Startups and Their Marketing Strategies: Lessons from Leading Brands

Many people start a business, but not all of them become successful. Why so? There are a few things that keep a few ahead of the game. One such element is their marketing strategy.

While it is true that start-ups and small businesses do not have the required resources of a multi-national company, it doesn’t mean they cannot win over the competition or gain faster market traction. All they need is to develop an intelligent marketing plan, startups need to fight their battles with an innovative digital marketing approach.

In 2021, there were more than 800 unicorn startups globally, the number has increased in 2022. In December 2021, around 35 startups with a valuation of above $10 billion were listed. Some valuable startups such as social media company Bytedance with its platform Douyin and Tiktok have already amassed a valuation of $140 billion.

On the other hand we have Stripe, with a valuation of more than $95 million, Swedish Fintech Klarna and Australian design platform Canva with $40 billion are well-known in their respective industries.

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Let us now walk you through some of the top startups that have blossomed in recent years.

1. Zenefits

Zenefits was established in the year when the startup community was in full bloom. The HR-tech industry was saturated, but Zenefits was able to rise above the noise and become an industry leader to offer the best HR tools.

The content and marketing strategies of Zenefits embodied the nature of the company’s products. It leveraged various marketing channels and mediums to engage their audience.

Streamlining content marketing proved beneficial for the company.

2. AdRoll

AdRoll is one of the brightest projects in recent years. The startup is all about mobile retargeting, which means it helps brands track and analyze consumer behavior on different platforms and devices.

AdRoll indulged itself in community marketing and content marketing and brought up creative and out-of-the box ideas for brands.       

3. Lyft

In April 2014, the ride-sharing company, Lyft raised $250 million and, since then, the company has shown immense success over its competitor, Uber. The company was established in 2013, and in a year, it expanded its services to around 30 states in the US.

Lyft followed the 7 Ps of marketing and never compromised in implementing its marketing strategies. The taxi service company uses the latest marketing tools and technologies to grow its business, attract riders and customers, and increase its brand awareness. The company attributes its success to its paid marketing efforts.

4. The Honest Company

The company was founded by Jessica Alba, a Hollywood actress, in 2012. The company’s vision was to create safe and responsible products for babies and their homes. The wellness brand did a remarkable job with its marketing efforts.

• The Honest Company kept its brand story and mission in front of the customers. They leveraged social media to reach out to their customers. Their website played a critical role in sharing the brand story with the audience. A fair share of success goes to its video marketing efforts. 
• They have simple and easily navigable web pages for every aspect of their company. The website looks creative.
• The brand won hearts with its content marketing and email marketing strategies.  

5. Canva

Honestly, there is a lot to learn from Canva’s marketing strategy. Right from its inception in 2012, the Australian-based online graphic design company has grown its user base to 15 million across 190 countries.

Canva achieved this success step-by-step. It started with a problem-solving approach. In 2012, social media was a hype. Amidst the hustle between content and graphics, Canva came to the fore offering its easy graphic editing capabilities. This problem-solving approach played a decisive role in its marketing strategy.

Canva has chosen its website as a lead magnet for its users and followers. The website educates the users about its services and encourages them to browse further. Today, Canva is an industry-leader with unmatched capabilities.

6. Airbnb

Airbnb offers convenient and superfast accommodation for travelers. With its help, travelers can book their accommodations easily across the world by directly connecting with the owners. Airbnb reduced the agents and brokers.

Airbnb is a market leader in a co-consumption economy. Airbnb has beautifully streamlined its content to drive the customers emotionally and never missed any opportunity to communicate with its audience warmly and invitingly.

From ad creatives, and guidebooks to neighborhood guides, the content and visuals create a list of attractions for the audience.

Final Thoughts

We know the marketing strategies adopted by these brands look pronounced, but the way they used precise techniques changed the future for them.

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