Harvey: Welcome to the GPTpodcast.com I'm Harvey, alongside my co-host, Brooks. This is our Entrepreneur Series where we deep-dive into the world of business, innovation, and startups.
Brooks:  Always a pleasure to share this space and time with you and our listeners. So, we're onto part six of the Top 10 Entrepreneurship topics today, right?
Harvey: Today, we'll be discussing digital marketing for startups. Now, marketing is not just about selling products or services, but it's more about effectively communicating with your target audience, building relationships, and providing value. And in the context of startups, it's also about survival and growth.
Brooks: It seems like, in this day and age, startups can't just rely on the quality of their product or service alone, they need a sound digital marketing strategy to get noticed and rise above the competition.
Harvey: Yes, exactly! Let's begin with the three main types of digital ads: Google Search Ads, Social Ads, and Display Ads. Now, Google Search Ads, these are best when people are already aware of your product or service and they're searching Google to find the right provider.
Brooks: Hmm... So, Google Search Ads might be the way to go if you're looking to capture high-intent users, folks who are actively looking for a solution to a problem they already know they have.
Harvey: That's a great question, Brooks, and yes, you're spot on. It's about capturing the audience that's already in the buying stage of their customer journey. Now, Social Ads, they're a bit different. Because people don't go on social media specifically to shop, these ads work best when people are not aware of the product or service, and you catch their attention in a fun or visual way. It's also an excellent way to tap into niche audiences.
Brooks: That's interesting, So, you're saying Social Ads are more about raising awareness and capturing the interest of potential customers rather than directly selling?
Harvey: Yes, that's it, Think of it like, you're subtly putting your product or service into their consciousness. And then there are Display Ads, which are great for brand awareness and retargeting. It's like, you're staying on the audience's radar even if they've left your website or platform.
Brooks: Wow, that's...I mean, these different types of ads seem to cater to different stages of the buyer's journey. So, a comprehensive digital marketing strategy would need to consider all these stages.
Harvey: Yes, exactly, Now, let's talk about a strategy that combines all these: digital PR. Digital PR effectively takes all the good things about traditional PR – press coverage, events, outreach, thought leadership content – and refits them for the online space. The idea here is to increase your startup's visibility both online and offline, helping you get featured in key media outlets relevant to what you do and, thus, creating a positive stir in your industry.
Brooks: But... how does that differ from a simple content marketing strategy? I mean, isn't it all about creating high-quality content and spreading it across various channels?
Harvey: Ah, well, there's a critical distinction, Brooks. Digital PR goes one step further. The agency you work with will do their utmost to earn backlinks to your website. This enhances your SEO, driving more organic traffic to your site, and even better, those reading your content via online publications can actually find your business.
Brooks: Ah, I see So, it's about leveraging the credibility and reach of established media outlets to enhance your own visibility and credibility. Quite clever, really.
Harvey: Precisely, It's about being in the right place at the right time. Now, I think we've touched on some pretty meaty stuff here. Let's take a breather and carry on in just a moment.
Brooks: Sure, There's definitely a lot to unpack here. Let's give our listeners a moment to digest all this information.
Harvey: Now let's talk about something that's going to be really interesting: influencer marketing.
Brooks: Ah, that's a buzzword these days, isn't it? It seems like influencers are everywhere and involved in almost every industry.
Harvey: Exactly! But the thing is, it's not just about hiring a celebrity to endorse your product. A smart way of doing influencer marketing is to collaborate with micro-influencers. These are individuals who have between 1,000 to 100,000 followers, and they have higher engagement rates than macro-influencers or celebrities.
Brooks: Hmm... so you're suggesting startups could get more bang for their buck by working with these micro-influencers?
Harvey: That's it, Because they have a smaller, more niche following, micro-influencers often have a more personal connection with their audience, which can translate to higher trust and higher engagement. And for a startup, especially one with a limited marketing budget, that's gold.
Brooks: But, Harvey, isn't there a risk with this? I mean, you're entrusting your brand's reputation to someone who might not have professional experience in advertising or marketing.
Harvey: Ah, that's a valid point, That's why it's crucial to choose your influencers carefully and make sure their brand values align with yours. And also, like with any marketing strategy, tracking the results of your influencer marketing campaigns is essential. Keep a close eye on engagement, sales, and brand awareness metrics to see if your influencer marketing is working as expected.
Brooks: I see, It's about balancing risk and reward, then.
Harvey: Absolutely. Now, moving on, I'd like to discuss SEO, Search Engine Optimization. This is the process of optimizing your website to get organic, or unpaid, traffic from the search engine results page. And this, Brooks, is a continuous job. The more you optimize your website, the better it'll perform, which, in turn, will generate more leads for your company.
Brooks: That sounds promising, But, how does a startup go about optimizing their website for SEO? I mean, what are the key considerations here?
Harvey: Excellent question, The idea behind SEO is that you optimize your web pages and content for keyword terms that you know prospects use to find products or services like yours. Even better, you identify long-tail keyword terms with low to medium competition and high search volume that are relevant to your product or service, and use those instead.
Brooks: So, it's about understanding your customer's search behavior and then tailoring your content to match that. It's a game of relevancy and visibility, then.
Harvey: Yes, exactly! And remember, SEO isn't an overnight success story. It won't net you leads immediately, but it lays the foundation for consistent success in the months and years to come. It's an opportunity that startups don't want to miss.
Harvey: Alright, moving on, let's delve into the world of ads. In the digital marketing space, we often categorize them as Google Search Ads, Social Ads, and Display Ads.
Brooks: I'm sure our audience would appreciate a breakdown, Harvey. Could you explain what each category entails?
Harvey: Absolutely, Brooks, Google Search Ads are best when people are already aware of the product or service you sell, and they use Google to find the right provider. Now, Social Ads, these work differently. You see, people don't usually go on social media specifically to shop, so these ads are best when people are not aware of the product or service, and you can catch their attention in a fun or visual way. It's also a great platform for finding niche audiences.
Brooks: And what about Display Ads?
Harvey: Good question, Display Ads are best for brand awareness and retargeting. They can appear on a variety of websites and can be especially useful for reminding past website visitors about your product or service.
Brooks: Fascinating, It's all about knowing where your audience is and how to catch their attention, isn't it?
Harvey: Exactly, And then, to amplify everything you do — particularly from a content creation perspective — you can implement a digital PR strategy.
Brooks: Oh, can you elaborate on that?
Harvey: Of course, Digital PR takes everything good about traditional PR, like press coverage, events, and outreach, and applies it to the online space. And it goes one step further: the agency you work with will do their utmost to earn backlinks back to your website, which can help drive traffic and improve your search engine ranking.
Brooks: Sounds like a holistic approach, combining the strengths of traditional and digital marketing.
Harvey: Yes, and this brings us to the end of our discussion for today. Thanks for joining us on this deep dive into some of the top startup marketing strategies. And remember, whether you're working on SEO, influencer marketing, ads, or digital PR, it's all about understanding your audience and being where they are.
Brooks: Absolutely, Harvey. As always, a treasure trove of insights!
Harvey: Thanks, Brooks, and thank you to all our listeners. This was part six of our Entrepreneurship Topics series, and we hope you found it informative. Stay tuned for the next episode!
Harney: Goodbye and stay entrepreneurial!