Can You Actually Create Demand? No, but you can Reveal it.

As a marketer with over 20 years of experience, I’ve come to a conclusion that might surprise you: You can’t truly create demand. Instead, the need for a product or service has to already exist — and the key to growing a business is solving a problem that people are generally already aware they need to solve.

Startups and scaleups often struggle with this concept. They pour time and resources into campaigns that try to create something out of nothing, trying to convince people they need a solution they didn’t even know existed. But here’s the truth: People want what other people have got. They’re driven by social proof — if others are benefiting, they want in. They also want to mitigate risk, particularly when it comes to spending their hard-earned budget.

So, if you're looking to grow your startup or scaleup, here’s the strategy that works: Don’t create demand — reveal it.

1. Start With the Need

The first step is acknowledging that demand already exists in some form. The trick is identifying and amplifying it. People don’t just wake up wanting your product out of the blue. But they do have problems, and they want solutions. Your job is to position your product as the solution to that problem — something they already know they need.

However, the challenge for new businesses is that customers are often hesitant to adopt something unknown. They have the need, but they’re not sure if your product is the right fit, or worse, if it’s a risky investment.

2. Sometimes They Don’t Know They Have a Problem

Here’s the catch: Sometimes business owners don’t even realize they have a problem. They might be too close to their business or too focused on other priorities to see the underlying issues holding them back. In these cases, it's our job as marketers to uncover the problem they didn’t know existed.

By having conversations and asking the right questions, we can often reveal pain points that the business owner hasn’t recognised. These are the hidden needs that are ripe for solving. Through these discussions, we can help them see the value of your solution — not just as an option, but as the solution to a problem they didn't know how to address.

3. Reduce the Perceived Risk

To overcome the barrier of hesitation, you need to reduce the perceived risk of purchasing your product or service. This is especially true for startups. The fear of wasting time or money is a powerful deterrent, and overcoming this is critical to convincing people to take the leap.

One of the most effective ways to reduce risk is by providing social proof — stories of success that show your product works. Even if you only have one or two customers at the start, their stories can be incredibly powerful. Show how they’ve succeeded, and how your product made a real difference. Success is success, no matter how small, and people want to see that others are already benefiting.

4. The Power of Success Stories

Success stories don’t need to be massive to have an impact. Whether it’s a single customer or a small group of users, each story is a building block. The more you can share about how your product or service has helped others, the more others will want to experience the same results. Humans are naturally drawn to social proof; they want what others are already getting.

Case Study: Dropbox — Building Demand with Social Proof

A great example of this strategy in action comes from Dropbox. When Dropbox launched, the cloud storage market was already filled with established competitors like Google Drive and Microsoft OneDrive. Despite having a solid product, Dropbox faced a significant challenge: convincing people to adopt a new and unfamiliar service.

Instead of trying to create demand out of thin air, Dropbox focused on reducing risk and amplifying early successes:

• Referral Program: Dropbox launched a referral program offering free storage space in exchange for referring friends. This incentivized users to share the product and helped build a trusted user base. By relying on word-of-mouth, Dropbox reduced the perceived risk of trying a new product.
• Showcasing Early Success: Dropbox highlighted the success stories of its initial users. Even though these early adopters were few, their positive experiences helped create a ripple effect. As people saw that others were benefiting from the service, they were more willing to try it themselves.
• User-Generated Content: Dropbox encouraged users to share how they were using the platform in their everyday lives. These stories spread quickly and demonstrated that the product worked for people just like the potential customers they were targeting.

This combination of social proof, risk reduction, and showcasing small but meaningful successes helped Dropbox grow from a startup to one of the most widely used cloud storage services globally.

5. The Key to Growth: Consistency and Momentum

Dropbox didn’t rely on one big marketing push to create demand. Instead, they focused on revealing the demand that was already there by building momentum with early successes. As the product proved valuable for more users, the demand grew organically.

Similarly, your startup can follow the same path. Each small win, each success story, adds credibility and drives further adoption. And as more people see others achieving success with your product, they’ll be eager to try it themselves.

Conclusion: Demand Isn’t Created, It’s Revealed

The myth of creating demand from scratch can be a costly one for startups and scaleups. The truth is, demand exists, and your job is to remove the barriers that prevent customers from acting on it. By focusing on social proof, showcasing early success stories, and reducing the perceived risk, you can amplify the demand that’s already there and watch your startup grow.

And remember, sometimes the biggest problem is simply helping your customers see the problem. By uncovering those hidden needs, you’ll unlock a whole new world of demand.

Success is success — no matter how small. By demonstrating that others are getting results, you’ll create a strong, organic demand that drives long-term growth. So, instead of trying to create demand, focus on revealing it, and let your customers’ success stories do the heavy lifting.

#startup #scaleup #smegrowth #demandgeneration #fractionalcmo #partimemarketing #ceo #founder