The art of marketing a startup and the techniques used to launch and raise capital for nearly a dozen successful Silicon Valley ventures. Practically speaking, how these techniques apply to any business from a small lifestyle based business to a local restaurant. Startup marketing fundamentals are critical to the success of any enterprise. Found in the slides here is the framework to guide you. The importance of a foundation, how to apply functional marketing and advertising programs, and the paramount importance of a little finesse. To go beyond the framework, visit The Art of Startup Marketing - http://seobrien.com/startup-marketing to learn how and why to apply these techniques, when to hire industry expertise and experience, how much to expect to invest, and how to think big.

1. The Art of Startup Marketing
facebook.com/beAUSOME
#beAUSOME

2. The Art of Startup Marketing
Who the heck is this guy?
local search, event management, small business accounting,
crowdsourcing, translation, ecommerce, social data intelligence,
coworking, payment platforms, mobile, incubation, fund raising

3. The Art of Startup Marketing
Spot the Difference
#beAUSOME
@seobrien

4. The Art of Startup Marketing
1. Fail, fail fast, fail frequently
2. Collaboration and focus create synergy
3. The results that matter are not the results that matter
#beAUSOME
@seobrien

5. The Art of Startup Marketing
Allocate everything accordingly
1. Foundation
2. Function
3. Finesse
#beAUSOME
@seobrien

6. The Art of Startup Marketing
Your Foundation
- Analytics
- Design
- Technical SEO
- Optimization
- Lead capture and email
#beAUSOME
@seobrien

7. The Art of Startup Marketing
Your Foundation: Analytics
- Google Analytics
– Set up goal and event tracking
– Set up social analytics
– Use segmentation
– Use funnels, reverse goal paths, and assisted conversions
– How you organize and use Campaign tracking is critical
– Set up dashboards for everyone in the organization
IMPACT?
Cost : $0
Investment: <$500
#beAUSOME Opportunity: Knowing
@seobrien

8. The Art of Startup Marketing
Your Foundation: Design
- Theme Forest (Designer for everything else)
– Build your site in WordPress – pay $50 for the design
–- Hire a WordPress designer if you MUST have something custom
--- WP developers in India run $7-$10 / hour
– Good Designers are worth their weight in gold
IMPACT?
Cost : $250
Investment: $50-$2000
#beAUSOME Opportunity: Conversion
@seobrien

9. The Art of Startup Marketing
Your Foundation: Technical SEO
- Work with the Developers / Designers
– WordPress SEO or All-In-One help
– Site architecture
– Prioritization and organization of pages
– Recognizing the impact of bounce rates (design & performance)
– Appreciating the importance of user experience on social media
– Best done in house
IMPACT?
Cost : Org. Culture
Investment: $2000
#beAUSOME Opportunity: Organic
@seobrien

10. The Art of Startup Marketing
Your Foundation: Optimization
- Why Google Analytics? Content Experiments
– Formerly Website Optimizer
– Puts multivariant testing in everyone's hands
– Not A/B?
– Very least: messaging, buttons, call to action, & forms
IMPACT?
Cost : $0
Investment: Org. Culture
#beAUSOME Opportunity: Conversion
@seobrien

11. The Art of Startup Marketing
Your Foundation: Lead Capture & Email
- MailChimp (in WordPress: GravityForms)
- Fliptop.com
– Every opportunity to capture an email address
– Segment database by location and context
– Email twice a month
– Fliptop? Email addresses into full social profiles
IMPACT?
Cost : < $100 / month
Investment: $500 / month
#beAUSOME Opportunity: Database
@seobrien

12. The Art of Startup Marketing
Functional Marketing
- SEM
- Affiliate Marketing
- Marketing Automation
- Direct Mail
#beAUSOME
@seobrien

13. The Art of Startup Marketing
Functional Marketing: SEM
- Google AdWords
– Start simple: brand terms and product names
– Work into category and industry terms
– Appreciate the data as much as the customers
– Always be optimizing!!
– Understand the importance of contextual relevance
IMPACT?
Cost : ~$1000 ($2000)
Investment: Perf. Based
#beAUSOME Opportunity: $$$ & Data
@seobrien

14. The Art of Startup Marketing
Functional Marketing: Affiliate Marketing
- Share a Sale (Zferral)
– Favor content producers who will write about your business
– Compensate well : You pay for a sale but benefit from the advertising
– Work the relationships – these are partnerships (big ones are gold)
IMPACT?
Cost : Perf. Based
Investment: $1000
#beAUSOME Opportunity: $$$ & Partner
@seobrien

15. The Art of Startup Marketing
Functional Marketing: Marketing Automation
- Net-Results
– Track known individuals on your site
---- Score them for Sales or BD
---- Automatically email them depending on their actions
– Remember: we're capturing EVERY email address
– Automate customer support, appear to care
IMPACT?
Cost : $500+
Investment: Variable
#beAUSOME Opportunity: Conv. & $$$
@seobrien

16. The Art of Startup Marketing
Functional Marketing: Direct Mail
- Get lists overseas
– Jigsaw.com is an incredible data source
---- Implications to Marketing Automation?
– Work with a print designer on the mailing
– Mail letters, not ads
– Works incredibly well for B2B
IMPACT?
Cost : $200 / 4000
Investment: $1500
#beAUSOME Opportunity: $$$
@seobrien

17. The Art of Startup Marketing
The Finesse
- Marketing SEO & Content
- Public Relations
- Social Media
#beAUSOME
@seobrien

18. The Art of Startup Marketing
The Finesse: Marketing SEO & Content
- Raven Tools
– Think like your audience. Google does.
– Track every imaginable keyword – leverage that data for SEM
– Track all of your competitors – optimize realistically
– Create Pages for every key concept, location, product, and service
– Develop relationships with bloggers in your industry
(start with affiliates)
– Can be outsourced
IMPACT?
Cost : $500
Investment: $1500
#beAUSOME Opportunity: $$$ & Data
@seobrien

19. The Art of Startup Marketing
The Finesse: Public Relations
- PUBLIC RELATIONS not “Press”
– Deal with the press directly. Press releases only mark milestones.
---- Notable business news
---- Industry stories in which you are only featured
---- HARO is a great place to start
– Bloggers often more valuable – they understand SEO
– Includes Customer Support team, return policy, review management
– Consider role of Sales and Business Development
IMPACT?
Cost : $500
Investment: $2000 - $3000
#beAUSOME Opportunity: Awareness
@seobrien

20. The Art of Startup Marketing
The Finesse: Social Media
- Starts with your blog!
– Social marketing is about telling stories
---- Blog > Facebook > Twitter
---- Social validation affects SEO
– Understand the impact of the @ (on Facebook too)
– Trying to reach customers or partners, influencers, and media?
– Fans affect conversion rates (get to 1,000)
IMPACT?
Cost : $500 / $75 per post
Investment: $1000
#beAUSOME Opportunity: Growth
@seobrien

21. The Art of Startup Marketing
Putting it all together
Finesse
Function
Foundation
#beAUSOME
@seobrien

22. The Art of Startup Marketing
The Impact
Fail, fail fast, fail
Finesse frequently
Collaboration and focus
creates synergy
Function
The results that matter
Foundation are not the results that
matter
#beAUSOME
@seobrien

23. The Art of Startup Marketing
Paul O'Brien
seobrien.com
seobrien
512-944-0007