Marketing for Startups

👌 How to find first users for your startup without a budget: a step-by-step guide.

This is my talk from ProductTank meetup on April 2018. It will very useful for startup founders, who would love to promote their side projects 🚀 Presentation is based on 3 years experience of running our startup — tool for iOS developers to compare original designs with the real app in the iOS simulator (https://flawlessapp.io/).

📝Brief presentation plan:

1. How to make a market research:
1.1. User Research
1.2. Competitors Reseach

2. How to define positioning (core message)

3. How to promote the product via free marketing channels:
3.1. Public launch
3.2. Direct sales
3.3. Monkey marketing

4. Summary

Useful links:
🔗 Product Hunt Launch Guide: https://medium.com/flawless-app-stories/flawlessapp-on-producthunt-7db3e561ce7a

🔗 Marketing for Engineers articles collection:
https://github.com/LisaDziuba/Marketing-for-Engineers

🔗 Как стартапу продвигать продукт без бюджета. Руководство от украинской команды Flawless App
https://ain.ua/2018/04/02/marketing-bez-byudzheta-ot-flawless-app

If you have any questions, feel free to write me on Twitter (@LisaDziuba).
🌟 Good luck with your marketing!

Transcript

1. Marke&ng For Startups How to find first users for your startup without budget print(“ProductTank Lviv”) Hello marketing research. Hello competitors research. Hello user interview. Hello user persona. Hello brand positioning. Hello marketing channels. Hello marketing analytics. Hello data-driven decisions. Hello market, media and message. Hello product surveys. Hello UTM tags. Hello content marketing.
2. Lisa Dziuba Marketer Swift Learner Open Source Contributor ! " # Co-founder, FlawlessApp.io lisa@flawlessapp.io @LisaDziuba $ Intro
3. ! My 3 years with Flawless App Hackathon First Sale First Product Launch Pivot Seconds Product Launch Sales
4. ! Our plan for today Market Research: Users and Competitors Positioning Free Marketing Channels
5. ! You should get to the sweet spot! Market Media Message "
6. 01 Market Research User and Competitors research
7. ☝ What is User Research? Create User Persona Prepare questions Talk to the user Make data-driven decision Find real users " # $ % ☎ Analyse Results
8. User Research example: User Persona UI/UX Designer Emil Occupation Freelance designer, web mobile, Android, iOS , prefer remote work. Software Sketch, Photoshop, Slack, Invision, Dropbox, Todoist Demographict 20-30 years old, Europe, USA. Bachelor degree. Income 2000$ – 5000$ Interest Trevel, new gadgets, UI process, books
9. User Research example: User Persona UI/UX Designer Emil Occupation Freelance designer, web mobile, Android, iOS , prefer remote work. Software Sketch, Photoshop, Slack, Invision, Dropbox, Todoist Demographict 20-30 years old, Europe, USA. Bachelor degree. Income 2000$ – 5000$ Interest Trevel, new gadgets, UI process, books Wrong
10. example: User Persona Engineer Andrey Occupation Freelance Android/iOS developer, remote work, jun, middle. Software Android Sudion, Xcode, Slack, Dropbox, JIRA Demographict 22-30 years old, Europe, USA. Bachelor degree. Income 2000$ – 5000$ Interest Try new apps, self-discovery, explore results User Research
11. example: User Persona Engineer Andrey Occupation Freelance Android/iOS developer, remote work, jun, middle. Software Android Sudion, Xcode, Slack, Dropbox, JIRA Demographict 22-30 years old, Europe, USA. Bachelor degree. Income 2000$ – 5000$ Interest Try new apps, self-discovery, explore results User Research Wrong
12. example: Talk to users 1 2 3 Speak with friends in the industry & startup founders Ask friends, who are potential users to fill questionnaire Make offline interviews with potential users ̄\_(ϑ)_/ ̄ Our Results 7 answers in total Our Results Started working on the first version of Flawless App Our Results User Research Roadmap No Product First Product Version
13. example: Talk to users
14. example: Talk to users 4 Go to offline events and talk with potential users 5 Proactively talk & meet with actual users The first version of Flawless App had problems Our Results 6 Write cold emails to experienced people in your industry, who can give you product feedback. New product strategy ! Our Results Tough feedback Our Results User Research Roadmap First Product Version Second Product Version
15. ✅ Define value " Make features plan # Outline sales strategy $ Find online & offline places, where your users spend time User Research Goals
16. Compe&tors Research How Is Your Product Better Than Product XYZ? !
17. ☝ What is Compe-tor Research? Make List of Competitors How are you better?! Analyse Available Resources 1. Website 2. Presentations 3. Traffic 4. Social Media 5. Sales 7. Whatever is public Try Product Talk to their users Explore PR materials Check founding team Dive into market reports & reviews Read users’ reviews Analyse
18. example: Competitors research plan Compe&tors Research How to make list of compe&tors? Ask potential users for current solutions Search in Google/Twitter/Facebook Explore “Top 10 apps for…” articles Product Hunt search Analyse
19. example: Questions, which needs the answers Compe&tors Research What you should look for: Positioning? Main features? Product focus? Users’ feedback? Media coverage (traffic and followers)? User acquisition? Growth?
20. example: Research results Compe&tors Research A0er compe&tor research you should have answers to these ques&ons: ! How to differentiate in functionality & positioning " Where to promote your product # What marketing tactics work best $ What prices are appropriate in the industry Market research is endless %
21. 02 Posi%oning Define who you are
22. Posi%oning? ! Positioning = Your core values + Your big mission + Your uniqueness Positioning is more than features. It's what you truly believe in
23. How to define your posi0oning? Ask Users 1. What is [my product] for you? 2. Examples of companies you trust? Fill This Formula For your target consumers who have a specific need or opportunity, your product/service will provide this solution. Different from competitors, your product has this unique advantage and offers this type of answers to consumers’ problems. Check competitors' positioning Find internal users’ motivation example: What we have done
24. Posi%oning: Flawless App Mission example: New positioning Empowering people build great products
25. example: New positioning
26. example: New positioning Posi%oning Posi%oning should come to the user's heard. It should be the basis for all your marke%ng: 1. Website texts ! 2. Social media " 3. Promo-messages # 4. Blog articles $ 5. Public communications % 6. Your believes &
27. 03 Free Marke(ng Channels Spread the word!
28. Free Marke(ng Public Launch Direct Sales Monkey Marketing
29. Free Marke(ng Public Launch: Please, make some prepara(on before working with Target Communi(es: 1. Get involved in the community ! 2. Learn community rules & etiquette 3. Write custom messages for every group\subreddit\slack channel 4. Make custom visuals $ 5. Find out where is appropriate place to post your announcements 6. Make a posting schedule & example: Launch channels
30. Free Marke(ng Public Launch 1 Public Launch ! Announce in the targeted communities that your product is publicly available! " Users and Sales Results
31. Free Marke(ng Public Launch: These are communi(es, which you have found during users & compe(tor research. example: Launch channels Target Communities Facebook groups Linkedin groups Subreddits Slack Channels Newsletters
32. June 14 Lisa Dziuba ! Hi Swift enthusiasts! I’m Lisa, Swift learner and founder of Flawless App — macOS app for visual quality check right inside your iOS simulator. " We launched our product publicly and I would love to know your opinion on it: https://goo.gl/WafH5K Flawless helps to compare initial design with implementation right inside iOS simulator. # You can use overlay or split comparison mode for spotting any visual differences between expected design and implementation. Tool supports comparison of long and landscape screens, so you can check quality pixel by pixel for every design. Now I’m waiting to hear your feedback! With love from Kiev $ Free Marke(ng Public Launch: Facebook example: Facebook message
34. Swift learner, Marketer, Founder 1mo Lisa Dziuba ! Hi Swift enthusiasts! I’m Lisa, Swift learner and founder of Flawless App — macOS app for visual quality check right inside your iOS simulator. " We launched our product publicly and I would love to know your opinion on it: https://goo.gl/WafH5K Flawless helps to compare initial design with implementation right inside iOS simulator. # You can use overlay or split comparison mode for spotting any visual differences between expected design and implementation. Tool supports comparison of long and landscape screens, so you can check quality pixel by pixel for every design. Now I’m waiting to hear your feedback! With love from Kiev $ Would love to hear your opinion example: Linkedin message example Free Marke(ng Public Launch: Linkedin
35. example: Reddit posts
36. Examples of Slack groups: example: Slack groups
37. example: Newsletters Free Marke(ng Public Launch: Newsle7er 1. Find newsletters 2. Subscribe & contribute 4. Define your product benefits for the newsletter readers 5. Think how you can help the newsletter (win-win approach) 6. Send cold email ✉
38. Free Marke(ng Public Launch 1 Flawless App Public Launch Week 1 Week 2 You can get such results as well ! " 19 sales ! 79 trials # 4865 users on site $ 5 days launch Results
39. Free Marke(ng Public Launch 1 Week 1 Week 2 Flawless App Public Launch You can get such results as well ! " 19 sales ! 79 trials # 4865 users on site $ 5 days launch Results Public Launch on Product Hunt Users and Sales Results 2
40. ☝ What is Product Hunt?
41. Free Marke(ng Public Launch: Product Hunt Read Product Hunt Rules Prepare text and visual Ask Hunter Submit Product Promote Make launch plan ! " # $ % & Product Hunt Guide: https://medium.com/flawless-app-stories/flawlessapp-on-producthunt-7db3e561ce7a
42. Free Marke(ng 11:30 AM Submitted Flawless App on Product Hunt Asked local communities to support us 12:00 - 03:00 PM Asked our users to support us via Email & Twitter 03:00 - 06:00 PM Announced our PH launch in targeted groups 06:00 - 08:00 PM Added Flawless to PH collections 09:00 PM Sent “thank you” notes & answer on questions 10:00 PM - 08:00 AM Public Launch: Flawless App on Product Hunt
43. Free Marke(ng Flawless App Public Launch: Product Hunt 1 Public Launch Public Launch on Product Hunt ! 19 sales " 79 trials # 4865 users on site $ 5 days launch Results % #1 for 24 hours ! 6 sales (2 days) " 97 trials (2 days) # 3.2K users on site & Feedback storm Results 2
44. example: Product Hunt top results Free Marke(ng Public Launch: Product Hunt
45. Free Marke(ng Public Launch Direct Sales Monkey Marketing
46. Free Marke(ng Direct Sales Linkedin messages Cold Emails Direct messages to targeted Twitter followers Sales to competitors’ users
47. Free Marke(ng Direct Sales Make research Follow ups Build relationship Write custom messages Propose to use your product trial I saw, that you use competitor I have read your article on this problem... I saw, that your company does a lot of cool mobile apps
48. Free Marke(ng Public Launch Direct Sales Monkey Marketing
49. Free Marke(ng Monkey Marke(ng 1 Basic Content Marketing Viral Activities 2 PR 3 Refferals 4 Free Tools 5 Influencer Marketing 6 Partnerships 7 Help your users 8
50. Free Marke(ng Monkey Marke(ng: Simple Medium blog example: Content
51. Free Marke(ng Monkey Marke(ng: Viral Ac(vi(es example: Viral Marketing
52. Free Marke(ng Monkey Marke(ng: Viral Ac(vi(es example: Viral Marketing
53. Free Marke(ng Monkey Marke(ng: Viral Ac(vi(es It will be a funny game to build the shi>est ever mobile app example: Viral Marketing ! ! " # !
54. Free Marke(ng Monkey Marke(ng: More PR big press, niche media, Twitter news, conferences Influencer Marketing give free product and kindly ask review Referrals promo-codes, beta-invites, perks for recommendations Partnership companies with the same users !"# Free Tools $ Help your users %
55. 04 Summary
56. Summary 1 Research your potential users Research competitors 2 Write down positioning 3 Choose marketing channels 4 Make marketing plan 5 Set up analytics 6 Tell about your awesome product !!! 7 Marketing For Engineers – https://github.com/LisaDziuba/Marketing-for-Engineers
57. ∞∞ This is just the beginning....
58. ahmed@flawlessapp.io @ahmed_sulajman flawlessapp.io lisa@flawlessapp.io @LisaDziuba