This post originally appeared in our Startup Growth Newsletter.
The Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games ended recently. As I watched them, I couldn’t help but think about startup marketing.
I may need to get a life.
You see, it is not easy to be an Olympic athlete. Many toil away in anonymity for three years, 364 days and then have one moment when the eyes of the entire world are upon them. Their future financial success depends on how they perform in that one moment.
Talk about pressure.
Unfortunately, many startups take the same approach when it comes to brand building. They have a strong piece of news like a product launch or a funding announcement and they announce it. It is their Olympic moment. But they are putting a lot of pressure on that launch to garner a ton of results. And, even worse, after it is over, they often disappear out of the spotlight for another four years (well, maybe not four years, but three months to a startup is essentially the equivalent!).
Don’t let your company be the Modern Pentathlon!
Take a more steady and consistent approach. Try drumbeat marketing.
In doing so, you may not win a gold medal (though the Marketing Olympics would be awesome), but you will be giving your company the best possible chance to win something even bigger.
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