Why Inbound Marketing for Software, Technology or Startup Companies?

Some technology company entrepreneurs believe that marketing is a necessary evil; others think it’s an unnecessary evil. Whether you’re a software as a service (SAAS) company, or an Internet of Things (IOT) company, the likelihood is that your focus is on the features and functions, speeds and feeds of your solutions. So when should you start marketing for your software company or tech startup? The answer is as soon as you can, or in the early beginnings of bootstrapping your company.

Through Inbound Marketing, tech and startup companies are trying to change their message to make it more relevant towards the business user (in case of a B2B company) or the consumer of technology (in the case of a B2C company). Regardless of your organization’s goals, the secret is to bridge the gap between the feature function of your product and the customers pain point.

You can think about it in a simple three-step approach:

1. Step Number One: Visibility – If you’re a technology startup company, your first need is to get your clients to know you better. You must also focus on your brand, so that your Venture Capitalists (VC) know you better, which in turn will allow you to raise your seed money to grow

your company. If you’ve been in the market for a while, one of your struggles is probably being able to demonstrate your uniqueness. In both cases, Inbound Marketing comes handy in the visibility stage of marketing.

2. Step Number Two: Credibility – At this point you will have a decent database of clients and/or Alpha/Beta users of your software, and you are trying to demo more functions of your software, and show a higher Service Level Agreement (SLA). Inbound Marketing comes in handy in this stage as it manages your social media, increases your followers, and can educate your future and existing clients with new features that will be coming out. Also, Inbound Marketing will create content that can help your potential clients become more educated about your organization, so that they can make a more educated decision about acquiring your services.

3. Step Number Three: Profitability – In this stage you will be converting potential prospects into clients by booking software demos, free consulting sessions, or a strategy meeting with your future clients. Again, Inbound Marketing through marketing automation software can help you streamline this process. This is achieved by consolidating your Customer Relations Management into a single CRM software that the lead; from the first time they have looked at your product, to the final stage and delivery of the software, and ongoing services.