TwoThings You Need To Consider Before Launching a B2B Start-up

Running a B2B business in the digital era may seem easier than ever, but when you are competing with similar start-ups or reputable companies it is hard to be noticed.

Social Media appears to be limited to B2C (that’s obviously not the case, but promoting a B2B through Social Media requires a great strategy and a lot of patience), everybody has a website and everybody writes a blog. So what should you do to get more online leads for your B2B start-up?

Research And Strategy

The first step is to create a strategy. You may think this is an easy step or a step that can be ignored but that is why so many start-ups, whether they are B2B or B2C, fail before ending their first year.

Having clear objectives and a plan to reach them is what makes the difference between a successful start-up and a failed one. Don’t count on luck! Sure, there are some start-ups that got lucky and their product/service went viral, but how many? Do your research, check your competitors and see what they are doing good and what they are doing bad, do some research on your niche, see who are your potential clients and engage with them. You can do this prior to your launch and before promoting a new product/service. If your target audience is small companies or start-ups, then you will most certainly want to reach out to them, explain your idea and ask for feedback. Since they are at the beginning too, they will be most probably willing to help you with some ideas. Keep their feedback in mind and adapt your product/service. If they’ see you considered their feedback, they may become your clients sooner or later. If not, you just did market research for free. Hiring a research company can be expensive so being able to cut your costs entirely is not something to ignore.

After learning as many things as possible about your competitors, market and potential customers, develop a strategy, a plan and add all the activities you plan to do in order to reach your objectives.

Online presence

Your website should tell your start-up’s story in a simple and catchy way. Easier said than done, but if you think like your potential customers not like a start-up owner you’ll be able to create better content. If your industry has specific words that only other experts know, don’t use them or make sure your public knows what you are talking about.

Emphasize what makes you different without saying you are the best or making promises that you cannot respect. Your online credibility will be better if you are honest from the very beginning. This is why smart business owners keep talking about PR strategies that can be used for startups. If you or a team member had prior noticeable success in the industry, talk about that, if not, find a way to tell your story in order to make people connect with it.

When it comes to Social Media, keep in mind that talking about you and only you is not a good idea. Demonstrate that you are good at what you do by growing a community that will come on your social pages to learn something from you. Make them see you as an expert, answer their questions and they will ask for your help if you willingly helped them before.

These are only two steps but they are vital and cannot be ignored if you plan to stay in the business for a long time.