on their website and increase conversions.
Visual Website Optimizer - Visual Website Optimizer is another popular A/B testing tool startup founders can use to test different versions of their websites.
Optimizely -Optimizely is a popular A/B testing tool where startup founders can test different website versions.
Google Analytics Content Experiments - Google Analytics Content Experiments is a free A/B testing tool startup founders can use to test different versions of their websites.
By using A/B testing tools, startup founders can test different website versions to see what works best for their business.
SEO tools
SEO is the process of optimizing a website for search engines. Using an SEO checker and optimizing their website for search engines, startup founders can enhance their website's visibility and boost organic traffic.
Google Keyword Planner - The Google Keyword Planner is a free SEO tool startup founders can use to research keywords for their websites.
Google Lighthouse - Google Lighthouse is a free SEO tool startup founders can use to audit their websites.
Moz - Moz is a popular SEO tool startup founders can use to improve their website's ranking in search engines.
Ahrefs - Ahrefs is another well-known SEO tool startup founders can use to improve their website's ranking in search engines.
DefiniteSEO - DefiniteSEO is a perfect tool for on-page SEO analysis and running a technical SEO audit. The SEO Checker tool provides a wide range of features that help with link building, website performance analysis, keyword optimization, content optimization, website audits, usability, and more.
The SEO tool is ideal for small to large businesses. In fact, it is the only SEO tool that provides advanced SEO features for free. So its vast capabilities and potential in SEO make it a great tool for SEO experts and beginners also. Moreover, it is a user-friendly tool with a seamless intuitive interface.
Startup founders can improve their website's ranking in search engines and get more website visitors by using SEO tools.
In conclusion...
Marketing is essential for any startup founder looking to grow their business. By using these free marketing tools, startup founders can get their first 100 users without spending a lot of money on marketing. These free marketing tools include email marketing, website builder, landing pages, and web analytics. With these free marketing tools, startup founders can cultivate relationships with their customers, build a loyal customer base, and increase conversions. So what are you waiting for? Get started today and see the success of your startup grow!
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