Growth Hacking Workshop

Growth HackingCustomer Development with Little to No Budget

Erik Snyder | Parlance Creative

Agenda

1. Intro2. Personas3. Competition4. Branding5. Marketing6. Experience

Why Strategy Matters

The victorious strategist seeks battle after the victory has been won, whereas he who is destined to defeat first fights and afterwards looks for victory in the midst of the fight.-Sun Tzu

Intro

Marketing is...● Advertising● Lead Generation● Sales● Anything Else?

Intro

Marketing is a love story between you and your customers.● Meet● Date● Fall in love● Get married● Build a life together

Personas

What kind of person are you looking for?● Be intentional● Be specific● Be selective● No scrubs● Read Return on Design

Personas

Persona Outline● Person, Problem, Implication● Want, Need, Solution● Seeking, Alternates, Decision

Personas

Person● Name● Picture● Age● Marital Status● Lifestyle

Personas

Problem● Situation: What is their

daily life?● Impetus: What creates

the problem?● Pain: What is the

pain?

Personas

Implication● Personal: How does this

impact my life?● Professional: How does

this impact my job?● Societal: How does this

impact everyone around me?

Personas

A Path Forward...● Want: What they think they need● Need: What they actually need● Solution: Promise what they want, deliver

what they need.

Personas

Awareness● Urgency: Do I need it soon?● Importance: Do I need it?● You can have either, neither,

or both. But both is the sweet spot.

Personas

Seeking Solutions● Direct Competition: Does what you do● Indirect Competition: Solves the same problem● Ignoring the Problem: Sometimes the biggest

competitor is nothing

Personas

Decision● Relative Advantage: Is it better?● Compatibility: Does it connect with my

current understanding of problems and solutions?

● Complexity: How hard is it to understand?● Trialability: Can I try it?● Observability: Can I easily observe that it

works?

Competition

You’re not the only one vying for their attention.● Know the enemy● Learn from their mistakes● Choose to be different

Competition

The Competitive MatrixDefine competitors on:● Brand Archetypes● Tagline: Just Do It, Think Different, I'm Lovin' It● Color Palette: Major & Minor colors used in logo and design elements● Messaging Tone: Aggressive, Friendly, Polished, Dry, Folksy, Etc● Target Market: Who are they trying to sell to?● Features: What does the solution do?● Benefits: How does it improve user's situation?● Advantages: Why is it better than similar solutions?● Packaging: Price, trials and how the features are broken up

Competition

Sample Competitive Matrix

Competition

Where to Look● Search like you don’t know the solution● Exhaust the results and look at ads● Use AngelList and CrunchBase● Use Open Graph to find competitor’s

audience● Demo

Branding

How will you stand out?● Be unique● Choose how you will be

perceived● Don’t be passive● Read Zag

Branding

Internal Identity● Mantra: Why do you deserve to exist?● Vision: What will you accomplish?● Defining Statement: How are you “the only?”

Branding

Future Obituary● How do you want to be remembered?● Write the obituary for your your company.● “After 50 years of successful operation...”

Branding

Archetypes● Choose your

personality● Avoid the

competitor's● You can be a

combination

Branding

Messaging Palette● Write down all your features, advantages

and benefits in plain English● Now state them in your brand voice● Rewrite until they are as short as possible● For help, read Elements of Style

Branding

Branding

Okay, let’s build your brand!

Marketing

How will you get that first date?● You can’t spend your way to success● You don’t have a reputation (yet)● You have to build a relationship● Read The New Rules of Marketing & PR

Marketing

How to Be a Cheap Marketer● Listen: Build your community● Test: Turn strangers into promoters● Measure: Ruthlessly judge your efforts● Iterate: Double down on success but keep

testing

Listen

Find Communities● Where your persona is● Where your problem is● Where your competitors are● Online and offline● Suggestions: reddit, meetup.com, quora

Listen

Blend In● Respect above all● Answer first● Don’t sell● Pretend it’s a party: would you act that way

in a party full of people you don’t know?

Listen

Making the Ask● Wait for the right time● Be transparent● Ask for stories● Ask follow-up questions● Don’t ask for free work

Listen

Stay Involved● Don’t have a one night stand● Keep them updated● Be their biggest fan● Activity: Find your communities, discover

discussions to get involved in, and make your first post.

Test

Test

You have two audiences:● Your Personas● The Startup Culture● Play to both, but don’t get caught up in

startup culture

Test

Publish Your Own Content● Any question you’ve ever been asked in your

industry is prime fodder for a post● Blog is good, Video is better, Both is best● Publish 3 times per week, one should be

long

Test

Blog Guidelines● Repeat problem and solution keywords● 300 is short (Seth Godin style)● 1,000 is long (Moz style)● Do both● Always finish with an offer (more later)● Follow on-page SEO best practices...

Test

On Page SEO Best Practices● Alt text on links and images● Keywords in H1 tags● Images as links● Link to respected content: Wikipedia, NYT,

Other Blogs (they’ll get a pingback)

Test

Guest Publish● Google “guest post” + your

industry● Get involved intelligently● Pitch the idea to their audience● Ask for advice● Never abandon your post

Test

Let’s draft a blog plan and a post!● List topics and rank them● Find places to guest blog● Find sources for your post● Create bullets for main points

Test

Social Media Power: Regular Fuel● Snippets of your content● Your offers● Re-posting good stuff you’ve found● Transparent sharing: fun, intelligent, charity● Memes/cats/game of thrones/etc

Test

Social Media Power: Rocket Fuel● Wade into a controversy: industry, political,

but never personal● Call out your competition (Dollar Shave

Club)● Alternatively, give them free advice● Activity: Social media calendar

Test

Remember, we are after engagement. Don’t

count on:● Contests● “Viral videos”● Buying likes● They will never care

Test

Offers get you contact info. Good offers are:● Solves an expressed need● Unique● Not time consuming for you

Test

Put your offers on landing pages● Unbounce is your friend● Keep forms super short● Always have a thank you page● Auto-send the first e-mail● Activity: Create an offer

Test

Product Pages Matter● You must answer the basic questions first● Long form copy is good...under the fold● Make these pages a resource for your blog

posts● Examples: Nest, FitBit, Rolex

Test

Advertise if You Must● Start with the landing page and work

backwards● AdWords is low hanging fruit, but there isn’t

much of it● Facebook has potential, but measure

carefully

Test

AdWords Tutorials● Blackstone Tutorial 101● Blackstone Tutorial 202● Activity: Build out your first campaign

Test

Facebook Ad Tips● Pictures of people are best● Action-oriented headlines● Use the social component● Boost your posts● Getting likes will always be cheaper● Activity: Observe setting up ads

Measure

Don’t Make Vanity Metrics Your Goal● Visitors● Pageviews● Bounce rate

Measure

Metrics Worth Tracking● Good: Time on Site, Recency, Pages per Visit● Better: Form Submissions, Shares,

Comments● Best: Segment, Segment, Segment

Measure

Google Analytics From the Start● Use a plugin● Set your goals● Give it time● Activity: Observe metrics in action

Experience

How will you turn a few dates into a lifetime commitment?● Stay focused on what matters: the

experience● Constant improvement● The grass is not greener

Experience

Understand the Ultimate Moment of Truth

Experience

Optimize for UMOT● Track all moments of truth● Create interventions to move people along● Keep watch on your reputation

Experience

How will potential customers decide?● Relative Advantage● Compatibility● Complexity● Trialability● Observability

Experience

Relative Advantage● The degree to which an innovation is

perceived to be better than current solutions● Can be measured in terms of economics,

social prestige, convenience, quality and satisfaction.

Experience

Compatibility● How consistent an innovation is with existing

values, past experiences and social norms.● Anything that requires the adoption of a new

framework for understanding the problem will require additional effort

Experience

Complexity● The degree to which something is perceived

to be difficult to understand.● UserTesting.com yourself● Now your competition

Experience

Trialability● The degree to which an innovation may be

experienced on a limited basis.● Trialability represents less less risk to the

user, speeding initial adoption.

Experience

Observability● The degree to which the results of using an

innovation are obvious to others.● Visibility of position results to peers is a

conversation stimulant, sparking viral growth.

A Few Tips

Pricing● Use a decoy● Price is perception● Zero is worth less than nothing● Read Predictably Irrational

A Few Tips

Service● Offer free phone support to your first users● Remind them you care● Solve problems publicly

A Few Tips

Reviews● Make it easy: a button in the app● Remind them: with an email● Use a service: ResellerRatings.com

Thank You

Erik Snydererik@parlancecreative.comTwitter @eriksnyder