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Running a startup can be an emotional roller coaster. At first, you’re all excited and motivated,brainstorming amazing ideas on how to generate leads, market your brand, and make your first dollar as a company. But after a while, you find yourself head-scratching and struggling to pinpoint what isn’t working in your strategy.
The truth is, generating leads is horrifically difficult, especially for new companies without an established online presence. But no matter what happens, you need to maintain your composure, focus on your objectives, and look for tools you can leverage to push your brand forward.
In this post, we’ll talk about the top seven tools you to build an authoritative brand from scratch.
Let’s get started.
1. Mailshake
Whether you like it or not, cold emails are essential in any brand-building strategy. While there’s no avoiding disappointments and prospects who’ll suddenly turn cold, you can improve your results with a tool like Mailshake — a lightweight cold emailing platform that can help you stay on top of your conversations with prospects.
This tool works by providing you with templates that are statistically proven to improve response rates. It can also help you configure automatic follow-ups, specify broadcast schedules, and quickly personalize messages with its friendly user interface.
2. BuzzSumo
BuzzSumo is a versatile content research tool that quickly scrapes the internet for the most popular content in any given niche. Furthermore, it can help you identify and gauge prospective influencers by looking at each content’s engagement metrics.
To use BuzzSumo, simply type in a keyword, domain name, or any phrase that describes your niche or a particular topic you’d like to discuss. You can refine your search by modifying the search filters found in the left panel, such as country, content type, language, and publish date.
By conducting content research, you can also determine the type of content that resonates with your target audience. This is a crucial requirement if you want to succeed with your content marketing and branding efforts.
3. Norbert
Unlike the other tools in this list, Norbert markets itself as your personal “lead generation companion”. His main function is to acquire the corporate email address, phone number, and social media pages of any person from a specific domain. This is useful in conjunction with BuzzSumo, particularly in sites where the contact information of authors isn’t readily visible.
To use Norbert, simply type in the name of the influencers you have in mind along with their official domains. Once you have their email addresses, you can organize them into lists or directly send them a message.
It’s also worth noting that Norbert supports numerous integrations to platforms like Salesforce, Zapier, Drip, and Google Chrome. This makes sure it fits right into your ecosystem of cloud-based tools.
4. Traackr
A step up from BuzzSumo, Traackr is a more comprehensive “Influencer Relationship Management” platform that focuses on building authentic connections with influencers. Its advanced search utility lets you narrow down your search by platform, language, location, and online reach — enabling you to locate priority targets with ease and boost the efficiency of your influencer marketing campaigns.
While Ninja Outreach lets you sort influencers into lists, Traackr also allows you to organize influencer marketing activities into individual projects. The unified “Activity” page also makes it easier to engage influencers, manage Twitter conversations, and scout for trending topics.
5. Neural Impact Value Proposition Generator
Though it’s probably the least-known tool in this list, it’s an incredibly helpful tool for startups that are yet to establish their identity. As the name suggests, Neural Impact’s Value Proposition Generator can provide you with compelling value propositions just by answering an online worksheet.
Of course, you are not required to use their recommendation as is. Feel free to make your own derivations based on specific factors, such as the brand voice you want to use or the name of your core product.
For your inspiration, here are a few examples of the powerful value propositions from well-known brands around the world:
The Gates Foundation – “We seek to unlock the possibility inside every individual.”
Starbucks – “To inspire and nurture the human spirit — one person, one cup and one neighborhood at a time.”
Facebook – “Connect with your friends and the world around you on Facebook. Give people the power to build community and bring the world closer together.”
6. Canva
Despite its popularity, Canva is one of the most underutilized tools that online brands and marketers use. It’s commonly used for creating visual assets that accompany different types of content, from blog articles to social media posts. However, it is also more than capable of creating professional-grade graphics for magazine covers, business cards, posters, and even logos.
The best thing about Canva is that it can be used as much as you like without paying a single dime. You can combine text, visual elements, and backgrounds via the drag-and-drop editor that any person can use — no need to refer to tutorials and other learning resources.
7. Google Primer
Finally, successful people never shut off their doors to learning opportunities. Regardless of your experience in the business world, you should always make room for any new information that can give your startup the competitive edge.
Google Primer is an app that delivers valuable, bite-sized marketing lessons into your mobile device. It can provide you actionable information on practically any topic, from building a successful site to establishing a trustworthy brand.
Some of Google Primer’s key features include cheat sheets, curated lesson sets, and actionable tips that are tailored to your user preferences.
Take note that, in the world of online marketing, change is the only element that’s constant. Google Primer ensures you are always equipped with the knowledge to compete.
Conclusion
Running a startup is not an exact science. There’s no repeatable formula that can propel businesses right to the very top. The same goes for building your digital marketing and branding toolset. Aside from the tools listed above, you can refer to this post for even more marketing tools that startups can use for free.
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