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5 PRO MARKETING LESSONS THAT WILL MAKE YOUR DIGITAL SERVICES STARTUP STANDOUT🚀

So, here’s the problem.

You run a digital marketing services startup that offers SEO, SMO, Web design etc.

You know you are good at it but you are finding difficult to find clients.

Because there are other startups.

And they are offering the same services at a cheaper price.

You know that those agencies are not on par with what you offer. But your clients don’t know it.

Since your clients are also new to the digital, the only difference they can see is the price quoted.

So how do you make your startup standout?

The answer is by becoming a premium brand in your space,

Here are 5 tips based on my experience in brand building and what I have learned from my entrepreneur friends that will make your startup standout.

Lesson #1: First impression is the last impression.

“Man and a woman having a conversation in a Bee Cave Coffee Co. shop” by Christin Hume on Unsplash

The average human attention span has fallen to eight seconds. Goldfish, meanwhile, are believed to have an attention span of nine seconds.

This has a huge implication for your business.

As a digital services agency, your website is the first thing your clients will most probably see.

If the first impression you create is unfavorable they probably will just move to the next site on the list.

Therefore, you must make sure that:

• Your website looks appealing
• It’s technically sound and secure (HTTPS)
• Your site is optimized for Google
• You are listed in Google local business
• You have good Google reviews
• Your site optimized for devices
• Your site lists a valid physical address
• All functionalities are working
• There are no spelling mistakes/typo
• There are no broken links
• Instead of stock images, you have used authentic pictures
• Your team members are featured in a wacky way
• Their social profiles are linked
• Your team members HAVE vibrant social profiles
• Your company has vibrant profile on leading social networks
• There is no misleading information

Bottom-line, you can’t put a premium price on your services without proving you actually know the stuff you are selling.

You can’t sell web design if your own site is broken.

You can’t sell SEO if your site is not ranked.

You can’t sell social media services if you have 20 followers on Twitter…

You get the drift.

Lesson #2 People trust people, not companies.

“Three friends lean against each other at Running Springs. One smiles, holding up a peace sign.” by Omar Lopez on Unsplash

Nielsen’s Global Online Consumer Survey reveals that 90% of consumers online trust recommendations from people that they know, with 70% trusting the opinions posted online by unknown users.

The above is true even for established brands. It becomes more crucial if you are a new face.

If you examine your own buying behavior, you’ll notice that you hardly decide to buy anything based on a brand promise. On the other hand, you are more confident about buying something based on recommendations and reviews.

Use this psychology to create trust.

• Create videos/ visuals where your clients talking about you
• Showcase case studies where you have made a difference
• Showcase your client names/logos
• List your awards and recognitions
• Include detailed founder bio
• Make your founders record personal video welcome messages
• Have an online chat integrated
• Write a compelling story about your brand
• Ditch the jargons

These elements will provide a human touch to your digital services agency and will make it more trustworthy.

Lesson #3: Strengthen Your Social Media Presence

Photo by Phil Desforges on Unsplash

If you are a digital services agency there’s no excuse for not having a strong online presence.

You can’t sell premium social media marketing services if you have twenty Twitter followers.

Start with Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn. These are “super-platforms.” These platforms alone will give you a pretty good idea about your audience and what they like.

Branch out to other niche platforms as you go along.

Click here to read my full post on launching your company on Social Media.

Lesson #4: Build Thought Leadership

“Two gray pencils on a yellow surface” by Joanna Kosinska on Unsplash

Giving away valuable content can help your digital services agency to get recognized as a leader in the industry.

Social Media monitoring tool Buffer is a great example of how to use content to achieve thought leadership.

Buffer initially started as a scheduling tool for Twitter.

Over time they have evolved to accommodate almost all major social media channels. They recently even have acquired customer service and brand monitoring tool, Respondly to become a full-fledged social media suite rivaling older player like Hootsuite.

Initially, they started with content on how to navigate Twitter. But as they evolved they started producing content that helped readers in all aspects of social media marketing.

This strategy helped Buffer to become a household name in the social media marketing world.

Some of the things you can do to build thought leadership:

• Start a blog and populate with some great content
• Start a newsletter
• Share your own content on your social media channels
• Share great content from other sources
• Start a webinar series
• Become active on Quora. Answer relevant questions and plug your services as a footnote.
• Start a podcast
• Create videos with tips and tricks and share them
• Create ebooks/reports and give them away for free

Don’t worry about quantity too much, focus on the quality.

If you create one piece of quality content you can repurpose it to cater to the audience in different channels.

Click here to read my post on HOW WE GENERATED 88K+ VIEWS: WITH 1 PIECE OF CONTENT

Lesson #5 Go Offline

“Two friends drinking tea from tall mugs” by Matthew Henry on Unsplash

Offline can have a huge positive impact on your online marketing. Here are a few things you should do to boost your digital services agency

• Make a list of startup events happening in your area. Participate in them. Talk to other participants, hand over your card, network…
• Organize meetups. Use meetup.com to find people who are interested in your domain. Host them at your office over some tea and snacks
• Help nonprofits. Connect with some local NGOs and volunteer to teach them SEO/Social Media. Design their website for free, and put your name in the footer
• Find speaker opportunities. Connect with the local industry bodies and find speaker opportunities for your founders
• Conduct workshops. Organize free workshops for entrepreneurs/marketing managers
• Use Radio. Radio ads are inexpensive and can help in creating a brand recall
• Print some funny stickers. Hand them over to your staff, and people you meet at various networking events

So here are five lessons that can help in marketing your digital services agency better.

Do you have tip worth sharing?

Let me know in the comments section.

PS: Do 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼 if you found the article to be helpful.