Growth Hacker

How to Get Traffic from Telegram Search in 2024 In the past, entrepreneurs and marketers could easily dominate top positions in Telegram search, using channel networks to pull in free traffic with minimal effort. However, in 2023, Telegram updated its algorithms and introduced paid features, making it more challenging to attract traffic. If you want to effectively use free traffic from Telegram search in 2024, you’ll need to adapt to the new rules. Let’s dive into how to make it work. How Telegram Search Works

Telegram offers a powerful global search feature, now showing up to 10 results on mobile devices and all results on desktop. Notably, Telegram prioritizes channels over groups, chats, and bots when ranking results. This presents significant opportunities for business promotion through channels but also creates stiff competition for high-traffic keywords.

What Affects Traffic from Telegram Search 1. Number of Premium Subscribers Telegram gives preference to channels with an active audience of Premium subscribers. To rank high in search results, you need to attract and retain such subscribers who regularly engage with your content. This not only requires spending on boosting but also creating quality content that resonates with your target audience. 2. Bot Usage Avoid boosting your channel with bots from other regions. This can negatively impact your channel’s visibility. Regularly filter your traffic to protect your business from these threats and ensure fair promotion. 3. Targeting the Right Region Your Premium subscribers should be from the region your business is targeting. Attracting subscribers from other regions can lower your search ranking and reduce the amount of targeted traffic you receive. 4. Owning a Key Domain Key domains related to your business can help your channel secure top positions in search results. This is particularly important for low- to mid-frequency queries, where competition is lower. 5. Pay Attention to Channel Naming Your channel’s name should include popular keywords related to your business. Use low-frequency keywords with at least 10,000 monthly impressions in Wordstat to attract more targeted traffic. 6. Seek New Ideas for Your Channel Keep your content relevant by tapping into trending topics popular with your target audience. For instance, if your business is related to marketplaces, publish content about promoting stores on these platforms. It’s crucial to catch trends early to carve out your niche in search results. 7. Allocate a Budget for Promotion To effectively promote your Telegram channel, be prepared to allocate a budget for boosting and maintaining activity. The approximate cost for 1,000 premium subscribers is around $25, not including additional promotion and premium reaction expenses. How to Stay at the Top of Search Results To maintain a top position, you need to protect your channels, monitor the quality of your audience, and explore new niches. For example, if your business deals with adult content, such topics can rank highly with lower costs. However, for long-term success, it’s also crucial to have at least one reputable “white” channel with a solid reputation that’s difficult to knock out of the top rankings. This is especially important as adult content and gray niches are often blocked after a series of complaints.

How to Consistently Go Viral: Nikita Bier’s Playbook for Winning at Consumer Apps

Nikita Bier is one of the most in-demand consumer, social, and growth experts in the world. He’s the co-founder of TBH (sold to Meta for $30M+) and Gas (sold to Discord for millions more). He has helped more consumer apps hit #1 in the app stores than anyone else. As an advisor and investor, he's involved with some of the best consumer tech companies, including Flo, Locket, Eight Sleep, Citizen, BeReal, Captions, and more.

In a recent interview, he covered: ▪️ The explosive growth of TBH and Gas ▪️ Strategies for building viral consumer apps ▪️ Why teens are the perfect audience ▪️ The challenge of creating lasting social products ▪️ Advice for founders on building consumer apps ▪️ And much more Key takeaways of the interview: ▪️ There are only a few core reasons why people download apps, and they each link back to basic human motivations: — Finding a mate (e.g. Tinder) — Making or saving money (e.g. Robinhood) — Unplugging from reality (e.g. Netflix) ▪️ Optimize your app’s core value within the first 3 seconds of use—attention spans are shrinking! ▪️ Teens are a goldmine for viral growth due to their high social communication rate. Each year of age from 13 to 18 sees a 20% drop in invitations sent per user. ▪️ Look for startup ideas where there's latent demand—inefficient methods indicate an opportunity for a better solution. ▪️ Large tech companies struggle to launch hit social apps; success requires quick iterations and intuitive insights into human behavior. ▪️ Creating durable consumer social products is extremely difficult. Nikita views it as a “black swan event” that happens maybe once a decade and involves a lot of luck. And if you wanna watch the full interview, you can check it out here: https://youtube.com/watch?v=bhnfZhJWCWY

Trackers for Monitoring Ad Campaign Effectiveness Many entrepreneurs and marketers rely on basic analytics from ad platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Google, etc. when running their campaigns. However, in traffic arbitrage, trackers are widely used and can become your secret weapon for boosting conversions. These tools automate three key processes: data collection, processing, and campaign analysis. When used correctly, trackers can not only save you time but also significantly increase your ROI. Today, I'll break down how they work and which features can help you achieve better results. Key Features of Trackers: 1. Campaign Performance Monitoring 2. Analytics 3. Data Sorting by Various Filters 4. Campaign Optimization (including automatic optimization, which can boost ROI by 50%) 5. Fraud Monitoring (especially crucial as ad fraud cost $42 billion in 2022) 6. A/B Testing (can increase conversions by 27%) Additional Features: Many trackers offer unique capabilities such as collaborative access, AI for testing combinations, smart rotation, and built-in landing page builders. These features make trackers indispensable tools in any ad campaign. Top Trackers: ▪️ Keitaro: Flexible settings, integration with 120 traffic sources and 250 CPA networks, powerful fraud monitoring. ▪️ AdsBridge: Supports multifunctional landing pages, auto-optimization, and integration with 30 ad networks. ▪️ OctoTracker: A versatile and user-friendly tracker supporting 40 ad networks. ▪️ PeerClick: High-performance tracker with automatic A/B testing features, increasing ROI by 35%. ▪️ Voluum: A reliable tracker with integration across 70 ad platforms, auto-optimization, and fraud monitoring. Trackers are powerful tools that help optimize ad campaigns, boost conversions, and protect budgets from fraud. If you’re not using them yet, chances are you're running highly inefficient campaigns.

6 Reasons Why Your Facebook Ads Aren’t Converting If you’re sinking cash into Facebook ads but not getting the results you want, one of these issues is probably tanking your conversions. Let’s break down the common culprits and how to fix them so your campaigns start crushing it. Reason #1: Meta Pixel Mess-Up Meta Pixel is the engine that drives your Facebook ad tracking. If it’s not set up right, your data could be totally whack. Make sure: — The pixel is installed correctly on all key pages — You’re not doubling up on pixels on the same page — The code is up-to-date, and you’re using cross-domain tracking solutions

Pro Tip: Look into setting up Facebook Conversion API for spot-on conversion tracking, especially if you’re sweating about cookie restrictions and data blocks on iOS.

Reason #2: Lame Ad Creative Your ad creative is the lifeblood of your campaign. If your message isn’t popping and your visuals aren’t hitting home, it’s time to step up your game. — Nail down your target audience — Run A/B tests to find the winning combo — Inject some urgency and exclusivity into your offers — Play around with formats: try out video ads or carousel posts Reason #3: Weak Landing Page Even the best ads won’t mean squat if your landing page is a hot mess. It needs to be fast, mobile-friendly, and in sync with your ad’s vibe.

Pro Tip: Make sure your calls-to-action (CTAs) are clear as day, and that filling out forms isn’t a pain in the neck for users.

Reason #4: Off-Target Audience If your ads are hitting the wrong crowd, your conversions will tank. Use custom audiences, dig into demographics, and study user behavior to dial in your targeting.

Pro Tip: Constant testing and tweaking will help you zero in on the perfect audience.

Reason #5: Budget Blues A tight budget can seriously mess with your conversion rate if you’re not keeping an eye on the cost per click (CPC). Make sure your budget is in line with your CPC, or you’ll be left high and dry with not enough leads.

Pro Tip: Be ready to adjust your budget on the fly—don’t be shy about cranking it up if needed.

Reason #6: Rushing the Process Every new campaign goes through a learning phase that can take up to 30 days. Don’t jump the gun—give the algorithm time to do its thing.

Pro Tip: If you’ve got a longer sales cycle, make sure your ads get in front of users multiple times before they pull the trigger.

Make Money with AI Models on Instagram and Patreon: Secrets from a Growth Hacker and How to Apply Them in Startups Freemium traffic (FT) is no longer just junk—it’s a real tool for making money. Below, I’m sharing a proven scheme that not only works but is also easily integrated into your ad campaigns. With this scheme, you can: — Arbitrage traffic and sell paid content — Use it as a new channel to quickly boost your sales of other products/services Here’s How the Scheme Works:

— Traffic from Instagram: Create (or buy) and grow Instagram accounts. Post attractive and alluring photos and Reels of women. Don’t forget the platform’s rules—explicit nudity is taboo, or you risk getting banned. — Attractive Content: The content must be enticing enough to grab the audience's attention without violating platform rules. This is an art of balance, like walking a tightrope. — Redirect Traffic to Patreon: Place a link to your Patreon page in your Instagram profile bio. This is where the monetization magic begins. — Content on Patreon: Create two types of content for Patreon. The first is public to hook subscribers and make them want more. The second is exclusive, available only to those who have paid for a subscription. Subscribers pay for access to more revealing photos and videos. The last two steps are relevant for traffic arbitrage, but if you have your own product/service/store, obviously, direct traffic there.

Generating Models for Ads Forget about finding real models—AI will do all the work for you. Use neural networks to create unique faces and content. Adjust prompts to match the theme of your campaign. Light content goes on Instagram, while more provocative materials are exclusive to Patreon. This approach allows you to diversify your advertising materials and make them more appealing to the audience. Tools: https://www.seaart.ai/ Warming Up Accounts for Campaigns Before launching ads, warm up the accounts: make a few posts, fill out the description, go through competitors, and like their content. After a few days, you can start active work, posting 2-3 Reels and 1 post daily. For maximum reach and traffic attraction, use 5-8 accounts simultaneously. You can also buy ready-made accounts with history to save your time. Tools: https://accsmarket.com/ and https://dark.shopping/ Setting Up Your Patreon Page for Monetization This is where it gets interesting—setting up your Patreon page. Create a header, avatar, and description to grab the audience’s attention. Divide the content into free and paid, then attract users through your Instagram ad campaigns. It’s important to use either generated models or real models with age verification—this will protect you from bans and other issues. “Money, Money, Money!” That’s what it’s all about. If you set up the campaign correctly, you can easily earn up to $10,000 a month from paid subscribers. And if you’re selling your product instead of arbitraging, you can earn even more! Conclusion This scheme not only works but is also perfect for integrating into your ad campaigns. Experiment, use AI, test different approaches, and follow platform rules. It’s time to turn FT into a steady income stream. P.S. Screenshots include all the steps plus my friend’s earnings from this arbitrage scheme.

💡 Learning from the Best: The Story of Facebook's Growth Team Chamath Palihapitiya, a former AOL employee, joined Facebook in 2007 and became a key figure in creating the Growth Team. In 2008, when Facebook's user base stalled at 90 million, Palihapitiya decided to rethink the approach to growth. The team he formed, which included Naomi Gleit, Alex Schultz, and Javier Olivan, began exploring new strategies to break through this barrier. Palihapitiya outlined three main questions for growth: 1. How do we attract new users? 2. How do we quickly lead them to the "aha moment"—the moment when they first realize the product's value? 3. How do we ensure that users experience this value as frequently as possible? The "aha moment" was defined as adding seven friends within 10 days. The key metric became Monthly Active People (MAP), reflecting real user engagement. The team conducted numerous experiments aimed at improving MAP without altering the core product. One such experiment that significantly impacted growth was the addition of the “People You May Know” (PYMK) feature. For PYMK to work, Facebook requested access to users' contact lists—primarily sourced from email at the time. New users were immediately presented with a list of familiar faces, which helped them quickly experience the "aha moment" by adding them as friends. This mechanism, however, sometimes led to awkward situations, such as when clients of the same psychologist were suggested to "friend" each other. Such incidents raised questions about Facebook's disregard for user privacy in its pursuit of growth. It’s important to note that the goal of PYMK wasn’t to introduce new features or create new value, but rather to help users recognize the existing value of the product. In Conclusion: Between 2008 and 2010, Facebook's user base grew significantly, according to Statista. The story of Facebook's growth is an example of how a team operating at the intersection of marketing and product development was able to solve the growth challenge through innovative methods that were unconventional for the time. Similar approaches were later used by other companies like LinkedIn, but they hadn't yet become widespread practices back then...

How to Smartly Capitalize on Competitors’ Weaknesses 🤫 Let me share a case involving Airbnb, which cleverly leveraged the shortcomings of other, less tech-savvy platforms for its explosive growth. One of Airbnb's early "hacks" was offering its users the ability to automatically and freely post their listings on the popular platform Craigslist. At that time, Craigslist was the largest classified ads site, but it had an outdated design and clunky interface. Airbnb gave property owners access to Craigslist's vast audience, while all interactions with clients took place on Airbnb's sleek, modern platform. So, what happened next? It’s not hard to guess: by the time Craigslist caught on, it was too late — a significant portion of their audience had already migrated to Airbnb. You can draw your own conclusions from this.

Stealing Borrowing Ideas 💡 While growth hacking is all about the constant pursuit of new ideas for explosive growth, I’ve got a few time-tested techniques up my sleeve. These are perfect for existing projects looking to boost their influx of new customers: — Simple and Intuitive Interface If you don’t have one yet — create it. A great recent case study on this is Facebook. If you haven’t checked it out, I highly recommend it. — Testing Call-to-Action (CTA) Don’t be afraid to experiment with headlines, subheadings, and copy on landing pages. Even small changes can significantly boost conversion rates. — Partner Platform Take a page from the playbook of payment systems. Build a platform that partners can leverage. — Integration on Other Platforms Don’t hesitate to place your product on other platforms, just like YouTube did by allowing videos to be embedded on websites and social media. — Reviews and Thematic Overviews on Popular Portals It’s no secret that star ratings and reviews under products on popular online stores drive purchases just as well, if not better, than flashy photos. — Referral Bonuses Copy Dropbox’s strategy of offering extra storage for inviting friends. — Viral Spread This includes gamification — distract the hamster from tapping, even if just for a second :) 🐹

“It’s too late to hack growth” – a sigh filled with regret… Spoiler: No, it’s not too late. Such arguments are frequently found on marketing forums. They’re often expressed with phrases like, “The range of advertising tools is limited, competition in every field is high, and rapid growth is impossible.” We don’t believe that, and here’s why: 1. New advertising formats, approaches, and methodologies are regularly emerging. Correspondingly, the number of unique techniques that can enable growth hacking is also increasing. 2. Not all approaches work the same way for different companies, and numerous factors influence this. So even if new advertising tools were to stop appearing, you could still experiment with existing ones and try new strategies from other industries. Therefore, giving up on growth hacking is not advisable. Keep trying, keep experimenting, and keep exploring new possibilities.

Content as Fuel for Growth: Lessons from Industry Leaders When it comes to content-driven growth, major companies like HubSpot, Ahrefs, and Intercom clearly know what they’re doing. They don’t just write articles or create videos — they turn content into a powerful engine for attracting customers and increasing revenue. Take Ahrefs, for example. Starting with a small blog, they now publish over 300 posts that attract 1.5 million visitors each month. Imagine millions of users coming to your site solely because of well-crafted content! HubSpot is even more impressive: in their early years, over 30% of their customers came through their blog. Today, their web traffic surpasses that of major online publications like TechCrunch. This success is the result of consistent effort on content that not only informs but also inspires. Intercom’s example shows that high-quality content can be a key differentiator from competitors. Starting from scratch, they now have over 870 posts and 262 podcasts, drawing more than 100,000 visitors and 75,000 listeners each month. But don’t think it’s all that easy. Content marketing is a marathon, not a sprint. The teams at these companies have spent years refining their strategies, constantly experimenting and improving their results. They weren’t afraid of failures because they knew that the best content is born from experience and patience. So, what can you learn from the best startups? Content shouldn’t be random: every article, video, or post should have a clear purpose—whether it’s SEO, virality, or simply strengthening the brand. Why start with content? It’s cheap, effective, and most importantly, if done right, content can bring in customers for years. The key is to understand your goals, be patient, and don’t be afraid to try new things. After all, content isn’t just words on a screen; it’s a tool that can transform your entire business.

🤫 The Secrets of the Perfect Growth Hack When you saw the headline, you might have started rubbing your hands together, eagerly anticipating the perfect formula that would lead to explosive growth. Spoiler: there isn’t one. That’s impossible by definition, because it goes against the very fundamentals of growth hacking, as proven by practice. Every successful “hack” depends on a multitude of factors, including marketing and product strategies that are unique to each project. For example, Dropbox’s offer of free gigabytes led to significant user growth. But the same approach might not have worked for another project, like pCloud, because every product has its own strategy and audience.

Sean Ellis, the founder of the growth hacking concept, emphasized that a single successful hack, like Dropbox’s, wouldn’t have led to explosive growth if it wasn’t supported by numerous other tools and approaches aimed at product development.

If you’re aiming for explosive growth, keep in mind these key growth hacking principles: — Experiment with New Tools: Don’t limit yourself to traditional advertising. Try unique methods and approaches, and over time, you’ll achieve growth in both product and business. — Analyze Your Actions: Without solid analytics, any growth hacking attempts lose their meaning. Use analytical tools to evaluate your results. — Automate Routine Processes: Free up more time for testing and implementing new ideas to accelerate growth. And remember: 🎯 the goal of a growth hacker is to find unique solutions and ensure rapid company growth in a short time, by combining creativity with analytical thinking.

Growth hacking — 2WIMC❓ The debate over who should be using growth hacking never seems to end. In my opinion, this strategy is beneficial for any business. The key lies in who applies it and how: Startups. The first few months after launch are critical for the survival of any startup. It’s the time when the audience is introduced to a completely new product, tries it out, and decides whether to buy it. Growth hacking at this stage helps quickly build trust with the audience and establish a solid foundation for growth. B2B Marketers. Growth hacking is primarily used to secure as many contracts as possible—or land the biggest clients. The challenge is in properly implementing the approach and combining it with traditional marketing. B2C Marketers. They can turn to growth hacking to find and attract their ideal customers—and of course, much more. Content Marketers. Today, only a blind businessman wouldn’t realize the power of words in driving business growth. Content has become an incredibly powerful tool for attracting new clients. Integrating growth hacking here can exponentially increase reach. SMM Specialists. For these folks, growth hacking simplifies working with social media, boosting conversion rates. This is by no means an exhaustive list of those who benefit most from growth hacking. But as I mentioned at the beginning of the post, this strategy is worth using for any business looking to significantly increase profits in a short period of time.

To attract customers, the fastest-growing B2B companies used three main strategies: 1. Leveraging Personal Networks Most B2B startups begin by reaching out to their existing contacts—friends, former colleagues, and investors. This network is often the easiest and most reliable source of early customers. For example: Slack: Stewart Butterfield and his team reached out to friends at other companies, gradually expanding their user base. Salesforce: Marc Benioff leveraged his past connections to secure their first clients, starting with a small software company he had invested in. Stripe: The Collison brothers didn’t just ask people to try their product; they literally set it up on their contacts’ laptops on the spot. 2. Finding Customers Where They Already Are Successful startups often identify communities or platforms where their potential customers already spend time and actively engage there: Shopify: Tobi Lütke’s initial customer base came from the Ruby on Rails developer community, which led to the creation of Shopify. Figma: Dylan Field targeted influential designers on Twitter to get feedback and build relationships, which later converted into early users. 3. Leveraging Media Coverage Though this strategy is used less frequently than the first two, some startups have attracted attention and their first customers through media coverage. Examples include: Twilio: A clever rickrolling prank by an investor on TechCrunch led to the startup’s first press hit. Slack: A well-coordinated media campaign resulted in 8,000 people signing up on their first day. Key Takeaways: Personal Networks: Your first customers are likely people you already know. Use your network and don’t be afraid to ask for help. Go Where They Are: Identify and engage with communities where your target customers are active. Press: If you have a compelling story, media coverage can significantly expand your reach, though it’s not usually the primary driver. These strategies are used by many B2B companies, from Salesforce to Slack. In the early stages, it’s important to be flexible, leverage all available connections, and apply growth hacking techniques. This approach will inevitably help scale your business.

Pinterest Ad Results and Costs: A 6-Day "Microtest" by a Growth Hacker I decided to run a small experiment and test out advertising on Pinterest. Today, I want to share the results and costs of this endeavor. For those who aren't aware, Pinterest is a kingdom of women: 71% of users are female. The majority of the audience is aged 18-49, and 70% of them have a college degree. So, let's say the audience there is smart and has money to spend. For the test, I created a Shopify store selling an ebook with 49 summer recipes. The store was set up according to the dropshipping playbook: attractive reviews, sticky "Buy Now" buttons, and so on. I targeted by interests and keywords related to food and recipes. The creatives were made bright and enticing, as Pinterest is all about visual appeal. After four days, the results were as follows: ▪️Sales: 0 ▪️Impressions: 5.7K ▪️Cost: 40 Euros ▪️Average CPM: 6 Euros ▪️Average CTR: 1% ▪️Pin Clicks: 46 ▪️Outbound Clicks: 23 (clicks that led users to the landing page) So far, no "wow" effect. Sales are at zero, but traffic is coming in, and the cost per click isn't too bad. The experiment isn't over yet, but even based on these metrics, some conclusions can already be drawn.

The $DOGS listing is on 20th August, just as we expected! The opportunity to reap the benefits is barking at your window—it’s time to take a look and not let luck slip away 🐶 — today is the last day of free claim. Seize the moment and grab your free pups!

The Secret Sauce Behind Hustler's University: How Andrew Tate is Printing Money HU, led by Andrew Tate, isn’t just an online course; it’s a real money-making machine. With 127,000 students paying $49 a month, Tate has already earned over $6.2 million. And that’s just the beginning—if even 35% of these students continue their subscription, that will bring in an additional $2.18 million every month. How does he do it: The real magic lies in HU’s affiliate program, which is essentially a viral marketing machine. Affiliates aren’t just sharing links; they’ve flooded TikTok, YouTube Shorts, and Instagram Reels with Andrew Tate content. What’s the main trick: They’re not just copying and pasting the same videos. No, they’re making them creative with the help of AI to bypass duplicate content filters. The result? A flood of views, all without Tate’s involvement, while affiliates pocket 48% of the first month’s subscription. Genius, right? While most online courses use platforms like Teachable, HU operates entirely on Discord. Yes, Discord. It’s a bit unconventional, but as they say, it works. The course is tailored to you based on a simple questionnaire, and then you learn from the so-called "Professors." And no, Tate doesn’t teach it himself—he has people for that. To become part of HU’s affiliate army, you can message an HU Account Manager on Discord, and there you go—your affiliate links and a ready-to-go landing page. There might be a secret affiliate club somewhere, but you didn’t hear it from us.

Why Hire a Virtual Assistant: Facts and Benefits Virtual Assistants (VAs) are not just a trend; they are a real way to make your business more efficient and cost-effective. Growth Hacker is here to explain why you should get yourself a “magic assistant,” supported by facts and figures. Cost Optimization: Want to save money? Of course, you do! By hiring VAs from countries with lower living costs, such as India or the Philippines, you can actually save a lot. The average salary for a full-time VA is just $40–$800 per month. Compare that to a local employee who would ask for much more. The hourly rate for a VA? Just $3–$20, depending on the skill level. Types of Virtual Assistants: General VAs — these are your “office elves.” They manage calendars, answer emails, and support clients. In general, they handle everything that distracts you from the great and strategic work. Specialized VAs — these are the masters of their craft. Graphic design, marketing, outreach — anything that requires skills and experience. And again, at a price that a local specialist wouldn’t even consider starting a conversation with you. VAs are like a magic ingredient that improves your company’s operations without increasing your expenses. Need 24/7 customer support? VAs from different time zones can help you stay connected around the clock, all without increasing your office space or coffee budget. Modern technology is your best friend. TimeDoctor for time tracking and Google Meet for communication are the minimum tools you need to manage remote work from the comfort of your cozy chair. Hiring a VA is not just a step towards cost reduction; it’s a way to make your business more flexible and efficient. And honestly, if you haven’t tried it yet, now is the time. Because there are already plenty of such services, and all you need to do is Google them and choose the one that suits you best. The easiest way to find these VAs is on freelance platforms like Fiverr, UpWork for the West, or fl.ru for the CIS region.

Beyond the Buzz: How to Sustain Growth After the Initial Hype The launch buzz is exciting, but the real challenge is keeping your growth momentum. Here’s how to sustain it with concrete actions: Retention Through Continuous Value

After the launch, keep users engaged by rolling out regular updates. For instance, Zoom thrived during the pandemic by frequently adding features like virtual backgrounds and improved security. Consider offering exclusive features to loyal users—think Trello’s power-ups for premium subscribers.

Build a Tight-Knit Community

Create spaces where your users can interact and share experiences. Figma did this by hosting regular webinars and creating a user forum, which fostered a dedicated community of designers who actively engage with the product. Start a Facebook group or Discord server to keep your users connected.

Engage with Personalized Content

Don’t let your users forget you. Duolingo excels at this with personalized push notifications reminding users of their language goals, driving daily app usage. Set up automated email sequences that offer tailored tips or content based on user behavior.

Act on User Feedback Quickly

Show users you’re listening by implementing their suggestions. Notion frequently updates their product based on community feedback, leading to features like dark mode and better integrations. Use tools like UserVoice or simple Google Forms to gather and act on feedback.

Personalization Keeps Users Hooked

Spotify’s success lies in personalized experiences like Discover Weekly, which curates music based on user listening habits. Implement machine learning to offer personalized recommendations, whether it’s content, features, or product suggestions.

By focusing on these targeted strategies, you’ll turn initial hype into sustained growth, keeping users engaged long after the buzz fades.

The Power of Targeting: How Narrowing Your Focus Can Skyrocket Your Growth In a crowded market, trying to appeal to everyone is a recipe for mediocrity. The real game-changer? Laser-focused targeting. By honing in on a specific audience, you’re not just increasing engagement—you’re driving explosive growth. Why Narrow Focus Works: Companies that personalize their efforts see up to a 20% increase in sales. When you tailor your product and messaging to a well-defined audience, you create deeper connections, leading to higher conversion rates and stronger customer loyalty. How Targeting Fuels Growth: — Boosted Engagement: Segmented campaigns have 14% higher open rates, meaning more clicks and conversions. — Better ROI: Dropbox targeted tech enthusiasts and grew from 100k to 4M users in 15 months with minimal costs. — Stronger Loyalty: A 5% increase in retention can boost profits by up to 95%. — Viral Word-of-Mouth: Airbnb’s initial focus on budget travelers led to 77% of bookings coming from referrals. Quick Tips: — Profile Your Ideal Customer: Know exactly who you’re targeting. — Tailor Your Message: Speak directly to their needs and challenges. — Test and Adapt: Continuously refine your approach for maximum impact. By focusing on the right audience, you’re not just building a customer base—you’re creating a loyal community that drives sustained growth.

Why You Shouldn’t Aim for Everyone with Growth Hacking Guess who Airbnb’s first customers were? Their first three renters were a 30-year-old Indian guy, a 35-year-old woman from Boston, and a 45-year-old dad of four from Utah. Seems like just your average travelers, right? But here’s the thing they figured out: to succeed, you’ve got to know exactly who your customers are. Here are the key questions for iterating your product: — Where do their interests overlap? — What unites them? — What do they have in common? Every new product has to go through a life cycle—think of the law of innovation and diffusion. Check out the chart in the illustration. To reach a wide audience, your product first has to get through innovators and early adopters. These are small groups that you need to target strategically. If your target audience is "everyone," you’ll never break through the first 15% of the potential audience because you won’t know who to convince. How to Find Your First Customers: — Create a customer profile. Consider every aspect of the product. — Ask yourself: who will get the most value out of our product? — Be specific. Describe a real person. For example, if Dropbox were describing their first customer, it might be a 22-year-old techie from San Francisco, skinny, with a few close friends, who wears XYZ brand clothes and spends most of his time online. Growth Hacking Examples: — Dropbox: Launching at TechCrunch50 in 2008 and creating buzz through an invite-only system. A fun video for Digg users—and boom, explosive growth. — Hotmail: "PS: I love you. Get your free email at Hotmail" at the end of every email. This boosted sign-ups to 3,000 a day and doubled their user base in six months. — Uber: Giving away free rides at SXSW festival. Laser-focused targeting instead of broad advertising. And in the next posts, I’ll dive into more strategies you can implement for rapid growth.