Running a startup is no easy task. There are several areas that a startup needs to focus on, and building a strong product or service is crucial during these early stages. However, in the process of perfecting your product, you might let your marketing fall to the wayside. The fact is, your early marketing efforts can make or break your startup success when it matters the most.
According to Exults Marketing, startup marketing is so important because it helps build a strong identity and helps startups establish their brand. But when you’re working with such a small team—and you may even be working solo—it’s important to know when it’s time to get help. Chances are you don’t have the salary to offer a full-time marketing position, but you can work with an agency or freelancer to put together a strong initial campaign. Here are some signs it’s time to start reaching out:
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Marketing Isn’t Your Strong Suit
If marketing isn’t your strong suit, don’t attempt to learn the ropes on your own. Marketing is a very convoluted field and trying to learn as a newbie takes away from the areas of the business that you’re strong at. If you don’t have the skillset or don’t enjoy it, leave it to the professionals. Otherwise, your efforts will likely be clear in your messaging; it’s not difficult to tell when there’s no passion behind company messages. An agency, on the other hand, can bring both knowledge and passion to your marketing efforts.
You Don’t Have the Time
Startup teams already have a lot on their plate. If you find yourself spending hours on one piece of content marketing when you have little to no content marketing experience, this is a clear indicator that you should take your foot off the gas pedal and let someone else drive.
Time is precious in the startup world, and marketing comprises its own arena that takes up plenty of time. Limited in-house team also means limited bandwidth, and you could be unintentionally putting more pressure on others to produce work that ends up being subpar. By outsourcing your marketing strategy, you’ll save time and get things done quicker.
Current Efforts Aren’t Working
If you’ve already invested some time and/or money into your marketing and aren’t getting many leads or traction, now is probably a good time to try a different approach. You may feel discouraged by the lack of progress from your marketing efforts, but your progress can actually help an agency gain a better understanding of where you’re at and how your marketing can be improved. Starting with some data is better than starting with none. It also allows you to clearly see how improvements have been made, offering concrete numbers on how third party marketing made a better difference.
You’re Struggling to Quantify Results
It’s one thing to understand when something isn’t working. But it’s entirely another thing when you’re struggling to see exactly what’s working and what isn’t working. If you can quantify the results and understand exactly where your conversions are coming from, you’ll never know what areas of the sales funnel need some polishing and which are performing. Certain marketing tactics, like split testing, need controllable variables in order to work.
You Need a Fresh Pair of Eyes
If you find yourself running out of ideas, it may be time for a fresh pair of eyes. If you’ve ever written an essay and find yourself breezing past grammatical errors that someone else noticed, then you understand the difference that a fresh perspective can make. Having a new team look at your work can help you discover new approaches and solutions that may not occur for you.
Furthermore, an outsider with less emotional connection can highlight ideas that are simple and numbers-based, whereas your startup team might be too emotionally invested to feel comfortable making the hard decisions. This “newness” can be instrumental in driving growth.
About Carson Derrow
