7 Go-To-Market Strategies for Tribal Broadband Success

Without a plan to bring your broadband service to market, your subscriber count and business could fall below your expectations—that’s where a go-to-market (GTM) strategy comes in. This includes everything from pricing, sales and distribution channels, and mapping the subscriber journey, to branding, awareness building, and strategies for launching services.
 

Here are some top tips for getting your marketing activities off to the best possible start:

1. Start early. Begin marketing tribal broadband to your tribe during the build stage to educate them on the value of high-speed broadband and raise awareness of your business. From there, marketing should be an ongoing part of your daily operations to keep your community informed.
    

2. Create a sales strategy. This will help you establish a roadmap for acquiring subscribers. As part of your strategy, consider pricing structure, offers and promotions, add-ons, and bundled services. 
    

3. Determine your pricing strategy. To determine what to charge for your broadband service, you need to understand your operating expenses, what your competition (if any) is charging, and what your subscribers can reasonably afford.
    

4. Attract subscribers. By offering limited-time promotions (e.g. try the first month for free) or early sign-up discounts for people who register for your service during the build stage, you allow subscribers to experience “life with your internet.” Of course, you can’t entice subscribers on price alone—show you understand their needs by offering managed services that excite them—examples include parental controls, mobile apps, social media monitoring, connected cameras, and network security.
    

5. Bundle multiple services. Combining different services such as internet, voice, and TV can make them more appealing. A bundled rate is often more affordable for subscribers than purchasing just one or two separate services.
    

6. Standardize broadband tiers. Reduce complexity for you and your subscribers by simplifying your broadband offerings to three tiers. This will give your subscribers the very best experience and require less marketing muscle.
    

7. Deliver an excellent subscriber experience. Ensure every subscriber-facing staff member is knowledgeable about your services and technology. Train your team to proactively match subscribers with broadband packages suited to their needs. Embedded knowledge, strong communication skills, and a problem-solving ethos—their advice and recommendations will increase satisfaction and grow loyalty.

Also, it’s important to remember the golden rule of marketing—cater to your unique audience. This means considering a range of tactics that work best for your community demographics—elders, for example, might not see online ads whereas traditional door-to-door advertising has proven to be a successful option for many tribal communities. 
 

Successful go-to-market strategies focused on education and awareness will ensure that the critical benefits of connectivity are understood and adopted across your community for years to come. 
 

Need advice and ideas to support your go-to-market strategy? Download our eBook, “The Broadband Success Playbook for Tribes.”