You could be forgiven for thinking that growth hacking is merely a set of tricks and tactics employed by start-ups to realise extraordinary growth in as short a time as possible.
And, while this is one way to describe growth hacking, the concept itself is actually more of a mind-set and it focuses on the specific marketing methods and tools that start-ups utilise to help them grow.
Inspired by this post at www.fleximize.com, here are our top 15 growth hacking tactics that you simply can’t afford to ignore:
1. Define and track your objectives
Scattered marketing goals will inevitably be more of a hindrance than a help. For this reason it’s important for you to establish exactly what you want to achieve. Forget the grow, grow, grow mentality that many start-ups have and instead focus on the marketing aspects that you can successfully deliver.
2. Maximise your creativity
You’re a start-up business which means you’re probably full of life, energy and panache – leverage that enthusiasm to make up for your inevitable lack of funding, and employ cost-effective digital marketing techniques.
Start blogging about your products and services. It will raise awareness and is a great opportunity to show off your knowledge in particular areas. It’s also a great way to gain important links back to your website which will ultimately boost your SEO.
3. Don’t be afraid to experiment
You’re a growth hacker which means you have the freedom to experiment and don’t have to justify your every move. The position you find yourself in allows you to make judgement calls based on your experiences and ultimately allows you to respond to any changes that may arise.
4. Implement scalability across your workforce
As a start-up, you need to be able to dynamically scale your workforce when the need arises. Freelancers are one way to do this and afford great flexibility for you as a business owner. The fact that they can bring real-world experience to the table and aren’t bound to you by any contracts means that you can utilise them on an ad-hoc basis.
5. Capture all your leads
It’s all very well building an online following but you ultimately want to be able to leverage your leads in the future. However, don’t make the mistake that some companies do and put potential customers off by requesting too much information. At the end of the day an email address is really all you need. Make sure your landing pages are serving their purpose.
6. Automate
Automation tools are widely available nowadays and are a crucial part of growth hacking. After all, they allow you to schedule emails to vast numbers of people. Furthermore, they can help with your customer relationship management by building relationships automatically.
7. Leverage influencers
Every industry has a set of individuals who are considered ‘influencers’. As a growth hacker you need to find out who yours are and leverage their online presence to your benefit. Offer incentives to them directly and engage with them via social media to boost the chances of them interacting with your business and promoting it via their networks.
8. Utilise paid search
You can’t compete with companies who have deep pockets in terms of paid search but by conducting effective keyword research you can reflect the language of your customers and realise greater returns as a result.
9. Establish partnerships
Benefit from more leads by establishing a relationship with an incentivised partner. You’ll get high-quality users and more chance of sales as a result. Just be sure that you can deliver on whatever incentive you agree upon.
10. Be fast
When it comes to your website, loading speed is everything – especially now that many people have lightning-fast connections. If your site stumbles here you could lose vital customers to your competitors.
11. Request testimonials
If your customers think you’re great ask them to put it in writing and proudly display it on your website. Be sure to also get a picture and further information to prove that you didn’t just write the testimonial yourself.
12. Free stuff
It sounds obvious but people like free stuff. Moreover, they like free stuff that is actually valuable. That doesn’t mean to say it has to cost you anything, though. For example, an information-packed eBook is a great incentive for people to give you their email address.
13. Get personal
Whenever you’re communicating with your audience and prospects be sure to be as personal as possible. Talk directly to the person. This makes for a much more powerful engagement and will increase your conversion rates.
14. Suggest next steps
Once you have someone’s attention it’s much easier to subtly suggest next steps. At the end of a piece of correspondence you might advise that the reader shares it or refers a friend. More exposure equals more chance of sales.
15. Be consistent
When building relationships it’s important that you remain consistent throughout. If you say your next post will be on x date then make sure it is. This is crucial for building trust and long-lasting relationships.