Startups Attract Customers Without Going Viral
Startups can win customers without going viral on social media, according to founders and investors. They shared tips on how to attract and retain customers at TechCrunch Disrupt.
Original reporting · techcrunch.com
Original: “Startups don’t need to go viral to win customers”
Read “Startups don’t need to go viral to win customers” at TechCrunch →
How this was written. Hustle Bucks wrote this article with a language model from TechCrunch’s reporting (model: @cf/meta/llama-3.3-70b-instruct-fp8-fast); it describes that reporting rather than adding to it. The original, linked above, is the full story.
Key points from TechCrunch’s report
- Startups can attract customers without going viral on social media by being strategic in their marketing efforts.
- Traditional sales tactics, such as events and personal engagement, can be effective in reaching customers.
- Analyzing customer usage data can help startups identify trends and opportunities for growth.
Getting initial customers is a major challenge for startups, and even when companies manage to snag some early interest, there’s no guarantee those customers will stick around.
Founders and investors shared their experiences and strategies for attracting and retaining customers at TechCrunch Disrupt, according to TechCrunch. Elia Wallen, founder and CEO of travel startup Engine, Grant Lee, founder and CEO of Gamma, and Crystal Huang, general partner at Google Ventures, discussed the importance of being strategic in marketing efforts.
Social media can seem like a magic bullet for reaching early customers, but it requires a thoughtful approach, according to Lee. Gamma’s social media strategy, which included an influencer program, helped the company scale its business exponentially and reach a multi-billion dollar valuation.
However, simply partnering with influencers does not automatically translate to sales, said Lee. Founders need to work closely with creators to ensure they understand the value of the product and can articulate it effectively.
Other ways of reaching customers, such as traditional sales tactics, can be just as effective as social media, according to Wallen. His company, Engine, bootstrapped its way to $150 million in bookings without a visible social media strategy, instead relying on events and personal engagement.
Wallen also emphasized the importance of personal engagement, sharing an example of hiring a magician to perform tricks for prospective clients at events. This approach can be more effective than relying solely on social media, he said.
Huang highlighted the value of analyzing customer usage data to identify trends and opportunities for growth. By looking at how customers use the product, startups can derive valuable insights and create evangelists who are passionate about the product.
Questions and answers
What is the key to successful social media marketing for startups?
The key to successful social media marketing is to be strategic and work closely with creators to ensure they understand the value of the product.
Can traditional sales tactics be effective for startups?
Yes, traditional sales tactics, such as events and personal engagement, can be effective in reaching customers, according to Elia Wallen.
How can startups derive value from customer usage data?
Startups can derive value from customer usage data by analyzing trends and opportunities for growth, and using this information to create evangelists who are passionate about the product.
