Leave it to Silicon Valley to come up with an oddly weird but hipster name - growth hacking
Just on first impression, it doesn't sound good. For some reason, I think of venturing into this thick jungle full of wild, spawling foliage, machete in hand, hacking your way through to the next bit of civilization. Well, doesn't social media marketing feel like that sometimes?
This article on the Direct Marketing News website talks about seven ways you can get into this "new" strategy. But it just seems like fancy terminology for concepts you probably already know about inbound marketing.
Still, it's information that should be known or at least reviewed, especially if you're serious about internet marketing success.
(Quick aside: I love the idea of inbound marketing, or having prospects come to your site to seek out your services. It's the opposite of how we freelancers have drummed up business in the past. Finding the way that works for me will likely be my quest for the next, oh, 3 to 5 years or so. But I don't mind, since it's enjoyable to see what mix of content, social media and expert knowledge marketing will be most effective for my business.)
The CEO of SalesLoft, Kyle Porter, lists the ideas as follows:
- Make it habit to understand your users
- Focus on the first-time user experience
- Provide incentives for sharing
- Maximize content and social posting
- A/B tests
- Time your emails
- SEO optimization
Now, I won't go over these concepts, other than to say that they're all common-sense ideas that every internet marketer needs to follow to stay relevant and current. Most of them, namely #3 to #7, relate directly to online marketing strategies , which is some of the stuff I help travel and culinary companies with. But it's interesting how the first two center on the customer and how to make your online marketing - everything from your website to your emails to your social media presence - easier.
This may not be news, even with the newfangled term. But it's all bears repeating, learning and taking to heart if you want to be a successful online marketer.