Karan Sharma is a digital commerce expert and the co-founder at Kinex Media Inc, a creative digital agency in Toronto.
For startups, marketing isn’t just about promoting a product. It’s the engine behind your growth. While a strong launch or viral campaign might provide an initial boost in sales, sustaining that momentum is the real challenge. Without a solid marketing strategy, even the best products risk fading into obscurity.
Many startups fall into the trap of relying on short-term tactics like promotions or flash sales. While these strategies may provide a temporary spike in sales, they often fail to establish lasting customer relationships or differentiate the brand in the long run. As a result, growth tends to plateau. The brand becomes dependent on a cycle of constant promotions to maintain visibility but lacks a deeper connection with its audience.
In this article, I’d like to share some valuable, cost-effective lessons to help you avoid these pitfalls and build a more sustainable, cost-effective marketing strategy.
Marketing Lesson #1: Speak to what’s important to your customers.
Every startup begins with a spark—an idea. This idea, when transformed into a tangible entity, becomes the startup. To thrive in a competitive landscape, this entity needs more than just its existence; it needs a voice—a way to connect with the world and convey its unique value proposition. This is where marketing comes in. It’s all about crafting a compelling narrative that captures the essence of your idea and resonates with your target audience, creating meaningful connections. Another critical element of this narrative is the unique selling proposition (USP)—a defining feature or benefit that sets your startup apart from your competitors. Whether it’s innovative technology, exceptional customer service or a hyper-focused niche, the USP forms the cornerstone of a startup’s identity.
Take Temu, for example. The company’s affordable pricing and extensive product range are two cornerstones of the brand’s identity—two aspects that are consistently highlighted in its ad campaigns. Temu’s marketing strategy also ties in elements they know are important to consumers—things like fast shipping and social proof. (For the latter, consider its influencer program, where unboxing or “haul” videos showcase Temu’s products while building trust through perceived authenticity.) This marketing approach contributes to the app’s extraordinary success, with over 52 million downloads worldwide, even surpassing Amazon’s marketplace app in October 2024.
By centering your marketing efforts on what matters most to your audience and consistently delivering that message, you can create a strong brand identity and foster customer loyalty. Understanding your audience’s needs enables you to tailor your approach effectively, ensuring your startup stands out and thrives in a competitive landscape.
Marketing Lesson #2: Build community around your product or service.
A strong community can turn customers into brand supporters, encourage them to interact with your brand and provide a way to get useful feedback to keep improving. For businesses, community-building goes way beyond simple transactions—it helps build trust and closer connections with your customers.
A great example of a brand that centers its ethos on community-building is Airbnb. The company encourages guests to share their experiences on social media, which spreads the word about the brand. They also work with travel vloggers and influencers to show off unique stays and activities. On top of this, Airbnb offers experiences like cultural tours and cooking classes that bring travelers together and build a sense of community. By using data, the app can also create personalized experiences for different groups, such as budget travelers, adventure lovers, families and remote workers. These efforts have helped Airbnb grow its brand, attract more users and increase revenue.
Startups can learn from this approach by focusing on building a community that connects with their customers. When people feel like they belong, they are more likely to share their experiences, support each other and help the business succeed.
Marketing Lesson #3: Transform users into brand advocates through educational content.
Empowering your audience with valuable educational resources can turn them into passionate advocates for your brand. By providing useful content that’s shareable, like how-to guides, you can enable users to fully leverage your product’s capabilities, fostering satisfaction and encouraging organic promotion.
Canva is one such brand that offers a vast array of tutorials and user guides that enable its users to create professional designs with ease. Creating educational content like this not only enhances user proficiency in using a specific platform, app or product but also builds confidence in the experience.
So, start investing in content marketing that empowers users. Providing clear, accessible resources helps users maximize the value of your product, increasing satisfaction and the likelihood of them becoming brand advocates. This strategy not only enhances user experience but also amplifies a brand’s reach through authentic, user-driven promotion.
In A Nutshell
As a startup, your marketing should hinge upon a deep understanding of your target audience, rather than just relying on temporary sales boosters. Channels like social media make this understanding more accessible than ever. If you’re already excelling in customer satisfaction, it’s crucial to convey this effectively through your marketing. By focusing on creating valuable content, fostering a strong community and adapting to market changes, startups can build powerful brands.
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