Startup to Success: Businesses That Only Used Online Marketing to Make it

In the case of two personal hygiene startups, a promising social media site and a personal finance business, there was a defined magical moment when almost overnight these businesses seemed to take off.
In these instances, this moment wouldn’t have been possible without the internet.
Take a look at what some superstar startups did to utilize the power of the internet and see how you can implement some of the same strategies:

• Orabrush
Taking the title of one of the first successful viral marketing campaigns, Orabrush launched in 2009 with nothing more than a YouTube video. The creative approach and viral video “Bad Breath Test – How to Tell When Your Breath Stinks” garnered a dedicated online fan base and today has over 17 million views.
At the time of its debut, Orabrush took an unconventional approach using internet marketing. The video created a high level of awareness for consumers online. This transformed into a demand for the product in retail stores. Orabrush is now sold in 3,500 Walmart stores worldwide just by leveraging a newer platform.
Marketing takeaway: In the case of Orabrush, the company created one high-quality, funny video that took off. Don’t spread yourself thin by putting 50 percent of your effort into a variety of different things. Instead, pick one creative solution and give it 100 percent.

• Dollar Shave Club
In the event someone would suggest Orabrush found its success from its originality, consider the brilliance of the Dollar Shave Club. Much like Orabrush, the Dollar Shave Club found victory armed with nothing but a YouTube video nearly two years after Orabrush’s launch. Within 48 hours, Dollar Shave Club received two million views on YouTube and 5,000 orders.
Humor has a lot to do with this viral video, but it isn’t everything. This bold use of content marketing was memorable because it caused a visceral response.
Marketing takeaway: Great content will make for an emotional response, and in turn, will become memorable for your audience. There’s nothing extra special about Dollar Shave Cream razors, except that “they’re f***ing great.” Separate your company by providing a unique and fresh stance.

• Mint.com
In 2006 when the personal finance startup Mint stepped into the scene, the public brushed it under the rug. Fighting to survive, the company adopted an aggressive online content strategy using a blog. The blog, “MintLife,” offered news, tips, videos and even infographics to become a serious resource for the financially curious. Over time, they built credibility and converted their audience into loyal customers. Three years later, Mint sold for $170 million.
Marketing takeaway: Don’t just produce content about your company, create content that is helpful and you’ll create a loyal fan base that keeps coming back for more. It takes time and dedication— content marketing is not a sprint, it’s a marathon.

• Pinterest
Initially, Pinterest relied on advocates and not numbers. The intriguing website attracted thousands of signups using its members-only service and limited its use to create exclusivity. By being coy, the website built and sustained a big buzz and trusted its users to recommend the site. Now, Pinterest has over 10 million users.
Marketing takeaway: People make decisions based on recommendations from those they trust – mainly our friends and family. One of your goals should be to turn your users into personal advocates that spread the word using social media services and word of mouth.
Sometimes a solid internet marketing plan is all you need to reach success. These examples of internet marketing done right arguably provided more longevity than any one-time traditional marketing campaign could have offered.