The Importance of Understanding Marketing Goals and Strategies for Startups

Marketing efforts are important for every startup, especially for startups that are still in the early stages. Apart from helping create awareness related to its products, marketing activities can also help early-stage startups idea validation and business model, as well as test prototype products that have been made.

It makes the topic marketing also do not miss to be a discussion in mentoring activities on the DSLaunchpad 2.0 acceleration program supported by Amazon Web Services (AWS). To help participants better understand their startup's marketing strategy and execution, also attend as a mentor Johnny Widodo (CEO of OLX Autos Indonesia) and Shinta Nurfauzia (Co-CEO and Co-Founder of Lemonilo), to share his experiences and knowledge in the last series of mentoring sessions in this acceleration program.

Understanding the Meaning and Purpose of the Marketing Efforts You Want to Do

In terms of understanding, there are many meanings marketing which we can find in books, internet, and other sources. However, according to Johnny Widodo, from various versions of understanding marketing, in conclusion there are several things done by marketing in its role in supporting business development.

The first, marketing done to seek and understand unfulfilled needs and desire consumers. “Marketing has to think how it can help to profitably translate that consumer need into revenue or even profit.said Johnny. Second, marketing is an effort to build relationships with consumers. Finally, to build that relationship, marketing This can be done by creating messages that can encourage consumers to take one action.

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After that, the first thing a startup must do to start its marketing efforts is to determine the goals it wants to achieve. According to Johnny, there are two main objectives in marketing efforts, the first is to build brand then the second is support growth of owned business. In line with Johnny, in his presentation, Shinta Nurfauzia revealed that in general there are several marketing objectives commonly used are:

• Promoting new products
• Build brand awareness
• Increase sales
• Targeting new markets and consumers
• Maintain relationship with old customers
• Increase brandloyalty;

apart marketing objectives As mentioned above, of course there are many other options in determining marketing goals, depending on your needs brand each. “The first question if we want to do marketing, what was the goal in the first place, it must be clear, because the goals are different, the methods and efforts can be different too.” Shinta explained.

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Building Marketing Strategy and Execution in the Early Stage

In building a brand, Strategy marketing can be focused on fulfilling various marketing funnel which is owned. This is done to convert potential consumers starting from the awareness to advocate, where the consumer will be the figure brand evangelists for startups. "How about if we look from awareness someone who has heard of our brand until he considers wearing it, until he tries it, until he buys it again, until he finally says I'm just gonna use that brand." added Johnny. In addition, from two different sessions, there are two main things that need to be considered in the preparation of marketing strategies and executions in the early stages according to the two mentors, namely how startups can choose marketing channel and initiate marketing efforts organically through role digital marketing.

a. Choosing the Right Marketing Channel

To make a strategy marketing appropriate, startups also need to rely on data and insights. The role of these two things here is very important to help startups in building strategies at the beginning, as well as evaluating these strategies at the end of the campaign. Included in determining marketing channel what will be used to reach consumers.

For startups in the early stages, knowing marketing channel The right way can certainly help them save energy and costs in carrying out activities marketing. One way is to find out who our main target consumers are, then choose channel what is effective to reach them. “If we don't have much budget, it would actually be very helpful if we knew first low-hanging fruit consumers who are we or play target market who are we, then we focus energy and also cost for marketing to that one target.” added Sita.

b. Starting from Organic Efforts through Digital Marketing

In her session, Shinta suggested early stage startups to start their efforts marketing organically, one of which is through digital marketing. "Always start with organic channels, always start with organic digital marketing." he said. When asked when startups should start making paid efforts in strategy marketing, Shinta answered that one of the indicators is when the development curve when carrying out organic efforts begins to stagnate. "At one point the growth is stagnant curvenya, that's where it's needed paid marketing." he said.

In the end, goals and strategies marketing implemented by each startup must be re-adjusted to their needs brand as well as consumer characteristics. In addition, startups must also continue to analyze the data they have so that they can be used as material for formulating strategies marketing next. With the right strategy, startups can reach their customers more effectively and efficiently.