Startup Essentials:Marketing & Culture

Megan HornKate Washut

Let’s Start This Thing Right

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#Iowaconf@meganhorn @kwashut

• The basics• Audience profiles• Budgeting• Planning• Online presence• Web strategy• Getting help

Marketing Your Startup

The Basics• Business name• Awesome logo– Don’t stop at “looks cool”

• Colors, fonts– Be consistent

• Stationery– It still matters

Audience Profiles• Create 2-5 audience profiles• Make them as complete

as possible– Give them names

• Define:– Demographics– Behaviors

Planning• There are infinite tactics• Put together a strategy• Get help if you need it• Base it on research…• With a pinch of intuition• Be flexible

Budgeting• Align with strategy and goals• Understand costs• Categorize tactics by importance– Needs, Wants, Nice to haves

• Set a minimum and max based on– Expected revenue– Industry standards– Available funds

Website Strategy• Have one or get

one• What are your

goals?• Mobile? – Yes

• Your website is your first impression

Getting Professional Help• You can’t always do it all• Costs vs. saving time/redundancies• Where can you benefit from a pro?–Writing– Design– Online

• You get what you pay for

To Review• Cover the basics• Plan and budget• Get on the web• Find assistance• Get yourself out there!

And Now

Culture

Culture• What is it?• Why should you care?• Core Values - Getting started• Challenges• What does success look like?• It's a journey• Questions?

Culture is…

…the attitudes, belief sets, values, written ground rules, and unwritten ground rules that set the tone of the organization.

Why should you care?• If you don’t define your culture, it will

define you• It will help you attract the right

clients• You’ll create a shared sense of

purpose• It will help you attract better, higher

performing employees

Why should you care? (cont.)• You’ll do better, more meaningful

work• It provides a framework for decision-

making• It can have a significant positive

impact on financial performance

Core Values - Getting Started1. Commit to it2. Collect core values from key team

members (or everyone, if you're a small team)

3. Combine/de-duplicate 4. Test your commitment– Double-check: Are you willing to

hire/fire people & clients based on core values?

Getting Started (cont.)5. Share and get feedback from whole

company (if you haven’t already)6. Combine/de-dupe again (if

necessary)7. Roll out to entire company8. Integrate the core values into

everything you do

Our Core Values

Challenges• Getting total buy-in• Setting expectations/modeling

behavior• Consistency• Not everyone will be a good fit• Making the tough decisions

What does success look like?• Making decisions is easier• Team members hold each other

accountable• People are happier and actually look

forward to coming to work• People are more productive &

creative

What does success look like? (cont)• You’re known throughout the

community/ industry for your awesome culture

• Client relationships are healthy• Financials are healthy

It’s a journeyDefining and integrating your culture

into your business is a process that will likely take years.

The key is commitment.

The results will be worth it.

About Far Reach• Based in Cedar Falls, Iowa• Started at the UNI business incubator• 16 full-time employees• We do:– Software development–Web development– Internet marketing–Mobile development

Questions?Megan HornMarketing SpecialistFar Reach

Megan@farreachinc.com

@meganhorn

Kate WashutPartnerFar Reach

Kate@farreachinc.com

@kwashut