All about Growth Hacking

What is Growth Hacking?

The growth hacking emerged a few years ago among startup entrepreneurs and business people from the digital marketing. A new buzzword is here to stay in the digital marketing glossary. The figure of the Growth Hacker seeks the maximum impact on digital business results with the minimum effort and investment. It is very similar to the term Guerrilla Marketing within the analogue environment which he coined at the time Jay Conrad Levison in the 1990s.

Entry updated on 27/12/2024

Sean Ellis creator of Digital Guerrilla Marketing

Sean Elliswas the entrepreneur who coined this new term in 2010. He created it looking for the perfect professional profile to achieve exponential growth in a short time. He managed to develop very quickly as a consultant at Dropbox. However, when he intended to leave this venture in order to pursue new opportunities, he found it very difficult to fill the position.

GUERRILLA marketing and growth hacking-1

Tip 3: Viralise your product or Service

One of the most effective pillars of Growth Hacking is to make your product or service go viral. Virality implies that current users not only become customers, but also active promoters who share your product with their network of contacts. This multiplier effect can generate exponential growth in a very short time.

Practical Example: Dropbox and its Referral Programme

Context:
In its early days, Dropbox was a startup offering cloud storage. It was competing in a highly competitive market with limited advertising budgets. Its solution was to design a referral programme that transformed its users into brand ambassadors.

Strategy:

  1. Attractive IncentivesDropbox offered Additional 250 MB of free storage both the referring user and the person accepting the invitation.
  2. Ease of UseUsers could easily share their invitation link via email or social media.
  3. Multiplier effectEach new user who joined through the programme could refer others, creating a continuous cycle of growth.

Results:
In just a few months, Dropbox managed to double its user base without spending large sums on advertising. The strategy was so successful that it is still studied today as an iconic example of marketing virality.

How to Apply Virality to Your Product or Service

  1. Make it ShareableDesign your product in a way that makes it easy and natural for users to share it. This can include:
    • Sharing functions in social media.
    • Direct invitation tools.
    • Interactive elements that generate curiosity or a desire to share.
  2. Offers IncentivesMotivate your users to recommend your product:
    • Exclusive offers.
    • Discounts.
    • Early access to premium features.
  3. Create Memorable ExperiencesA product that surprises or solves problems in an exceptional way is more likely to be shared. Emotions, such as joy, surprise or admiration, are great catalysts for virality.
  4. Make Use of Viral ContentCreate marketing campaigns with content designed to be shared widely. For example:
    • Short and creative videos.
    • Eye-catching infographics.
    • Challenges or competitions on social networks.

Application Example: An Online Clothing Store

Let's say you have an online clothing shop. You can implement virality in the following way:

  • It offers a 10% additional discount for each friend a customer refers, and another 10% for the friend who makes their first purchase.
  • Create a social media campaign using the hashtag #MiUniqueStylewhere users share photos of their outfits bought in your shop. Reward the most creative posts.
  • Throw down a challenge: "The 7 Looks Challenge".where participants post a week's worth of outfits wearing garments from your shop, encouraging interaction and sharing among your followers.

Viralising a product or service requires creativity, knowledge of your target audience and a strategic design that encourages digital word of mouth. When you get users to promote your brand organically, you multiply your efforts and get explosive growth with minimal investment.

growth-hacking-2

TIP 4: KAIZEN or Continuously improve your product or service

Current customers VS potential customers

This growth hacker mentality must be handled with care. It is easy to be conquered by the ambition to grow fast. Haste is never good, remember that it costs less money to sell to an existing customer than it does to acquire new customers. It is essential that your service or product is fine-tuned. Also that your customer service is in place to avoid losing acquired customers at the same rate as you gain new ones with new strategies. Growth Hacking.

Therefore, it is important that you have a good email marketing strategy in place at this point. There is no point in taking data from a subscriber if they never hear from you again. Therefore, you must develop a strategy of continuous contact with the subscriber by providing information that contains added value. Examples of continuous improvement of a product or service are, for example, UBER:

  • Valentine's Day rose deliveries on request UBER
  • Ice cream deliveries on request
  • Organising helicopter trips to the Hamptons UberCHOPPER

The user experience can be constantly improved once you have reached a certain size. And by then you will have enough analytical data to be able to make decisions on the most appropriate improvements that will have the biggest impact on the growth of your startup. In conclusion, your best growth hacks will come from your creativity and ability to be alert to the opportunities offered by the market. Good opportunities, no matter how much competition there is, are always there, you just have to identify them. Proper immersion in a niche or market will give you the perspective and understanding to identify them.

GUERRILLA marketing and growth hacking-2
Today, the youtubers they do it in every video. They tell users to share the videos, subscribe, turn on the little bell or visit their website in exchange for something free. All these are Growth Hacking techniques.

Facebook has also cleverly used this technique of rapid growth through badges and embeds. Through this strategy they have managed to maintain growth of 200 million new users per year. Badges generated millions of clicks and blog interactions that generated hundreds of millions of new users. Likewise a Youtube video can be embedded within a blog and share the content in reference to, for example, the article you are reading.

Another powerful system that has worked very well to exponentially increase growth is the so-called integrations. Surely in recent years you have gone to register for a service and found that you could do so using your Facebook, Google or Twitter account. Thanks to integrations, users potentially register for a service in up to 50% more cases. Paypal for example had a tough start until it was able to close deals with Ebay and its system-branding to appear alongside Visa and Mastercard. Spotify is another clear example of Growth Hacking. Until they realised that the best strategy was to give the app a social component, they didn't explode in turnover. What they did was simple, they reached an agreement with Facebook to show themselves at the beginning and what your friends were listening to. That's how they quickly became known. They took advantage of the integrations and also the tremendous penetration of Facebook as a platform.

Imagine your Facebook friend Samuel is listening to Ed Sheeran, you think, I'm going to see what kind of music it is. Suddenly, you're listening to it, you like it and you become an automatic Sportify user, isn't that great? Integrations and embed are great growth hacking tactics to go viral. However, they are not systems to be copied, but example schemes so that you understand how the mentality of a growth hacker. You should be on the lookout for opportunities that can give your product or service mass exposure at low cost.

[/et_pb_text]
growth hacking-1
[/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][/et_pb_section]

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Tip 2: Focus your actions on a well-defined target audience.

Focusing on a clear target audience is one of the fundamental pillars for the success of any marketing strategy. Growth Hacking and marketing. Without a clear direction, it is impossible to generate a meaningful impact on ideal consumers. This principle is closely linked to Al Ries and Jack Trout's law of focus: "The most powerful principle of marketing is to have a word in the minds of customers".

1. Importance of the Target Audience Approach

When you direct your efforts towards a well-defined group of people, you achieve:

  • Maximising resourcesWith low-cost strategies, each action is designed to directly impact those most likely to become customers.
  • Increasing conversionBy speaking directly to the needs and wants of a specific segment, your messages will be more relevant and effective.
  • Avoiding message dilutionTrying to appeal to "everyone" dilutes your efforts and makes it difficult to stand out from the competition.

2. The Law of Focus in Digital Marketing

In digital marketing, focus means finding a key word or concept that your brand holds in the consumer's mind. For example:

  • Google: Search.
  • Coca-Cola: Cola soft drink.
  • TeslaElectrical innovation.

Similarly, your product or service should be clearly associated with a specific solution for a well-defined group of people.

3. Capture the 15% of the Initial Market

In innovative product markets, reaching 15% of the initial market is crucial to gain traction. This means:

  • Adopting a niche strategyStart by conquering a specific segment before trying to expand your reach.
  • Trial and errorThe initial period is essential for fine-tuning your value proposition, your message and your customer acquisition tactics.

This approach allows for rapid iteration on what works and what doesn't, minimising wasted resources.

4. How to Define a Target Audience

To be specific and effective, it is essential to answer these questions:

  • Who is your ideal customer? It considers demographic (age, gender, location), psychographic (values, interests) and behavioural (buying habits, digital interactions) factors.
  • What problems or needs do they have? Identify the "pain" that your product or service can solve.
  • Where do they spend their time? Get to know the channels and platforms they use to design targeted strategies.

A clear example: If you offer management software for small businesses, don't try to target all businesses. Focus on entrepreneurs with less than 10 employees who are looking for cost-effective and easy-to-use solutions.

5. The Dangers of Not Focusing

  • Dispersion of effortsWithout a clear goal, your campaigns will become generic and less effective.
  • Unnecessary waste of resources: Attempting to reach a mass audience increases costs without guaranteeing results.
  • Lack of differentiationYou will not succeed in positioning yourself as the ideal solution for a specific segment.

6. The Temptation to Sell to Everyone

Although it may seem attractive to address a mass audience, "he who tries to attract everyone, attracts no one".. By concentrating your resources on a specific segment, you are more likely to dominate that market before expanding. This approach is especially critical for startups and growth hacking strategies, where resources are limited and actions must be surgical.

7. Actual Example of Approach

Slacka communication platform, did not start out selling itself as a solution for all companies. Their initial strategy was to focus on tech startups that needed an agile tool for internal collaboration. By dominating this niche, they built a solid user base before expanding into other business segments.

Success in marketing and Growth Hacking is all about focus. Defining a well-defined target audience allows you to maximise your resources and quickly capture a key percentage of the initial market. Most importantly, build a brand that is recognised for solving specific problems. Start small, but think big.

GUERRILLA marketing and growth hacking-1

Tip 3: Viralise your product or Service

One of the most effective pillars of Growth Hacking is to make your product or service go viral. Virality implies that current users not only become customers, but also active promoters who share your product with their network of contacts. This multiplier effect can generate exponential growth in a very short time.

Practical Example: Dropbox and its Referral Programme

Context:
In its early days, Dropbox was a startup offering cloud storage. It was competing in a highly competitive market with limited advertising budgets. Its solution was to design a referral programme that transformed its users into brand ambassadors.

Strategy:

  1. Attractive IncentivesDropbox offered Additional 250 MB of free storage both the referring user and the person accepting the invitation.
  2. Ease of UseUsers could easily share their invitation link via email or social media.
  3. Multiplier effectEach new user who joined through the programme could refer others, creating a continuous cycle of growth.

Results:
In just a few months, Dropbox managed to double its user base without spending large sums on advertising. The strategy was so successful that it is still studied today as an iconic example of marketing virality.

How to Apply Virality to Your Product or Service

  1. Make it ShareableDesign your product in a way that makes it easy and natural for users to share it. This can include:
    • Sharing functions in social media.
    • Direct invitation tools.
    • Interactive elements that generate curiosity or a desire to share.
  2. Offers IncentivesMotivate your users to recommend your product:
    • Exclusive offers.
    • Discounts.
    • Early access to premium features.
  3. Create Memorable ExperiencesA product that surprises or solves problems in an exceptional way is more likely to be shared. Emotions, such as joy, surprise or admiration, are great catalysts for virality.
  4. Make Use of Viral ContentCreate marketing campaigns with content designed to be shared widely. For example:
    • Short and creative videos.
    • Eye-catching infographics.
    • Challenges or competitions on social networks.

Application Example: An Online Clothing Store

Let's say you have an online clothing shop. You can implement virality in the following way:

  • It offers a 10% additional discount for each friend a customer refers, and another 10% for the friend who makes their first purchase.
  • Create a social media campaign using the hashtag #MiUniqueStylewhere users share photos of their outfits bought in your shop. Reward the most creative posts.
  • Throw down a challenge: "The 7 Looks Challenge".where participants post a week's worth of outfits wearing garments from your shop, encouraging interaction and sharing among your followers.

Viralising a product or service requires creativity, knowledge of your target audience and a strategic design that encourages digital word of mouth. When you get users to promote your brand organically, you multiply your efforts and get explosive growth with minimal investment.

growth-hacking-2

TIP 4: KAIZEN or Continuously improve your product or service

Current customers VS potential customers

This growth hacker mentality must be handled with care. It is easy to be conquered by the ambition to grow fast. Haste is never good, remember that it costs less money to sell to an existing customer than it does to acquire new customers. It is essential that your service or product is fine-tuned. Also that your customer service is in place to avoid losing acquired customers at the same rate as you gain new ones with new strategies. Growth Hacking.

Therefore, it is important that you have a good email marketing strategy in place at this point. There is no point in taking data from a subscriber if they never hear from you again. Therefore, you must develop a strategy of continuous contact with the subscriber by providing information that contains added value. Examples of continuous improvement of a product or service are, for example, UBER:

  • Valentine's Day rose deliveries on request UBER
  • Ice cream deliveries on request
  • Organising helicopter trips to the Hamptons UberCHOPPER

The user experience can be constantly improved once you have reached a certain size. And by then you will have enough analytical data to be able to make decisions on the most appropriate improvements that will have the biggest impact on the growth of your startup. In conclusion, your best growth hacks will come from your creativity and ability to be alert to the opportunities offered by the market. Good opportunities, no matter how much competition there is, are always there, you just have to identify them. Proper immersion in a niche or market will give you the perspective and understanding to identify them.

GUERRILLA marketing and growth hacking-2
I remember in the 1990s and early 2000s, how in sales and marketing training, we used to tell sales people to ask customers for referrals. It was known that the chances of generating word of mouth increased by 50% if you actively asked a customer. Today, the youtubers they do it in every video. They tell users to share the videos, subscribe, turn on the little bell or visit their website in exchange for something free. All these are Growth Hacking techniques.

Facebook has also cleverly used this technique of rapid growth through badges and embeds. Through this strategy they have managed to maintain growth of 200 million new users per year. Badges generated millions of clicks and blog interactions that generated hundreds of millions of new users. Likewise a Youtube video can be embedded within a blog and share the content in reference to, for example, the article you are reading.

Another powerful system that has worked very well to exponentially increase growth is the so-called integrations. Surely in recent years you have gone to register for a service and found that you could do so using your Facebook, Google or Twitter account. Thanks to integrations, users potentially register for a service in up to 50% more cases. Paypal for example had a tough start until it was able to close deals with Ebay and its system-branding to appear alongside Visa and Mastercard. Spotify is another clear example of Growth Hacking. Until they realised that the best strategy was to give the app a social component, they didn't explode in turnover. What they did was simple, they reached an agreement with Facebook to show themselves at the beginning and what your friends were listening to. That's how they quickly became known. They took advantage of the integrations and also the tremendous penetration of Facebook as a platform.

Imagine your Facebook friend Samuel is listening to Ed Sheeran, you think, I'm going to see what kind of music it is. Suddenly, you're listening to it, you like it and you become an automatic Sportify user, isn't that great? Integrations and embed are great growth hacking tactics to go viral. However, they are not systems to be copied, but example schemes so that you understand how the mentality of a growth hacker. You should be on the lookout for opportunities that can give your product or service mass exposure at low cost.

[/et_pb_text]
growth hacking-1
[/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][/et_pb_section]

Would you like one of our SEO Analysts to audit your website?

Tip 2: Focus your actions on a well-defined target audience.

Focusing on a clear target audience is one of the fundamental pillars for the success of any marketing strategy. Growth Hacking and marketing. Without a clear direction, it is impossible to generate a meaningful impact on ideal consumers. This principle is closely linked to Al Ries and Jack Trout's law of focus: "The most powerful principle of marketing is to have a word in the minds of customers".

1. Importance of the Target Audience Approach

When you direct your efforts towards a well-defined group of people, you achieve:

  • Maximising resourcesWith low-cost strategies, each action is designed to directly impact those most likely to become customers.
  • Increasing conversionBy speaking directly to the needs and wants of a specific segment, your messages will be more relevant and effective.
  • Avoiding message dilutionTrying to appeal to "everyone" dilutes your efforts and makes it difficult to stand out from the competition.

2. The Law of Focus in Digital Marketing

In digital marketing, focus means finding a key word or concept that your brand holds in the consumer's mind. For example:

  • Google: Search.
  • Coca-Cola: Cola soft drink.
  • TeslaElectrical innovation.

Similarly, your product or service should be clearly associated with a specific solution for a well-defined group of people.

3. Capture the 15% of the Initial Market

In innovative product markets, reaching 15% of the initial market is crucial to gain traction. This means:

  • Adopting a niche strategyStart by conquering a specific segment before trying to expand your reach.
  • Trial and errorThe initial period is essential for fine-tuning your value proposition, your message and your customer acquisition tactics.

This approach allows for rapid iteration on what works and what doesn't, minimising wasted resources.

4. How to Define a Target Audience

To be specific and effective, it is essential to answer these questions:

  • Who is your ideal customer? It considers demographic (age, gender, location), psychographic (values, interests) and behavioural (buying habits, digital interactions) factors.
  • What problems or needs do they have? Identify the "pain" that your product or service can solve.
  • Where do they spend their time? Get to know the channels and platforms they use to design targeted strategies.

A clear example: If you offer management software for small businesses, don't try to target all businesses. Focus on entrepreneurs with less than 10 employees who are looking for cost-effective and easy-to-use solutions.

5. The Dangers of Not Focusing

  • Dispersion of effortsWithout a clear goal, your campaigns will become generic and less effective.
  • Unnecessary waste of resources: Attempting to reach a mass audience increases costs without guaranteeing results.
  • Lack of differentiationYou will not succeed in positioning yourself as the ideal solution for a specific segment.

6. The Temptation to Sell to Everyone

Although it may seem attractive to address a mass audience, "he who tries to attract everyone, attracts no one".. By concentrating your resources on a specific segment, you are more likely to dominate that market before expanding. This approach is especially critical for startups and growth hacking strategies, where resources are limited and actions must be surgical.

7. Actual Example of Approach

Slacka communication platform, did not start out selling itself as a solution for all companies. Their initial strategy was to focus on tech startups that needed an agile tool for internal collaboration. By dominating this niche, they built a solid user base before expanding into other business segments.

Success in marketing and Growth Hacking is all about focus. Defining a well-defined target audience allows you to maximise your resources and quickly capture a key percentage of the initial market. Most importantly, build a brand that is recognised for solving specific problems. Start small, but think big.

GUERRILLA marketing and growth hacking-1

Tip 3: Viralise your product or Service

One of the most effective pillars of Growth Hacking is to make your product or service go viral. Virality implies that current users not only become customers, but also active promoters who share your product with their network of contacts. This multiplier effect can generate exponential growth in a very short time.

Practical Example: Dropbox and its Referral Programme

Context:
In its early days, Dropbox was a startup offering cloud storage. It was competing in a highly competitive market with limited advertising budgets. Its solution was to design a referral programme that transformed its users into brand ambassadors.

Strategy:

  1. Attractive IncentivesDropbox offered Additional 250 MB of free storage both the referring user and the person accepting the invitation.
  2. Ease of UseUsers could easily share their invitation link via email or social media.
  3. Multiplier effectEach new user who joined through the programme could refer others, creating a continuous cycle of growth.

Results:
In just a few months, Dropbox managed to double its user base without spending large sums on advertising. The strategy was so successful that it is still studied today as an iconic example of marketing virality.

How to Apply Virality to Your Product or Service

  1. Make it ShareableDesign your product in a way that makes it easy and natural for users to share it. This can include:
    • Sharing functions in social media.
    • Direct invitation tools.
    • Interactive elements that generate curiosity or a desire to share.
  2. Offers IncentivesMotivate your users to recommend your product:
    • Exclusive offers.
    • Discounts.
    • Early access to premium features.
  3. Create Memorable ExperiencesA product that surprises or solves problems in an exceptional way is more likely to be shared. Emotions, such as joy, surprise or admiration, are great catalysts for virality.
  4. Make Use of Viral ContentCreate marketing campaigns with content designed to be shared widely. For example:
    • Short and creative videos.
    • Eye-catching infographics.
    • Challenges or competitions on social networks.

Application Example: An Online Clothing Store

Let's say you have an online clothing shop. You can implement virality in the following way:

  • It offers a 10% additional discount for each friend a customer refers, and another 10% for the friend who makes their first purchase.
  • Create a social media campaign using the hashtag #MiUniqueStylewhere users share photos of their outfits bought in your shop. Reward the most creative posts.
  • Throw down a challenge: "The 7 Looks Challenge".where participants post a week's worth of outfits wearing garments from your shop, encouraging interaction and sharing among your followers.

Viralising a product or service requires creativity, knowledge of your target audience and a strategic design that encourages digital word of mouth. When you get users to promote your brand organically, you multiply your efforts and get explosive growth with minimal investment.

growth-hacking-2

TIP 4: KAIZEN or Continuously improve your product or service

Current customers VS potential customers

This growth hacker mentality must be handled with care. It is easy to be conquered by the ambition to grow fast. Haste is never good, remember that it costs less money to sell to an existing customer than it does to acquire new customers. It is essential that your service or product is fine-tuned. Also that your customer service is in place to avoid losing acquired customers at the same rate as you gain new ones with new strategies. Growth Hacking.

Therefore, it is important that you have a good email marketing strategy in place at this point. There is no point in taking data from a subscriber if they never hear from you again. Therefore, you must develop a strategy of continuous contact with the subscriber by providing information that contains added value. Examples of continuous improvement of a product or service are, for example, UBER:

  • Valentine's Day rose deliveries on request UBER
  • Ice cream deliveries on request
  • Organising helicopter trips to the Hamptons UberCHOPPER

The user experience can be constantly improved once you have reached a certain size. And by then you will have enough analytical data to be able to make decisions on the most appropriate improvements that will have the biggest impact on the growth of your startup. In conclusion, your best growth hacks will come from your creativity and ability to be alert to the opportunities offered by the market. Good opportunities, no matter how much competition there is, are always there, you just have to identify them. Proper immersion in a niche or market will give you the perspective and understanding to identify them.

GUERRILLA marketing and growth hacking-2
Creates a database of subscribers through a landing page and then arrive via email marketing. You can drive traffic to your landing page with little investment by means of SEM campaigns offering for example a free ebook.

Groupon, Securitas Direct and many other companies give you an amount or discount if you invite a friend. The power of this seemingly simple tactic has been the driving force behind the growth of many powerful brands and companies in the online environment. I remember in the 1990s and early 2000s, how in sales and marketing training, we used to tell sales people to ask customers for referrals. It was known that the chances of generating word of mouth increased by 50% if you actively asked a customer. Today, the youtubers they do it in every video. They tell users to share the videos, subscribe, turn on the little bell or visit their website in exchange for something free. All these are Growth Hacking techniques.

Facebook has also cleverly used this technique of rapid growth through badges and embeds. Through this strategy they have managed to maintain growth of 200 million new users per year. Badges generated millions of clicks and blog interactions that generated hundreds of millions of new users. Likewise a Youtube video can be embedded within a blog and share the content in reference to, for example, the article you are reading.

Another powerful system that has worked very well to exponentially increase growth is the so-called integrations. Surely in recent years you have gone to register for a service and found that you could do so using your Facebook, Google or Twitter account. Thanks to integrations, users potentially register for a service in up to 50% more cases. Paypal for example had a tough start until it was able to close deals with Ebay and its system-branding to appear alongside Visa and Mastercard. Spotify is another clear example of Growth Hacking. Until they realised that the best strategy was to give the app a social component, they didn't explode in turnover. What they did was simple, they reached an agreement with Facebook to show themselves at the beginning and what your friends were listening to. That's how they quickly became known. They took advantage of the integrations and also the tremendous penetration of Facebook as a platform.

Imagine your Facebook friend Samuel is listening to Ed Sheeran, you think, I'm going to see what kind of music it is. Suddenly, you're listening to it, you like it and you become an automatic Sportify user, isn't that great? Integrations and embed are great growth hacking tactics to go viral. However, they are not systems to be copied, but example schemes so that you understand how the mentality of a growth hacker. You should be on the lookout for opportunities that can give your product or service mass exposure at low cost.

[/et_pb_text]
growth hacking-1
[/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][/et_pb_section]

Would you like one of our SEO Analysts to audit your website?

Tip 2: Focus your actions on a well-defined target audience.

Focusing on a clear target audience is one of the fundamental pillars for the success of any marketing strategy. Growth Hacking and marketing. Without a clear direction, it is impossible to generate a meaningful impact on ideal consumers. This principle is closely linked to Al Ries and Jack Trout's law of focus: "The most powerful principle of marketing is to have a word in the minds of customers".

1. Importance of the Target Audience Approach

When you direct your efforts towards a well-defined group of people, you achieve:

  • Maximising resourcesWith low-cost strategies, each action is designed to directly impact those most likely to become customers.
  • Increasing conversionBy speaking directly to the needs and wants of a specific segment, your messages will be more relevant and effective.
  • Avoiding message dilutionTrying to appeal to "everyone" dilutes your efforts and makes it difficult to stand out from the competition.

2. The Law of Focus in Digital Marketing

In digital marketing, focus means finding a key word or concept that your brand holds in the consumer's mind. For example:

  • Google: Search.
  • Coca-Cola: Cola soft drink.
  • TeslaElectrical innovation.

Similarly, your product or service should be clearly associated with a specific solution for a well-defined group of people.

3. Capture the 15% of the Initial Market

In innovative product markets, reaching 15% of the initial market is crucial to gain traction. This means:

  • Adopting a niche strategyStart by conquering a specific segment before trying to expand your reach.
  • Trial and errorThe initial period is essential for fine-tuning your value proposition, your message and your customer acquisition tactics.

This approach allows for rapid iteration on what works and what doesn't, minimising wasted resources.

4. How to Define a Target Audience

To be specific and effective, it is essential to answer these questions:

  • Who is your ideal customer? It considers demographic (age, gender, location), psychographic (values, interests) and behavioural (buying habits, digital interactions) factors.
  • What problems or needs do they have? Identify the "pain" that your product or service can solve.
  • Where do they spend their time? Get to know the channels and platforms they use to design targeted strategies.

A clear example: If you offer management software for small businesses, don't try to target all businesses. Focus on entrepreneurs with less than 10 employees who are looking for cost-effective and easy-to-use solutions.

5. The Dangers of Not Focusing

  • Dispersion of effortsWithout a clear goal, your campaigns will become generic and less effective.
  • Unnecessary waste of resources: Attempting to reach a mass audience increases costs without guaranteeing results.
  • Lack of differentiationYou will not succeed in positioning yourself as the ideal solution for a specific segment.

6. The Temptation to Sell to Everyone

Although it may seem attractive to address a mass audience, "he who tries to attract everyone, attracts no one".. By concentrating your resources on a specific segment, you are more likely to dominate that market before expanding. This approach is especially critical for startups and growth hacking strategies, where resources are limited and actions must be surgical.

7. Actual Example of Approach

Slacka communication platform, did not start out selling itself as a solution for all companies. Their initial strategy was to focus on tech startups that needed an agile tool for internal collaboration. By dominating this niche, they built a solid user base before expanding into other business segments.

Success in marketing and Growth Hacking is all about focus. Defining a well-defined target audience allows you to maximise your resources and quickly capture a key percentage of the initial market. Most importantly, build a brand that is recognised for solving specific problems. Start small, but think big.

GUERRILLA marketing and growth hacking-1

Tip 3: Viralise your product or Service

One of the most effective pillars of Growth Hacking is to make your product or service go viral. Virality implies that current users not only become customers, but also active promoters who share your product with their network of contacts. This multiplier effect can generate exponential growth in a very short time.

Practical Example: Dropbox and its Referral Programme

Context:
In its early days, Dropbox was a startup offering cloud storage. It was competing in a highly competitive market with limited advertising budgets. Its solution was to design a referral programme that transformed its users into brand ambassadors.

Strategy:

  1. Attractive IncentivesDropbox offered Additional 250 MB of free storage both the referring user and the person accepting the invitation.
  2. Ease of UseUsers could easily share their invitation link via email or social media.
  3. Multiplier effectEach new user who joined through the programme could refer others, creating a continuous cycle of growth.

Results:
In just a few months, Dropbox managed to double its user base without spending large sums on advertising. The strategy was so successful that it is still studied today as an iconic example of marketing virality.

How to Apply Virality to Your Product or Service

  1. Make it ShareableDesign your product in a way that makes it easy and natural for users to share it. This can include:
    • Sharing functions in social media.
    • Direct invitation tools.
    • Interactive elements that generate curiosity or a desire to share.
  2. Offers IncentivesMotivate your users to recommend your product:
    • Exclusive offers.
    • Discounts.
    • Early access to premium features.
  3. Create Memorable ExperiencesA product that surprises or solves problems in an exceptional way is more likely to be shared. Emotions, such as joy, surprise or admiration, are great catalysts for virality.
  4. Make Use of Viral ContentCreate marketing campaigns with content designed to be shared widely. For example:
    • Short and creative videos.
    • Eye-catching infographics.
    • Challenges or competitions on social networks.

Application Example: An Online Clothing Store

Let's say you have an online clothing shop. You can implement virality in the following way:

  • It offers a 10% additional discount for each friend a customer refers, and another 10% for the friend who makes their first purchase.
  • Create a social media campaign using the hashtag #MiUniqueStylewhere users share photos of their outfits bought in your shop. Reward the most creative posts.
  • Throw down a challenge: "The 7 Looks Challenge".where participants post a week's worth of outfits wearing garments from your shop, encouraging interaction and sharing among your followers.

Viralising a product or service requires creativity, knowledge of your target audience and a strategic design that encourages digital word of mouth. When you get users to promote your brand organically, you multiply your efforts and get explosive growth with minimal investment.

growth-hacking-2

TIP 4: KAIZEN or Continuously improve your product or service

Current customers VS potential customers

This growth hacker mentality must be handled with care. It is easy to be conquered by the ambition to grow fast. Haste is never good, remember that it costs less money to sell to an existing customer than it does to acquire new customers. It is essential that your service or product is fine-tuned. Also that your customer service is in place to avoid losing acquired customers at the same rate as you gain new ones with new strategies. Growth Hacking.

Therefore, it is important that you have a good email marketing strategy in place at this point. There is no point in taking data from a subscriber if they never hear from you again. Therefore, you must develop a strategy of continuous contact with the subscriber by providing information that contains added value. Examples of continuous improvement of a product or service are, for example, UBER:

  • Valentine's Day rose deliveries on request UBER
  • Ice cream deliveries on request
  • Organising helicopter trips to the Hamptons UberCHOPPER

The user experience can be constantly improved once you have reached a certain size. And by then you will have enough analytical data to be able to make decisions on the most appropriate improvements that will have the biggest impact on the growth of your startup. In conclusion, your best growth hacks will come from your creativity and ability to be alert to the opportunities offered by the market. Good opportunities, no matter how much competition there is, are always there, you just have to identify them. Proper immersion in a niche or market will give you the perspective and understanding to identify them.

GUERRILLA marketing and growth hacking-2
If you identify an opportunity in the market that you can transform into a startup, first develop free content to build a community around the niche. For example, if you don't have the money to launch the company, create a Youtube channel and share free content that will attract a lot of people. Set up a crowfunding campaign to get help from friends and supporters who can provide the initial investment. Creates a database of subscribers through a landing page and then arrive via email marketing. You can drive traffic to your landing page with little investment by means of SEM campaigns offering for example a free ebook.

Groupon, Securitas Direct and many other companies give you an amount or discount if you invite a friend. The power of this seemingly simple tactic has been the driving force behind the growth of many powerful brands and companies in the online environment. I remember in the 1990s and early 2000s, how in sales and marketing training, we used to tell sales people to ask customers for referrals. It was known that the chances of generating word of mouth increased by 50% if you actively asked a customer. Today, the youtubers they do it in every video. They tell users to share the videos, subscribe, turn on the little bell or visit their website in exchange for something free. All these are Growth Hacking techniques.

Facebook has also cleverly used this technique of rapid growth through badges and embeds. Through this strategy they have managed to maintain growth of 200 million new users per year. Badges generated millions of clicks and blog interactions that generated hundreds of millions of new users. Likewise a Youtube video can be embedded within a blog and share the content in reference to, for example, the article you are reading.

Another powerful system that has worked very well to exponentially increase growth is the so-called integrations. Surely in recent years you have gone to register for a service and found that you could do so using your Facebook, Google or Twitter account. Thanks to integrations, users potentially register for a service in up to 50% more cases. Paypal for example had a tough start until it was able to close deals with Ebay and its system-branding to appear alongside Visa and Mastercard. Spotify is another clear example of Growth Hacking. Until they realised that the best strategy was to give the app a social component, they didn't explode in turnover. What they did was simple, they reached an agreement with Facebook to show themselves at the beginning and what your friends were listening to. That's how they quickly became known. They took advantage of the integrations and also the tremendous penetration of Facebook as a platform.

Imagine your Facebook friend Samuel is listening to Ed Sheeran, you think, I'm going to see what kind of music it is. Suddenly, you're listening to it, you like it and you become an automatic Sportify user, isn't that great? Integrations and embed are great growth hacking tactics to go viral. However, they are not systems to be copied, but example schemes so that you understand how the mentality of a growth hacker. You should be on the lookout for opportunities that can give your product or service mass exposure at low cost.

[/et_pb_text]
growth hacking-1
[/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][/et_pb_section]

Would you like one of our SEO Analysts to audit your website?

Tip 2: Focus your actions on a well-defined target audience.

Focusing on a clear target audience is one of the fundamental pillars for the success of any marketing strategy. Growth Hacking and marketing. Without a clear direction, it is impossible to generate a meaningful impact on ideal consumers. This principle is closely linked to Al Ries and Jack Trout's law of focus: "The most powerful principle of marketing is to have a word in the minds of customers".

1. Importance of the Target Audience Approach

When you direct your efforts towards a well-defined group of people, you achieve:

  • Maximising resourcesWith low-cost strategies, each action is designed to directly impact those most likely to become customers.
  • Increasing conversionBy speaking directly to the needs and wants of a specific segment, your messages will be more relevant and effective.
  • Avoiding message dilutionTrying to appeal to "everyone" dilutes your efforts and makes it difficult to stand out from the competition.

2. The Law of Focus in Digital Marketing

In digital marketing, focus means finding a key word or concept that your brand holds in the consumer's mind. For example:

  • Google: Search.
  • Coca-Cola: Cola soft drink.
  • TeslaElectrical innovation.

Similarly, your product or service should be clearly associated with a specific solution for a well-defined group of people.

3. Capture the 15% of the Initial Market

In innovative product markets, reaching 15% of the initial market is crucial to gain traction. This means:

  • Adopting a niche strategyStart by conquering a specific segment before trying to expand your reach.
  • Trial and errorThe initial period is essential for fine-tuning your value proposition, your message and your customer acquisition tactics.

This approach allows for rapid iteration on what works and what doesn't, minimising wasted resources.

4. How to Define a Target Audience

To be specific and effective, it is essential to answer these questions:

  • Who is your ideal customer? It considers demographic (age, gender, location), psychographic (values, interests) and behavioural (buying habits, digital interactions) factors.
  • What problems or needs do they have? Identify the "pain" that your product or service can solve.
  • Where do they spend their time? Get to know the channels and platforms they use to design targeted strategies.

A clear example: If you offer management software for small businesses, don't try to target all businesses. Focus on entrepreneurs with less than 10 employees who are looking for cost-effective and easy-to-use solutions.

5. The Dangers of Not Focusing

  • Dispersion of effortsWithout a clear goal, your campaigns will become generic and less effective.
  • Unnecessary waste of resources: Attempting to reach a mass audience increases costs without guaranteeing results.
  • Lack of differentiationYou will not succeed in positioning yourself as the ideal solution for a specific segment.

6. The Temptation to Sell to Everyone

Although it may seem attractive to address a mass audience, "he who tries to attract everyone, attracts no one".. By concentrating your resources on a specific segment, you are more likely to dominate that market before expanding. This approach is especially critical for startups and growth hacking strategies, where resources are limited and actions must be surgical.

7. Actual Example of Approach

Slacka communication platform, did not start out selling itself as a solution for all companies. Their initial strategy was to focus on tech startups that needed an agile tool for internal collaboration. By dominating this niche, they built a solid user base before expanding into other business segments.

Success in marketing and Growth Hacking is all about focus. Defining a well-defined target audience allows you to maximise your resources and quickly capture a key percentage of the initial market. Most importantly, build a brand that is recognised for solving specific problems. Start small, but think big.

GUERRILLA marketing and growth hacking-1

Tip 3: Viralise your product or Service

One of the most effective pillars of Growth Hacking is to make your product or service go viral. Virality implies that current users not only become customers, but also active promoters who share your product with their network of contacts. This multiplier effect can generate exponential growth in a very short time.

Practical Example: Dropbox and its Referral Programme

Context:
In its early days, Dropbox was a startup offering cloud storage. It was competing in a highly competitive market with limited advertising budgets. Its solution was to design a referral programme that transformed its users into brand ambassadors.

Strategy:

  1. Attractive IncentivesDropbox offered Additional 250 MB of free storage both the referring user and the person accepting the invitation.
  2. Ease of UseUsers could easily share their invitation link via email or social media.
  3. Multiplier effectEach new user who joined through the programme could refer others, creating a continuous cycle of growth.

Results:
In just a few months, Dropbox managed to double its user base without spending large sums on advertising. The strategy was so successful that it is still studied today as an iconic example of marketing virality.

How to Apply Virality to Your Product or Service

  1. Make it ShareableDesign your product in a way that makes it easy and natural for users to share it. This can include:
    • Sharing functions in social media.
    • Direct invitation tools.
    • Interactive elements that generate curiosity or a desire to share.
  2. Offers IncentivesMotivate your users to recommend your product:
    • Exclusive offers.
    • Discounts.
    • Early access to premium features.
  3. Create Memorable ExperiencesA product that surprises or solves problems in an exceptional way is more likely to be shared. Emotions, such as joy, surprise or admiration, are great catalysts for virality.
  4. Make Use of Viral ContentCreate marketing campaigns with content designed to be shared widely. For example:
    • Short and creative videos.
    • Eye-catching infographics.
    • Challenges or competitions on social networks.

Application Example: An Online Clothing Store

Let's say you have an online clothing shop. You can implement virality in the following way:

  • It offers a 10% additional discount for each friend a customer refers, and another 10% for the friend who makes their first purchase.
  • Create a social media campaign using the hashtag #MiUniqueStylewhere users share photos of their outfits bought in your shop. Reward the most creative posts.
  • Throw down a challenge: "The 7 Looks Challenge".where participants post a week's worth of outfits wearing garments from your shop, encouraging interaction and sharing among your followers.

Viralising a product or service requires creativity, knowledge of your target audience and a strategic design that encourages digital word of mouth. When you get users to promote your brand organically, you multiply your efforts and get explosive growth with minimal investment.

growth-hacking-2

TIP 4: KAIZEN or Continuously improve your product or service

Current customers VS potential customers

This growth hacker mentality must be handled with care. It is easy to be conquered by the ambition to grow fast. Haste is never good, remember that it costs less money to sell to an existing customer than it does to acquire new customers. It is essential that your service or product is fine-tuned. Also that your customer service is in place to avoid losing acquired customers at the same rate as you gain new ones with new strategies. Growth Hacking.

Therefore, it is important that you have a good email marketing strategy in place at this point. There is no point in taking data from a subscriber if they never hear from you again. Therefore, you must develop a strategy of continuous contact with the subscriber by providing information that contains added value. Examples of continuous improvement of a product or service are, for example, UBER:

  • Valentine's Day rose deliveries on request UBER
  • Ice cream deliveries on request
  • Organising helicopter trips to the Hamptons UberCHOPPER

The user experience can be constantly improved once you have reached a certain size. And by then you will have enough analytical data to be able to make decisions on the most appropriate improvements that will have the biggest impact on the growth of your startup. In conclusion, your best growth hacks will come from your creativity and ability to be alert to the opportunities offered by the market. Good opportunities, no matter how much competition there is, are always there, you just have to identify them. Proper immersion in a niche or market will give you the perspective and understanding to identify them.

GUERRILLA marketing and growth hacking-2
App developers launch Beta versions precisely to test the market, make changes and adjustments proposed by users, in order to arrive at the perfect app for their target audience. Once this is achieved, they propose premium plans, per-download pricing or upsell options within the app. Then, it is always easier to monetise it.

How to apply Growth Hacking

If you identify an opportunity in the market that you can transform into a startup, first develop free content to build a community around the niche. For example, if you don't have the money to launch the company, create a Youtube channel and share free content that will attract a lot of people. Set up a crowfunding campaign to get help from friends and supporters who can provide the initial investment. Creates a database of subscribers through a landing page and then arrive via email marketing. You can drive traffic to your landing page with little investment by means of SEM campaigns offering for example a free ebook.

Groupon, Securitas Direct and many other companies give you an amount or discount if you invite a friend. The power of this seemingly simple tactic has been the driving force behind the growth of many powerful brands and companies in the online environment. I remember in the 1990s and early 2000s, how in sales and marketing training, we used to tell sales people to ask customers for referrals. It was known that the chances of generating word of mouth increased by 50% if you actively asked a customer. Today, the youtubers they do it in every video. They tell users to share the videos, subscribe, turn on the little bell or visit their website in exchange for something free. All these are Growth Hacking techniques.

Facebook has also cleverly used this technique of rapid growth through badges and embeds. Through this strategy they have managed to maintain growth of 200 million new users per year. Badges generated millions of clicks and blog interactions that generated hundreds of millions of new users. Likewise a Youtube video can be embedded within a blog and share the content in reference to, for example, the article you are reading.

Another powerful system that has worked very well to exponentially increase growth is the so-called integrations. Surely in recent years you have gone to register for a service and found that you could do so using your Facebook, Google or Twitter account. Thanks to integrations, users potentially register for a service in up to 50% more cases. Paypal for example had a tough start until it was able to close deals with Ebay and its system-branding to appear alongside Visa and Mastercard. Spotify is another clear example of Growth Hacking. Until they realised that the best strategy was to give the app a social component, they didn't explode in turnover. What they did was simple, they reached an agreement with Facebook to show themselves at the beginning and what your friends were listening to. That's how they quickly became known. They took advantage of the integrations and also the tremendous penetration of Facebook as a platform.

Imagine your Facebook friend Samuel is listening to Ed Sheeran, you think, I'm going to see what kind of music it is. Suddenly, you're listening to it, you like it and you become an automatic Sportify user, isn't that great? Integrations and embed are great growth hacking tactics to go viral. However, they are not systems to be copied, but example schemes so that you understand how the mentality of a growth hacker. You should be on the lookout for opportunities that can give your product or service mass exposure at low cost.

[/et_pb_text]
growth hacking-1
[/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][/et_pb_section]

Would you like one of our SEO Analysts to audit your website?

Tip 2: Focus your actions on a well-defined target audience.

Focusing on a clear target audience is one of the fundamental pillars for the success of any marketing strategy. Growth Hacking and marketing. Without a clear direction, it is impossible to generate a meaningful impact on ideal consumers. This principle is closely linked to Al Ries and Jack Trout's law of focus: "The most powerful principle of marketing is to have a word in the minds of customers".

1. Importance of the Target Audience Approach

When you direct your efforts towards a well-defined group of people, you achieve:

  • Maximising resourcesWith low-cost strategies, each action is designed to directly impact those most likely to become customers.
  • Increasing conversionBy speaking directly to the needs and wants of a specific segment, your messages will be more relevant and effective.
  • Avoiding message dilutionTrying to appeal to "everyone" dilutes your efforts and makes it difficult to stand out from the competition.

2. The Law of Focus in Digital Marketing

In digital marketing, focus means finding a key word or concept that your brand holds in the consumer's mind. For example:

  • Google: Search.
  • Coca-Cola: Cola soft drink.
  • TeslaElectrical innovation.

Similarly, your product or service should be clearly associated with a specific solution for a well-defined group of people.

3. Capture the 15% of the Initial Market

In innovative product markets, reaching 15% of the initial market is crucial to gain traction. This means:

  • Adopting a niche strategyStart by conquering a specific segment before trying to expand your reach.
  • Trial and errorThe initial period is essential for fine-tuning your value proposition, your message and your customer acquisition tactics.

This approach allows for rapid iteration on what works and what doesn't, minimising wasted resources.

4. How to Define a Target Audience

To be specific and effective, it is essential to answer these questions:

  • Who is your ideal customer? It considers demographic (age, gender, location), psychographic (values, interests) and behavioural (buying habits, digital interactions) factors.
  • What problems or needs do they have? Identify the "pain" that your product or service can solve.
  • Where do they spend their time? Get to know the channels and platforms they use to design targeted strategies.

A clear example: If you offer management software for small businesses, don't try to target all businesses. Focus on entrepreneurs with less than 10 employees who are looking for cost-effective and easy-to-use solutions.

5. The Dangers of Not Focusing

  • Dispersion of effortsWithout a clear goal, your campaigns will become generic and less effective.
  • Unnecessary waste of resources: Attempting to reach a mass audience increases costs without guaranteeing results.
  • Lack of differentiationYou will not succeed in positioning yourself as the ideal solution for a specific segment.

6. The Temptation to Sell to Everyone

Although it may seem attractive to address a mass audience, "he who tries to attract everyone, attracts no one".. By concentrating your resources on a specific segment, you are more likely to dominate that market before expanding. This approach is especially critical for startups and growth hacking strategies, where resources are limited and actions must be surgical.

7. Actual Example of Approach

Slacka communication platform, did not start out selling itself as a solution for all companies. Their initial strategy was to focus on tech startups that needed an agile tool for internal collaboration. By dominating this niche, they built a solid user base before expanding into other business segments.

Success in marketing and Growth Hacking is all about focus. Defining a well-defined target audience allows you to maximise your resources and quickly capture a key percentage of the initial market. Most importantly, build a brand that is recognised for solving specific problems. Start small, but think big.

GUERRILLA marketing and growth hacking-1

Tip 3: Viralise your product or Service

One of the most effective pillars of Growth Hacking is to make your product or service go viral. Virality implies that current users not only become customers, but also active promoters who share your product with their network of contacts. This multiplier effect can generate exponential growth in a very short time.

Practical Example: Dropbox and its Referral Programme

Context:
In its early days, Dropbox was a startup offering cloud storage. It was competing in a highly competitive market with limited advertising budgets. Its solution was to design a referral programme that transformed its users into brand ambassadors.

Strategy:

  1. Attractive IncentivesDropbox offered Additional 250 MB of free storage both the referring user and the person accepting the invitation.
  2. Ease of UseUsers could easily share their invitation link via email or social media.
  3. Multiplier effectEach new user who joined through the programme could refer others, creating a continuous cycle of growth.

Results:
In just a few months, Dropbox managed to double its user base without spending large sums on advertising. The strategy was so successful that it is still studied today as an iconic example of marketing virality.

How to Apply Virality to Your Product or Service

  1. Make it ShareableDesign your product in a way that makes it easy and natural for users to share it. This can include:
    • Sharing functions in social media.
    • Direct invitation tools.
    • Interactive elements that generate curiosity or a desire to share.
  2. Offers IncentivesMotivate your users to recommend your product:
    • Exclusive offers.
    • Discounts.
    • Early access to premium features.
  3. Create Memorable ExperiencesA product that surprises or solves problems in an exceptional way is more likely to be shared. Emotions, such as joy, surprise or admiration, are great catalysts for virality.
  4. Make Use of Viral ContentCreate marketing campaigns with content designed to be shared widely. For example:
    • Short and creative videos.
    • Eye-catching infographics.
    • Challenges or competitions on social networks.

Application Example: An Online Clothing Store

Let's say you have an online clothing shop. You can implement virality in the following way:

  • It offers a 10% additional discount for each friend a customer refers, and another 10% for the friend who makes their first purchase.
  • Create a social media campaign using the hashtag #MiUniqueStylewhere users share photos of their outfits bought in your shop. Reward the most creative posts.
  • Throw down a challenge: "The 7 Looks Challenge".where participants post a week's worth of outfits wearing garments from your shop, encouraging interaction and sharing among your followers.

Viralising a product or service requires creativity, knowledge of your target audience and a strategic design that encourages digital word of mouth. When you get users to promote your brand organically, you multiply your efforts and get explosive growth with minimal investment.

growth-hacking-2

TIP 4: KAIZEN or Continuously improve your product or service

Current customers VS potential customers

This growth hacker mentality must be handled with care. It is easy to be conquered by the ambition to grow fast. Haste is never good, remember that it costs less money to sell to an existing customer than it does to acquire new customers. It is essential that your service or product is fine-tuned. Also that your customer service is in place to avoid losing acquired customers at the same rate as you gain new ones with new strategies. Growth Hacking.

Therefore, it is important that you have a good email marketing strategy in place at this point. There is no point in taking data from a subscriber if they never hear from you again. Therefore, you must develop a strategy of continuous contact with the subscriber by providing information that contains added value. Examples of continuous improvement of a product or service are, for example, UBER:

  • Valentine's Day rose deliveries on request UBER
  • Ice cream deliveries on request
  • Organising helicopter trips to the Hamptons UberCHOPPER

The user experience can be constantly improved once you have reached a certain size. And by then you will have enough analytical data to be able to make decisions on the most appropriate improvements that will have the biggest impact on the growth of your startup. In conclusion, your best growth hacks will come from your creativity and ability to be alert to the opportunities offered by the market. Good opportunities, no matter how much competition there is, are always there, you just have to identify them. Proper immersion in a niche or market will give you the perspective and understanding to identify them.

GUERRILLA marketing and growth hacking-2
A bad product or poor service can quickly go viral and endanger even a multinational. The solution is to stay in touch with customers, listen to their suggestions and provide solutions so that the product evolves towards the customer's expectations.

App developers launch Beta versions precisely to test the market, make changes and adjustments proposed by users, in order to arrive at the perfect app for their target audience. Once this is achieved, they propose premium plans, per-download pricing or upsell options within the app. Then, it is always easier to monetise it.

How to apply Growth Hacking

If you identify an opportunity in the market that you can transform into a startup, first develop free content to build a community around the niche. For example, if you don't have the money to launch the company, create a Youtube channel and share free content that will attract a lot of people. Set up a crowfunding campaign to get help from friends and supporters who can provide the initial investment. Creates a database of subscribers through a landing page and then arrive via email marketing. You can drive traffic to your landing page with little investment by means of SEM campaigns offering for example a free ebook.

Groupon, Securitas Direct and many other companies give you an amount or discount if you invite a friend. The power of this seemingly simple tactic has been the driving force behind the growth of many powerful brands and companies in the online environment. I remember in the 1990s and early 2000s, how in sales and marketing training, we used to tell sales people to ask customers for referrals. It was known that the chances of generating word of mouth increased by 50% if you actively asked a customer. Today, the youtubers they do it in every video. They tell users to share the videos, subscribe, turn on the little bell or visit their website in exchange for something free. All these are Growth Hacking techniques.

Facebook has also cleverly used this technique of rapid growth through badges and embeds. Through this strategy they have managed to maintain growth of 200 million new users per year. Badges generated millions of clicks and blog interactions that generated hundreds of millions of new users. Likewise a Youtube video can be embedded within a blog and share the content in reference to, for example, the article you are reading.

Another powerful system that has worked very well to exponentially increase growth is the so-called integrations. Surely in recent years you have gone to register for a service and found that you could do so using your Facebook, Google or Twitter account. Thanks to integrations, users potentially register for a service in up to 50% more cases. Paypal for example had a tough start until it was able to close deals with Ebay and its system-branding to appear alongside Visa and Mastercard. Spotify is another clear example of Growth Hacking. Until they realised that the best strategy was to give the app a social component, they didn't explode in turnover. What they did was simple, they reached an agreement with Facebook to show themselves at the beginning and what your friends were listening to. That's how they quickly became known. They took advantage of the integrations and also the tremendous penetration of Facebook as a platform.

Imagine your Facebook friend Samuel is listening to Ed Sheeran, you think, I'm going to see what kind of music it is. Suddenly, you're listening to it, you like it and you become an automatic Sportify user, isn't that great? Integrations and embed are great growth hacking tactics to go viral. However, they are not systems to be copied, but example schemes so that you understand how the mentality of a growth hacker. You should be on the lookout for opportunities that can give your product or service mass exposure at low cost.

[/et_pb_text]
growth hacking-1
[/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][/et_pb_section]

Would you like one of our SEO Analysts to audit your website?

Tip 2: Focus your actions on a well-defined target audience.

Focusing on a clear target audience is one of the fundamental pillars for the success of any marketing strategy. Growth Hacking and marketing. Without a clear direction, it is impossible to generate a meaningful impact on ideal consumers. This principle is closely linked to Al Ries and Jack Trout's law of focus: "The most powerful principle of marketing is to have a word in the minds of customers".

1. Importance of the Target Audience Approach

When you direct your efforts towards a well-defined group of people, you achieve:

  • Maximising resourcesWith low-cost strategies, each action is designed to directly impact those most likely to become customers.
  • Increasing conversionBy speaking directly to the needs and wants of a specific segment, your messages will be more relevant and effective.
  • Avoiding message dilutionTrying to appeal to "everyone" dilutes your efforts and makes it difficult to stand out from the competition.

2. The Law of Focus in Digital Marketing

In digital marketing, focus means finding a key word or concept that your brand holds in the consumer's mind. For example:

  • Google: Search.
  • Coca-Cola: Cola soft drink.
  • TeslaElectrical innovation.

Similarly, your product or service should be clearly associated with a specific solution for a well-defined group of people.

3. Capture the 15% of the Initial Market

In innovative product markets, reaching 15% of the initial market is crucial to gain traction. This means:

  • Adopting a niche strategyStart by conquering a specific segment before trying to expand your reach.
  • Trial and errorThe initial period is essential for fine-tuning your value proposition, your message and your customer acquisition tactics.

This approach allows for rapid iteration on what works and what doesn't, minimising wasted resources.

4. How to Define a Target Audience

To be specific and effective, it is essential to answer these questions:

  • Who is your ideal customer? It considers demographic (age, gender, location), psychographic (values, interests) and behavioural (buying habits, digital interactions) factors.
  • What problems or needs do they have? Identify the "pain" that your product or service can solve.
  • Where do they spend their time? Get to know the channels and platforms they use to design targeted strategies.

A clear example: If you offer management software for small businesses, don't try to target all businesses. Focus on entrepreneurs with less than 10 employees who are looking for cost-effective and easy-to-use solutions.

5. The Dangers of Not Focusing

  • Dispersion of effortsWithout a clear goal, your campaigns will become generic and less effective.
  • Unnecessary waste of resources: Attempting to reach a mass audience increases costs without guaranteeing results.
  • Lack of differentiationYou will not succeed in positioning yourself as the ideal solution for a specific segment.

6. The Temptation to Sell to Everyone

Although it may seem attractive to address a mass audience, "he who tries to attract everyone, attracts no one".. By concentrating your resources on a specific segment, you are more likely to dominate that market before expanding. This approach is especially critical for startups and growth hacking strategies, where resources are limited and actions must be surgical.

7. Actual Example of Approach

Slacka communication platform, did not start out selling itself as a solution for all companies. Their initial strategy was to focus on tech startups that needed an agile tool for internal collaboration. By dominating this niche, they built a solid user base before expanding into other business segments.

Success in marketing and Growth Hacking is all about focus. Defining a well-defined target audience allows you to maximise your resources and quickly capture a key percentage of the initial market. Most importantly, build a brand that is recognised for solving specific problems. Start small, but think big.

GUERRILLA marketing and growth hacking-1

Tip 3: Viralise your product or Service

One of the most effective pillars of Growth Hacking is to make your product or service go viral. Virality implies that current users not only become customers, but also active promoters who share your product with their network of contacts. This multiplier effect can generate exponential growth in a very short time.

Practical Example: Dropbox and its Referral Programme

Context:
In its early days, Dropbox was a startup offering cloud storage. It was competing in a highly competitive market with limited advertising budgets. Its solution was to design a referral programme that transformed its users into brand ambassadors.

Strategy:

  1. Attractive IncentivesDropbox offered Additional 250 MB of free storage both the referring user and the person accepting the invitation.
  2. Ease of UseUsers could easily share their invitation link via email or social media.
  3. Multiplier effectEach new user who joined through the programme could refer others, creating a continuous cycle of growth.

Results:
In just a few months, Dropbox managed to double its user base without spending large sums on advertising. The strategy was so successful that it is still studied today as an iconic example of marketing virality.

How to Apply Virality to Your Product or Service

  1. Make it ShareableDesign your product in a way that makes it easy and natural for users to share it. This can include:
    • Sharing functions in social media.
    • Direct invitation tools.
    • Interactive elements that generate curiosity or a desire to share.
  2. Offers IncentivesMotivate your users to recommend your product:
    • Exclusive offers.
    • Discounts.
    • Early access to premium features.
  3. Create Memorable ExperiencesA product that surprises or solves problems in an exceptional way is more likely to be shared. Emotions, such as joy, surprise or admiration, are great catalysts for virality.
  4. Make Use of Viral ContentCreate marketing campaigns with content designed to be shared widely. For example:
    • Short and creative videos.
    • Eye-catching infographics.
    • Challenges or competitions on social networks.

Application Example: An Online Clothing Store

Let's say you have an online clothing shop. You can implement virality in the following way:

  • It offers a 10% additional discount for each friend a customer refers, and another 10% for the friend who makes their first purchase.
  • Create a social media campaign using the hashtag #MiUniqueStylewhere users share photos of their outfits bought in your shop. Reward the most creative posts.
  • Throw down a challenge: "The 7 Looks Challenge".where participants post a week's worth of outfits wearing garments from your shop, encouraging interaction and sharing among your followers.

Viralising a product or service requires creativity, knowledge of your target audience and a strategic design that encourages digital word of mouth. When you get users to promote your brand organically, you multiply your efforts and get explosive growth with minimal investment.

growth-hacking-2

TIP 4: KAIZEN or Continuously improve your product or service

Current customers VS potential customers

This growth hacker mentality must be handled with care. It is easy to be conquered by the ambition to grow fast. Haste is never good, remember that it costs less money to sell to an existing customer than it does to acquire new customers. It is essential that your service or product is fine-tuned. Also that your customer service is in place to avoid losing acquired customers at the same rate as you gain new ones with new strategies. Growth Hacking.

Therefore, it is important that you have a good email marketing strategy in place at this point. There is no point in taking data from a subscriber if they never hear from you again. Therefore, you must develop a strategy of continuous contact with the subscriber by providing information that contains added value. Examples of continuous improvement of a product or service are, for example, UBER:

  • Valentine's Day rose deliveries on request UBER
  • Ice cream deliveries on request
  • Organising helicopter trips to the Hamptons UberCHOPPER

The user experience can be constantly improved once you have reached a certain size. And by then you will have enough analytical data to be able to make decisions on the most appropriate improvements that will have the biggest impact on the growth of your startup. In conclusion, your best growth hacks will come from your creativity and ability to be alert to the opportunities offered by the market. Good opportunities, no matter how much competition there is, are always there, you just have to identify them. Proper immersion in a niche or market will give you the perspective and understanding to identify them.

GUERRILLA marketing and growth hacking-2
Comments on social networks and rating systems on platforms quickly reveal the quality of a product or service. If it is negative, you will suffer a digital lynching at lightning speed. A bad product or poor service can quickly go viral and endanger even a multinational. The solution is to stay in touch with customers, listen to their suggestions and provide solutions so that the product evolves towards the customer's expectations.

App developers launch Beta versions precisely to test the market, make changes and adjustments proposed by users, in order to arrive at the perfect app for their target audience. Once this is achieved, they propose premium plans, per-download pricing or upsell options within the app. Then, it is always easier to monetise it.

How to apply Growth Hacking

If you identify an opportunity in the market that you can transform into a startup, first develop free content to build a community around the niche. For example, if you don't have the money to launch the company, create a Youtube channel and share free content that will attract a lot of people. Set up a crowfunding campaign to get help from friends and supporters who can provide the initial investment. Creates a database of subscribers through a landing page and then arrive via email marketing. You can drive traffic to your landing page with little investment by means of SEM campaigns offering for example a free ebook.

Groupon, Securitas Direct and many other companies give you an amount or discount if you invite a friend. The power of this seemingly simple tactic has been the driving force behind the growth of many powerful brands and companies in the online environment. I remember in the 1990s and early 2000s, how in sales and marketing training, we used to tell sales people to ask customers for referrals. It was known that the chances of generating word of mouth increased by 50% if you actively asked a customer. Today, the youtubers they do it in every video. They tell users to share the videos, subscribe, turn on the little bell or visit their website in exchange for something free. All these are Growth Hacking techniques.

Facebook has also cleverly used this technique of rapid growth through badges and embeds. Through this strategy they have managed to maintain growth of 200 million new users per year. Badges generated millions of clicks and blog interactions that generated hundreds of millions of new users. Likewise a Youtube video can be embedded within a blog and share the content in reference to, for example, the article you are reading.

Another powerful system that has worked very well to exponentially increase growth is the so-called integrations. Surely in recent years you have gone to register for a service and found that you could do so using your Facebook, Google or Twitter account. Thanks to integrations, users potentially register for a service in up to 50% more cases. Paypal for example had a tough start until it was able to close deals with Ebay and its system-branding to appear alongside Visa and Mastercard. Spotify is another clear example of Growth Hacking. Until they realised that the best strategy was to give the app a social component, they didn't explode in turnover. What they did was simple, they reached an agreement with Facebook to show themselves at the beginning and what your friends were listening to. That's how they quickly became known. They took advantage of the integrations and also the tremendous penetration of Facebook as a platform.

Imagine your Facebook friend Samuel is listening to Ed Sheeran, you think, I'm going to see what kind of music it is. Suddenly, you're listening to it, you like it and you become an automatic Sportify user, isn't that great? Integrations and embed are great growth hacking tactics to go viral. However, they are not systems to be copied, but example schemes so that you understand how the mentality of a growth hacker. You should be on the lookout for opportunities that can give your product or service mass exposure at low cost.

[/et_pb_text]
growth hacking-1
[/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][/et_pb_section]

Would you like one of our SEO Analysts to audit your website?

Tip 2: Focus your actions on a well-defined target audience.

Focusing on a clear target audience is one of the fundamental pillars for the success of any marketing strategy. Growth Hacking and marketing. Without a clear direction, it is impossible to generate a meaningful impact on ideal consumers. This principle is closely linked to Al Ries and Jack Trout's law of focus: "The most powerful principle of marketing is to have a word in the minds of customers".

1. Importance of the Target Audience Approach

When you direct your efforts towards a well-defined group of people, you achieve:

  • Maximising resourcesWith low-cost strategies, each action is designed to directly impact those most likely to become customers.
  • Increasing conversionBy speaking directly to the needs and wants of a specific segment, your messages will be more relevant and effective.
  • Avoiding message dilutionTrying to appeal to "everyone" dilutes your efforts and makes it difficult to stand out from the competition.

2. The Law of Focus in Digital Marketing

In digital marketing, focus means finding a key word or concept that your brand holds in the consumer's mind. For example:

  • Google: Search.
  • Coca-Cola: Cola soft drink.
  • TeslaElectrical innovation.

Similarly, your product or service should be clearly associated with a specific solution for a well-defined group of people.

3. Capture the 15% of the Initial Market

In innovative product markets, reaching 15% of the initial market is crucial to gain traction. This means:

  • Adopting a niche strategyStart by conquering a specific segment before trying to expand your reach.
  • Trial and errorThe initial period is essential for fine-tuning your value proposition, your message and your customer acquisition tactics.

This approach allows for rapid iteration on what works and what doesn't, minimising wasted resources.

4. How to Define a Target Audience

To be specific and effective, it is essential to answer these questions:

  • Who is your ideal customer? It considers demographic (age, gender, location), psychographic (values, interests) and behavioural (buying habits, digital interactions) factors.
  • What problems or needs do they have? Identify the "pain" that your product or service can solve.
  • Where do they spend their time? Get to know the channels and platforms they use to design targeted strategies.

A clear example: If you offer management software for small businesses, don't try to target all businesses. Focus on entrepreneurs with less than 10 employees who are looking for cost-effective and easy-to-use solutions.

5. The Dangers of Not Focusing

  • Dispersion of effortsWithout a clear goal, your campaigns will become generic and less effective.
  • Unnecessary waste of resources: Attempting to reach a mass audience increases costs without guaranteeing results.
  • Lack of differentiationYou will not succeed in positioning yourself as the ideal solution for a specific segment.

6. The Temptation to Sell to Everyone

Although it may seem attractive to address a mass audience, "he who tries to attract everyone, attracts no one".. By concentrating your resources on a specific segment, you are more likely to dominate that market before expanding. This approach is especially critical for startups and growth hacking strategies, where resources are limited and actions must be surgical.

7. Actual Example of Approach

Slacka communication platform, did not start out selling itself as a solution for all companies. Their initial strategy was to focus on tech startups that needed an agile tool for internal collaboration. By dominating this niche, they built a solid user base before expanding into other business segments.

Success in marketing and Growth Hacking is all about focus. Defining a well-defined target audience allows you to maximise your resources and quickly capture a key percentage of the initial market. Most importantly, build a brand that is recognised for solving specific problems. Start small, but think big.

GUERRILLA marketing and growth hacking-1

Tip 3: Viralise your product or Service

One of the most effective pillars of Growth Hacking is to make your product or service go viral. Virality implies that current users not only become customers, but also active promoters who share your product with their network of contacts. This multiplier effect can generate exponential growth in a very short time.

Practical Example: Dropbox and its Referral Programme

Context:
In its early days, Dropbox was a startup offering cloud storage. It was competing in a highly competitive market with limited advertising budgets. Its solution was to design a referral programme that transformed its users into brand ambassadors.

Strategy:

  1. Attractive IncentivesDropbox offered Additional 250 MB of free storage both the referring user and the person accepting the invitation.
  2. Ease of UseUsers could easily share their invitation link via email or social media.
  3. Multiplier effectEach new user who joined through the programme could refer others, creating a continuous cycle of growth.

Results:
In just a few months, Dropbox managed to double its user base without spending large sums on advertising. The strategy was so successful that it is still studied today as an iconic example of marketing virality.

How to Apply Virality to Your Product or Service

  1. Make it ShareableDesign your product in a way that makes it easy and natural for users to share it. This can include:
    • Sharing functions in social media.
    • Direct invitation tools.
    • Interactive elements that generate curiosity or a desire to share.
  2. Offers IncentivesMotivate your users to recommend your product:
    • Exclusive offers.
    • Discounts.
    • Early access to premium features.
  3. Create Memorable ExperiencesA product that surprises or solves problems in an exceptional way is more likely to be shared. Emotions, such as joy, surprise or admiration, are great catalysts for virality.
  4. Make Use of Viral ContentCreate marketing campaigns with content designed to be shared widely. For example:
    • Short and creative videos.
    • Eye-catching infographics.
    • Challenges or competitions on social networks.

Application Example: An Online Clothing Store

Let's say you have an online clothing shop. You can implement virality in the following way:

  • It offers a 10% additional discount for each friend a customer refers, and another 10% for the friend who makes their first purchase.
  • Create a social media campaign using the hashtag #MiUniqueStylewhere users share photos of their outfits bought in your shop. Reward the most creative posts.
  • Throw down a challenge: "The 7 Looks Challenge".where participants post a week's worth of outfits wearing garments from your shop, encouraging interaction and sharing among your followers.

Viralising a product or service requires creativity, knowledge of your target audience and a strategic design that encourages digital word of mouth. When you get users to promote your brand organically, you multiply your efforts and get explosive growth with minimal investment.

growth-hacking-2

TIP 4: KAIZEN or Continuously improve your product or service

Current customers VS potential customers

This growth hacker mentality must be handled with care. It is easy to be conquered by the ambition to grow fast. Haste is never good, remember that it costs less money to sell to an existing customer than it does to acquire new customers. It is essential that your service or product is fine-tuned. Also that your customer service is in place to avoid losing acquired customers at the same rate as you gain new ones with new strategies. Growth Hacking.

Therefore, it is important that you have a good email marketing strategy in place at this point. There is no point in taking data from a subscriber if they never hear from you again. Therefore, you must develop a strategy of continuous contact with the subscriber by providing information that contains added value. Examples of continuous improvement of a product or service are, for example, UBER:

  • Valentine's Day rose deliveries on request UBER
  • Ice cream deliveries on request
  • Organising helicopter trips to the Hamptons UberCHOPPER

The user experience can be constantly improved once you have reached a certain size. And by then you will have enough analytical data to be able to make decisions on the most appropriate improvements that will have the biggest impact on the growth of your startup. In conclusion, your best growth hacks will come from your creativity and ability to be alert to the opportunities offered by the market. Good opportunities, no matter how much competition there is, are always there, you just have to identify them. Proper immersion in a niche or market will give you the perspective and understanding to identify them.

GUERRILLA marketing and growth hacking-2
At the same time, you must create a great product or service. Mediocre products nowadays have no place, they die quickly. A Growth Hacking expert will not be able to do much in terms of growth if there is no quality at the core of the business. Comments on social networks and rating systems on platforms quickly reveal the quality of a product or service. If it is negative, you will suffer a digital lynching at lightning speed. A bad product or poor service can quickly go viral and endanger even a multinational. The solution is to stay in touch with customers, listen to their suggestions and provide solutions so that the product evolves towards the customer's expectations.

App developers launch Beta versions precisely to test the market, make changes and adjustments proposed by users, in order to arrive at the perfect app for their target audience. Once this is achieved, they propose premium plans, per-download pricing or upsell options within the app. Then, it is always easier to monetise it.

How to apply Growth Hacking

If you identify an opportunity in the market that you can transform into a startup, first develop free content to build a community around the niche. For example, if you don't have the money to launch the company, create a Youtube channel and share free content that will attract a lot of people. Set up a crowfunding campaign to get help from friends and supporters who can provide the initial investment. Creates a database of subscribers through a landing page and then arrive via email marketing. You can drive traffic to your landing page with little investment by means of SEM campaigns offering for example a free ebook.

Groupon, Securitas Direct and many other companies give you an amount or discount if you invite a friend. The power of this seemingly simple tactic has been the driving force behind the growth of many powerful brands and companies in the online environment. I remember in the 1990s and early 2000s, how in sales and marketing training, we used to tell sales people to ask customers for referrals. It was known that the chances of generating word of mouth increased by 50% if you actively asked a customer. Today, the youtubers they do it in every video. They tell users to share the videos, subscribe, turn on the little bell or visit their website in exchange for something free. All these are Growth Hacking techniques.

Facebook has also cleverly used this technique of rapid growth through badges and embeds. Through this strategy they have managed to maintain growth of 200 million new users per year. Badges generated millions of clicks and blog interactions that generated hundreds of millions of new users. Likewise a Youtube video can be embedded within a blog and share the content in reference to, for example, the article you are reading.

Another powerful system that has worked very well to exponentially increase growth is the so-called integrations. Surely in recent years you have gone to register for a service and found that you could do so using your Facebook, Google or Twitter account. Thanks to integrations, users potentially register for a service in up to 50% more cases. Paypal for example had a tough start until it was able to close deals with Ebay and its system-branding to appear alongside Visa and Mastercard. Spotify is another clear example of Growth Hacking. Until they realised that the best strategy was to give the app a social component, they didn't explode in turnover. What they did was simple, they reached an agreement with Facebook to show themselves at the beginning and what your friends were listening to. That's how they quickly became known. They took advantage of the integrations and also the tremendous penetration of Facebook as a platform.

Imagine your Facebook friend Samuel is listening to Ed Sheeran, you think, I'm going to see what kind of music it is. Suddenly, you're listening to it, you like it and you become an automatic Sportify user, isn't that great? Integrations and embed are great growth hacking tactics to go viral. However, they are not systems to be copied, but example schemes so that you understand how the mentality of a growth hacker. You should be on the lookout for opportunities that can give your product or service mass exposure at low cost.

[/et_pb_text]
growth hacking-1
[/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][/et_pb_section]

Would you like one of our SEO Analysts to audit your website?

Tip 2: Focus your actions on a well-defined target audience.

Focusing on a clear target audience is one of the fundamental pillars for the success of any marketing strategy. Growth Hacking and marketing. Without a clear direction, it is impossible to generate a meaningful impact on ideal consumers. This principle is closely linked to Al Ries and Jack Trout's law of focus: "The most powerful principle of marketing is to have a word in the minds of customers".

1. Importance of the Target Audience Approach

When you direct your efforts towards a well-defined group of people, you achieve:

  • Maximising resourcesWith low-cost strategies, each action is designed to directly impact those most likely to become customers.
  • Increasing conversionBy speaking directly to the needs and wants of a specific segment, your messages will be more relevant and effective.
  • Avoiding message dilutionTrying to appeal to "everyone" dilutes your efforts and makes it difficult to stand out from the competition.

2. The Law of Focus in Digital Marketing

In digital marketing, focus means finding a key word or concept that your brand holds in the consumer's mind. For example:

  • Google: Search.
  • Coca-Cola: Cola soft drink.
  • TeslaElectrical innovation.

Similarly, your product or service should be clearly associated with a specific solution for a well-defined group of people.

3. Capture the 15% of the Initial Market

In innovative product markets, reaching 15% of the initial market is crucial to gain traction. This means:

  • Adopting a niche strategyStart by conquering a specific segment before trying to expand your reach.
  • Trial and errorThe initial period is essential for fine-tuning your value proposition, your message and your customer acquisition tactics.

This approach allows for rapid iteration on what works and what doesn't, minimising wasted resources.

4. How to Define a Target Audience

To be specific and effective, it is essential to answer these questions:

  • Who is your ideal customer? It considers demographic (age, gender, location), psychographic (values, interests) and behavioural (buying habits, digital interactions) factors.
  • What problems or needs do they have? Identify the "pain" that your product or service can solve.
  • Where do they spend their time? Get to know the channels and platforms they use to design targeted strategies.

A clear example: If you offer management software for small businesses, don't try to target all businesses. Focus on entrepreneurs with less than 10 employees who are looking for cost-effective and easy-to-use solutions.

5. The Dangers of Not Focusing

  • Dispersion of effortsWithout a clear goal, your campaigns will become generic and less effective.
  • Unnecessary waste of resources: Attempting to reach a mass audience increases costs without guaranteeing results.
  • Lack of differentiationYou will not succeed in positioning yourself as the ideal solution for a specific segment.

6. The Temptation to Sell to Everyone

Although it may seem attractive to address a mass audience, "he who tries to attract everyone, attracts no one".. By concentrating your resources on a specific segment, you are more likely to dominate that market before expanding. This approach is especially critical for startups and growth hacking strategies, where resources are limited and actions must be surgical.

7. Actual Example of Approach

Slacka communication platform, did not start out selling itself as a solution for all companies. Their initial strategy was to focus on tech startups that needed an agile tool for internal collaboration. By dominating this niche, they built a solid user base before expanding into other business segments.

Success in marketing and Growth Hacking is all about focus. Defining a well-defined target audience allows you to maximise your resources and quickly capture a key percentage of the initial market. Most importantly, build a brand that is recognised for solving specific problems. Start small, but think big.

GUERRILLA marketing and growth hacking-1

Tip 3: Viralise your product or Service

One of the most effective pillars of Growth Hacking is to make your product or service go viral. Virality implies that current users not only become customers, but also active promoters who share your product with their network of contacts. This multiplier effect can generate exponential growth in a very short time.

Practical Example: Dropbox and its Referral Programme

Context:
In its early days, Dropbox was a startup offering cloud storage. It was competing in a highly competitive market with limited advertising budgets. Its solution was to design a referral programme that transformed its users into brand ambassadors.

Strategy:

  1. Attractive IncentivesDropbox offered Additional 250 MB of free storage both the referring user and the person accepting the invitation.
  2. Ease of UseUsers could easily share their invitation link via email or social media.
  3. Multiplier effectEach new user who joined through the programme could refer others, creating a continuous cycle of growth.

Results:
In just a few months, Dropbox managed to double its user base without spending large sums on advertising. The strategy was so successful that it is still studied today as an iconic example of marketing virality.

How to Apply Virality to Your Product or Service

  1. Make it ShareableDesign your product in a way that makes it easy and natural for users to share it. This can include:
    • Sharing functions in social media.
    • Direct invitation tools.
    • Interactive elements that generate curiosity or a desire to share.
  2. Offers IncentivesMotivate your users to recommend your product:
    • Exclusive offers.
    • Discounts.
    • Early access to premium features.
  3. Create Memorable ExperiencesA product that surprises or solves problems in an exceptional way is more likely to be shared. Emotions, such as joy, surprise or admiration, are great catalysts for virality.
  4. Make Use of Viral ContentCreate marketing campaigns with content designed to be shared widely. For example:
    • Short and creative videos.
    • Eye-catching infographics.
    • Challenges or competitions on social networks.

Application Example: An Online Clothing Store

Let's say you have an online clothing shop. You can implement virality in the following way:

  • It offers a 10% additional discount for each friend a customer refers, and another 10% for the friend who makes their first purchase.
  • Create a social media campaign using the hashtag #MiUniqueStylewhere users share photos of their outfits bought in your shop. Reward the most creative posts.
  • Throw down a challenge: "The 7 Looks Challenge".where participants post a week's worth of outfits wearing garments from your shop, encouraging interaction and sharing among your followers.

Viralising a product or service requires creativity, knowledge of your target audience and a strategic design that encourages digital word of mouth. When you get users to promote your brand organically, you multiply your efforts and get explosive growth with minimal investment.

growth-hacking-2

TIP 4: KAIZEN or Continuously improve your product or service

Current customers VS potential customers

This growth hacker mentality must be handled with care. It is easy to be conquered by the ambition to grow fast. Haste is never good, remember that it costs less money to sell to an existing customer than it does to acquire new customers. It is essential that your service or product is fine-tuned. Also that your customer service is in place to avoid losing acquired customers at the same rate as you gain new ones with new strategies. Growth Hacking.

Therefore, it is important that you have a good email marketing strategy in place at this point. There is no point in taking data from a subscriber if they never hear from you again. Therefore, you must develop a strategy of continuous contact with the subscriber by providing information that contains added value. Examples of continuous improvement of a product or service are, for example, UBER:

  • Valentine's Day rose deliveries on request UBER
  • Ice cream deliveries on request
  • Organising helicopter trips to the Hamptons UberCHOPPER

The user experience can be constantly improved once you have reached a certain size. And by then you will have enough analytical data to be able to make decisions on the most appropriate improvements that will have the biggest impact on the growth of your startup. In conclusion, your best growth hacks will come from your creativity and ability to be alert to the opportunities offered by the market. Good opportunities, no matter how much competition there is, are always there, you just have to identify them. Proper immersion in a niche or market will give you the perspective and understanding to identify them.

GUERRILLA marketing and growth hacking-2
At the same time, you must create a great product or service. Mediocre products nowadays have no place, they die quickly. A Growth Hacking expert will not be able to do much in terms of growth if there is no quality at the core of the business. Comments on social networks and rating systems on platforms quickly reveal the quality of a product or service. If it is negative, you will suffer a digital lynching at lightning speed. A bad product or poor service can quickly go viral and endanger even a multinational. The solution is to stay in touch with customers, listen to their suggestions and provide solutions so that the product evolves towards the customer's expectations.

App developers launch Beta versions precisely to test the market, make changes and adjustments proposed by users, in order to arrive at the perfect app for their target audience. Once this is achieved, they propose premium plans, per-download pricing or upsell options within the app. Then, it is always easier to monetise it.

How to apply Growth Hacking

If you identify an opportunity in the market that you can transform into a startup, first develop free content to build a community around the niche. For example, if you don't have the money to launch the company, create a Youtube channel and share free content that will attract a lot of people. Set up a crowfunding campaign to get help from friends and supporters who can provide the initial investment. Creates a database of subscribers through a landing page and then arrive via email marketing. You can drive traffic to your landing page with little investment by means of SEM campaigns offering for example a free ebook.

Groupon, Securitas Direct and many other companies give you an amount or discount if you invite a friend. The power of this seemingly simple tactic has been the driving force behind the growth of many powerful brands and companies in the online environment. I remember in the 1990s and early 2000s, how in sales and marketing training, we used to tell sales people to ask customers for referrals. It was known that the chances of generating word of mouth increased by 50% if you actively asked a customer. Today, the youtubers they do it in every video. They tell users to share the videos, subscribe, turn on the little bell or visit their website in exchange for something free. All these are Growth Hacking techniques.

Facebook has also cleverly used this technique of rapid growth through badges and embeds. Through this strategy they have managed to maintain growth of 200 million new users per year. Badges generated millions of clicks and blog interactions that generated hundreds of millions of new users. Likewise a Youtube video can be embedded within a blog and share the content in reference to, for example, the article you are reading.

Another powerful system that has worked very well to exponentially increase growth is the so-called integrations. Surely in recent years you have gone to register for a service and found that you could do so using your Facebook, Google or Twitter account. Thanks to integrations, users potentially register for a service in up to 50% more cases. Paypal for example had a tough start until it was able to close deals with Ebay and its system-branding to appear alongside Visa and Mastercard. Spotify is another clear example of Growth Hacking. Until they realised that the best strategy was to give the app a social component, they didn't explode in turnover. What they did was simple, they reached an agreement with Facebook to show themselves at the beginning and what your friends were listening to. That's how they quickly became known. They took advantage of the integrations and also the tremendous penetration of Facebook as a platform.

Imagine your Facebook friend Samuel is listening to Ed Sheeran, you think, I'm going to see what kind of music it is. Suddenly, you're listening to it, you like it and you become an automatic Sportify user, isn't that great? Integrations and embed are great growth hacking tactics to go viral. However, they are not systems to be copied, but example schemes so that you understand how the mentality of a growth hacker. You should be on the lookout for opportunities that can give your product or service mass exposure at low cost.

[/et_pb_text]
growth hacking-1
[/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][/et_pb_section]

Would you like one of our SEO Analysts to audit your website?

Tip 2: Focus your actions on a well-defined target audience.

Focusing on a clear target audience is one of the fundamental pillars for the success of any marketing strategy. Growth Hacking and marketing. Without a clear direction, it is impossible to generate a meaningful impact on ideal consumers. This principle is closely linked to Al Ries and Jack Trout's law of focus: "The most powerful principle of marketing is to have a word in the minds of customers".

1. Importance of the Target Audience Approach

When you direct your efforts towards a well-defined group of people, you achieve:

  • Maximising resourcesWith low-cost strategies, each action is designed to directly impact those most likely to become customers.
  • Increasing conversionBy speaking directly to the needs and wants of a specific segment, your messages will be more relevant and effective.
  • Avoiding message dilutionTrying to appeal to "everyone" dilutes your efforts and makes it difficult to stand out from the competition.

2. The Law of Focus in Digital Marketing

In digital marketing, focus means finding a key word or concept that your brand holds in the consumer's mind. For example:

  • Google: Search.
  • Coca-Cola: Cola soft drink.
  • TeslaElectrical innovation.

Similarly, your product or service should be clearly associated with a specific solution for a well-defined group of people.

3. Capture the 15% of the Initial Market

In innovative product markets, reaching 15% of the initial market is crucial to gain traction. This means:

  • Adopting a niche strategyStart by conquering a specific segment before trying to expand your reach.
  • Trial and errorThe initial period is essential for fine-tuning your value proposition, your message and your customer acquisition tactics.

This approach allows for rapid iteration on what works and what doesn't, minimising wasted resources.

4. How to Define a Target Audience

To be specific and effective, it is essential to answer these questions:

  • Who is your ideal customer? It considers demographic (age, gender, location), psychographic (values, interests) and behavioural (buying habits, digital interactions) factors.
  • What problems or needs do they have? Identify the "pain" that your product or service can solve.
  • Where do they spend their time? Get to know the channels and platforms they use to design targeted strategies.

A clear example: If you offer management software for small businesses, don't try to target all businesses. Focus on entrepreneurs with less than 10 employees who are looking for cost-effective and easy-to-use solutions.

5. The Dangers of Not Focusing

  • Dispersion of effortsWithout a clear goal, your campaigns will become generic and less effective.
  • Unnecessary waste of resources: Attempting to reach a mass audience increases costs without guaranteeing results.
  • Lack of differentiationYou will not succeed in positioning yourself as the ideal solution for a specific segment.

6. The Temptation to Sell to Everyone

Although it may seem attractive to address a mass audience, "he who tries to attract everyone, attracts no one".. By concentrating your resources on a specific segment, you are more likely to dominate that market before expanding. This approach is especially critical for startups and growth hacking strategies, where resources are limited and actions must be surgical.

7. Actual Example of Approach

Slacka communication platform, did not start out selling itself as a solution for all companies. Their initial strategy was to focus on tech startups that needed an agile tool for internal collaboration. By dominating this niche, they built a solid user base before expanding into other business segments.

Success in marketing and Growth Hacking is all about focus. Defining a well-defined target audience allows you to maximise your resources and quickly capture a key percentage of the initial market. Most importantly, build a brand that is recognised for solving specific problems. Start small, but think big.

GUERRILLA marketing and growth hacking-1

Tip 3: Viralise your product or Service

One of the most effective pillars of Growth Hacking is to make your product or service go viral. Virality implies that current users not only become customers, but also active promoters who share your product with their network of contacts. This multiplier effect can generate exponential growth in a very short time.

Practical Example: Dropbox and its Referral Programme

Context:
In its early days, Dropbox was a startup offering cloud storage. It was competing in a highly competitive market with limited advertising budgets. Its solution was to design a referral programme that transformed its users into brand ambassadors.

Strategy:

  1. Attractive IncentivesDropbox offered Additional 250 MB of free storage both the referring user and the person accepting the invitation.
  2. Ease of UseUsers could easily share their invitation link via email or social media.
  3. Multiplier effectEach new user who joined through the programme could refer others, creating a continuous cycle of growth.

Results:
In just a few months, Dropbox managed to double its user base without spending large sums on advertising. The strategy was so successful that it is still studied today as an iconic example of marketing virality.

How to Apply Virality to Your Product or Service

  1. Make it ShareableDesign your product in a way that makes it easy and natural for users to share it. This can include:
    • Sharing functions in social media.
    • Direct invitation tools.
    • Interactive elements that generate curiosity or a desire to share.
  2. Offers IncentivesMotivate your users to recommend your product:
    • Exclusive offers.
    • Discounts.
    • Early access to premium features.
  3. Create Memorable ExperiencesA product that surprises or solves problems in an exceptional way is more likely to be shared. Emotions, such as joy, surprise or admiration, are great catalysts for virality.
  4. Make Use of Viral ContentCreate marketing campaigns with content designed to be shared widely. For example:
    • Short and creative videos.
    • Eye-catching infographics.
    • Challenges or competitions on social networks.

Application Example: An Online Clothing Store

Let's say you have an online clothing shop. You can implement virality in the following way:

  • It offers a 10% additional discount for each friend a customer refers, and another 10% for the friend who makes their first purchase.
  • Create a social media campaign using the hashtag #MiUniqueStylewhere users share photos of their outfits bought in your shop. Reward the most creative posts.
  • Throw down a challenge: "The 7 Looks Challenge".where participants post a week's worth of outfits wearing garments from your shop, encouraging interaction and sharing among your followers.

Viralising a product or service requires creativity, knowledge of your target audience and a strategic design that encourages digital word of mouth. When you get users to promote your brand organically, you multiply your efforts and get explosive growth with minimal investment.

growth-hacking-2

TIP 4: KAIZEN or Continuously improve your product or service

Current customers VS potential customers

This growth hacker mentality must be handled with care. It is easy to be conquered by the ambition to grow fast. Haste is never good, remember that it costs less money to sell to an existing customer than it does to acquire new customers. It is essential that your service or product is fine-tuned. Also that your customer service is in place to avoid losing acquired customers at the same rate as you gain new ones with new strategies. Growth Hacking.

Therefore, it is important that you have a good email marketing strategy in place at this point. There is no point in taking data from a subscriber if they never hear from you again. Therefore, you must develop a strategy of continuous contact with the subscriber by providing information that contains added value. Examples of continuous improvement of a product or service are, for example, UBER:

  • Valentine's Day rose deliveries on request UBER
  • Ice cream deliveries on request
  • Organising helicopter trips to the Hamptons UberCHOPPER

The user experience can be constantly improved once you have reached a certain size. And by then you will have enough analytical data to be able to make decisions on the most appropriate improvements that will have the biggest impact on the growth of your startup. In conclusion, your best growth hacks will come from your creativity and ability to be alert to the opportunities offered by the market. Good opportunities, no matter how much competition there is, are always there, you just have to identify them. Proper immersion in a niche or market will give you the perspective and understanding to identify them.

GUERRILLA marketing and growth hacking-2

[/et_pb_text]
GUERRILLA marketing and growth hacking

Airbnb: A Successful Growth Hacking Model

Airbnbthe platform that connects people looking for accommodation with hosts who offer available spaces, is one of the most iconic cases of Growth Hacking. Since its inception, it has used creative, low-cost strategies to achieve rapid, global growth and has excelled in the following tactics:

1. Integration with Craigslist

One of Airbnb's first strategies was to take advantage of the popularity of Craigslist (a well-known classified advertising platform in the US). Airbnb allowed hosts to automatically post their ads on Craigslist. This guerrilla tactic greatly expanded their reach and attracted a massive audience without investing in advertising campaigns.

2. Confidence Building

To overcome the initial barrier of distrust between hosts and guests, Airbnb implemented tools such as:

  • Reviews and ratingsTo ensure a transparent and secure experience.
  • Professional photosAirbnb offered a free professional photography service to hosts to make their properties stand out, improving the perception of quality.

3. Word of Mouth Strategy and Referral Programmes

Airbnb incentivised both hosts and guests to recommend the platform. Referral programmes offered discounts or credits for future bookings, which encouraged viral growth.

4. User Experience Optimisation

The platform was designed to be intuitive and accessible, with an extremely simple registration and listing process. This removed barriers to entry for both hosts and users.

5. Local Adaptation

As Airbnb expanded globally, it adapted its platform to local needs, including language options, currency, and support in key regions. This helped it conquer diverse markets with customised strategies.

6. User Generated Content

Content created by hosts and guests (reviews, photos and experiences) became a natural promotional driver. This not only improved the platform's visibility, but also reinforced its reputation as a trusted and socially supported option.

Results

Thanks to these strategies, Airbnb went from being a small startup to become one of the largest companies in the world in the holiday accommodation sector. Its scalable model, virality and focus on user experience position it as an emblematic Growth Hacking success story.

google analytics events 4

How to do Growth Hacking

Tip 1: Create a product or service that is desirable to many people.

At the same time, you must create a great product or service. Mediocre products nowadays have no place, they die quickly. A Growth Hacking expert will not be able to do much in terms of growth if there is no quality at the core of the business. Comments on social networks and rating systems on platforms quickly reveal the quality of a product or service. If it is negative, you will suffer a digital lynching at lightning speed. A bad product or poor service can quickly go viral and endanger even a multinational. The solution is to stay in touch with customers, listen to their suggestions and provide solutions so that the product evolves towards the customer's expectations.

App developers launch Beta versions precisely to test the market, make changes and adjustments proposed by users, in order to arrive at the perfect app for their target audience. Once this is achieved, they propose premium plans, per-download pricing or upsell options within the app. Then, it is always easier to monetise it.

How to apply Growth Hacking

If you identify an opportunity in the market that you can transform into a startup, first develop free content to build a community around the niche. For example, if you don't have the money to launch the company, create a Youtube channel and share free content that will attract a lot of people. Set up a crowfunding campaign to get help from friends and supporters who can provide the initial investment. Creates a database of subscribers through a landing page and then arrive via email marketing. You can drive traffic to your landing page with little investment by means of SEM campaigns offering for example a free ebook.

Groupon, Securitas Direct and many other companies give you an amount or discount if you invite a friend. The power of this seemingly simple tactic has been the driving force behind the growth of many powerful brands and companies in the online environment. I remember in the 1990s and early 2000s, how in sales and marketing training, we used to tell sales people to ask customers for referrals. It was known that the chances of generating word of mouth increased by 50% if you actively asked a customer. Today, the youtubers they do it in every video. They tell users to share the videos, subscribe, turn on the little bell or visit their website in exchange for something free. All these are Growth Hacking techniques.

Facebook has also cleverly used this technique of rapid growth through badges and embeds. Through this strategy they have managed to maintain growth of 200 million new users per year. Badges generated millions of clicks and blog interactions that generated hundreds of millions of new users. Likewise a Youtube video can be embedded within a blog and share the content in reference to, for example, the article you are reading.

Another powerful system that has worked very well to exponentially increase growth is the so-called integrations. Surely in recent years you have gone to register for a service and found that you could do so using your Facebook, Google or Twitter account. Thanks to integrations, users potentially register for a service in up to 50% more cases. Paypal for example had a tough start until it was able to close deals with Ebay and its system-branding to appear alongside Visa and Mastercard. Spotify is another clear example of Growth Hacking. Until they realised that the best strategy was to give the app a social component, they didn't explode in turnover. What they did was simple, they reached an agreement with Facebook to show themselves at the beginning and what your friends were listening to. That's how they quickly became known. They took advantage of the integrations and also the tremendous penetration of Facebook as a platform.

Imagine your Facebook friend Samuel is listening to Ed Sheeran, you think, I'm going to see what kind of music it is. Suddenly, you're listening to it, you like it and you become an automatic Sportify user, isn't that great? Integrations and embed are great growth hacking tactics to go viral. However, they are not systems to be copied, but example schemes so that you understand how the mentality of a growth hacker. You should be on the lookout for opportunities that can give your product or service mass exposure at low cost.

growth hacking-1
[/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][/et_pb_section]

Would you like one of our SEO Analysts to audit your website?

Tip 2: Focus your actions on a well-defined target audience.

Focusing on a clear target audience is one of the fundamental pillars for the success of any marketing strategy. Growth Hacking and marketing. Without a clear direction, it is impossible to generate a meaningful impact on ideal consumers. This principle is closely linked to Al Ries and Jack Trout's law of focus: "The most powerful principle of marketing is to have a word in the minds of customers".

1. Importance of the Target Audience Approach

When you direct your efforts towards a well-defined group of people, you achieve:

  • Maximising resourcesWith low-cost strategies, each action is designed to directly impact those most likely to become customers.
  • Increasing conversionBy speaking directly to the needs and wants of a specific segment, your messages will be more relevant and effective.
  • Avoiding message dilutionTrying to appeal to "everyone" dilutes your efforts and makes it difficult to stand out from the competition.

2. The Law of Focus in Digital Marketing

In digital marketing, focus means finding a key word or concept that your brand holds in the consumer's mind. For example:

  • Google: Search.
  • Coca-Cola: Cola soft drink.
  • TeslaElectrical innovation.

Similarly, your product or service should be clearly associated with a specific solution for a well-defined group of people.

3. Capture the 15% of the Initial Market

In innovative product markets, reaching 15% of the initial market is crucial to gain traction. This means:

  • Adopting a niche strategyStart by conquering a specific segment before trying to expand your reach.
  • Trial and errorThe initial period is essential for fine-tuning your value proposition, your message and your customer acquisition tactics.

This approach allows for rapid iteration on what works and what doesn't, minimising wasted resources.

4. How to Define a Target Audience

To be specific and effective, it is essential to answer these questions:

  • Who is your ideal customer? It considers demographic (age, gender, location), psychographic (values, interests) and behavioural (buying habits, digital interactions) factors.
  • What problems or needs do they have? Identify the "pain" that your product or service can solve.
  • Where do they spend their time? Get to know the channels and platforms they use to design targeted strategies.

A clear example: If you offer management software for small businesses, don't try to target all businesses. Focus on entrepreneurs with less than 10 employees who are looking for cost-effective and easy-to-use solutions.

5. The Dangers of Not Focusing

  • Dispersion of effortsWithout a clear goal, your campaigns will become generic and less effective.
  • Unnecessary waste of resources: Attempting to reach a mass audience increases costs without guaranteeing results.
  • Lack of differentiationYou will not succeed in positioning yourself as the ideal solution for a specific segment.

6. The Temptation to Sell to Everyone

Although it may seem attractive to address a mass audience, "he who tries to attract everyone, attracts no one".. By concentrating your resources on a specific segment, you are more likely to dominate that market before expanding. This approach is especially critical for startups and growth hacking strategies, where resources are limited and actions must be surgical.

7. Actual Example of Approach

Slacka communication platform, did not start out selling itself as a solution for all companies. Their initial strategy was to focus on tech startups that needed an agile tool for internal collaboration. By dominating this niche, they built a solid user base before expanding into other business segments.

Success in marketing and Growth Hacking is all about focus. Defining a well-defined target audience allows you to maximise your resources and quickly capture a key percentage of the initial market. Most importantly, build a brand that is recognised for solving specific problems. Start small, but think big.

GUERRILLA marketing and growth hacking-1

Tip 3: Viralise your product or Service

One of the most effective pillars of Growth Hacking is to make your product or service go viral. Virality implies that current users not only become customers, but also active promoters who share your product with their network of contacts. This multiplier effect can generate exponential growth in a very short time.

Practical Example: Dropbox and its Referral Programme

Context:
In its early days, Dropbox was a startup offering cloud storage. It was competing in a highly competitive market with limited advertising budgets. Its solution was to design a referral programme that transformed its users into brand ambassadors.

Strategy:

  1. Attractive IncentivesDropbox offered Additional 250 MB of free storage both the referring user and the person accepting the invitation.
  2. Ease of UseUsers could easily share their invitation link via email or social media.
  3. Multiplier effectEach new user who joined through the programme could refer others, creating a continuous cycle of growth.

Results:
In just a few months, Dropbox managed to double its user base without spending large sums on advertising. The strategy was so successful that it is still studied today as an iconic example of marketing virality.

How to Apply Virality to Your Product or Service

  1. Make it ShareableDesign your product in a way that makes it easy and natural for users to share it. This can include:
    • Sharing functions in social media.
    • Direct invitation tools.
    • Interactive elements that generate curiosity or a desire to share.
  2. Offers IncentivesMotivate your users to recommend your product:
    • Exclusive offers.
    • Discounts.
    • Early access to premium features.
  3. Create Memorable ExperiencesA product that surprises or solves problems in an exceptional way is more likely to be shared. Emotions, such as joy, surprise or admiration, are great catalysts for virality.
  4. Make Use of Viral ContentCreate marketing campaigns with content designed to be shared widely. For example:
    • Short and creative videos.
    • Eye-catching infographics.
    • Challenges or competitions on social networks.

Application Example: An Online Clothing Store

Let's say you have an online clothing shop. You can implement virality in the following way:

  • It offers a 10% additional discount for each friend a customer refers, and another 10% for the friend who makes their first purchase.
  • Create a social media campaign using the hashtag #MiUniqueStylewhere users share photos of their outfits bought in your shop. Reward the most creative posts.
  • Throw down a challenge: "The 7 Looks Challenge".where participants post a week's worth of outfits wearing garments from your shop, encouraging interaction and sharing among your followers.

Viralising a product or service requires creativity, knowledge of your target audience and a strategic design that encourages digital word of mouth. When you get users to promote your brand organically, you multiply your efforts and get explosive growth with minimal investment.

growth-hacking-2

TIP 4: KAIZEN or Continuously improve your product or service

Current customers VS potential customers

This growth hacker mentality must be handled with care. It is easy to be conquered by the ambition to grow fast. Haste is never good, remember that it costs less money to sell to an existing customer than it does to acquire new customers. It is essential that your service or product is fine-tuned. Also that your customer service is in place to avoid losing acquired customers at the same rate as you gain new ones with new strategies. Growth Hacking.

Therefore, it is important that you have a good email marketing strategy in place at this point. There is no point in taking data from a subscriber if they never hear from you again. Therefore, you must develop a strategy of continuous contact with the subscriber by providing information that contains added value. Examples of continuous improvement of a product or service are, for example, UBER:

  • Valentine's Day rose deliveries on request UBER
  • Ice cream deliveries on request
  • Organising helicopter trips to the Hamptons UberCHOPPER

The user experience can be constantly improved once you have reached a certain size. And by then you will have enough analytical data to be able to make decisions on the most appropriate improvements that will have the biggest impact on the growth of your startup. In conclusion, your best growth hacks will come from your creativity and ability to be alert to the opportunities offered by the market. Good opportunities, no matter how much competition there is, are always there, you just have to identify them. Proper immersion in a niche or market will give you the perspective and understanding to identify them.

GUERRILLA marketing and growth hacking-2

[/et_pb_text]
growth hacking
[/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][/et_pb_section]

The profile of a Growth Hacker only focuses on one parameter or metric, exponential growth. Especially in a start-up environment, rapid growth is the difference between success and falling by the wayside. Because of the way business is being undertaken in the digital environment, experts in growth hackingIn order to achieve exponential growth, they must employ creative, innovative and low-cost analytical approaches. The goal is to achieve exponential growth of potential customers or even closing sales or deals. For those marketing veterans, it is the concept of "guerrilla marketing" applied to "guerrilla marketing".digital marketing".

Examples of growth hacking

As we have discussed the parallels between growth hacking and the guerrilla marketing is unequivocal. As in the case of their offline counterparts, growth hacking consultants usually have few financial resources to carry out their work. Hence the importance of a deep knowledge of the digital environment and the creativity to identify and seize opportunities.

Uber model of successful growth hacking

UberThe VTC driver service that replaces the taxi service at a lower cost to the user. It provides greater efficiency and professionalism in the execution of the service. A simple app has been the link between the driver and the end user, generating a multi-million dollar global business. It has also grown rapidly and exponentially around the world due to the ease with which anyone can become an independent worker in this company. Just think that there are more than 250 million cars in the USA alone. UBER provides the application that can be downloaded countless times. The user puts in his or her own time and effort. This service is scalable and rapidly expandable due to the absence of implementation structures and high costs.

Uber also lends itself to recommendations among users. Your experience is good and at the same time, the cost is lower than a traditional taxi. The result is that users will actively recommend it. For users there are no barriers, just download the application in a few seconds, sign up and they can use the service. Fast, scalable, exponential and very social (word of mouth), a perfect example of a startup with a Growth Hacking strategy.

GUERRILLA marketing and growth hacking

Airbnb: A Successful Growth Hacking Model

Airbnbthe platform that connects people looking for accommodation with hosts who offer available spaces, is one of the most iconic cases of Growth Hacking. Since its inception, it has used creative, low-cost strategies to achieve rapid, global growth and has excelled in the following tactics:

1. Integration with Craigslist

One of Airbnb's first strategies was to take advantage of the popularity of Craigslist (a well-known classified advertising platform in the US). Airbnb allowed hosts to automatically post their ads on Craigslist. This guerrilla tactic greatly expanded their reach and attracted a massive audience without investing in advertising campaigns.

2. Confidence Building

To overcome the initial barrier of distrust between hosts and guests, Airbnb implemented tools such as:

  • Reviews and ratingsTo ensure a transparent and secure experience.
  • Professional photosAirbnb offered a free professional photography service to hosts to make their properties stand out, improving the perception of quality.

3. Word of Mouth Strategy and Referral Programmes

Airbnb incentivised both hosts and guests to recommend the platform. Referral programmes offered discounts or credits for future bookings, which encouraged viral growth.

4. User Experience Optimisation

The platform was designed to be intuitive and accessible, with an extremely simple registration and listing process. This removed barriers to entry for both hosts and users.

5. Local Adaptation

As Airbnb expanded globally, it adapted its platform to local needs, including language options, currency, and support in key regions. This helped it conquer diverse markets with customised strategies.

6. User Generated Content

Content created by hosts and guests (reviews, photos and experiences) became a natural promotional driver. This not only improved the platform's visibility, but also reinforced its reputation as a trusted and socially supported option.

Results

Thanks to these strategies, Airbnb went from being a small startup to become one of the largest companies in the world in the holiday accommodation sector. Its scalable model, virality and focus on user experience position it as an emblematic Growth Hacking success story.

google analytics events 4

How to do Growth Hacking

Tip 1: Create a product or service that is desirable to many people.

At the same time, you must create a great product or service. Mediocre products nowadays have no place, they die quickly. A Growth Hacking expert will not be able to do much in terms of growth if there is no quality at the core of the business. Comments on social networks and rating systems on platforms quickly reveal the quality of a product or service. If it is negative, you will suffer a digital lynching at lightning speed. A bad product or poor service can quickly go viral and endanger even a multinational. The solution is to stay in touch with customers, listen to their suggestions and provide solutions so that the product evolves towards the customer's expectations.

App developers launch Beta versions precisely to test the market, make changes and adjustments proposed by users, in order to arrive at the perfect app for their target audience. Once this is achieved, they propose premium plans, per-download pricing or upsell options within the app. Then, it is always easier to monetise it.

How to apply Growth Hacking

If you identify an opportunity in the market that you can transform into a startup, first develop free content to build a community around the niche. For example, if you don't have the money to launch the company, create a Youtube channel and share free content that will attract a lot of people. Set up a crowfunding campaign to get help from friends and supporters who can provide the initial investment. Creates a database of subscribers through a landing page and then arrive via email marketing. You can drive traffic to your landing page with little investment by means of SEM campaigns offering for example a free ebook.

Groupon, Securitas Direct and many other companies give you an amount or discount if you invite a friend. The power of this seemingly simple tactic has been the driving force behind the growth of many powerful brands and companies in the online environment. I remember in the 1990s and early 2000s, how in sales and marketing training, we used to tell sales people to ask customers for referrals. It was known that the chances of generating word of mouth increased by 50% if you actively asked a customer. Today, the youtubers they do it in every video. They tell users to share the videos, subscribe, turn on the little bell or visit their website in exchange for something free. All these are Growth Hacking techniques.

Facebook has also cleverly used this technique of rapid growth through badges and embeds. Through this strategy they have managed to maintain growth of 200 million new users per year. Badges generated millions of clicks and blog interactions that generated hundreds of millions of new users. Likewise a Youtube video can be embedded within a blog and share the content in reference to, for example, the article you are reading.

Another powerful system that has worked very well to exponentially increase growth is the so-called integrations. Surely in recent years you have gone to register for a service and found that you could do so using your Facebook, Google or Twitter account. Thanks to integrations, users potentially register for a service in up to 50% more cases. Paypal for example had a tough start until it was able to close deals with Ebay and its system-branding to appear alongside Visa and Mastercard. Spotify is another clear example of Growth Hacking. Until they realised that the best strategy was to give the app a social component, they didn't explode in turnover. What they did was simple, they reached an agreement with Facebook to show themselves at the beginning and what your friends were listening to. That's how they quickly became known. They took advantage of the integrations and also the tremendous penetration of Facebook as a platform.

Imagine your Facebook friend Samuel is listening to Ed Sheeran, you think, I'm going to see what kind of music it is. Suddenly, you're listening to it, you like it and you become an automatic Sportify user, isn't that great? Integrations and embed are great growth hacking tactics to go viral. However, they are not systems to be copied, but example schemes so that you understand how the mentality of a growth hacker. You should be on the lookout for opportunities that can give your product or service mass exposure at low cost.

growth hacking-1

Would you like one of our SEO Analysts to audit your website?

Tip 2: Focus your actions on a well-defined target audience.

Focusing on a clear target audience is one of the fundamental pillars for the success of any marketing strategy. Growth Hacking and marketing. Without a clear direction, it is impossible to generate a meaningful impact on ideal consumers. This principle is closely linked to Al Ries and Jack Trout's law of focus: "The most powerful principle of marketing is to have a word in the minds of customers".

1. Importance of the Target Audience Approach

When you direct your efforts towards a well-defined group of people, you achieve:

  • Maximising resourcesWith low-cost strategies, each action is designed to directly impact those most likely to become customers.
  • Increasing conversionBy speaking directly to the needs and wants of a specific segment, your messages will be more relevant and effective.
  • Avoiding message dilutionTrying to appeal to "everyone" dilutes your efforts and makes it difficult to stand out from the competition.

2. The Law of Focus in Digital Marketing

In digital marketing, focus means finding a key word or concept that your brand holds in the consumer's mind. For example:

  • Google: Search.
  • Coca-Cola: Cola soft drink.
  • TeslaElectrical innovation.

Similarly, your product or service should be clearly associated with a specific solution for a well-defined group of people.

3. Capture the 15% of the Initial Market

In innovative product markets, reaching 15% of the initial market is crucial to gain traction. This means:

  • Adopting a niche strategyStart by conquering a specific segment before trying to expand your reach.
  • Trial and errorThe initial period is essential for fine-tuning your value proposition, your message and your customer acquisition tactics.

This approach allows for rapid iteration on what works and what doesn't, minimising wasted resources.

4. How to Define a Target Audience

To be specific and effective, it is essential to answer these questions:

  • Who is your ideal customer? It considers demographic (age, gender, location), psychographic (values, interests) and behavioural (buying habits, digital interactions) factors.
  • What problems or needs do they have? Identify the "pain" that your product or service can solve.
  • Where do they spend their time? Get to know the channels and platforms they use to design targeted strategies.

A clear example: If you offer management software for small businesses, don't try to target all businesses. Focus on entrepreneurs with less than 10 employees who are looking for cost-effective and easy-to-use solutions.

5. The Dangers of Not Focusing

  • Dispersion of effortsWithout a clear goal, your campaigns will become generic and less effective.
  • Unnecessary waste of resources: Attempting to reach a mass audience increases costs without guaranteeing results.
  • Lack of differentiationYou will not succeed in positioning yourself as the ideal solution for a specific segment.

6. The Temptation to Sell to Everyone

Although it may seem attractive to address a mass audience, "he who tries to attract everyone, attracts no one".. By concentrating your resources on a specific segment, you are more likely to dominate that market before expanding. This approach is especially critical for startups and growth hacking strategies, where resources are limited and actions must be surgical.

7. Actual Example of Approach

Slacka communication platform, did not start out selling itself as a solution for all companies. Their initial strategy was to focus on tech startups that needed an agile tool for internal collaboration. By dominating this niche, they built a solid user base before expanding into other business segments.

Success in marketing and Growth Hacking is all about focus. Defining a well-defined target audience allows you to maximise your resources and quickly capture a key percentage of the initial market. Most importantly, build a brand that is recognised for solving specific problems. Start small, but think big.

GUERRILLA marketing and growth hacking-1

Tip 3: Viralise your product or Service

One of the most effective pillars of Growth Hacking is to make your product or service go viral. Virality implies that current users not only become customers, but also active promoters who share your product with their network of contacts. This multiplier effect can generate exponential growth in a very short time.

Practical Example: Dropbox and its Referral Programme

Context:
In its early days, Dropbox was a startup offering cloud storage. It was competing in a highly competitive market with limited advertising budgets. Its solution was to design a referral programme that transformed its users into brand ambassadors.

Strategy:

  1. Attractive IncentivesDropbox offered Additional 250 MB of free storage both the referring user and the person accepting the invitation.
  2. Ease of UseUsers could easily share their invitation link via email or social media.
  3. Multiplier effectEach new user who joined through the programme could refer others, creating a continuous cycle of growth.

Results:
In just a few months, Dropbox managed to double its user base without spending large sums on advertising. The strategy was so successful that it is still studied today as an iconic example of marketing virality.

How to Apply Virality to Your Product or Service

  1. Make it ShareableDesign your product in a way that makes it easy and natural for users to share it. This can include:
    • Sharing functions in social media.
    • Direct invitation tools.
    • Interactive elements that generate curiosity or a desire to share.
  2. Offers IncentivesMotivate your users to recommend your product:
    • Exclusive offers.
    • Discounts.
    • Early access to premium features.
  3. Create Memorable ExperiencesA product that surprises or solves problems in an exceptional way is more likely to be shared. Emotions, such as joy, surprise or admiration, are great catalysts for virality.
  4. Make Use of Viral ContentCreate marketing campaigns with content designed to be shared widely. For example:
    • Short and creative videos.
    • Eye-catching infographics.
    • Challenges or competitions on social networks.

Application Example: An Online Clothing Store

Let's say you have an online clothing shop. You can implement virality in the following way:

  • It offers a 10% additional discount for each friend a customer refers, and another 10% for the friend who makes their first purchase.
  • Create a social media campaign using the hashtag #MiUniqueStylewhere users share photos of their outfits bought in your shop. Reward the most creative posts.
  • Throw down a challenge: "The 7 Looks Challenge".where participants post a week's worth of outfits wearing garments from your shop, encouraging interaction and sharing among your followers.

Viralising a product or service requires creativity, knowledge of your target audience and a strategic design that encourages digital word of mouth. When you get users to promote your brand organically, you multiply your efforts and get explosive growth with minimal investment.

growth-hacking-2

TIP 4: KAIZEN or Continuously improve your product or service

Current customers VS potential customers

This growth hacker mentality must be handled with care. It is easy to be conquered by the ambition to grow fast. Haste is never good, remember that it costs less money to sell to an existing customer than it does to acquire new customers. It is essential that your service or product is fine-tuned. Also that your customer service is in place to avoid losing acquired customers at the same rate as you gain new ones with new strategies. Growth Hacking.

Therefore, it is important that you have a good email marketing strategy in place at this point. There is no point in taking data from a subscriber if they never hear from you again. Therefore, you must develop a strategy of continuous contact with the subscriber by providing information that contains added value. Examples of continuous improvement of a product or service are, for example, UBER:

  • Valentine's Day rose deliveries on request UBER
  • Ice cream deliveries on request
  • Organising helicopter trips to the Hamptons UberCHOPPER

The user experience can be constantly improved once you have reached a certain size. And by then you will have enough analytical data to be able to make decisions on the most appropriate improvements that will have the biggest impact on the growth of your startup. In conclusion, your best growth hacks will come from your creativity and ability to be alert to the opportunities offered by the market. Good opportunities, no matter how much competition there is, are always there, you just have to identify them. Proper immersion in a niche or market will give you the perspective and understanding to identify them.

GUERRILLA marketing and growth hacking-2