Digital Marketing Tips For Startups

Tech Pitch 4.5 – Keynote Speech

Things I look out for (as Angel Investor) sprinkled with a few Digital Marketing Tips

Xaver Matt – MD [email protected]

@xavermatt @netleadz

mailto:[email protected]

Copyright ©Netleadz 2015. All rights reserved

Here’s what floats my boatMarket Research

I want credible numbersThe Funnel

Don’t spend my cash without a

clear path to success

No Failure PleaseAn angel investor’s view

Audience BuildingAnything stopping you?

Affinity CommunityDigital AssetsOutreach


Market Research – I want credible numbers

£1 billionmarket No Risk

No Competition

Every start-up has a potential £1b target market – right?

£££


– I demand credible numbers:

• Market size, competition, audience building, cost & pricing

– Unless you can build a business on a 1-2% market share – forget it!

– In digital marketing everything is research & data driven, we don’t ‘chance’ it!

• Niche, segmentation, micro-targeting, hyper-local, long-tail

– Stop talking MVP, think more MVC (Minimum Viable Community)

Market Research – I want credible numbers


Market Research – Some free tools, not all big data

Google InsightsGoogle Keyword Planner

Twitter Insights


– Founder spent 12 months researching, analysing & understanding the market

– Pitched with no MVP, no technology, no users, no team – just credible numbers

– Raised £2.5m 1st round funding just on the back of a ppt deck

Market Research – Credible numbers gets you past MVP

Business Model NOT Endorsedfor case study use only


The Funnel – demonstrate a model that will make money

“ You waste 5x times more money

on your TOFU if you don’t

‘optimise’ your MOFU “

The Funnel – A universally useful model


– The funnel does not just apply to sales & marketing

– Investors love to see how their investment will ‘funnel’ into revenue & growth

• How will you use their investment to deliver outcome?

• What realistic milestones will the investment achieve?

• Can your demonstrate your business model scale?

– Think ‘funnel’ when fundraising too

The Funnel – A universally useful model


TOFU – Be selective & targeted

– Don’t just approach any investors – you will waste time on coms / meetings

– Focus on the right investors – sector, portfolio, network, value-add, investment size

MOFU – Delight investors with credible decks

– Pitch deck, b-plan & financials – up to date, stack up & backed up by data / action

– ‘Optimise’ your pitch deck after each meeting to address questions / issues raised

MOFU – Keep investors engaged

– Keep relevant, interested investors up to date on milestones, wins, events, progress

– There will always be the next round of funding

The Funnel – Nicely applies to fundraising too


Audience BuildingI still see too many business plans without a realistic budget for building reach

“Nothing goes viral anymore!”


– Often the quickest way to build audience is via affinity marketing

– Find an established partner who already talks to your target audiences

– Think: Social love, guest posts, joint PR, referrals, partnerships to integration

Audience Building – Find affinity

Isuperdrive.comSupercar rental marketplace

Jetlogic.comJet & helicopter charter


Audience Building – Start with community

Built a 1m users community around sports challenges

Raised £120k on Kickstarter 1,818 backers helped design & launch own sportswear range

Global affinity deal with ParkRunLaunched online shop


Audience Building – Grow your digital assets from day 1

100k visitorsBlog &

Twitter

Website

WebForm

OutreachContentSocialSEO

40 providers1000+ enquiries

MVP300k

visitors

OutreachContentSocialSEO

100+ providers10k+ enquiries

£1.5m TransferReferrals

Ski season 1 Ski season 2

You should have started growing your digital assets yesterday!

Marketplace for airport transfer providers


– Outreach is an important marketing concept, it takes many forms

– 4 Start-ups: Outreach = Reach = Visibility = Networking – Events present great outreach opportunities

– Let’s take today’s Tech Pitch for example

Audience Building – Reach out more


– Pre – last week you could have

• Invited investors to the event (remember the funnel)

• Connected with investors, speakers via LinkedIn / Twitter

• Contact & request a quick chat pre / post event

– During - today you could

• Put flyers on each chair, pin a poster on the wall

• Work your social media account use #4pt5 #startup

• Bring along your entire team / family members ( if only to to boost your audience vote)

– Post - tomorrow you still can

• Research & connect with all relevant attendees

• Talk about the event, your participation & win on social, blog, forums

• Book your participation in the next event and do all the above

Audience Building – Have you reached out today?


No Failure Please – An angel investor’s view

Fail with your own

money


– Early stage angel investment is a tough gig

– Take most risk, ‘waste’ time on advice, pay the highest price for dilution & failure

– Valuations are often far too high, considering achievable business milestones

• Each milestones needs to demonstrate significant measurable success

• Founders often no grasp of what it takes to build audience / no real marketing budget

• Initial funding too low to hit significant milestones – leads to drip-funding, de-focus & risk

– Don’t imply failure when pitching

• Right strategy / plan + relentless execution = successful• Your pitch, deck, b-plan and your approach to funding demonstrates your ability to execute

No Failure Please – An angel investor’s view


[email protected] @xavermatt @netleadz