This document outlines 11 tactics for early growth and acquisition, including manual outreach to first customers, partner distributions, double loop referral programs, using HARO (Help A Reporter Out) for media outreach, social prospecting and influencer outreach, comment marketing, badge programs, creating big content like ebooks and webinars, standalone top-of-funnel tools, maintaining a thorough FAQ, and pursuing product integrations. The tactics focus on building advocates, leveraging partnerships, providing value to users and partners, developing authority and expertise, and answering questions to drive engagement.

1. 11 TACTICS
for early growth & acquisition
Georgiana Laudi
VP Marketing, Unbounce
@ggiiaa
FounderFuel - Fall 2015 Cohort

2. Manual outreach
to first customers
1.

3. Your chance
to build advocates

4. use your smallness
to your advantage

5. http://customer.io/blog/welcome-email-templates.html

9. Partner distributions
2.

10. It’s not what you know

11. a special offer on your
product/service that you
distribute through partners

12. Unique
to them

13. huzzah

15. a discount
bonused acct
a trial
an extended trial
a free consult
relevant content
What to offer?

16. Where to start?
Offer
+
Landing Page
+
Partner to distribute it
(+ a way to return the favour)

17. Always lead with
what’s in it for them

18. Double loop
referral programs
3.

19. Provide monetary value
for your users to
refer your product

21. “SHOE It Forward”

22. tons more at http://www.referralsaasquatch.com/39-best-referral-program-examples-2014/

23. HARO
4.

24. Help A Reporter Out

25. helpareporterout.com

26. It’s Free

27. Social prospecting &
Influencer outreach
5.

28. Social prospecting
Save this
search

29. Social prospecting

30. Don’t be spammy!

31. Influencer outreach

32. do what you gotta do
to get them to
use your product

33. Don’t be spammy!#@!

34. Comment marketing
6.

35. Build your rep

36. nice example of
comment marketing:

37. Valuable
insight
Relevant
link

38. find your audience
+
pinpoint opportunities
+
add tons of value
=
win friends/influence people
Where to start?

39. Badge program
7.

40. Build awareness

43. super simple example:

44. What’s in
it for you
What’s in
it for us
Vetting

45. Badges for:
achievements unlocked
certifications
verified providers
partnerships
integrations
authorized resellers

46. Big content
8.

47. Build authority
(and a list)

48. Make it so good,
someone would pay for it

49. Ebook
Whitepaper
Ecourse
Webinar
Toolkit
Infographic

52. Free standalone tools
9.

53. top of funnel

57. Graders
ROI Calculators
Checklists
Templates

58. FAQ
10.

59. Have an answer
for everything

60. Look for the long tail

61. Look for inspiration

62. Easy to
scan

63. Persistant
Topic Nav

64. • Always incl. search bar
• Lots of visuals
• Video tutorials
• Contextual links
• Suggested further reading
• Allow comments

65. Product integrations
11.

66. be a team player

72. 11 TACTICS
for early growth & acquisition
FounderFuel - Fall 2015 Cohort
Georgiana Laudi
VP Marketing, Unbounce
@ggiiaa