In this guide, we’re going to walk you through growth hacking techniques, strategies, tools, and examples you can use to quickly rise to success.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Because this is such an in-depth guide, we’ve included a table of contents to help you quickly get to the section that interests you most.<\/p>\n\n\n
- What Is Growth Hacking?<\/a>
- <\/ul><\/li>
- The Growth Hacking Funnel: Key Metrics to Measure<\/a><\/li>
- Before You Begin: Foundations for Success<\/a>
- <\/ul><\/li>
- 5 Powerful Growth Hacking Strategies<\/a>
- <\/ul><\/li>
- 10 Essential Growth Hacking Tools<\/a>
- <\/ul><\/li>
- 7 Proven Growth Hacking Examples<\/a>
- <\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/div>\n\n\n
- Acquisition<\/strong>: getting new customers<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Activation<\/strong>: convincing customers to use the product<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Retention<\/strong>: keeping customers and reducing churn<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Revenue<\/strong>: making money<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Referral<\/strong>: getting other people to refer new customers<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
![\"growth-hacking-pirate-metrics-aarrr\"](\"https:\/\/optinmonster.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/growth-hacking-pirate-metrics-aarrr.png\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As you can see, all of these are essential to having a healthy, successful business.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Before You Begin: Foundations for Success<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Before you can start growth hacking your business, there are a couple of foundations you need to put in place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Who Are Your Customers? What Do They Want?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
For a start, it’s essential to look after the product-market fit. In other words, you need to have an awesome product and make sure that it meets your customer’s needs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
To do that, you’ll need to understand your customers. That means knowing:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- \n
- Their age, gender, education, and other demographic data<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Where besides your website do they go for information?<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- What their values are, as well as their goals, challenges, and the pain points your product can solve<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
![\"know](\"https:\/\/optinmonster.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/digital-marketer-customer-avatar-worksheet.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n
With this information, you can tailor growth marketing strategies to particular buyer personas<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What’s the Customer Journey?<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
But you also need to understand how your customers BECOME customers. That’s called the customer journey<\/a>, which generally moves from awareness to evaluation to conversion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
![\"understand](\"https:\/\/optinmonster.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/understand-customer-journey-to-improve-growth-hacking-strategies.jpeg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And it’s when they’ve decided you offer the best product or service and convert into customers that they become part of the growth hacking funnel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Is Your Site Assisting Conversions?<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
The conversion-centered design is another important aspect of hacking your marketing. That means making it easy for visitors to:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- \n
- Find the information needed to take the next step in their interaction with you<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Have a chance to engage with you<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- See the social proof that establishes your expertise and authority<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
You’ll also need to identify any bottlenecks stopping visitors from converting. Learn more about conversion optimization<\/a> here.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Set SMART Goals for Growth<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Finally, you’ll need to set SMART goals before beginning. SMART goals are:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- \n
- Specific<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Measurable<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Achievable<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Relevant<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Time-bound<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
In other words, don’t set wishy-washy or impossible goals. Know what you want to achieve<\/strong> and how it contributes to growth<\/strong>. Work out how you’re going to measure it, and set a time limit for achieving it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
5 Powerful Growth Hacking Strategies<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Now that’s clear, let’s look at some strategies and tactics to help you build your business.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Generally, \u201cstrategies\u201d take a long-term approach to business growth, and don’t change very often. “Tactics” are shorter-term implementations of your strategy and can be switched to take account of new information or priorities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
However, you will see the terms used interchangeably.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Growth hacking strategies are often divided into three types:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- \n
- Promoting your business with content, or content marketing<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Promoting your product within the product, or product marketing<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Paying for promotion, or advertising<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
Now, let’s look at some strategies and tactics that are proven to work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
1. Use Exit Intent to Hack Your Email List Growth<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Email marketing<\/a> has an amazing ROI. According to email marketing research and statistics<\/a>, a $1 investment will bring $44 in revenue. That’s why it’s so important for growth to build your email list.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
One reason why email marketing is a great hack is that you don’t have to spend a dime to get started. As you’ll see in the section on growth hacking tools, there are tools you can use for free until you get large enough to upgrade.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But it can take a while to grow your email list.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That’s where our first growth hack comes in. You can skyrocket your email list with an exit-intent popup<\/a><\/strong> linked to a lead magnet. Here’s an example:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A lead magnet is an incentive that you’ll offer your visitors in exchange for sharing their contact information with you. Lead magnets are often downloadable content, such as checklists, worksheets, reports, and ebooks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
![\"popup](\"https:\/\/optinmonster.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/popup-design-inspiration-from-syed-balkhi-of-optinmonster.png\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Exit Intent detects when visitors are about to leave your site, and shows them your lead magnet campaign just before they do. This type of campaign is proven to get visitors’ attention and convert well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- Promoting your product within the product, or product marketing<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Promoting your business with content, or content marketing<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Activation<\/strong>: convincing customers to use the product<\/li>\n\n\n\n
Let’s get started\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What Is Growth Hacking?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Growth hacking<\/strong><\/a> is a process of rapidly experimenting with and implementing marketing and promotional strategies that are solely focused on efficient and rapid business growth. The term was coined by GrowthHackers CEO and founder Sean Ellis way back in 2010.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Growth hacking achieves results FAST, with minimal expenditure. The \u201chacking\u201d part is about finding clever shortcuts<\/strong> that bring big results<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Fast-growing companies like Groupon gained millions in their first few years<\/a> using growth hacking strategies:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
![\"groupon-growth-by-quarter-in-millions\"](\"https:\/\/optinmonster.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/groupon-growth-by-quarter-in-millions.png\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nWhat Is a Growth Hacker?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Anyone who executes a growth hacking strategy is a growth hacker, but there’s more to the term than it might appear. Sean Ellis described a growth hacker as \u201ca person whose true north is growth.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In other words, unlike traditional marketers who may have a broader view and be concerned about things like brand recognition or public relations, growth hackers are only interested in strategies and tactics that drive growth. If marketing tactics don’t have the potential to drive growth, then growth hackers aren’t interested.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Many companies now have teams of growth marketers, growth engineers, product managers, and other roles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Growth Hacking Funnel: Key Metrics to Measure<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
As we’ve said, growth hackers are obsessed with strategies that grow business. They typically set priorities for getting new customers and scaling the business. Then they develop, implement, and test ideas to help them achieve their goals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A key part of planning any marketing strategy is deciding how to measure success. Many growth hackers focus on \u201cpirate metrics,\u201d so-called because of their initials: AARRR. Fun, right?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Effective, too. It stands for the five stages of the growth hacking funnel:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- \n
- Acquisition<\/strong>: getting new customers<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- 7 Proven Growth Hacking Examples<\/a>
- 10 Essential Growth Hacking Tools<\/a>
- Before You Begin: Foundations for Success<\/a>
- The Growth Hacking Funnel: Key Metrics to Measure<\/a><\/li>