Planning for Growth

PLANNING FOR CUSTOMER GROWTH

Stephen Neville

@wheressteve

What is communications planning?

Influencing customer behavior through a combination of message, placement & timing

PLACE & TIME

How, where & when you will

be able to reach them

MESSAGE

What do you want your

customer to think, feel &

do

Before we go on…

1. Know your customer!

2. You are trying to change behavior

3. Decisions are made for both rational and emotional reasons

Acquiring customers = $$$

Distribution hacking, growth hacking, growth engineering, viral loops, engines of growth, lean marketing, inbound marketing…

…positive, repeatable, customer relationships

in the most efficient manner possible!

POSITIVE

Build Something of

Value

EFFICIENT

Clean Up your Own Backyard

REPEATABLE

Go Fishing

Measurement

POSITIVE

Build Something of

Value

EFFICIENT

Clean Up your Own Backyard

REPEATABLE

Go Fishing

Measurement

“focus relentlessly on achieving product/market fit”

- Marc Andressen (Moziaic, Netscape, Ning, Andressen Howitz… and a whole lot of other stuff)

“sustainable growth programs are built on a core understanding of

the value of your solution in the minds of your most passionate

customers”- Shaun Ellis (Logmein, Dropbox, KissMetrics, Qualaroo)

“Invest your marketing money in your product and your service. Get that

right, and your customers will take care of your marketing for you…”

Net Promoter Score:Would you recommend this product to a

friend?

Quantifying value

Avg. +10 -15, World Class. +50

“Very” Recommendation

>40% Focus on funnel metrics, transitioning for growth

<40% Keep iterating product, positioning and targeting

Find out why

Knowing why you matter informs your messaging through the remaining stages of growth

EFFICENT

Clean Up your Own Backyard

REPEATABLE

Go Fishing

POSITIVE

Build Something of

Value

Measurement

POSITIVE

Build Something of

Value

EFFICENT

Clean Up your Own Backyard

REPEATABLE

Go Fishing

Measurement

The Funnel

AARRRAcquisition - users come to site from various channelsActivation – customers use product for the first timeRetention – customers come back multiple timesReferral – customers refer othersRevenue – customers make your business money

Things you are in control of now

- Dave McLure (500 Startups)

Activation

Activation

Retention

Revenue

Referral

Referral

“Fortunately, we spent almost all our effort on making an elegant, simple product that ‘just

works’ and making users happy”

Understand the Audience

Frictionless Activation

Remove Free Plan

Fourteen Day Trial

Installation Rate Conversion to Sale Monthly Spend

159%

250%

56%

POSITIVE

Build Something of

Value

EFFICITENT

Clean Up your Own Backyard

REPEATABLE

Go Fishing

Measurement

POSITIVE

Build Something of

Value

EFFICITENT

Clean Up your Own Backyard

REPEATABLE

Go Fishing

Measurement

Pond Fishing

Pond Integrations

Ocean Fishing

36

90

88

85

85

84

80

78

75

63

63

62

62

62

61

60

59

59

59

Comparison websites

Friends/ family reco

Brand website

Internet search

Cons opinion site/ blogs

Personal letter/ statement

Print articles

Direct mail

Local newspaper ads

Relevant websites

Directory ads

Magazine ads

Mailed instore promos

Seminars/ trade fairs

Newspaper ads

TV ads

Print inserts/ leaflets

Expert reco

0 20 40 60 80 100

CCFNorm

Digital

Tools of the Trade

Tools of the Trade: Data

ANALYTICS INSIGHTS A/B TESTING

Tools of the Trade: Cohorts

Summary • Know your customer

• Remember you are trying to change behaviors

• Build something people need

• Optimise your marketing funnel

• Spend all your hard earned $$$