The word “startup” has been in the limelight for quite a while now, and for good reasons. Most of the cool things we know of and swear by, has come from that. From the tireless hustling of the people working in those startups, to realize their dreams.
Prime example: Apple as a brand which sells technological products all over the world. From a startup to a multinational tech-giant, they have seen it all. And Steve Jobs, the co-founder is almost synonymous with the idea of a startup.
And, if you look into the hard work he and others like him had to put in to do what they did, you will come to appreciate that journey a lot, and get inspiration from it. To turn a startup from ‘another one of those crazy ventures’ into tangible success, you will definitely need to adopt a more methodical approach. And that is going to be the meat and potatoes of this article.
You’ll have these growth hacks which will help you take your startup to the next level. But before that, let’s tinker with some important details of this thing called the startup. As that is the thing that is going to set the base for what you’ll do next.
Every Startup is a Business, But It’s not the Other Way Round
Talking of startups, and not discussing what Mr. Paul Graham has said would be folly. What he did was that he laid out the most accurate definition of a startup. That too, making use of the least number of terms.
So, as he puts it – “Startup = Growth”. Simple.
A startup is that kind of a business which has the primary objective of growth in its business expanse. And such a thing is possible if the business that they are in, has a high degree of scalability. With something new and/or better to offer to a large market.
That is where the growth will come from. Take for example someone opening up a pet supply store. That is not a startup, that can be under certain conditions, but not generally.
As it won’t be able to scale anywhere near as much as something like a new and fantastic petcare product company. So, that is the measuring stick that we have for the “startup”. Now, you might wonder if growth is the life force of a startup, how do we get more of it. The next section will show you 6 ways to do so. Buckle up!
6 Surefire Growth Hacks for Exponential Growth of a Startup: 2019 Edition
Knowing the importance of growth when it comes to a startup. It is time I lay out the details once and for all. And as a new startup, you’ll need the best tech support for the hardware that you use. That includes printers, routers, computers and the like.
Although growth hacking can be timeless in general. Some principles will be more pertinent to the current order of things in 2019. That is why I put emphasis on it.
And these are as follows –
1. Double Down on your Content, Again!
The idea of content being the most important thing to get quality traffic is gospel. First, build a good website, then fill it with the right content. There is no otherwise to that. And as such, you will have to double down on that.
But not just in terms of quantity. What you can do is diversify within the usual content that you create. Diversify among the platforms you use to get them out and all that.
The next big thing is videos, and they can be the game changer for your business. Let’s look at some numbers to help paint a clear picture.
- Among all the web traffic that analysts predict, 80% is going to be the number for 2019.
- 90% on record have stated that they check out product videos and that has an influence on their purchase decisions.
- If landing pages have videos embedded in them, conversion rates are 80%.
And there are many such other statistics to support the success of videos in 2019. Now, you can find creative ways to market your startup through videos. Think of the ‘Skyscraper Model’ of blogging, for creating videos. Then, it can have a significant impact on the growth of your startup.
2. Hire More Employees who are on the Same Page as you
This is an age-old principle, where surrounding yourself with like-minded people will help you succeed. Be it in any endeavour that you are in.
In this case, if you can get employees who understand your vision and mission. And are willing to work to bring it to fruition. That can help your startup grow a lot.
But beware that you can take this too far as well. Where you end up with a bunch of ‘yes men’ who will agree to anything you say. That can be problematic and cause a lot of strategic problems.
What you can do is start by defining the vision of your company. And then, the mission of the project at hand. Now, you have two parameters which potential recruits will have to fit to. And as such, you will find it much easier to hire employees who are on the same page as you are.
In the end, you will have a healthy combination of alert and inquisitive minds. With that of people who will understand the way you think. And speak your language, so to say.
3. Podcasts with Interesting and Successful People in your Field
Podcasts are also among the most popular content formats which a lot of people listen to. The best thing about these is that one can listen to it anytime, it is that convenient.
On your commute to work, fire up your favourite podcast. Basically, with podcasts, you will be able to learn things on the go.
And if you’re a startup, why not create this type of content in your niche? And better yet, talk to important personalities in this niche. That way not only you will have the benefit of learning from them. But also, your audience and more after that will be able to reap that benefit as well.
Therefore, the likelihood of you getting more traffic and social proof goes up a bunch. This is very simple, once you look at it the way it is –
You having a conversation on a certain topic pertaining to your field of business. With someone who has all the know how. And the whole thing goes on record. That’s all it is.
So, start mailing important people in your field and try to set up interviews with the willing.
4. Collaborate with Brands Like Your’s
This is also another effective way to increase the growth of your startup. It is by collaborating with another company on your level. Sometimes above or below, which depends.
You might have a service or a product that you are in business with. 9 out of 10 times it is not going to be ‘solutions for all’ type of a thing. And there will be other brands in the market, which can complement that in the best way possible. As such it will be a win for everybody, the customers and your businesses alike.
This will require a fair bit of market research to find the right brand to collaborate with. And once you have the list you want, start reaching out to them with your plans. This will not only be a great manoeuvre in terms of the end product.
Further, can also be a birthplace of cool new product or service ideas. Other than that, there will also be a positive PR effect on your brand. And that is also very important.
5. Guest Post to Get to your Target Audience
As a startup, you might not have the brand equity that will bring in the big numbers of web traffic. Guest Posting is the perfect workaround for just that.
What happens is there are big websites in every niche which have the necessary authority. And they get a lot of traffic. And they outsource the job of getting information to enthusiasts. That is where you can chip in your post, which of course has to be relevant. And that would fetch you a very critical backlink.
Guest Posting as such can help you take your brand equity to the next level. And this is absolutely a boon to the budding startups.
6. Use the ‘Influencer’ Power
One of the biggest things online this year is influencer marketing. Influencers are everywhere and in every niche. But more importantly, they’re effective. Why it’s so effective is quite simple.
People will trust the approval of other people like them on products or services. Much more than the best marketing material that you can ever come up with.
It is Google Trends that show the graph of influencer marketing success to be charging up. And that is the thing to get on to if you’re not already on it. You can find influencers in every niche, and you will just have to find the ones in yours. Once you do that, you’ll have to strike up the right deal with them.
Instagram and YouTube are the two biggest platforms for influencers. And both of these have high success rates. So, make the best use of these and grow your business.
Wrap Up
Now, you know of the 6 most effective ways to hack the growth curve of your startup. It is time for action, without which nothing will be of any good.
There are a lot of different ways to increase the growth of your startup. But these ones here are statistically much more effective. Nevertheless, you’ll also require some diligent research on your part.
All of which will go into increasing the startup growth and as such, the odds of your success.
