Instagram and TikTok business “gurus” have made many new entrepreneurs believe social media is marketing. This is those “gurus” way of selling you their product and advice without taking your actual business needs into account.
Conflating marketing and social media can be detrimental for your business for two major reasons:
- New business owners think they need to pour their limited resources (time, money, and energy) into social media channels that aren’t the best option for their business.
- It means solo entrepreneurs who handle their own marketing don’t have a strong understanding of what marketing is, and therefore can’t create fruitful strategies.
It’s an easy trap to fall for (these “gurus” are good at what they do), but it’s a trap nonetheless and you’re only hurting yourself if you focus on channels that don’t work for your business.
Let’s free you from this trap by actually explaining marketing for entrepreneurs who are feeling bogged down by social media.
What is marketing, actually?
In the simplest definition, marketing is any action your business takes to attract your audience to your products or services. It pertains to all aspects of your business: product development, distribution, advertising and even sales. But what’s most important about marketing is the data and information you collect to inform your actions.
Data analysis, market research, and genuinely understanding your customer’s interests is how you build an intuitive, effective marketing strategy.
Don’t force what doesn’t work
Social media will have you believe that girl math-ing will make it an instant success. TikTok will make you think you can only succeed if you warp that one trending sound to fit your newest brand video.
But are these tactics even relevant to your consumers? Or did you just see it work for someone else, and felt compelled to try it for yourself?
Let’s be clear, there’s nothing wrong with experimenting and trying new things. Jumping on a trending audio or trying the latest viral dance isn’t inherently wrong or frowned upon. It can even be a part of your marketing strategy, but it should never be your entire strategy.
In fact, if jumping in front of a camera and posting a Reel every day gives you the ick, you don’t necessarily need social media as a major tactic in your social media strategy. Let’s talk about some alternative startup marketing strategies that may be a much stronger business move.
3 alternative marketing tactics
Whether social media is ineffective for your brand, or you just flat out hate it, there are still plenty of revenue-generating strategies to explore.
- SEO & Blogging
SEO and blogging is a tried-and-true tactic all about improving organic search results.
Don’t get lost writing 10 keyword stuffed blogs — do your research and write content that is relevant to your consumers. Trust us when we say that your audience can sniff out low-effort SEO blogs from a mile away.
- Email Marketing
Email marketing can be your business’s most powerful tool. It’s both direct marketing and digital marketing, and is relevant at every point in the customer journey.
With emails, you can:
- Make your loyal customers aware of your latest products and services
- Build brand awareness with timely, relevant messages
- Build relationships with your customers through engagement efforts between purchases
- Drive traffic to your website and blog posts
When you really get the hang of email marketing, you can:
- Segment your audience into email lists and create even more personalized content
- Create automated email series to foster lead generation or warm up a cold audience
The versatility of email marketing is unmatched. We recommend everyone include some form of email marketing into their business strategy, even if it’s just a simple monthly newsletter.
- PR & Podcasts
A public relations (PR) strategy is a powerful marketing tactic that’ll help you generate brand awareness and establish authority in your niche. There’s a lot we could say about PR strategy, but for the sake of simplicity, we’re gonna keep our focus on one easily accessible method: podcast appearances!
New entrepreneurs should focus on speaking on an established, reputable podcast that appeals to the same audience as their ideal customer. These appearances will allow you to shape your brand’s story, build authority in your consumer’s eye, and put your business in front of people you may not be able to reach otherwise.
And yes, you should definitely get a few guest appearances under your belt before you even think of starting your own podcast. That’s a whole other ballgame that new business owners won’t have the resources for just yet.
Social Media or Nah?
Remember: social media is NOT your marketing strategy. It can be a part of it, but it should never be your only focus. There are other powerful marketing tactics, like email marketing or SEO blogs, that can help you succeed.
But what’s truly most important is understanding what your audience wants and responds to.
