Entrepreneurial marketing techniques aren't just for start-ups any more. Learn the distinguishing traits of true entrepreneurs, and how to leverage them to grow your organization in 2017.

1. Entrepreneurial
Marketing
The definitive characteristics of

2. CEO. Kimberly Arnold.
@EscalateAdvisor
o CEO/Founder/Chief Strategy Officer, Escalate Solutions
o Entrepreneur, 3-time business owner
o Community champion, charity advocate, philanthropist
o Board member (compensated and non-profits)
o Speaker, guest lecturer, author, conference producer

3. As entrepreneurial marketers, our first (and most obvious) characteristic
is that our mission is to launch our pioneering visions.
Entrepreneurs like us are a different breed of business leader, with a
drive and focus unlike other individuals. We aim to be groundbreaking,
independent and at the forefront of new concepts.
Entrepreneurial. Visionary.

4. Organizational growth requires a mission and vision to frame the process.
Entrepreneurial marketing must be centered upon effective strategic
planning…making it both structured and deliberate. Even when that
means we have to be deliberately flexible.
Strategic. Structured.

5. Pivot-Capable. Flexible.
Entrepreneurial marketing demands an ability to adapt strategy and
techniques when the implementation and execution action plans don’t
yield the results anticipated. Not only do entrepreneurs like us NOT fear
pivoting, but we anticipate and embrace redirection as part of the process
in which we engage.

6. Passionate. Dedicated.
As entrepreneurs, we (more often than not) begin with very little outside
of our exceptional ideas and our passion, will and dedication to make
them a reality….which in turn means that the marketing techniques we
utilize and accelerate to help get the word out about our product or
service are intrinsically unorthodox.

7. Resource-Limited. Impactful.
Very few entrepreneurs are lucky enough to launch efforts with full
financial backing. As a result, innovation and creativity are critical
characteristics in our entrepreneurial marketing strategy and toolkit.
Visionary business owners in the formative phase of our organizations
must be all about prioritizing initiatives that will make a huge impact for
minimal investment.

8. Innovative. Experimental.
Market disruption, product/service evolution, experimentation, creativity
and pivoting all rank among the critical characteristics and focus areas
within our entrepreneurial marketer toolkits. The more aggressive the
growth hacking and passion marketing techniques applied to a start-up or
rapidly expanding businesses’ strategy, the more important the testing
process will be.
As entrepreneurial marketing experts, we apply ten
steps to optimize productivity: Innovate. Experiment.
Test. Monitor. Measure. Analyze. Discover. Refine.
Pivot. Repeat.

9. Imitative. Perceptive.
While innovation is an unquestionable characteristic of entrepreneurial marketing,
so too is our ability to perceive and replicate existing, successful approaches if they
are relevant, applicable and constructive to our model, strategy and tactics.
Entrepreneurial marketers don’t reinvent the wheel when it
isn’t necessary. We are perceptive enough to recognize if
there is a proven solution that applies to our effort, we should
at least consider adopting it.

10. Tech-Savvy. Analytical.
It is nearly impossible in the current global environment for our organizations to
attempt to market newly launched enterprises without the adoption of big data
and technological / analytical applications that help define and optimize the
process. As entrepreneurial marketers, we are keen to the full array of tools
available to us, and utilize every growth hacking strategy and resource at our
disposal to expand our business.

11. Risk-Tolerant. Fearless.
The concept of entrepreneurial marketing is based on the idea of “launch and
grow”. While a select few are fortunate enough to hit the ground running with
financial backing, the rest of us are bootstrappers, venture capital seekers, and
creative thinkers exploring every traditional and unorthodox tactic to make our
product thrive. Fear has no place in our environment.
We mandate an aversion and distaste for futility….and can
stomach risk knowing it has value in helping us reach our
end goal.

12. Cross-Disciplined. Balanced.
Myopic leaders that struggle to be multi-functional or focus on the big picture are
ineffective and doomed to fail.
Externally, entrepreneurial marketing requires leaders like us who understand
the value of overlapping industry, economic, community, philanthropic,
government, regulatory and political realms. Balance of perspective is key.
Internally, entrepreneurial marketing expects we be
visionaries who can identify and retain the big picture, are
willing to learn something about everything, hire and
oversee the specialists tasked to run every discipline, and
consistently contribute on a meaningful level to every
aspect of our business and the greater community.

13. Customer-Focused. Value-Generating.
Effective entrepreneurial marketers engage customers with the end-user
in mind. We identify gaps in the marketplace, understand what our clients
want, why consumers buy our product or service, and where new
opportunities for growth among our target demographics exist.
Every entrepreneur aims to generate revenues, and we
understand that often times, we have to prove our value
and trustworthiness to our clients first.

14. Imaginative. Inquisitive.
Entrepreneurs always want to know more…and when it comes to our
marketing strategies, we are most successful when we dream big, think
outside the box, ask the right questions and answer those questions both
analytically and creatively.
These characteristics are particularly important during the strategic
planning process.
Entrepreneurs that focus on the nine critical topics of Aspiration,
Assets, Challenges, Competition, Business Acumen, Customers,
Infrastructure, Analytics and Profit Centers are notably more
impactful at achieving our desired outcomes.

15. Networked. Social.
Network marketing, which can also be defined as its own stand-alone
methodology, is inherently critical to us as entrepreneurs.
There is a reason for the adage “it all about who you know”. In
entrepreneurial marketing, often the question is, “if you don’t know them
already…how do you change the dynamic so that you do ?”. A positive,
energetic, high-profile entrepreneur CEO can be the best marketing strategy
for any organization...but they have to be good at it.
At the end of the day, every other form of marketing –
whether it be social-oriented viral, guerrilla, passion, or
other inventive strategies – ultimately aims to bring the
unknown into the network of the known. Being networked
and social from the outset makes this goal more readily
attainable.

16. Time-Intensive. Energetic.
During the start-up and formative life cycle of a business, time is our
version of money. The characteristics of entrepreneurial marketing often
require the full dedication and attention of our individual and team
leadership. Without question, entrepreneurial marketing requires above-
and-beyond energy and dedication to our mission.

17. People-Centric. Personal.
We are successful entrepreneurial marketers when we have an individual
commitment to our business, product, market and client base. Our
investment is often the “make or break” factor in our company’s long-term
success.
People matter to sustainable entrepreneurs like us. From the marketing
perspective, this means the approach with both internal staff and the sought-
after client is intrinsically tailored and specific.

18. Involved. Philanthropic.
Entrepreneurial marketing emphasizes the network, mission, vision,
values and culture of our organizations...which inherently include an
external focus on community-based and philanthropic causes. Our
strategies are misguided if we exclude the importance and messaging
associated with contributing to something for the greater good.

19. Entrepreneurial
Marketing
The definitive characteristics of