Getting off the mark with a startup initiative is one thing; accelerating the growth is an altogether different ball game. Brand success stories fundamentally revolve around three key virtues – patience, dedication, and instinct. Having the right insight on current and upcoming market trends is an important aspect of sustaining momentum. Being smart enough to implement effective growth hacking strategies can go a long way to bring the desired results.
If you are looking for effective ways to fast-track your budding business, then here are 10 growth-hacking techniques to drive success quickly in 2021.
1. Social Stories
Social media is not only engaging but powerful too. It is the best way to reach out to your target audiences on the go, even when you are on a limited budget. Simple activities, like making use of live videos on Facebook, posting interesting yet engaging Stories on Instagram and Snapchat and creating valuable content on YouTube can help you in gaining some quick publicity along with long-term audiences.
2. Product Launch Platforms for Fast Growth
When you are just starting up, probably, the most difficult thing to do is build a buzz around your product. But it is easier said than done. However, there are various product launch platforms like Product Hunt, Kickstarter, and Betalist which help you out.
These product launch platforms help you in launching your product, while also enabling you to reach the target audiences right from the first day. What’s more, these platforms come in both free and sponsored versions and you can use whatever fits you the most.
3. Automate the Busywork
Undoubtedly, powering up startup with limited budgets is a tough task. You are low on resources, and cannot afford to hire a workforce without thinking twice. This is where automation software can come to your rescue, and help you take care of the repetitive tasks on the go. There are various tools such as Buffer and HootSuite which can automate your day to day processes, and help you in focusing on other essential aspects.
4. Do Influencer Marketing
If you’re trying to build buzz around your product, there is no better way to do that than influencer marketing. Bloggers, vloggers and other influencers already have huge fan following, and if your product is recommended by them, you are surely to catch all the attention.
Undoubtedly, top tier influencers are not only hard to reach but expensive too. Thus, we will highly recommend you to look for mid-tier and upcoming influencers, who can boost your visibility without costing you a bomb!
5. Don’t Neglect Data Analytics
In today’s data driven world, we are always on an over-drive to collect as much information as we could possibly do. However, are you sure that your organization is utilizing the data to the fullest possible extent? Ideally processed data should lead to actionable insights. With the advent of analytics and reporting solutions, data processing has become a lot simplified. You can gain significant insight into changes in pricing, branding, logistics etc. with a few clicks of your mouse button.
On top of that, most of the sophisticated analytics tools are capable of performing trend analysis with a great degree of accuracy. Instead of going through hundreds of rows/columns of data, the information is provided to you in easy-to-understand graphical format. It’s your turn to build a robust business backed by proper statistical analysis, rather than relying on instincts and sheer guesswork.
6. Use Customer Retargeting
Retaining and creating a loyal base of customers is important for any business. You want the customers to come back to your website pretty often. Targeted social media ads can be of great help in this regard as today’s generation consumes a lot of social content. You can track the online footprints of potential customers and engage with them while promoting exciting offers and deals on your products/services.
7. Encourage Customer Feedback
The best form of advertising is the word of mouth publicity from your satisfied customers. Nothing can beat the impact it creates. The best measure to gain knowledge about your product or service is through the eyes of the customers. That’s why it is important to keep your customers satisfied. Delight them with quality products and equally impressive pre/post-sale customer support.
Asking for customer feedback can provide you with the room for improvement. It’s also your chance to engage with the buyers directly and get to know their requirements better. So make it a point to take customer feedback seriously. Don’t hesitate to go out of your way to provide them with a delightful experience, which would, in turn, enhance their loyalty to your brand.
8. Target Content Driven Traffic through Blogs
Content is a powerful medium to attract potential business interests. If you follow startups link Reddit and Mint closely, you will readily discover the magic wand in the form of blogging. You can target the already established blogs to promote your marketing content, or even create a blog of your own. Highly targeted content is likely to bring in the most relevant customers and if you are yet to explore this possibility, it’s high time you set the ball in motion.
9. Engage in Unconventional PR
While the traditional forms of PR initiatives like press releases and marketing content are effective to a certain extent, for best results you should uncover some ingenious strategies with unconventional PR practices. Quite a few startups have generated huge interest among the public with carefully thought-out PR gimmicks.
Take the example of CleanBottle, a startup venture that featured a huge water bottle man running next to Tour De France bicycle marathon. It instantly caught the attention of TV crews and claimed a significant amount of coverage on the live telecast – which resulted in an unprecedented boost in sales. If you can think of any such publicity stunts related to your business, then it’s highly likely to create the buzz that you are looking for.
10. Create an Affiliate Program of Your Own
Affiliate business is here to stay for a long time. People always look out for an additional stream of income. If you can provide them with the right kind of incentive to promote your business, they are likely to take the bait, hook, and sinker. Word of mouth promotion from real customers carries additional weight. It’s fundamentally a refined concept of multi-level marketing. By encouraging the customers to act as the brand ambassadors for your business, you can drive new business leads.
The Final Words
Your leadership skills can define the success of your startup business. The onus is on you to devise winning strategies. For realizing your brand’s true potential, it is important to keep the costs firmly in check and look for ways to improve productivity. You can always draw inspiration from competitors and market leaders. Don’t forget to leverage the reach of social media platforms to attract potential customers. Last but not least, do make it a point to keep both your customers as well as employees satisfied. By incorporating these growth hacks in your startup environment, you can help your business grow at a rapid pace by using minimal expenditure.
