11 Startup Content Marketing Strategies That Actually Work
To help startups navigate the complex world of content marketing, we’ve gathered eleven successful strategies from industry professionals, including CEOs and Content Marketing Managers. From using listicle blogs for high-value traffic to maximizing content accessibility and reach, these experts share their most effective tactics to achieve marketing goals.
- Using Listicle Blogs for High-Value Traffic
- Encouraging Customers to Share Experiences
- Blogging for SEO and Authority
- Adapting Strategy to the Product and Audience
- Engaging the Audience With AMA Webinars
- Integrating UGC With a Client’s Platform
- Sustaining Interest With Progressive Content Creation
- Molding Campaigns With Social Listening
- Combining YouTube Videos With Blog Posts
- Storytelling Through In-Depth Blog Posts
- Maximizing Content Accessibility and Reach
Using Listicle Blogs for High-Value Traffic
At the startup I’ve been working with, we are creating more listicle blogs—bottom-of-the-funnel content in our niche. This strategy has proven to be a hit and has earned us featured snippets or top positions in SERP.
Create keyword clusters you want to target, make a list of top-rated tools (including your competitors) for each cluster, and draft a well-structured blog comparing those tools. You can also create blogs for alternative tools.
In the process, make sure to check user intention. Find out whether your target users are considering an alternative due to the need for features, pricing, customer support, or other factors.
Mentioning tools that address solutions for such problems will make your content more relevant. These listicle blogs bring high-value traffic to your website as your audience knows what solutions they are searching for.
Zeel Patel, Copywriter and Content Lead
Encouraging Customers to Share Experiences
A successful content marketing strategy to increase brand awareness and consider utilizing user-generated content (UGC). Encouraging customers to share their experiences through photos and testimonials creates a sense of community and trust.
UGC serves as an authentic social proof, influencing potential buyers and expanding your brand’s reach organically. This strategy boosts engagement rates, website traffic, and conversions, helping you achieve your marketing goals while fostering a loyal customer community.
Kyle Windham, Digital Marketing Manager, Redhype Creative Marketing Agency
Blogging for SEO and Authority
As a small marketing agency, we have invested time and resources into building out a blog, which gets updated monthly, focusing on current marketing trends and topics.
Not only does this blog meet current search and trending questions, but it also offers an opportunity to include low-hanging fruit keywords and link back to our services. Once these blogs are live, this then offers new opportunities in terms of backlinking and outreach, posts for social media, and including the information in our newsletter.
The blog has helped to increase website authority and boost online SEO, as well as create a solid foundation within the marketing industry and reflect positively on our knowledge as a business.
Annie Everill, Digital Marketing Executive, Imaginaire
Adapting Strategy to the Product and Audience
As the head of the marketing department at a digital agency, I often collaborate with startups, especially in the furniture business. This is because we are experts in promoting this niche, and we have discovered that the key point is to adapt the marketing strategy to a specific product and target audience.
We recently collaborated with a startup from the furniture business, which is introducing a unique product to the American market. Recognizing that our core audience is under 35, we focused on using social media and press releases for promotion. The marketing strategy depends on your niche, product, and target audience.
Yevhen Koplyk, Head of Marketing, WiserBrand
Engaging the Audience With AMA Webinars
Instead of solely pushing your agenda, focus on actively listening to your audience’s concerns and creating content that directly addresses those needs. Take webinars, for example, which are an engaging content format, but usually consist of a predetermined topic and clear line-up announced well in advance.
Sometimes, the topic can be a big miss. So, we decided to shake things up with an “Ask Me Anything” webinar format. We pitched a broad theme and partnered with industry experts. During webinar registration, we provided a topic-centric poll, inviting attendees to list questions they hoped the experts would address.
This led to higher registrations than our usual webinars and hundreds of insightful questions. Our expert panel addressed the most salient questions live, creating an engaging, relevant conversation.
Beyond that, this format supplied us with fresh stats we could repurpose in different content formats and invaluable intel to steer sales conversations.
Wisia Neo, Content Marketing Manager, ViB
Integrating UGC With a Client’s Platform
One of our most successful content-marketing strategies at KNR has been the integration of user-generated content (UGC) on our client’s startup platform.
We encouraged their community to share their personal style stories and fashion inspirations through photos and articles. This not only fostered a sense of community and engagement but also provided authentic, relatable content for their audience.
By showcasing real people and their fashion journeys, we’ve seen a significant increase in user engagement and trust. This strategy has not only amplified the brand’s voice but also reinforced the commitment to celebrating individuality in fashion.
It’s been a win-win for both our client and their community.
Gabriel Kaam, CEO, KNR Agency
Sustaining Interest in Progressive Content Creation
As a marketing expert with a track record of assisting numerous startups, one innovative content marketing strategy I’ve implemented is “Progressive Content Creation.” Progressive Content Creation involves building a long-term, evolving narrative that engages your audience over an extended period.
Strategy Description:
The strategy begins by creating a strong foundation with a captivating anchor content piece, such as a comprehensive guide, video series, or a whitepaper. This sets the stage for the overarching narrative. Instead of standalone content, I release sequels that dive deeper, offer fresh insights, and provide updates on the original topic. To keep the audience engaged, active participation is promoted through surveys, contests, and challenges related to the ongoing narrative.
How it Helps:
Progressive Content Creation provides sustained audience engagement over an extended period, promoting return visits and a lasting interest in the startup.
Joshua Jarvis, Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) and Founder, Junk Removal Marketing Pro
Molding Campaigns With Social Listening
We’ve effectively harnessed the power of social listening to mold our campaigns. For example, when tracking discussions about a client’s brand, we discerned a rising trend of users applauding their eco-friendly initiatives while expressing curiosity about their future sustainability plans.
With this information in hand, we crafted a PR campaign that not only showcased their current green accomplishments but also unveiled upcoming sustainability strategies. This approach strengthened brand credibility, illustrating that we’re proactive in our strategies as well as responsive to public discourse.
Marco Genaro Palma, Content Marketing Manager, PRLab
Combining YouTube Videos With Blog Posts
This is different from your run-of-the-mill advice. We went against the grain, merging two platforms people usually keep separate. And guess what? Our conversion rate shot up to 6.4%. If you’re stuck in a content rut, try this combo. It’s a proven winner for us, and it could be for you too.
We made short, engaging YouTube videos aimed at B2B decision-makers and linked them to in-depth blog posts. The result? A 28% jump in website traffic and a 35% increase in time spent on our site. These videos drew people in, and our blogs sealed the deal, giving them the detailed information they needed.
Roy Lam, CEO and Co-Founder, GeniusHub Digital Marketing
Storytelling Through In-Depth Blog Posts
One successful content-marketing strategy my agency always employs is creating high-quality, in-depth blog posts and guides that focus on storytelling. We always focus on providing valuable, actionable information in our niche based on a story.
This is the most effective way to grab people’s attention and make a real difference. It all lies in the storytelling. By consistently publishing informative first-hand stories, we are helping make our client’s stories stand out and make an impact in their business.
James Parsons, Founder, Content Powered
Maximizing Content Accessibility and Reach
As a smaller team, we need to be resourceful with our efforts. One recorded interview can be turned into a podcast episode, a YouTube video, and snippets for Reels and social media.
A new blog gets read by a team member for a podcast episode, summarized for a LinkedIn carousel post, and repurposed for socials. We recognize the value of our content and want to make it as accessible as possible.
Liz Kelley, Content Marketing Manager, Focus Lab
