How to Growth Hack Your Software Company
As a software developer you are an expert in creating powerful systems and processes for your customers, but what about for your business?
Introducing Growth Hacking
Growth hacking is a concept coined by Sean Ellis, a one-man self-proclaimed growth hacker, who helped software companies expand their user base. Often times these strategies are unconventional – but they work.
Growth hacking is loosely defined as a marketing strategy based on analytics, creativity, and data. These strategies typically focus on methods that are inexpensive, yet wildly effective.
Here are a few ways you can growth hack your software company to increase the number of people using your product or service.
Harness the Power of Twitter
Twitter, the free social networking platform, holds tremendous potential for software companies.
Pay With a Tweet
Want to get people in your target market buzzing about your product? Give them incentive with access to your software in exchange for a tweet or post. This doesn’t have to be a long-term strategy. Instead, it can help you get off the ground and gain momentum in the market by encouraging conversation.
Pay With a Tweet is a product that enables this strategy. It has a free plan and a paid plan to get you going.
Click to Tweet
Another approach is to encourage people to tweet specific messages about your product by making it as simple as possible. Visit Click to Tweet, sign in with your Twitter account, and compose a tweet. Post the link on your blog or social media and encourage people to use it to send the same message to their followers. They can tweet your message with a single click, rather than copying and pasting the message. This is a free service that encourages engagement by simplifying the process.
Harness the Power of Your Website
Once people are on your website, inspire them to keep in touch with your business.
Hello Bar
Hello Bar is an easy-to-use tool that allows you to display a specific message and call-to-action at the top of your page. Its basic design integrates easily with any web design. Use it to drive email list signups or encourage a free trial of your software.
Bounce Exchange
Did someone land on your website and then leave again? Give your visitors one more chance to work with you by using Bounce Exchange.
To use this, design a pop-up message that encourages people abandoning your website to sign up for your product or service. You can test your call-to-action with A/B split testing and capture information on the spot.
Harness the Power of Your Data
There’s something powerful about cold, hard facts to help in designing an effective marketing strategy. Using data about your customers and your web traffic will help you improve your website and inspire more conversions.
KISSmetrics
KISSmetrics defines your customer data in a real-time format. It pulls together information about who is in which stage of the buying process so that you can target your leads, prospects, and customers more effectively.
CrazyEgg
CrazyEgg is a behavior analysis tool for your website. It lets you see what people do when they land on your website. The best part is, you save time on A/B tests and capture more leads by getting the answers you need faster.
Start your Growth Hacking Engine
Growth hacking is easier said than done. With the help of these tools you’ll generate buzz, generate leads, and get new insights into what’s working with your marketing and what isn’t.
Want more growth hacking tools? Check out this list of the best SEO tools for any business.
