Enough fundraising talk. Time to hack your growth.

If you are an entrepreneur, you are probably a growth hacker.

If not. The time has come to become one.

Founders lack resources, time, and money. Meanwhile, investors want growth, traction, and revenue.

The good?news: a lack of resources + necessity = encourages innovation.

That's why startup founders can come up with some of the most innovative growth strategies.

Throughout my career, I have used the following:

1. Organizing monthly networking events.

From 2015 to 2017, I hosted events gathering from 70 to 300 entrepreneurs per month.

This helped me quickly establish my personal brand in Norway and build a strong network of contacts including founders, investors, journalists, and politicians (why not).

The best part? I was able to understand entrepreneurs better?and shape products?for them. It led me to launch thehub.io in Norway - one of the largest startup job?platforms in the Nordics (1M+ job applications per year) ??

2. Joining forces with similar networks to learn from them, co-create and share audiences.

3. Making contact with conference organizers to request a speaking slot.?A personal rule I try to stick?to: “Get on stage or stay home... Well unless it′s my own event ??”. Time is a precious resource.

Need more inspiration?

Let's learn from the best.

1. Airbnb

In their early days, they realized that their customers were already using platforms like Craigslist. So, why not contact all of them, one by one, and invite them to join Airbnb?

In addition, they hired professional photographers to help showcase the properties.

When we launched thehub.io, we did not reinvent the wheel.

We contacted startup founders who were posting their vacant positions on other job platforms.

We offered to take professional pictures of their team members and interview them. We wanted to make sure startups had nice profiles?on our platform; giving them visibility, credibility and helping them recruit the?best talent out there. But also, so they could be proud, talk about us and promote us.

2. Tinder

To attract new users, they organized frat parties on campuses around the country where students had to download and use the app to gain entrance.?

Bringing people together, connecting them, and interacting with them is powerful.

Doing unscalable activities is what will help you scale ??

3. Twitter

Instead of waiting for the app to be "perfect" (aiming for perfection before launch is one of the biggest mistakes that startups can make) Twitter launched a Beta while still working on their technical bugs.?

They engaged with early adopters eager to help with bug fixing, troubleshooting, and improving the platform overall.

Yes to co-creating, building in public, and making your early adopters your best ambassadors ??

4. Groupon

To get a deal, you needed enough people to take it. This strategy encouraged?users to share the deal with their network.

FOMO works.

(FOMO works on investors as well: “We are closing the round soon… hurry up!”)

5. Hotmail

Each outgoing email from Hotmail (the precursor to Outlook.com) included a signature line inviting recipients to sign up. In 18 months, the company grew to 12 million users (or around 20% of the email market).

6. Dropbox

They made it easy for people to refer new members. Later, they also gave their users?extra credit when their friends signed up through the program.

Making it a Win-Win for all. Everyone LOVES FREE STUFF.

7. Netflix

Did you know that the company was split into two businesses, DVDs and online streaming, and they used profits from one to expand the other? Brilliant.?

One of the strategies they used: leveraging social media.

Building a strong social media presence to connect with those who already loved consuming entertainment fast, easily, and online.

8. Uber

When they started, as soon as you got off the ride (even before the customer deleted the app), they sent $20 credit via text message.

Making it easy to book another ride.

9. Gmail

Gmail used an invitation-only system to drive growth when it launched.

It worked so well that Gmail invitations were?auctioned on eBay ??

10. Ticketmaster

They occasionally put limited-time offers on some of their products, attracting more and more attention from people.

Another FOMO strategy.

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Here are 10 other EASY TO DO growth hacking strategies:

1. Build a pre-launch email List.?The best way to build momentum and validate that there is a need in the market.

2. Launch on Product Hunt.?It is still a great place to be exposed to early adopters and journalists looking for new tools.

3. Brand partnerships.?Team up with?brands targeting the same audience. Host events. Run competitions. Give free samples. Provide exclusive deals.

4. Attend or (better) host your own events.?When I started hosting my own events, I was hoping to get 5 people. I would have been happy with just 5 … but 70 showed up and then it kept on growing organically. My strategy was simple: create Facebook events and reshare them on relevant Facebook groups.

5. Work with affiliate partners.

6. Build a Social Media Community.?Find where your audience is and start engaging with them. Post regularly, share your expertise, and/or share your journey.

Need inspiration on what to post? Check out this article from last December:

7. Get in touch with podcast?hosts and event organizers. Offer to share your story or expertise with their audience (which should be similar to yours).?Content creators are continuously looking for more content, guests, and speakers.

8. Work with micro-influencers.?Find the up-and-coming ones with 5 to 15k followers. They will be more accessible and a good way to start testing influencer marketing.

9. Send gifts, cards, or discounts to your customers.?Be personal and approachable. Take care of your early adopters (as if your life depended on it).

10. Answer emails from your customers.?Don′t outsource this important task too early. Be in touch with them to collect their feedback. Plus, it makes your customer feel a bit extra special. It is not every day that one gets to talk to a CEO :).

I will always remember 7 years ago when Gary Vaynerchuk gave us a phone number on Instagram so we could text him. This strategy made his followers feel SO special and it went viral. That′s me texting him. Yes, I took a screenshot.

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To sum it up, growth hacking is about:

• Testing, testing, testing.
• Daring to stand out and break rules.
• Scaling by doing unscalable activities.
• Track results and activities to focus on what works.
• Always go the extra mile for your customers ???

Once you landed what works, double down.

***

Kind reminder, Friday the 10th, I am hosting an online event on:

???How To Accelerate Your Fundraising.

It is FREE for our Substack-paying members:

?? https://rajaskogland.substack.com/. You get the 100% discount code automatically after becoming a paying member (check your inbox).

I look forward to seeing many of you.

***

I hope you are feeling inspired and ready to test some growth-hacking strategies ??

As usual, shoot me an email if you have questions, comments, or feedback.

Let me know if you want to hear more about fundraising or scaling strategies, or both ??.

I am here to help.

Raja Skogland, Your Investor Advisor.