Presentation by Shira Abel on Marketing at TechChill Baltics conference

1. MARKETING FOR STARTUPS
Because if people don’t know you exist, it really
doesn’t matter how much your product rocks

2. BEFORE AFTER
DOUBLED VIEWS & REVENUE
We Help Companies

3. CEO, Hunter & Bard
Marketing strategy
Marketing implementation
Full branding & design
Teach Marketing for Startups at
StartHub (Tel Aviv/ Jaffa
Academic College)
Mentor at:
Google, Microsoft, Founder
Institute, Seedcamp, & more
Cover Israeli startups for TNW
Shira Abel

4. “A true unfair advantage is
something that cannot be
easily copied or bought.”
- Jason Cohen

5. Agenda
Strategy
Alpha
Launch
Web / Tablet vs. Mobile
Building Marketing Into the Product
Branding
Product market fit
@shiraabel

6. MARKETING
SHOULD START
THE MOMENT THE
PRODUCT IS
CONCEPTUALIZED
@shiraabel

7. What’s Your Strategy
@shiraabel

8. Example
@shiraabel
Business
Objective
Improve Financial
Performance
Business Metric
Reduce Long-Term
Dependence on Ads & Lower
Overall Costs
Marketing Metric
Increase Relationship / Content Marketing –
Raise percentage of traffic from blog versus ads

9. EXAMPLE

10. Sample Marketing
Strategies for Web
Become known as a
product leader in a
chosen niche (think
Martha Stewart –
home, or Buffer –
social media
management)
Increase average
purchase rate (in-
store
recommendations are
great for this)
@shiraabel
Create evangelists
who will bring in a
wider client base
Increase customer
lifetime value by
giving information that
the customer values
(creates loyalty /
increases switching
cost – think
Kissmetrics blog)

11. Sample Marketing
Strategies for Apps
Create several free
apps that have in-app
advertisements
directing to your paid
app
Have your free app
represent a much
larger service
(store, blog, service, c
ompany  this is
where the
monetization is)
@shiraabel
Have in-app rev-
share advertising and
go for large numbers
(Inneractive, Admob,
etc.)
Have a free Lite and a
Premium Paid version
(Lite having
advertising –
Premium having
none)

12. Performance Measurement
Is your objective SMART:
specific, measurable, attainable, realistic & time
specific?
What are your strategic initiatives?
Build awareness
Expand distribution (i.e. increase downloads)
Build penetration
Build buying rate
Increase loyalty
Funnel  e.g. when purchases through the app
Where do you want people to go?
What action do you want people to take?
Track the movement
Conversion rate / A/B Testing
Test & iterate
@shiraabel

13. Marketing for the Concept Phase
Build the marketing into the product. Create
an incentive to share. Make sharing easy.
Test assumptions (cost, messaging, bundle
mix, etc.). Mobile ads  app/ Ads  landing
page
Get to know influencers & media people on
Twitter. Give a lot. Don’t ask for anything.
1
2
3
@shiraabel

14. How to Test Your Idea - Web
Create a Minimal Viable Product MVP
This’ll be ugly and basic
Take people through the motions
Ads to landing pages to test messages – see
what people click on
Can build an entire product & take’m down to
BUY
Once product/market fit has been reached 
do a Big Launch
@shiraabel

16. How to Test Your Idea - Mobile
Create a rough app & have friends & family
test via Testflight (very beginning)
Make a MVP and launch in the app store of a
smaller country only
Create a Minimal Viable Brand
Purpose – Why do we exist
Positioning – Where do we fit in the market
Personality – How do we tell that story*
Once product/market fit had been reached,
build the main app and do a Big Launch
@shiraabel

17. Alpha Phase
Start the blog with newsletter sign up
(think Daniel Morrill & Mattermark)
Landing pages  more sign ups
A/B test messaging & optimization using
unbounce.com or launchrock.com
(more sign ups)
Social outreach starts to the media
The point is to begin building an interest
and an audience through good content
before launch
@shiraabel

18. AFTER PRODUCT
MARKET FIT –
SEEK TO ACQUIRE
MASS USERS

19. The Holy Trinity of Marketing
Online
GREAT
PRODUCT
Earned Media / PR
Relationship
Marketing
SEO / Ads /
Affiliate
@shiraabel

20. The Holy Trinity of Mobile
Marketing
GREAT
PRODUCT
Earned Media / PR
/ Reviews
Social
Integration
SEO / Ads /
Localization
@shiraabel
GREAT
PRODUCT IS
REQUIRED

21. After Product Market
Ask the media people and influencers who
now know you if they would be willing to
check out your product & give feedback
PR on a slow news day (avoid days where
Apple announces anything, election
days, CES, DLD, etc…)
Send an announcement to the list you’ve
been growing through the blog, ads, and
social
Attempt an act of virility (I say
attempt, because nothing is guaranteed)
@shiraabel

22. Sample Tactics (not in order)
• Mobile Ads (FB, Google & in
complimentary apps)
• PR (Media Kit recommended)
• Facebook
• Podcast
• YouTube
• Twitter
• Quora
• LinkedIn
• Blogging
• Newsletter / Email (highest
ROI of all digital media)
• Google+
• Games
• Forums
• White papers / Case studies
• Peer review
• Seeding posts
• Infographics
• E-book
• Webinars
• Community
• Guest blogging
• Teleseminar
• Affiliate Marketing
• Game elements (e.g. leader board,
80% signed up, awards for
actions)
• SEO / SEM
• Pinterest
• Blog commenting
@shiraabel

23. Earned Media & PR
Brings big numbers all at once
Gives a spike of traffic
May not be aimed at the target market
(i.e. much of the time TechCrunch isn’t
the target market, but it’s what VCs read
& gives social proof)
Has a strong trust rate
@shiraabel

24. Affiliate, SEO & Media Buy (Ads)
Immediate
Targeted
Mobile has a stronger conversion than web
Strongest conversion is mobile FB
Costs (which is fine if you charge, could be
a dilemma if you’re free)
Doesn’t build a relationship
Has the lowest trust rate
Affiliate needs to be well vetted in order to
not destroy the brand
@shiraabel

25. Relationship Marketing
Takes time
Builds the brand
Costs (yes, time is money)
Builds a relationship
Increases referral rate
One key point – social needs to be built
into the product
@shiraabel

26. BEHAVIORAL
ENGINEERING
@shiraabel

27. “Simplicity changes
behavior.”
- BJ Fogg

28. T-shirt Economy
@shiraabel

29. T-Shirt Economy
Reputation based
Incentives are about doing something for the love of it
NOT financial reward
Easier to get someone to do something for free than
for less money (e.g. lawyers would rather do pro bono
than get paid less per hour for the same work)
Changes the way we perceive the work we do
When we already have our basic needs met, we’re
more likely to do something for our own joy
This is where the evangelists should be – that’s
why not paying them is a good thing

30. Financial Economy
@shiraabel

31. Financial Economy
People judge if something is “worth” their time
Become less enthusiastic if the work is not paid
according to expectations
Make sure incentives are aligned with goals
Proven to be a bad way to build incentives to get
people to work harder
Studies have shown that for cognitive work, a larger
reward results in worse results
Loss aversion, however, brings better results
This will affect the affiliates the most

32. Priming
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33. Framing

34. ONCE PEOPLE START
TO COME – HOW DO
YOU GET THEM TO
COME BACK? AND
SHARE?
@shiraabel

35. Action Triggers
@shiraabel
What gets your customer moving?

37. Nir Eyal – If you don’t know him – you should.

38. Jack Dorsey:
The Power of User Narratives
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=acMXhhdWylQ
@shiraabel

39. UserOnboarding.com – Web

40. UXArchive.com – Mobile

41. Give an Incentive
@shiraabel

42. Keep in Touch – Email
Keep it short
A/B test several subject lines
Action-trigger emails have a higher opening
rate
Keep it relevant
Appropriate landing page  funnel them in
Let people choose what they want to be notified
for
DON’T BUY LISTS OR SPAM

43. Keep in Touch – Notifications
iOS 108 characters max
Android – recommended 50 characters max (1-
line on the notification bar) * ht/ Danya
Schwartz Bar-El
Localize sending so user receives notification
between 9-11am or 2-5pm (but test first)
A/B test messaging for a couple of days then
blast everybody else with the winner
In-app landing page – like all landing pages -
fitted to the message and the push campaign

44. Community
@shiraabel

45. Community
@shiraabel

46. Know Your Market
@shiraabel

47. Viral If You Can
@shiraabel

48. Watch the Funnel
Acquisition –
Learns About Product
Conversion –
Signs Up
Retention –
Uses Product
WOM
(Sharing)
Buys
@shiraabel

49. Build an App Family
Send advertising to main app
Do complimentary apps – NOT same app with different
names (branded house or a house of brands)
Lite and paid versions
Main
App
@shiraabel

50. @shiraabel
Localization

51. Chevy Nova
In Spanish “no va” means No Go
http://americanmusclepictures.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/Chevy-Nova-SS-1.jpg
@shiraabel

52. Branding
Apps are all about branding. The app store
is like the supermarket shelf.
@shiraabel

53. Ugly Icon*
@shiraabel
*What NOT to do

54. Pretty Icon
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55. Best Pics of the App
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56. Text is Below = No One Reads
It, ASO Only
@shiraabel

57. Social Proof =
Ratings & Reviews
@shiraabel

58. B2B

60. Sample Marketing Strategies
for B2B
Become known as a
industry leader in a
chosen niche (think
about crossing the
chasm – Outbrain
does this well)
Connect with those
who use your product
where they live online
(Objet has a FB page
for that reason)
@shiraabel
Let the end-user (who
may not be the client)
know about your work
(i.e. Intel inside)
Increase customer
lifetime by giving
information that the
customer values
(creates loyalty /
increases switching
cost)

61. Sample Tactics (not in order)
• Online Ads (FB, Google & more)
• PR (Media Kit recommended)
• Facebook
• Pinterest
• YouTube
• Twitter
• Quora
• LinkedIn
• Blogging
• Seeding posts
• Google+
• Blog commenting
• Games
• Infographics
• White papers / Case studies
• Peer review
• Newsletter / Email (highest ROI of
all digital media)
• Forums
• E-book
• Webinars
• Community
• Guest blogging
• Podcast
• Teleseminar
• Affiliate Marketing
• Game elements (e.g. leader board,
80% signed up)
• SEO / SEM
@shiraabel

62. Communicating to an
International Market
Americans spell correctly. However, the
British disagree. There are more Americans
than British  (localize your English – even
when it’s for Australians)
Spelling and grammar count – mistakes lower
trust levels in all languages and cultures
Find someone from the culture you’re aiming
to sell to, who knows marketing – to do your
marketing. OR – go there & live for a bit.
Understanding culture is critical.
@shiraabel

63. International Partnerships
You’re in Europe – use it to your advantage –
partner with other European & Israeli
companies
Find companies in complimentary industries
to do joint partnerships with – e.g. A high end
organic bed company does a joint promotion
with a high end organic bedding (sheets)
company – email lists are combined & both
companies & customers benefit
Face to face is ideal, but Skype works
wonders when F2F is not possible
@shiraabel

64. Thought Leadership is Critical
Blogging and guest blogging is one of the
best ways to do this
Webinars / Presentations that give helpful
industry related information (think Crunched
and its Growth Hacker series)
White papers (sign up to our newsletter and
get this white paper for free!)
@shiraabel

65. Marketing is a Sales Tool
Case studies show your ideal customer and how
things go when everything is perfect
Connecting with individuals on social builds the
relationship, e.g.
Object can showcase customers design work on its FB page
LinkedIn group about industry – lead generation
Social CRM on Twitter
Email marketing reminds companies that you exist &
what you can do for them
@shiraabel

66. Social Media for Research
What is the title of the person in the organization that
typically makes the decisions?
Rapportive
LinkedIn
Who are the media people who cover your industry?
Twitter
FB
Quora
LinkedIn
Pinterest
@shiraabel

67. Rapportive
Find the email of the
person you want to
connect to by checking
names through the
Rapportive plugin.
@shiraabel

68. LinkedIn
Choose who you want to connect
to:
What groups is the person in?
If you know the title but not the
whole name – do a search in
Google of the partial name and
title & you’ll get the whole name.
@shiraabel

69. Who Are You Looking For
@shiraabel

70. Google Search
@shiraabel

71. First & Last Name Found!
@shiraabel

72. Random Stuff
I Like

73. THE Best Review Of All Time
The Mountain Three Wolf Moon
Short Sleeve Tee
@shiraabel

74. Close Running
BIC Cristal For Her Ball Pen
@shiraabel

75. Hat tip:

76. References & Reads
THANK YOU’S: Dan-ya Shwartz Bar-El & Ze'ev Rosenstein
http://contentmarketinginstitute.com/2011/09/web-content-conversions/
http://www.slideshare.net/startuplessonslearned/eric-ries-the-lean-startup-google-tech-talk
http://www.slideshare.net/gzicherm/nir-eyal-hookedatgsummit
http://www.businessmodelgeneration.com/canvas
http://www.briansolis.com/2008/08/socialization-of-your-personal-brand_28/
http://www.avc.com/a_vc/2004/03/its_a_small_wor.html
http://www.quora.com/Udemy/How-did-Udemy-get-11-000-courses-online-so-quickly
http://www.amazon.com/Mountain-Three-Wolf-Short-Sleeve/product-reviews/B002HJ377A
http://www.amazon.com/BIC-Cristal-1-0mm-Black-MSLP16-Blk/dp/B004F9QBE6
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7QmCUDHpNzE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZUG9qYTJMsI
http://www.macadamia-apps.com/app-launch-7-mistakes-to-learn-from/
http://flowingdata.com/2011/09/18/yoda-pie-chart/
http://blog.bitly.com/post/9887686919/you-just-shared-a-link-how-long-will-people-pay
http://www.briansolis.com/2011/09/whats-the-r-o-i-a-framework-for-social-analytics/
http://www.slideshare.net/setlinger/altimeter-social-analytics081011final
Breakthrough Marketing Plans
http://www.seomoz.org/blog/tracking-the-roi-of-social-media
http://ideas.deloitte.ca/blog/2011/09/social-media-going-beyond-roi/
http://www.jeffbullas.com/2011/09/20/the-10-key-mistakes-many-bloggers-and-writers-make/
http://www.jeffbullas.com/2011/03/01/the-10-best-facebook-campaigns/
http://www.facebook-studio.com/
http://www.seomoz.org/blog/tracking-the-roi-of-social-media
http://marketingfortomorrow.com/tag/marketing-tone/
@shiraabel