Not sure where to start with marketing your startup? Five simple things to get right

When you’re running a startup, marketing can feel like another job on an already never-ending to-do list. You’re wearing all the hats, juggling finances, finding customers, delivering your product or service, and probably doing a dozen other things that weren’t in the original business plan… so, when you do get around to doing your marketing, you want it to work.

The good news? You don’t need a huge budget or a massive marketing team to start making an impact. What you do need is a little planning, some creativity, and a clear understanding of who you’re trying to reach.

As a marketing consultant, one of my biggest bugbears is seeing businesses post content simply because they like it, rather than considering whether it will mean anything to their audience. It’s an easy mistake to make, but one that could see potential customers scrolling straight past you.

Here are five things I’d encourage every startup founder to think about when building their marketing.

1. Get to know your audience (properly!)

Understanding your target audience is one of the most important foundations of marketing. After all, if you don’t know who you’re talking to, how can you expect your message to land?

Start by thinking beyond the obvious demographics, such as age, location, occupation, and income. These can be useful, but there’s more to your audience than a few facts and figures.

What matters to them? What problems are they trying to solve? What are their aspirations? What might stop them from buying your product or service? And where do they go when they’re looking for advice or making a purchasing decision? The answers will help you create marketing that feels relevant rather than generic.

Creating a simple customer persona can help bring this information together. Give your ideal customer a name, consider their priorities and challenges, and think about how your business could genuinely help them.

I’d also recommend looking at your competitors. What are they doing well? What questions are their customers asking? And, importantly, are there gaps you could fill?

You don’t have to get it perfect from day one. Speak to existing customers, ask questions and pay attention to feedback. Your understanding will grow as your business does.

2. Ask yourself three questions before you post

This is a big one for me! Before sharing any content online, I encourage business owners to stop and ask themselves three simple questions:

– Will this benefit my target audience?

– Is this the kind of language my audience relates to?

– Is this the right time of day to share it?

Let’s start with the first question. Just because you want to tell everyone about your latest product, achievement, or service doesn’t necessarily mean your audience wants to hear about it right now. Of course, there’s a place for promoting what you do. But, if every post is about your business, you risk making your social media feel like one long sales pitch. Think about what your audience needs to know, learn, or feel. Could you answer a common question, share a useful tip, explain a misconception or offer a behind-the-scenes glimpse of your business?

Next, consider your language. Are you using jargon your audience might not understand? Does your content sound like you, or does it read like it could have been written by any business in your industry?

Finally, think about timing. Look at your platform insights to see when your audience tends to be active, then experiment with different posting times. There isn’t one magic time that works for every business, so use your own results rather than blindly following someone else’s advice.

A little thought before pressing publish can make a real difference.

3. Build a brand people – know, like, and trust

Your brand is much more than your logo or the colours you use on social media. It’s the impression people form of your business, the experience they have with you and what they come to expect from you.

As a startup, you have an opportunity to establish this from the beginning.

Think about your values, what makes your business different and how you want people to feel when they interact with you. What do you want to be known for? Why did you start the business in the first place? And what can customers expect from you that they might not get elsewhere?

Once you’ve established this, make sure your messaging, visuals, and tone of voice are consistent across your website, social media, and other marketing materials.

Consistency doesn’t mean every post needs to look or sound identical. It means people should be able to recognise your business and understand what you stand for.

Trust takes time to build, particularly when you’re new to the market. Customer testimonials, genuine case studies and sharing your expertise can all help demonstrate your value. Just make sure any claims you make are accurate and that you have permission to share customer feedback.

4. Make your online presence work harder

You don’t need to be everywhere online. In fact, trying to maintain a presence on every social media platform can leave you stretched and struggling to do any of them particularly well.

Instead, find out where your target audience spends their time and focus your efforts there.

Your website is also worth prioritising. It should explain clearly what you do, who you help and how people can take the next step. Make sure it’s easy to navigate, works well on mobile devices and gives visitors a straightforward way to contact you or buy from you.

Don’t forget search engine optimisation (SEO), either. Think about the words and phrases your potential customers might use when searching for your products or services, and make sure your website answers their questions in a useful, natural way.

Content marketing can support this, too. A helpful blog post, an informative video, or a practical guide can demonstrate your expertise while giving people a reason to discover and revisit your business.

You don’t need to create something new every day. One useful piece of content can often be adapted into several formats, helping you get more from the time you’ve already invested.

5. Set goals and measure what matters

It’s easy to get caught up in likes, followers, and views. While these figures can tell you something, they don’t necessarily show whether your marketing is helping your business grow.

Before investing time and money into marketing, decide what you want it to achieve.

Are you trying to increase website enquiries, generate sales, grow your email list, improve brand awareness, or build a community around your business?

Set SMART goals: specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound. For example, rather than saying you want to get more website traffic, you might aim to increase relevant website visits by 15% over the next three months.

Then monitor your progress. Look at what’s working, what’s falling flat and where you might need to make changes.

Marketing isn’t a one-off exercise. Your audience, business, and market will evolve, so your approach needs to evolve with them.

And don’t forget to celebrate the small wins. Your first inquiry from a social media post, a positive customer review or a new subscriber might seem insignificant compared with the bigger milestones, but these are all signs that your efforts are starting to connect.

Start small, but start with purpose…

My biggest piece of advice for startup founders is this: don’t mistake being busy with being effective.

You can spend hours creating social media content, updating your website and trying every new marketing trend, but if you’re not reaching the right people with the right message, those efforts might not deliver the results you’re hoping for.

Start with your audience. Be clear about what makes your business different. Create content that offers value, build a recognisable brand, and set goals you can measure.

Most importantly, remember that marketing doesn’t have to be complicated to be effective. A thoughtful, consistent approach that fits your business and budget is often a far better starting point than trying to do everything at once.

At Strawberry Blonde Marketing, I believe marketing should be personal, practical, and tailored to the business behind it. There’s no one-size-fits-all solution, and what works for one startup won’t necessarily work for another.

If you’re unsure where to start or want to make more of your marketing efforts, please get in touch.

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