Entrepreneurship, trigger 3


Problem
How to market a start up?

Learning objectives
1.     The importance of networking
2.     How to pitch your start-up to investors
3.     Important marketing tools and how to use them

Keywords
social media
Pitching
Networking
Marketing
Investors
Start-up

The importance of networking

1.Helps you to start your own business
Through networking you might meet people with same interests or with the skills your upcoming business is missing. Other people have contacts also and these might be investors for example or something that benefits your business.

2. Helps you to climb the career ladder
You can hear about opportunities, companies, different kind of work environments or even new fields through your networking.

3.Long-term investment
The people you meet might be your future colleagues. Shared interests might take you a long way and end up in somewhere never expected.

4.Encouraged by business schools
Usually schools encourage people to network throughout the entire school time.

5.Leads to lifelong friendships
To not go out there and mingle a little might make you loose your best future business opportunity or a friendship. But rather go than stay home

6.Exchanging fresh ideas
By meeting new people you most likely hear something new and can find new perspectives.

7.Opens doors for new opportunities
Networking makes you visible for people and that’s how you might meet the future talent for your firm

8.Allows you to express opinions
A professional network is a great place to share opinions about the industry, exchange information and ask for advice.

9. It can become your resource
You can solve industry related matters with the people form same field easily. Sometimes google isn’t the best source.

How to pitch your start-up to investors
1.  Know your audience
Reviewers watch tens or hundreds of pitchs every day so think what you want to put in those one or two minutes

2.  Sell yourself and your team
Include the hardest things you’ve done and the most impressive things too. Tell that you are ready to work hard. Show also that you are quick in your moves. Pitch with confidence about yourself. Explain about your skills and how they complement each other.

3.  Communicate concrete details
Describe what you are developing and to who is it to. Include long-term aspirations when talking about your product and market.

4.  Target an attractive market
Investors target to businesses that will grow to be ginormous. Many investors want to invest in companies which will dominate their markets.

5.  Share unique insight
Doing your pitch should teach reviewers things. Everyone can´t know about everything. How you are unique in your field? Define it clearly.

6.  Know your numbers and their meaning
Proof that you make data-driven decisions.

7.  Keep going regardless
You probably need to pitch tens of times before you get and investor.

Important marketing tools and how to use them

Marketing tools are for advertise and promote businesses, products and services.
To announce customers about sale and merchandise discount promo or that it is time to order again, or just to get people familiar with your products.

1.     Traditional media
-   Billboards
-   Banners
-   Newspapers/magazines
-   TV
-   Radio

These include paid print advertisements, commercials and news releases.
Focuses on a one-way sales push and relies that high amount of people are reached by these.

2.     Digital media
-  Targeted, measurable communications.
-  Search engine optimization, mobile marketing, interactive online advertisements, opt-in email and online partnerships
-  Web analytics which have information on an internet user´s online activities, IP addresses and search keywords
-  Companies can use digital media marketing agencies or use software as a service application

3.     Social media
- Subset of digital marketing.
- ”the goal of social media marketing tools is to develop an interactive, online relationship with the customer rather than to mine covertly for customer data.”
-   Blogging, tweeting, posting, sharing, networking, pinning, bookmarking, media sharing and commenting on websites(twitter, facebook, orkut, linkedin, pinterest, reddit, youtube)

4.     Promotional items
-   Brochures, business cards, press kits, websites, informational videos, merchandise

Sources:
5 reasons why networking is important. 5.4.2017.
accessed 26.4.2018

The abridge guide to pitching your start up. Patrick McKenzie. 18.9.2017
accessed 26.4.2018

Types of marketing tools. Etree, Ashlyn
accessed 29.4.2018

Importance of marketing tools. Chavez, Marky
accessed 29.4.2018

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