The ability to understand the new shift in marketing.
“Marketing isn’t just creation and promotion, it is a process as well.”
~Neil Patel
Marketing is no less than an act of putting the customer on a transformation journey through the product/service offered. While it may sound easy, there is a whole process that is to be followed keeping in mind the established end term goal. Marketing strategies are a must today and for this purpose, Headstart had the honor of hosting Mr. Roberto Croci, The Managing Director at Microsoft. He has also worked with Google as the regional head; building, and mentoring various teams. With his deep knowledge of dealing with unpredictable environments, Mr. Roberto shared his insights with everyone present at the session.
Mr. Roberto began by talking about the various opportunities and trends that we as entrepreneurs can leverage to make marketing more profit-centered. Without a doubt, users are at the center and our strategies should revolve around them. Technology is slowly changing the nature of the consumers, making them more curious but demanding. They love the power of their devices where they get all the services instantly and effortlessly. It is important to understand the shift in marketing and combine technology with creativity. These days, customers do not only expect to get quality in return but they also want personalization. There is a need to get ahead of the competition by understanding the concept of maturity. To achieve profits, businesses need to prepare a faster decision-making mechanism. The ability to learn more and the ability to take action can get you immense success.
While it is true that marketing strategies may differ from business to business, it is essential to keep a few key principles in mind. Entrepreneurs are the first ones who need to believe in the idea for the team and the customers to believe too. Make sure you validate your idea and not do anything to put your business in jeopardy. Start defining your culture and understanding your target audience. Initially, you do not need to have big budgets for marketing, maintain a discipline of choosing only one metric. Focus on one channel and monitor how it delivers. Clearly define the following –
- What is the benefit my product/service gives to users?
- Who are my users?
- What industry am I in?
- How do I increase efficiency?
Executing a successful marketing strategy requires a clear framework in mind. There needs to be clarity on why you are doing what you are doing. Focus on increasing customer engagement and periodically measure customer satisfaction. Get your business objectives, key initiatives, and organizational structure in place. It is the job of a leader to maintain consistency across all departments. Take responsibility and don’t deviate from your message.
Culture and Leadership go hand in hand. The former is needed for clarity of mission and visions whereas the latter is needed for executing skills. Marketing cannot be seen as a separate entity. It needs various tools, techniques, and methods combined to finally come up with a successful business strategy.
Users may behave differently when offline. Knowing the offline user behavior is the ultimate hack to building a lifetime consumer value. The power of data is incredible and you can use data to enhance the customer experience. In other words, a combination of the marketing team and the skills required for marketing today will lead to an increase in sales.
Microsoft for startups is primarily launched to increase value. It takes market-ready startups and tries to make them enterprise-ready. The initiative not only helps businesses in their journey but also offers an incentive system to accelerate business growth. Since it was launched to do something new and create value, here are a few benefits it offers – Access to Technology, Integration and Cost Optimization, Consultation and Guidance, Value Composition.
The Microsoft Program follows Global Guidelines and keeps B2B and B2C businesses as its primary target. The program wants the selected businesses to make the most of the opportunity. Here a few parameters that it takes into consideration –
- Operating for less than 7 years.
- Generating less than 10 million dollars in ARR Revenue.
- Generating less than 20 million dollars in Funding.
- Businesses that are willing to move to Microsoft Technology.
- Mainly Seed Stage Series B and C.
On the last note, Mr. Roberto urged the budding entrepreneurs to avoid doing anything that is not aligned to their overall goal in business.
The HS Live Episode 3 was filled with new information and a chance for the audience to get their queries answered. Mr. Roberto did not only guide and enlighten the audience but also gave them the motivation to start working and building their marketing strategies to achieve their main goal and ultimately, success.
Contributed By –
A volunteer at Headstart.