Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 16, 2014

It’s not uncommon for me to see a startup business plan “mission” to be the “premier brand” for their product, yet their marketing budget in the financials is trivial. When questioned, founders usually mention word-of-mouth, viral marketing, and a top quality product. Use social media and Search Engine Marketing (SEM) to start.

Marketing 102

Marketing Funding Social Media SEM 102

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 3, 2010

Probably every one of you who has a business and a website have been approached through email or personal contact, and asked to spend money on Search Engine Marketing (SEM). Their computers then cleverly merge your ads with search results only when users search words imply an interest in your products.

SEM 90

SEM Marketing Startup Search Engine Optimization 90

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 27, 2011

If you have heard the lingo, but most of these are not in your startup business plan, you are already in jeopardy as an entrepreneur: Blogging. A blog is basically a journal (“web log”) that is published on the web. Business blogs are an extension of your website and can effectively communicate the value of your business.

SEM 95

SEM Search Engine Optimization Blogging PPC 95

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 17, 2013

It’s not uncommon for me to see a startup business plan “mission” to be the “premier brand” for their product, yet their marketing budget in the financials is trivial. When questioned, founders usually mention word-of-mouth, viral marketing, and a top quality product. Use social media and Search Engine Marketing (SEM) to start.

Marketing 106

Marketing Startup Social Media SEM 106

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 25, 2017

The founder explains that the product is so “buzz-worthy” that usage will spread rapidly through word-of-mouth only, meaning people loving it and recommending it to their friends. It usually implies an opportunity to win big, like a lottery, or experience something sensational, like an incredible video or free product.

Marketing 67

Marketing SEM Startup Blogging 67

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 11, 2013

The founder explains that the product is so “buzz-worthy” that usage will spread rapidly through word-of-mouth only, meaning people loving it and recommending it to their friends. It usually implies an opportunity to win big, like a lottery, or experience something sensational, like an incredible video or free product.

Marketing 99

Marketing Entrepreneur Startup SEM 99

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 30, 2010

Believe me, the business implications are already critical to your success or failure as an entrepreneur: Blog. A blog is basically a journal (“web log”) that is published on the web. Business blogs are an extension of your website and can effectively communicate the value of your business. Search engine marketing (SEM).

Entrepreneur 89

Entrepreneur SEM Search Engine Optimization Blogging 89

Both Sides of the Table

JUNE 27, 2011

Because market is such a broad topic, I’m restricting these lessons to PR marketing (as opposed SEO, SEM, product marketing, etc.). My general rule is that it’s good to be stealth in the early days while you’re building your product and testing your market. It’s a buggy product but pretty damn cool.

Marketing 380

Marketing Startup Press Technical Advisors 380

Both Sides of the Table

JULY 14, 2010

They are tasked with “getting deals done&# so they race around talking to tons of potential partners inking anything from channel sale deals , product integration, international distribution agreements, co-marketing arrangements, M&A discussions, etc. Similar with product features. Let me give you an example.

Startup 323

Startup Press Development Team Review SEM 323

Both Sides of the Table

MARCH 1, 2011

You have to build a product that people really love. There has been all sorts of discussions about marketing on blogs lately. Let me say this – whether you believe in marketing at startups or not, I think we’d all agree that you can’t have a great marketing program around a mediocre product. He knew this.

Entrepreneur 398

Entrepreneur Startup Writing Blogging 398

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 4, 2011

I was recently talking with a startup company who wanted me to try their product. I’m a big believer in product stability & performance before adding too many features. How many through SEM? If you have multiple versions of your product, how many are web vs. mobile? Only one guy in the room knew – their tech lead.

Metrics 346

Metrics Startup SEO Customer 346

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 13, 2012

The founder explains that the product is so “buzz-worthy” that usage will spread rapidly through word-of-mouth only, meaning people loving it and recommending it to their friends. It usually implies an opportunity to win big, like a lottery, or experience something sensational, like an incredible video or free product.

Marketing 95

Marketing Startup SEM Blogging 95

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 7, 2010

It’s not uncommon for me to see a startup business plan “mission” to be the “premier brand” for their product, yet their marketing budget in the financials is trivial. When questioned, founders usually mention word-of-mouth, viral marketing, and a top quality product. Use social media and Search Engine Marketing (SEM) to start.

Marketing 94

Marketing Startup Social Media SEM 94

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 21, 2011

The founder explains that the product is so “buzz-worthy” that usage will spread rapidly through word-of-mouth only, meaning people loving it and recommending it to their friends. It usually implies an opportunity to win big, like a lottery, or experience something sensational, like an incredible video or free product.

Marketing 90

Marketing Startup SEM Blogging 90

Tech Zulu Event

APRIL 24, 2013

According to Patrick Vlaskovits another proselytizer of the term, “Growth hacking comes after the early stage chaos and post-product-market-fit.”. If you build it, they may not come : So, you’ve launched your product, and people use it and seem to like it. It’s the whole conversion flow.

Hulu 111

Hulu Startup Social Media Organization 111

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 15, 2010

StackOverflow is a free Q&A site for software developers, blending functionality from wikis, blogs, forums, and social voting (similar to Digg/Reddit); 7.1mm unique visitors per month; new funds will be used to build out engineering team and build out product. I first discovered it from Dharmesh Shah’s blog OnStartups.

Venture Capital 285

Venture Capital Startup Advertising Redpoint 285

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 26, 2010

The founder explains that the product is so “buzz-worthy” that usage will spread rapidly through word-of-mouth only, meaning people loving it and recommending it to their friends. It usually implies an opportunity to win big, like a lottery, or experience something sensational, like an incredible video or free product.

Marketing 56

Marketing SEM Blogging Design 56

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 26, 2016

In product business it is often measured over multiple purchases and assumptions are made about the repeat rates and in the enterprise or services world LTV can be based on churn rates, which are notoriously hard to predict in an early-stage business. If you can’t raise — you’re dead. End of story. LTV is imprecise.

Metrics 150

Metrics Startup SaaS Course 150

InfoChachkie

DECEMBER 2, 2009

No one wakes up and says to themselves, “I need to buy that product I have never heard of before.” However, Search Engine Management (SEM) is not a “set and forget” exercise. Instead of billboards, affiliates own websites, many of which contain meaningful content associated with the products they advertise. It does not happen.

Customer 164

Customer Custom Advertising SEM 164

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 23, 2013

Their computers then cleverly merge your ads with search results when users search words imply an interest in your products. It pays only if a customer clicks through AND takes a further action (conversion), such as buying a product or filling out a web form. This is NOT the same as Search Engine Optimization (SEO).

Paid Search 90

Paid Search PPC Organization SEO 90

InfoChachkie

OCTOBER 13, 2009

Understandably, the pricing has to be excessive to provide sufficient margin for the product’s producer and an adequate incentive for the non-profit organization. Yet when a child attempts to sell such mis-priced items, the experience is often discouraging, due to the poor cost / value equation associated with such fundraising products.

Web 2.0 222

Web 2.0 Web Sales Outsource Development 222