The internet has revolutionized the way people connect and the fluidity they perform their business. Apart from becoming an integral part of our society, the internet has spawned infinite numbers of opportunities for businesses. However, surplus opportunities lure in myriads of savvy entrepreneurs, which creates an arms race of digital networking. Consequently, doing business online is no longer a straightforward affair, especially when you plan to kick-start a #startup. The list below illustrates some of the current popular growth hacking strategies, which will help you set up an ideal platform for your startup to take off and get viral.
What defines someone as a growth hacker?
A Growth hacker is usually a multifaceted marketeer who is proficient with basic SEO coding, Social media techniques and marketing strategies at the same time. The objective of the growth hacker is to network/brand with more advocate customers for the product or service. With a growth hacker, it’s all about achieving this goal via fast track testing and measuring and educated guessing, rather than following a prescribed process.
Some preparation to do before you start. Clearly define what business you are in
I’ll illustrate what I mean with an example. Many people believe Facebook is a social media company and in someways it still is. However, the product they sell is media advertising, not a social media platform. Facebook is in the business of selling marketing space and it does this via a free service.
Wix.com people assume is a drag and drop website creating company. It is actually a website hosting subscription company. The drag and drop system is free and if you want to publish the site correctly you have to subscribe to their hosting.
Offering something free and presenting it in the best manner possible can do wonders for your business. For instance, if you offer eCommerce website development services, it would be ideal to create a landing page which offers a free ebook on “Top 8 bulletproof magento security tips” with a strong call to action and “email to a friend” button 😉
Make your customers feel special
The ploy of making your users feel special really works. For instance, the company OnePlus, a Chinese Smartphone manufacturer, required the customers of certain countries to get an invite if they wanted to purchase their flagship phone. Even though, they later dropped the strategy, the strategy provided them a successful stronghold to the Smartphone market in a crowded market, over many countries.
Influencer marketing
Identifying the influencer in your niche and working in conjunction with them is a strong and proven method to kick-start your #startup. Learn more about finding powerful influencers in your industry here.
Make your startup look professional, successful and confident
One of the ideal growth hacking strategies to lure in more customers to your business is make it look like a steamrolling behemoth, even though it might be a little fish. For instance, the Danish startup pipetop, was able to create an impression that it was literally a huge company, rather than just a startup by purchasing multi phone numbers and virtual offices and tagging them under different locations, given on its contact page. (Note: This can also be a bit dodgey, so if in doubt don’t be afraid to look up the addresses in Google before you sign on somewhere.)
Growth hacking is never complete unless you analyze and measure user behavior perpetually and improvise to stay on top. The strategy requires careful planning and anticipation.
Bibliography:
Ahrefscom. (2016, 7 March 2016). Growth Hacking Tactics That Every Startup Needs To Know. [Weblog]. Retrieved 18 June 2016, from https://ahrefs.com/blog/growth-hacking/
Userlikecom. (2016, no-date). 3 Growth Hacks You Should Apply To Your Startup Today. [Weblog]. Retrieved 18 June 2016, from https://www.userlike.com/en/blog/2015/03/26/3-growth-hacks-startup
