How you can embrace the “Growth Hacking” mindset

Anne Taylor Hartzell

@hiptravelmama

LET’S GROW TOGETHER• THINK LIKE A STARTUP • THE BEST IDEAS DON'T COST A LOT • GROWTH HACKING DEFINED • TODAY’S MARKETER: DATA AND TOOLS • POWERFUL PR• GROWTH HACK CASE STUDIES • TOOLS OF THE TRADE

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WHAT IS GROWTH HACKING?• Defined: Growth hacking is a marketing technique

developed by technology startups which uses creativity, analytical thinking, and social metrics to sell products and gain exposure.

• “A growth hacker is a person whose true north is growth.” – Sean Ellis, Author of Growth Engines [coined the term]

• Growth hacking is experiment-driven marketing• “Growth hacking is the new VP of Marketing.” – Andrew

Chen

THE GROWTH HACKING MINDSET• Think like a startup. Lean and scrappy• Think like your customer• Use data + social tools to listen and learn• Refine and repeat• Create loyal customers who love your product

and want to share it with others• Get your “hustle on”

“A growth hacker doesn't see marketing as something one does, but rather as something one builds into the product itself. The product is then kick-started, shared and optimized.”

- Ryan Holiday, Author of Growth Hacker Marketing

THINK LIKE A STARTUP • Primary goal is customer growth • Fast growth, lean budgets• Test and learn is the mantra • Not afraid to fail• Find efficient ways to build customer loyalty and

convert them into product evangelists

WHO IS YOUR CUSTOMER

GETTING TO KNOW YOUR CUSTOMER• Think like your customer • Understand how they consume and share content• Use social media to mine for organic conversations• What is your customer searching for? • What voices and networks influence their purchase

decisions? • What are your customers saying and sharing with

eachother?

DATA AND TOOLS: LISTENING + LEARNING WHAT INFLUENCES OUR CUSTOMERS

HACKING THE HASHTAGTips from hashtracking.com: •Identify top lists for popularity (who is being RT + messaged the most) •Create or follow competitor hashtags to look at their top lists and discern who stands out in parallel communities.•ID buzz words + other hashtags to identify hot topics that resonate with audience •Target contributor lists for following and engaging

POWERFUL PR: YOUR JOB AS A STORYTELLER

• The better you know your customer, the better your pitch will be

• How does your customer consume content?

• How can you create a compelling story around your brand or product?

• What publications or blogs do your customers read?

• How do you evoke an emotional connection with you customers?

• What will encourage them to share or take action?

CREATING LOYAL FANS• Solve a real problem for your customers• Be so good they want to share it with friends• Reward them for drive loyalty• Share their stores • Listen and learn and refine• Dare greatly

UBER• EMOTIONAL CONNECTION • SCRAPPY

AIRBNB

SOURCE: http://growthhackers.com/companies/airbnb/

4 Million Guests, 3 Million Guests Traveled On Airbnb in 2012 alone.

Other Growth “Hacks”

• Hotmail: Get your free email• Dropbox: Refer a friend. Get more storage

TOOLS OF THE TRADE• What are people searching for? Google Ad Words• Ask questions: social media, email, Survey Monkey,

Google docs• Connect w/ influencers: blogger + influencer campaigns • Create a hashtag campaign: Hashtracking.com• Test what content is working? Social and web analytics• Get support and ideas: Growthhackers.com

BEFORE YOU GO• Think like a startup. • “Hustle” for your customer• Use data and tools to test messages• Take a page from growth hacker masters

ResourcesTBEX “Think like a Startup” Pinterest Board:

http://www.pinterest.com/hiptravelmama/tbexcancun-think-like-a-startup/

Share your story with me anne@hiptravelmama.com

Connect:

Twitter: @hiptravelmama

Linked In: /annetaylorhartzell