Startup Development

Hi everyone!

I just wanted to break down the steps that were involved in developing a digital marketing startup agency. Now, I don’t have a formal background in business or marketing, so it’s taken me awhile to put all this information together. One thing I know about being a mostly abstract thinker is that, following a logical progression based on reasoning and detail is a lot easier than gathering data that is specific to a certain cause and effect. So, this is my attempt at quantifying and qualifying the work I did at VanWhistle Media. Note: I am no longer affiliated with the company. The reason why I left was that my creative vision did not align with the founder’s business style. The owner is always in charge – #winknudge! Jeremiads aside, I am now identifying with the title Creative Director because my work crosses over the walls of artistry into a very consummate dedication toward design and strategy.

If you have any feedback, I am all ears. Please reach out!

Duration: 6-month contract

Goal: To establish company through brand development and product awareness.

Outcome: Sizing market, understanding market potential and organizational design.

Milestones: 

1. Startup Development (stages / discovery, strategy, implementation, mid-measurement *wider release required)
   • Concept & Research
   • Commitment & Traction
   • Software application – Pipedrive, Qwilr, Pomodoro, Canva, Basecamp, Ahrefs
2. Sales & Marketing (stages / discovery, *heavy strategy, implementation, mid-measurement)
   • Working directly with company CEO
   • Development & Launch
   • Sales strategies and marketing approach – solution selling (action), insight selling (aim), prospecting methods and scripts, Letter of Engagement, Value-Based Price Sheets, Mom & Pop Store Spring Promo, Door to Door Mapping)
3. Creative & Technical Writing (stages / discovery, strategy, implementation, early measurement *wider release and further market research required)
   • Strategic Development (responsible, transparent & accurate)
   • All creative and copy across multiple platforms
   • Campaign Creation – #ourlocalcrew (awareness/brand image), #targetaudience (definition), #thursdaytheory (attraction)
4. Brand Development (stages / discovery, strategy, implementation *establishing workflow, process & guidelines)
   • Promote brand
   • Promote products/solutions
   • Buyer Persona and Market Research – Brand Concept Kit, VWM Complete Branding Package)
5. Solution Development (stages / discovery, *heavy strategy, implementation, early measurement)
   • Website Revamp/Rebuild/Build (The Hub Concept)
   • 1st Meeting Form, Digital Marketing Plan, Value-Based Price Sheets
   • Media Kit, Digital Presence Business Model, Step by Step SEO Guide
6. Content Creation (stages / discovery, strategy, early implementation)
   • Simpler & Larger, Passion & Efficiency, Seller & Buyer
   • The Hub Concept, Digital Collaboration
   • Digital Presence, Make Change Happen
7. Art Direction (stages / discovery, strategy, implementation)
   • Communication style – branding, project documents
   • Design style – marketing & sales collateral, Media Kit, logos
   • Contract and proposal templates (100% original design and content)
8. Project Management (stages / discovery, implementation, early measurement)
   • Coordination & Scope
   • Bottom-Up & Kanban
   • To promote and encourage incremental, logical change without triggering fear of change itself