There is something you ought to keep in mind when looking for an investor. These days, they tend to search about your company profile online. And an impressive profile on Crunchbase is not enough to rake in massive investments. That’s because a smart investor would also consider risk factors, product-market fit, and volatility.
As a startup founder and fund seeker, your job is to make your company visible and enticing to the right investor. And this is where digital marketing could come in handy.
In this post, we will walk you through ten digital marketing tips that can capture your business investors’ attention.
1. Identify the investors within your niche
One of the biggest mistakes most budding entrepreneurs make is to beg funds from every investor who cares enough to listen.
Some business owners are in desperate need of capital. So much so that they market their idea without considering whether they are pitching to the right investor.
You may have the best business idea, but it will not come to fruition if there is no matching investor to back you up. This is especially true once the differences between the business owner and the investors themselves start to show.
That said, if you run a Life Sciences startup, what you need is a life science investor. Moreover, if you want to pitch venture capital or private equity firms, you have to know more about these companies’ decision-makers.
Doing so allows you to leverage your marketing plan the moment that they interact with your business. Knowing these key people will enable you to lay out your business plan in a way that is compelling for them.
2. Develop and optimize your website
Another way to catch the attention of an investor is to have an online presence. Hence, you will need a well-optimized and search engine-friendly website.
This means your website must have keyword-rich meta-information and content. It should also be mobile responsive and boasts an excellent user experience. That way, your website can rank for the right search queries.
Creating a site that will attract potential investors should be respectable enough to attract the right kind of people. Meaning, your website should be well-designed, free from clutter, and be as direct as possible.
It would help if you also were focusing on quality content that will attract investors. State the reasons why your business needs investment and how investors will benefit from it.
It’s also worth noting that the best websites have these in common:
- Use of short, simple sentences that are easy enough to read.
- Use icons, videos, or images when explaining more difficult concepts.
- Utilize headlines and subheads for quick scanning.
- Bullet points or numbered lists to quickly break up vast chunks of texts.
- Use of customized graphics or real-life images.
- Icons or thumbnails which represent specific categories or themes.
- Customized animations or infographics to engage your target audience.
3. Maximize exposure with digital PR
Working on your PR strategy is another excellent way to capture the attention of business investors. There are different ways to incorporate public relations in your marketing mix to maximize exposure for your startup.
You can try reaching out to your audience through various creative means. This includes email newsletters, blogs, social media posts, and more.
Also, developing the right time frame and other practical strategies allows you to achieve a healthy amount of success.
4. Increase social media reach
Social media is another powerful tool that you can use to promote your business online. That’s because it provides a bigger platform for customers or prospects worldwide.
Social media platforms offer various ways you can connect with your audience. This includes creating a positive impression on your potential investors. What’s important is that you know which social media platform would work best for your marketing goals.
Investors who want to invest in a business may have queries or suggestions regarding your business’s terms or factors. Interacting with them on social media makes them feel more acknowledged about your mission, vision, or interests.
Investors will feel that they can trust you even more if there’s proof of them being engaged in important events or photos.
Social media also provides a bigger stage for you to promote your product all over the world. Finding a better way to promote your business plays a crucial role in the future of your business.
If you start generating engagement from your social media followers, this can also capture your investor’s attention. Your social media engagement can be a great indicator of how you run your business.
5. Educate investors with informative content
A potential investor would want to know many things about your company. How you answer their questions through informative content is integral in swaying them to invest in your startup.
That said, well-thought-out content can convince your potential investors that you know what you are doing. This can be your blog post, white paper, case studies, and more. What’s important is that every content you produce positions you as an industry thought leader.
And when you are deemed an industry expert, it will be easier for you to convince investors to fund your business.
6. Keep your leads warm
After a prospective investor walks into your site, you can re-engage them later on when they’re looking for a company to invest in.
Retargeting lets you deliver highly targeted ads to investors who have visited your site so that you’ll stay on top of their minds.
You can also leverage email marketing to show investors why they should invest in your company and be part of their portfolio.
7. Know what’s your value proposition
Angel or institutional investors will want to know why they should give you money in the first place. Meaning, what’s the unique thing that your startup may bring into the market.
What makes you unique from other startups? Don’t let them dig through your site to find it.
Ideally, your value proposition should be evident on your homepage. Think of at least 1-2 sentences without having anyone to scroll at all.
You can also utilize a clear heading or subheading. Think of a great headline or call-to-action that will entice users to click.
You can later spell this out in detail in your site’s “About Us” section. Just ensure that your inner web pages are easy to find. In digital marketing, the rule of thumb is that any internal pages should not take over three clicks from the home page.
Your “About Us” page is like your elevator pitch. It is condensed and presented in a definitive statement.
8. Think about branding
Colors play a role in how other people affect your brand, especially in terms of conversions. That’s why you need to pick a theme or a visual layout that helps you convey your message better to your audience.
When it comes to the layout, consistency is essential. This includes carrying out the same color palette and typography across every page on your website.
It is also imperative to have a professionally made logo, well-structured web navigation, and an ever-present search bar on your website. Doing so shows professionalism and that you do not shortchange yourself.
Ideally, your site’s aesthetics should convey an idea or emotion that will support or reinforce your page content.
Take into consideration the flow of your site as well. An aesthetically pleasing site will do no good if the information investors are looking for lacks or are unavailable.
9. Have the best lead capture systems
The best companies know how to turn their site into a magnet for prospective customers.
You can attract investors by having the best lead capture systems.
These systems usually include:
- Subscribe to your site’s ongoing content, such as a newsletter or a blog post in the footer or header.
- Gated content like whitepapers, reports, and videos are locked behind a sign-up form.
- Lightboxes with sign-up forms are often triggered with user actions that show exit intent or scroll past a certain point in a page.
- An embedded CTA in your site’s content like service or product pages, or after the blog posts.
10. The team you work with
Although customers might not be particular with the team that works for you, potential investors will.
Ideally, they would want to know about the founder and the key members of your team.
You need to show them that you’ve picked the best people, and if there is any, present their specialization or expertise. This is another excellent way of impressing your potential investors. That’s because the skill set and knowledge can help a business grow and succeed.
That said, ensure that your About Us section highlights your key members and their specialties.
PRO TIP: Make the headshots of your key people clickable. That way, potential investors can click on it and learn more about your management team.
What should you include in this “learn more” area? Perhaps their past jobs and relevant skills they have.
As a startup founder, you will have to build your connection and pitch your business idea well. Otherwise, the life of your startup will be cut short. And one of the best ways to create your network of investors is through digital marketing.
Photo by Amy Hirschi on Unsplash
