Did you know that 56% of consumers plan to boycott brands that don't address the climate emergency? If you're launching an eco-friendly start-up, here's some good news. Your startup is the type of business these consumers will be turning to. However, this doesn't automatically guarantee you success. In order for customers to choose your new brand, they need to know it exists, why they should buy your offerings, and why they should trust you. The way to achieve this is through the right startup marketing. As a green startup, it's critical that you not only get your name out there and build a strong sales funnel—but also emphasize the impact your brand and offering has on the environment. Keep reading to find out a few key ways to do this in our marketing guide.
Get Clear on Your Target Market
One of the most essential steps to take before you implement any startup marketing strategies is to get crystal clear on your target market. It's not enough to assume your target customer is "eco-conscious people". For most brands, their true target market will be a lot more specific. For instance, a company that specializes in residential solar panel installations will most likely have a target market of people who:
- Are homeowners
- Want to reduce their carbon footprint
- Are in a medium-to-high income bracket and have the capital to purchase solar panels (or a healthy enough credit score to apply for credit)
- Wish to incur long-term savings on energy usage
- Wish to become independent of the grid
- Reside within the geographical area the company services
Target customers will also be within a certain age bracket. They need to be old enough to command a decent income and own their own home. At the same time, they should be young enough to be able to enjoy the savings on their utility bills for the lifetime of their solar panels, or until they sell their home. Once you have clarified exactly who your target customer is, you can then tailor everything from your general branding, logo, and brand voice to appeal to them.
Distill Down Your Value Proposition
Another critical step for any startup looking to effectively market its offerings and get off the ground is to create a strong value proposition. Once again, it's not enough to make your value proposition something like "We're the best solar panel company". Consumers need to know at a glance why they should pick your brand over another. You need to figure out what makes your offering unique. What are its most important, powerful, selling points? While creating your value proposition, focus on the consumer, not on your brand. What will your offering do for the consumer? What problems will it solve? How will it change their life? For instance, as a solar company, you could create a value proposition like "We are an innovative, solar installation company that focuses on professional installations." While this might be true, it focuses entirely on your company, and not at all on the consumer. Something like "Making your energy costs cheaper and the Earth's future brighter through cutting edge-solar technology" has far more emotional impact and meaning.
Create Content
Another powerful piece of the marketing puzzle for any startup these days is content. Online content marketing doesn't just drive results, it's also far more eco-friendly than old-school physical methods such as fliers and billboards. What's more, content marketing is the perfect way to build brand recognition and trust, attract your target customers, and draw them into your sales funnel. The key to any successful content marketing strategy is to align your content with different stages in the buyer journey. Let's take the solar panel company example once more. To target leads at the initial stage of consideration, you can create keyword-optimized content around topics such as the benefits of solar panels. For leads that are nearing the decision stage and are comparing their options, you can create more in-depth guides detailing the pros and cons of professional vs DIY installations, panel brand comparisons, battery-type comparisons (eg lead vs lithium), etc.
Leverage Social Media to Engage and Showcase
According to reports, 82% of consumers want brands' values to align with their own, and they're prepared to vote with their wallets if need be. Any type of content is a great opportunity to showcase your startup's values, but social media is the best place to share them. If used correctly, social media can be incredibly powerful for building brand recognition and establishing a relationship with your target market. Social media also facilitates two-way conversations, as well as user-generated content, competitions, and more. By tapping into things like trends and hashtags, new brands and startups can steadily grow their following and their reach on social media.
Invest in Paid Search Ads for Fast Results
No marketing guide would be complete without a mention of paid ads. All of the above strategies and steps are important, but if you want to supercharge your startup marketing for quick results, you should also look into paid ad campaigns. Content marketing and social media marketing can drive long-term results that build on themselves over time. But there's one drawback. Over time is the operative word. If you're launching a new eco-friendly startup, you can't afford to wait months for your marketing results to kick in. You need new leads now, not next year. This is where paid ads come in. Well-run paid ad campaigns can bring in leads within days or hours. What's more, paid ads can also be very cost-effective. If you target your ads right, you don't have to waste money showing ads to leads that have little chance of converting.
Use Email Marketing to Keep in Touch With Leads and Repeat Customers
We also can't talk about marketing for small business ventures without touching on email marketing. Email marketing is the perfect way to keep guiding new leads down your sales funnel. It's also a powerful way to keep in touch with existing customers and target them with new offers, discounts, sales, etc.
Do You Need Help With Your Startup Marketing?
As an eco-friendly start-up, you already have an advantage. But this doesn't mean your marketing should be an afterthought. Do you want professional help with your startup marketing? If yes, you've come to the right place. Zeller Media is a digital marketing agency that specializes in marketing for startups, offering everything from a full white glove service to tailored marketing assistance. We're experts at accelerating growth through paid search campaigns and social media advertising. Let Zeller Media help you scale your startup and catapult your marketing. Contact us today to get started.
