Startups have limited budgets. Marketing is a cost area that must be justified by the returns that are generated by it. But with such alternatives available—SEO, PPC, and content marketing—nothing is clear as to where to begin.
SEO is the best long-term strategy. Some prefer using PPC to generate traffic immediately. The next step is content marketing where businesses establish their credibility and achieve the trust of customers over a period.
Fractional CMO is a senior marketing leader who assists startups in strategic marketing planning. Instead of having to more or less come up with a guess, they can employ factual analysis to achieve this. Now, let us analyze where first in the spectrum startups should invest.
Understanding the Differences
Before a startup decides on attending to SEO, PPC, or content marketing, it has to understand how the three strategies work.
SEO enhances the chance of visibility in result pages without paying for it. It helps the website to be on the first page on Google and the visitors come to this website naturally for free. But SEO takes patience. Results don’t happen overnight.
PPC (Pay-Per-Click) delivers fast results. You invest in advertisements on Google, Facebook or LinkedIn. This brings immediate traffic but the expenses are not cheap.
Content marketing builds brand authority. Blogs and video educates and captivate the audiences regarding the product while social media informs the potential customers. When it is done to perfection, it is usually enhanced by Search Engine Optimization Software.
When Startups Should Invest in SEO
SEO is a long-term strategy. It is not for those/start-ups that are eager to immediately get an order. However, if a startup wants to have a regular stream of traffic, then SEO appears to be one of the best things to do.
A fractional CMO should ensure that a startup selects the right keywords. They thoroughly work on Web content, enhance its technical optimization, and create backlinks.
There are certain conditions that startups should make their priority to get to the top of the SERPs:
- They wish to increase the site’s traffic without using paid advertisements
- Time to wait for results should be taken into consideration, approximately 3-6 months.
- Are in a competitive industry in which getting a better position makes a big difference
When PPC Is the Right Choice
Sometimes, startups need fast results. PPC delivers instant traffic. It can produce leads and sales in an instance when the appropriate approach is used.
A fractional CMO guarantees that the aspects of PPC campaigns are cost-sensitive. They select the proper sites, enhance keywords within the ad, and find the right niches.
This is a factor that should influence startups to embrace PPC if:
- Need immediate traffic and leads
- The key factor that one has to ensure is that he/she should have a clear view of the sales funnel.
- Cannot spend all of their budget on advertising daily
The Role of Content Marketing
Content marketing indirectly aids both marketing techniques of SEO and PPC. Engaging content seduces customers, promotes the understanding of prospects, and postures lead in content marketing.
With a fractional CMO in place, startups develop and obtain excellent conversion content. In the case of generating leads, all these three can work hand in hand where blogging involves writing case studies, making videos and posting them online, and sharing case studies from other firms.
If the following conditions apply, content marketing should be at the forefront for any startup:
- Create trust and credibility.
- To enhance its SEO work, there may be a need to contribute more to the site with additional content of high value to its visitors.
- To his potential customers, are you in the process of seeking a way of reaching out to them at a cheaper price?
The Best Strategy for Startups
Unfortunately, most starters do not have the pleasure of selecting a single strategy to implement. This indicates that the most effective combination of search engine marketing is the combination of SEO, PPC, and content marketing.
Fractional CMO comes up with a strategy that is aligned with business objectives. They understand market trends, monitor competitors, and determine which areas of the investment should be focused.
Where such an approach is practiced, it might manifest in the following manner:
- PPC works effectively for immediate targeted traffic and quick sales.
- SEO is one of the best investments for the business because of its long-term returns.
- Valuable content for learners, which will be used in the implementation of the whole plan.
Common Mistakes Startups Make
A lot of startups make the fatal mistake of spending a lot of money on the wrong marketing strategies. Some people focus too much on PPC, but they do not have any plans on their hands. Some pay ample attention to SEO with little or no emphasis on conversion.
A fractional CMO does not make such mistakes because the campaigns are optimized. Thus, it means that every dollar intended to be spent on marketing is well spent.
Final Thoughts
There is no one-size-fits-all answer. Generally, the best form of marketing for any startup depends on the goals of the business, its capital, and the time available.
It is for this reason that decided on a startup especially the fraction CMO the best one. Through SEO, PPC, and content marketing, they can foster growth without excess expenses.
Marketing to start-up businesses that seek to grow will need to consider the marketing mix to enhance their operations. It enables businesses to make choices, where data holds the most influence and CMO’vate assists to leverage it as such.
