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3 steps to success in Digital Marketing for Startups – Secrets exposed

Are you a startup, trying to launch your product or service?

Are you a startup, trying to figure out as to how to build your brand?

If you have not looked at digital marketing, then it is high time to give it a serious thought. Digital marketing, as I have mentioned in my earlier blogs and columns, has the power to shake and dislodge traditional markets and enterprises.

Start with a good digital marketing strategy.

  • What does your product or service do? How does it benefit your customers?
  • Who is your target audience; customer profile, demographics?
  • What is the message that you want to convey?
  • How do you wish to be seen amongst your audience – all stakeholders?
  • How do you plan to measure the results, against the set goals and objectives?

Once you are clear with the above, the next step is to get into the ‘execution’ mode.

Now you can get the plans into action, in different phases of your startup.

  • Phase 1: Pre-launch
  • Phase 2: During launch
  • Phase 3: Post-launch

During the pre-launch phase focus on strategic positioning initiatives that includes target segmentation, content, differentiation, etc.

Take baby steps in building your brand through marketing collateral, and through web and mobile presence. Use social media in a limited way to test waters. If you have the budgets in place, it is advisable to spread your risk across a couple of Search Engine Marketing initiatives (Google Adwords, Facebook ads, etc.)

Well before and during the launch phase, ensure that your product has been given a decent UI attention. Most techno-entrepreneurs build and the finally look at UI part which is like putting the cart before the horse. Today your stakeholders want ease and user friendly navigation of your products or services. Come up with a good blog strategy; create videos; and start to focus on Search Engine Optimization (SEO).

Many a times, I come across a question from entrepreneurs as to why do I need to focus on SEO? I am better of spending in SEM in driving traffic to my site, rather than spending in SEO. But then I help them understand by asking these specific questions;

  • How else can you determine what keywords are best suited for your business to drive that traffic?
  • Have you optimized your website? Done sanity check for your site and is it free from errors?
  • Is it mobile optimized (this is a bigger point in discussion right now, since Google updated it’s algorithm in terms of raking up pages/sites that are mobile friendly)?
  • Have you set up Google Analytics and Webmaster tools? Are they integrated?
  • Most importantly, your website content needs to be ‘relevant’. Today the context is relevance is critical for you to achieve your objectives in not only to drive traffic but also to ensure visitor engagement!

You can create images and videos that can go viral and create a positive impact about your brand, your offerings, positioning, etc.

Post-launch scenario (and for startups on the move):

Once your ventures are up and running, focus on continuous improvement in SEO along with SEM and SMM strategies. The previous strategies and techniques mentioned in the earlier phases need to be fine-tuned, if you have missed to use those in the earlier phases of your startup.

There are cost effective ways to do online marketing, as marketing by itself can be a bottomless pit. Instead of spending a lot of money, do use free tools (like Google Analytics), trial versions, to build momentum in the early stages. These tools can even help you identify, target the right keywords to focus on which you can use in SEM to bring more quality visits to your website or application (app).

Pick up intelligence from interesting blogs, articles, and you do not hesitate to pick those tactics, techniques, to try out in your venture.

You need to build an effective content strategy in positioning your venture, your idea, and product/service.

Either you can have a blog page in your website, or have a WordPress blog to bring in more followers. LinkedIn is also a good source to publish your articles and it is very effective for a B2B business. It has the power to exponentially connect with potential customers.

Do not miss out on email marketing. Online marketing is a very powerful technique which can be done at very low cost. The key to the email marketing is the content. Make sure to churn out rich content and you will be able to establish thought leadership amongst your community. I have explained in detail about basics in digital marketing, and also how to use email marketing effectively in separate blogs.

A smart digital marketing consultant, or a good digital marketing consulting firm, can help you pick the right strategy, walk with you in execution, to ensure that every penny that you spend brings out the best results for you and your enterprise.

Digital marketing for startups is a must and cannot be ignored. I guess, having come to the end of this article, you might have gotten a fair idea as to what kind of digital marketing strategies and techniques that you can deploy and that too at various stages of your venture.

Startup Xperts is a management consulting firm with an objective to transform companies into the next level of growth. Our mission is to help companies to steeply accelerate their growth. Be it family run business, small or medium enterprise or a boutique firm, Startup Xperts have all the right answers to step up their growth. Startup Xperts help clients in a range of service areas including business consulting, strategic consulting, sales and marketing consulting, digital marketing, HR, Operations and leadership training.

To know more about Startup Xperts, visit us at www.startupxperts.com or write to us at info@startupxperts.com

The views expressed in this article are that of the author’s and Startup Xperts is not responsible for this content. In case of any objection in content, IP violation, incorrect or inappropriate information, please inform us at ceo@startupxperts.com. We will do our best to act on it at the earliest.

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Globally Recognized Certifications & Standards

Globalization has shrunk the world to an extent where we can see its impact in numerous instances in daily life. We use laptops and PCs for instance, which are assembled in China, with parts/subassemblies sourced from local and international manufacturers spread across the globe. When an Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) depends on a globally spread supply chain, it becomes imperative to ensure that the suppliers adhere to a well defined set of quality standards and organizational best practices.

Best practices that have an impact across the organization can fall under several functional areas: Quality Management, Environmental Safety, Organizational Health, Information Security, Process Improvement, Energy Management, Social Accountability, and so on.

Just as there are so many areas under which best practices can be categorized, organizations could look at several standards and certifications which establishes guidelines for managing their business effectively. In fact, for parts suppliers and manufacturers to compete in a global economy, they need to demonstrate their commitment to management excellence by getting accredited to globally recognized certifications as is relevant to their business.

Some of the most prominent globally recognized certifications that help organizations position themselves in the global marketplace are highlighted below.

(a) ISO 9001 – Quality Management System (QMS)

The ISO 9001 standard specifies the requirements for a Quality Management System where an organization is able to:

    • Consistently demonstrate its ability to provide products or services that meet customer expectations within the framework of applicable local/regional statutory & regulatory requirements
    • Ensure that its business processes are designed for continuous improvement through effective use of checks and balances to deliver products and services that meet customer expectations.

ISO 9001 standards have evolved over time, and in their current form, draw the focus towards achieving customer satisfaction. The accreditation process for ISO 9001 now measures the extent to which business processes as defined by the organization will be able to achieve customer satisfaction.

Benefits of ISO 9001 accreditation include:

  • Gives visibility to the senior management through an efficient quality management process
  • Clearly defines the areas of responsibility and accountability across the organization
  • Identifies and develops more efficient and time saving processes
  • Highlights process deficiencies, and thereby areas for continuous improvement
  • Reduces operational costs

(b) ISO 14001: Environmental Management Systems (EMS)

The ISO 14001 is a standard for environmental management systems applicable to all businesses. The objective of this standard is to reduce the environmental footprint of a business and to decrease the pollution and waste that a business produces.

The ISO 14001 standard can be adopted by any organization that seeks to improve the environmental impact of their business operations. This standard is of particular importance to large multi-national, multi-site companies, manufacturing, process and service industries across all industry sectors.

The benefits of ISO 14001 accreditation include:

  • A more proactive and measured process for environmental sustainability across the supply chain
  • Enhanced levels of waste reduction
  • Enhanced level of employee health and welfare
  • Reduced impact of business operations to the surrounding environment
  • Adherence to regulatory requirements on environmental impact

(c) ISO 27001 : Information Security Management Systems (ISMS)

The ISO 27001 standard is largely targeted towards IT/Software and Systems engineering companies. The information security controls in a business operation typically address important aspects of Information Technology or data security. In today’s connected world, information present in the IT infrastructure of organizations is one of the most valuable assets. Information assets are held by organizations on behalf of their customers, by virtue of providing them business services

It thus becomes imperative for organizations to ensure that:

There exists a robust process to examine the organization’s information security risks, taking account of the threats, vulnerabilities and impacts
Designs and implements a coherent and comprehensive suite of information security controls and/or other forms of risk treatment (such as risk avoidance or risk transfer) to address those risks that it deems unacceptable
Adopts an overarching management process to ensure that the information security controls continue to meet the organization’s information security needs on an on-going basis

(d) Organizational Health and Safety Assessment Standard (OHSAS) 18001

The OHSAS 18001 is a non-ISO standard which deals with how Occupational Health and Safety of employees, contractors and visitors in an organization is effectively managed. The OHSAS standard draws attention of organizations to the potential risks/occupational health and safety hazards that persons can encounter during the course of their duties in the organization. It also helps organizations identify the regional regulatory and legislative requirements with respect to Occupational Health and Safety

.
The OHSAS standard is compatible with ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 standards, and can hence be approached from the traditional Plan-Do-Check-Act sequence of implementation.

Organizations accredited to the OHSAS standard derive the following benefits:

  • Reduce the exposure of employees and other parties to occupational
  • health and safety risks associated with their business activities
  • Potential reduction in resultant costs
  • Greater assurance of conformance with occupational health and safety guidelines
  • Demonstration of conformance to third parties, and of due diligence generally
  • Consistent and proven management approach to health and safety, present and future
  • Deployment of method for continual improvement of the occupational health and safety management system

(e) Software Engineering Institute – Capability Maturity Model (SEI-CMM)

The CMM Process Improvement & Certification process enables software product organizations and software services companies to benchmark their processes at five levels:

  • Level 1-Initial: Processes unpredictable and poorly managed
  • Level 2-Managed: Processes defined by nature of projects and is reactive
  • Level 3-Defined: Processes defined by the organization, and are reactive
  • Level 4-Quantitatively Managed: Processes are measured and controlled
  • Level 5-Optimizing: Organisational focus is on process improvement; defect prevention

Each of these levels could be attributed to software product companies, in which case the applicable model is referred to as CMMI-Product & Service Development (CMMI-DEV). Where it is to be attributed to Software Services, it is referred to as CMMI-Service Acquisition and Management (CMMI-SVC).

The certifications mentioned above some of the most prominent ones that apply to a wide spectrum of industries. There are other certifications, sometimes derived/extended from the parent ISO QMS that deal with Energy Management, Safety in Food Manufacturing, etc. Likewise, organizations could also look at Six Sigma based approaches for process improvement.

The common denominator amongst all certification programs is that they demonstrate the existence of well-defined management approaches to running all the business processes in an organization. By virtue of being globally recognized, these certifications help organizations position themselves in the global supply chain.

Startup Xperts is a Business Growth and Consulting company with an objective to transform CEO’s growth vision into realistic, strategic, actionable plans that delivers results. Startup Xperts supports enterprises through business strategies, goal setting, sales and marketing set up, developing a high performance sales engine, digital marketing, specialized trainings, executive coaching and leadership hiring. Whether the organization wishes to move forward with ISO / CMM certification or have systems and processes that are world class, equivalent to ISO/CMM standards, Startup Xperts provides its expertise in getting these organizations ready for this initiative in a highly efficient and a cost effective way.

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How startups and SMEs can succeed in today’s ecosystem?

Being in a startup ecosystem has never been as exciting as it is today. The opportunities are abound and there is room for many to play in this space. The top cities that produce tech startups are Bangalore, NCR, Mumbai, Chennai, and other fast emerging cities.

Innovation is the order of the day. Disruptive technology and disruptive business model are the new age mantra for exponential growth.

Over 90% of startups fail. Almost over 50% of startups do not last beyond one year. 8 out of 10 startups kick start through their savings.

The fund raising options have improved but still not many do have access to the investors, or unable to spot opportunities to pitch their idea in the right forum to get funded. So there are quite a few challenges that a startup undergoes before they get to the success bandwagon.

In spite of plethora of challenges that startups have to surmount, our country is buzz with ‘startups’. Thanks to our Central Government’s initiative in bringing a separate focus on this startup industry. Recognizing that this industry needs to be nurtured to propel its way to become a super power, it is heartening to see policy initiatives to support startups in India. Today the younger generation is ready to take risks, which has been a change in the outlook compared to the risk-averse previous generation.

How can startup leverage to make their mark and be successful?

There can be so many factors that could decide the success for a startup. But some of the below aspects can certainly help these startups to increase their success quotient.

First issue is of validation; developing products, services, without validating if there is a market, demand for their product/service. Well, in a blue ocean strategy where you are trying to capture new frontiers, or come up with disruptive technology, then the validation process has to be different; not just the research, but understanding the pain points or gain aspects for any consumer. This can reasonably decide if there is a product-market fit for you to launch.

As I have always quoted that mentoring should be effective in order for startups to increase their success ratio.

There are many incubators, and also accelerators, but rare to find a combination with also an effective, continuous mentoring/guidance for the startups. Some investors do receive an investment seeking proposal every other day, and in spite of short-listing 100’s of ideas, the startup they invest may or may not provide them the desired results. Even from many investors standpoint, the ratio of success seem to be 1:6 or 1:7, meaning 1 in every 6 or 7 startup will grow significantly that would offset the loss of other ventures.

So, though the risk factors are high, be it for the startup founder, or an investor, the market is still very exciting that the inspiration is drawn from the successful startups for the new breed to follow their path.

Yet another aspect that most startups miss out is in creating a niche for their product/service. You can also term it as ‘branding effect’. Brand is not what you think you are, but what others perceive about you. It starts from your identity, like the logo, the website, the collaterals, your presence online, social media, etc. All have to be in a single thread so that what you speak and what you standby should be the same, in whatever dimension it is seen from.

Creating differentiator is also a challenge that most startups grapple with. Startups need to understand that in order to win a race one need not necessarily be miles ahead, but just nose ahead. Many startups tend to spend a lot of time trying to create a big differentiator and miss out on precious time. Time lost can be a bigger opportunity lost. In startups, timing matters a lot. In spite of idea being great, differentiator being unique, and the product/service can still fail since it could be out of sync with the timing factor (too early or too late?).

Marketing and positioning is another key factor that can decide a startups fate. Digital marketing has to be pursued by every tech startup without fail. The reach can be significant and every penny spent in this initiative can be tracked to find what works and what does not. It is also about sound and smart execution that determines the success factor. Best is to have a startup business consultant (business advisor) on your board, who can ensure that you are taking the right steps and executing it right!

The ecosystem is certainly getting better by the day, but the pace of support is slow considering the growth and opportunities that Indian startups can exploit. With a right combination of great mentoring, good business, marketing strategies, and with a great team, the execution can take startups to much higher levels. It’s time to facilitate by creating such an ecosystem which in turn can contribute to the growth of our GDP, and also creating millions of employment opportunities in the coming years.

Building startups, enterprises, with passion! Happy startuping!

Startup Xperts is a business accelerator supporting startups, small medium enterprises, boutique firms, by driving their go-to-market strategies, digital marketing, smart sales initiatives, to accelerate their revenue growth.

To know more about Startup Xperts, visit us at www.startupxperts.com or write to us at info@startupxperts.com

The views expressed in this article are that of the author’s and Startup Xperts is not responsible for this content. In case of any objection in content, IP violation, incorrect or inappropriate information, please inform us at ceo@startupxperts.com. We will do our best to act on it at the earliest.

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Startup Accelerators – why and what is expected ?

India has become one of the world’s favourite ‘startup’ destinations. The numbers say it all!

  • Over 4200 new age companies have come up during the last year. As per NASSCOM’s statistics we have over 3100 startups in IT (as of last year) and expected to have 11,500 startups by 2020.
  • Being the youngest startup nation, and 2 out of every 3 founders are under 35 years.
  • Almost $5 billion worth funding has been pumped into Indian startups in 2015.

Well the stats can go on, but the key point to consider here is that the environment has never been better for a great startup ecosystem to get built. At a time, while the rapid rise is on for the startup industry, how long can it LAST and how many of those can actually SCALE?

Well the stats can go on, but the key point to consider here is that the environment has never been better for a great startup ecosystem to get built. At a time, while the rapid rise is on for the startup industry, how long can it LAST and how many of those can actually SCALE?

Many startups face challenges in even having an office space for their work. With limited funds, lot many of them cannot afford a proper working space and address. Here comes incubators who do provide co-working space for startups and this trend is picking up across various cities over the past few years.

To facilitate startup ecosystem, there are enablers like TiE, NASSCOM, CII, BYST, etc. who provide a platform for startups and bring together mentors, investors, incubators, and other stakeholders. This is also witnessing increasing tractions, as we can see from the number of such events being conducted across cities.

To ensure that we have a solid startup ecosystem, and one that sustains over long term, is to have good accelerators. So who are, and why, ‘startup accelerators’?

Startup accelerators support early stage high growth companies through incubation, mentoring, investments, and guide them through their journey.

Today, many companies call themselves accelerators but not really sure as to what they offer other than incubation space, and possible networking with investors. I would say, ‘accelerators’ are meant to ‘accelerate the startups’ businesses. Startup accelerators need to ensure that startups tread in the right path, direction, and do course correction when and where required. These accelerators need to have a business model that incentivizes them when these startups perform. This gives both the startups and startup accelerators a win-win proposition.

You might have heard about the famous Y-Combinator in the US. Based in Boston, it was the first seed accelerator program that I know of. They add a lot of value for those startups who have the opportunity to work with them. Accelerators typically have a cycle time of 3-6 months of working with startups.

Startups, in order to increase their success quotient, need more nurturing than before due to dynamic market conditions, shift in technology, disruptive innovation, and many other factors that startups need to be aware of during their journey. The growth can be exponential and at the same time can go down deeply, if they tread on a wrong path.

Startup accelerators need to support today’s young entrepreneurs through incubation, mentoring, connecting with potential investors, perfecting their pitch to investors, and guiding them through their journey. By doing this they certainly can create a positive impact in our society and also help build a better startup ecosystem which is essential for our rising economy.

Startup Xperts is a business accelerator supporting startups, small medium enterprises, boutique firms, by driving their go-to-market strategies, digital marketing, smart sales initiatives, to accelerate their revenue growth.

To know more about Startup Xperts, visit us at www.startupxperts.com or write to us at info@startupxperts.comThe views expressed in this article are that of the author’s and Startup Xperts is not responsible for this content. In case of any objection in content, IP violation, incorrect or inappropriate information, please inform us at ceo@startupxperts.com. We will do our best to act on it at the earliest.

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How to find the right mentor for your startup? 9 things to be considered

With numerous startups coming up every other day all over the world, there is a definite need for startup consultant. The requirement and demand has never been so much, and one of the primary reasons that entrepreneurs looks for a good mentor is to ensure that nothing goes wrong during their startup journey.

Unlike other services, are startup mentors easily available? Can they add value? Can they increase the success ratio of the aspiring entrepreneurs or startup founders? The answer actually has two sides;

One who has ‘been there, done that’ kind of professionals are too busy in their own stream of things. Being an entrepreneur themselves it is hard for them to find time to dedicate to many startups who seek their advice. So those, while still being busy, who are able to spend a fraction of their time with your idea, your product, your vision, are a smaller fraction of these ‘available’ mentors. So it is best to figure out if they are available and can they really spend that quality time with you to build your dreams.

Now, the next question will be how to find the right startup mentor?

It is not a simple way to just look for and asking someone. You will need to be clear as to what you wish to accomplish; what your strengths are; where do you exactly need the support of a mentor; what aspects do you feel that the mentor should look at while are you busy building your vision, your entity; and many more.

Well, the reason you are looking for a good mentor is to help you avoid those pitfalls which you may fail to notice. The following are some pointers that I have usually shared with so many young entrepreneurs, aspiring entrepreneurs for how to choose a right startup mentor.

Need business or technical mentor?

Founders come with their own unique skills; while some have deep technical/technological expertise, while some may be finance experts. So you will need to be clear as to how you wish your mentor to bring those complimentary skills. A business mentor need not necessarily be from your area of expertise/domain, unless you need someone who you would like to contribute technically or technologically.

Powering your thought process:

A good mentor should also act as a ‘devil’s advocate’; should shoot the right questions at you to power your thinking process. They can help transform your team’s thought process. A good mentor should also be ready to push out of your comfort zones, whenever required.

Mentor in your city or anywhere?

There are some requirements that work best with a local mentor, based in your own city. But when either you are unable to find the right one, and if you are fine with a mentor outside of your city/town, it is fine to look for a mentor who is based in a distant location as long as that mentor can add value to your business. Even in the same city, meetings may not happen often. Second, with the technology transformation, you are connected to anyone, anytime, everywhere. So connections and communication has become so seamless it may be a good idea to rope in a right mentor outside of your base location too.

But then how to track and bring them on board?

There are a number of avenues today to spot a right mentor. You can either Google; or keep looking for the right person in various networking events, conferences, and other communities. Quickly prepare a list and do the following;

Follow their social profiles:

You can get to know about them if you can spend some time in LinkedIn or Twitter for example. Get to know their interests and their areas of expertise. Are they personalities who wish to contribute something back, to our society? Understand what motivates them to be in this business.

Be convincing: 

After squaring in on the right mentor, send them a professional note or mail seeking their mentorship. Your mail should look professional without mistakes; grammar errors are fine as we are not an English speaking country (yet) but it should not be carelessly composed. It is like making a ‘statement of purpose’ which you might have done in your college days.

Give them a good reason, as to why they should act as your mentor. Pick the phone and start a conversation. You will emerge with more clarity as to whether to sign up with that mentor or not.

Building relationship is the key to successful mentoring. Mentoring is built on trust and respect for mutual strengths. Mentoring should not be treated as just another casual or commercial transaction. Respect their time and consider that you are getting benefited because of their involvement in your entity.

How to strike an engagement deal?

There can be numerous ways to engage a mentor. It can be a non-commercial understanding and with a good relationship you can get things going. Or it can be a small commercial, incentive driven, with commitment to time spends clearly agreed upon.

There have been numerous instances that startups come with the proposal in terms of providing equity to get me on-board as their mentor/advisor. Though I have refused so many earlier, this also does have some merit if you look at it as a win-win value proposition. Just make sure that there is a cultural fit with that mentor, as he is like your co-founder sailing with your company for long. Once taken on-board, it will be difficult to push him/her out.

Move ahead with clear commitment to time slots, goals, milestones, to ensure that there are no misunderstandings or realizing the gap later between what was expected and what was achieved?

Not having the right mentor can make or break your idea or your startup. Mentors bring in a lot of wisdom, experience, insight, and their aspiration is also to see you through emerging successfully. So even if you are running your startup, enterprise (small or big) successfully it is always advisable to rope in good mentors, as advisors, for your business growth.

Startup Xperts is a business accelerator supporting startups, small medium enterprises, boutique firms, by driving their go-to-market strategies, digital marketing, smart sales initiatives, to accelerate their revenue growth.

To know more about Startup Xperts, visit us at www.startupxperts.com or write to us at info@startupxperts.com

The views expressed in this article are that of the author’s and Startup Xperts is not responsible for this content. In case of any objection in content, IP violation, incorrect or inappropriate information, please inform us at ceo@startupxperts.com. We will do our best to act on it at the earliest.

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