One of the most important concepts to any growth hacker is the fact that the definition of the common product has been flipped on its head. For thousands of years, products have been tangible items that could be packaged, sold and purchased again when it gets too old or runs out. But since much of […]
One of the most important concepts to any growth hacker is the fact that the definition of the common product has been flipped on its head. For thousands of years, products have been tangible items that could be packaged, sold and purchased again when it gets too old or runs out. But since much of the Internet deals in data, bytes and information, non-tangible products have become essential to the new modern economy.
With many startups, this new form of product is the case—the product or service you’re selling isn’t a couch, it’s a Twitter. It’s not a can of beans, it’s a distributive business model that will revolutionize the way online transactions are handled. The point is, standard marketing techniques aren’t going to help you grow your non-standard startup—growth hacking will.
Growth hacking provides us with a unique outlook and perspective, one that is essential for the modern startup—the focus is on growth and growth alone. Aggressive growth, positive growth and avoiding negative growth—the more your company is growing, the more successful your growth hacking techniques have turned out to be.
This is a difficult concept for many entrepreneurs to grasp, mainly because one of the biggest keys to growth hacking comes from a factor which is completely unique to the new definition of product—tapping into the self-adoptive nature of your startup.
Almost every single startup focusing on growth hacking techniques has a latent potential for spreading their own consumer adoption. This simply means that the startups have the capability to growth hack themselves, in a way. For example, the person who coined the term “growth hacker” is Sean Ellis, the one-time Dropbox employee in charge of the company’s growth. Dropbox hacked its own growth by having users get more storage space simply by inviting their friends. Now since Dropbox is a file sharing program, you of course need your friends to download the program as well (otherwise there’s no sharing, just storage).
This means the product begets growth by use and its use begets growth—they work hand in hand, inseparably intertwined. This is the type of business model that a growth hacker can aspire to—one that is self-promoting and self-fulfilling. A new product that adopts itself.
Of course, not every new product is going to be able to achieve this level of adoptive growth, but innovative thinkers will be able to figure out ways to at least tap into the same vein. When it comes to your startup and growth, thinking outside the box—as cliché as it may be—is an essential ability to have in your arsenal.
For instance, companies can leverage existing platforms to help their products grow. Simply giving your customers the option to interface with other networks (e.g. Facebook, Craigslist, eBay) at the same time they are interacting with your startup will increase your reach and the number of inbound links you are getting.
There are a million ways to go about this type of growth hacking resourcefulness—the key is to find the right techniques that work for your product and business model. To do this, you often have to take a deeper look at your own unique skills and talents. Growth hackers are unparalleled in the fact that they aren’t taking the main marketing and distribution roads when expanding their startups. They are using lean marketing techniques and developing strategies that some might label as crazy.
Tapping into your own can of worms to bait the hook means that no other fishermen out there have quite the same lure—or allure—as you. This can wind up taking some time and help, but there’s plenty of both out there. Click here right now for some vital growth resources that will show you the proper way to tap into your own potential and unleash a powerful growth hack across the Internet pond.
