Loading...
Answers
MenuShould I guest post, advertise, etc. on existing sites where users talk about my competitors or should I find new sites similar to my target audience?
Answers
The answer to this question is surprisingly pretty simple and it depends on who your target group is.
If it is a subgroup of your competitors' users, then do engage where they already talk about your competitors.
If your target group is people who don't use the product yet, then go where those people are and engage there.
Defining who is your target group, what is the solution your product offers to their issues and how to engage with them is sometimes complicated. I'm happy to jump on a call to help you clarify all this. It will help you in this specific question you have just raised but also in the future whenever you need to decide what to do: it's always all about your target group and their needs.
Serena
I actually think your asking the wrong question. You should first focus on what differentiates you company from your competitors, otherwise your just another company to the prospective client. Why should I do business with you vs. your competitors? If you have a solid value proposition that answers this question then you should advertise with everyone else, if not, find other sites with less competition.
While I think it is important for your company and its offerings to stay visible amongst competitors for solving the same or similar problem for the user in your space, I don't think it should be the ultimate focus for customer acquisition. Why? If you are consistently benchmarking amongst your competitors to drive new customers, prospects might always be feature and cost comparing between the players in the market vs. recognizing the unique, distinguished value your product or service brings. Then it just becomes a race to the bottom.
I would go after websites that have some overlap for your product and service and position that one, unique factor that your competitors don't have. It might, like you mentioned, require more learning curve but if you can hone those skills in selling and onboarding - I believe you can affect a more positive outcome.
Good luck! If you found this answer resonated with you - happy to followup with a call.
Thanks!
Why on earth not do both? Find a way to measure the success of each approach. Compare. Adjust your time / expenses accordingly.
That's the empirical approach. Good enough for hard science. Good enough for marketing.
Why pretend the answer lives inside somebody's brain? Your answer is out there in the world, untested and undiscovered. Go find out what actually works in practice.
Related Questions
-
How do you get your first customers for a consulting business?
Back when I started LinkedIn wasn't as huge as it is now. I wish it was. I didn't have a large network and those networking sessions NEVER brought me any clients. I used to go to all sorts of them hoping to get clients. There were a couple of nibbles here and there, but never anything serious. The only thing that helped was reaching out DIRECTLY to people in my target market. That meant cold calls and cold emails. I'd sell myself while thinking about their needs. Once I got a few bites I'd build good rapport by keeping in touch, asking questions, repeating back what they were saying so that they knew I was on the same page and kept my promises. If I said I'd call them back next Tuesday at 2:15 I'd do so. Eventually I built trust with them without having a network, or an insane amount of experience. Oh and the most important thing about consulting is to LISTEN. When those first clients notice that you're truly listening and you're not selling the cookie cutter solutions everyone else is trying to sell them that's when you got them hooked. You start to understand their problems, fears, and see through their eyes and not just yours. A network will help, but in the beginning just good 'ol salesmanship will get the ball rolling.JC
-
What is the most creative way to introduce myself (and therefore my service) to 100 key decision-makers without selling or pitching anything?
You've answered your own question. Reach out to your prospects with the question, such as "How would you...". Ask what people want then give it to them if you can with integrity and thoughtfulness.DI
-
How does my startup hire an affordable marketing expert?
I don't even know how to answer this. Do you know what the difference between McDonalds and the local burger joint that is filing for bankruptcy is? It's marketing. McDonalds is worth billions of dollars not because of the quality of their food, but because of their marketing. Marketing is not an expense. A janitor is an expense. Your computer is an expense. Marketing is an INVESTMENT. Would you shop around for the cheapest heart surgeon? Of course not. Because you would likely end up dead. Why, then, do you shop around for a marketing expert? Are you ok with your company going bankrupt? Is that worth the small savings to you? No. Of course not. Hire someone who is good at marketing. Hire someone who knows what they are doing. Buy yourself a Lamborghini with your profit the first quarter. Get a beach house in hawaii. Grab a yacht. Or, try to find your business the cheapest heart surgeon you can and then spend the next five years wondering why such a solid business idea failed in the first 6 months. I'm passionate about this exact topic because all those statistics you read about "70% of businesses failing in two years" are solely because of horrible marketing.AM
-
What are average profit margins in Ice Cream store business?
Hi! I am owner of an ice crean chain with 45 stores in Chile. We have stores in shopping centers, streets and also karts that you can put in events and parks. The average cost margin of ice cream (depends on the amount of materials you use in producing the ice cream) is around 40%. This is italian gelatto where you serve the ice cream without a specific measurement so your costs can vary due to the size of each portion you serve. About the brand you should focus on your unique value proposition and what kind of ice cream you are selling. We import the pastry from Italy and the fruits and milk from our country. Your ROI depends on your sales price and costs. If you focus on high market ice cream you can charge high and keep costs down.MF
-
How to promote a paid iOS app to increase downloads ?
Your best bet to get traction quickly in USA is to advertise on mobile ad networks. You may need to advertise on CPM/CPC basis instead of CPI if you have a paid app so make sure you understand your user lifetime value and watch conversion rates closely so you don't overspend. That said, depending on what your niche/vertical is, there are many other ways to market non-gaming apps.SR
the startups.com platform
Copyright © 2025 Startups.com. All rights reserved.