The entire concept of “Growth Hacking” has grown like wildfire over the last couple of years and it’s now almost as commonly discussed in the startup world as Pivots, okay not that much but it’s getting there. I have been talking to a lot of people about growth hacking lately and learning from others while sharing what’s worked for me.
One of the people I was talking to very recently said, “You should do a blog series about this!” So I decided, what the heck, let’s do it. As usual I like to start with the basics so I’ll be getting everyone on the same page in this article and then getting into 201, 301 and 401 for the super growth hacking geeks out there.
So first things first, What is Growth Hacking?
Growth hacking is all about getting lots of people to use a product or service in cool and unique ways that can scale very nicely. Since the term “Hacker” is used all the time now to describe amazing coders, this use of the word is a bit different and instead looks at someone who does things a bit differently. A growth hacker might not follow the prescribed way of building a user base but instead thinks outside of the box and thus “hacks” the whole growth part of the equation.
Where does Growth Hacking apply?
In short, everywhere. Any company with a product or service tends to want more people to use it and by getting creative they can do it differently than everyone else. There is not one technique for growth hacking but instead tons of different techniques and strategies that apply to different companies in different markets at different phases of development.
How can you get started with Growth Hacking?
Lucky for you, me, and everyone else on the planet, there are lots of great resources online for learning growth hacking techniques. Below are a few of my personal favorites:
Mattan’s Growth Hacking Presentation – this is my #1 recommended resource. If you don’t know Mattan, you should – he’s the man. He started the top course on Skillshare about learning how to program (which I also highly recommend) and has an absolutely kick-ass presentation on growth hacking that I can promise you will get a lot out of. Oh and it’s completely free but I’d pay for it if it wasn’t!
RebelMouse Growth Hacking. Trends, Tricks, and Tools – this is like the Pinterest of Growth Hacking, lots of great information to soak up and enjoy, also completely free.
The 5 Keys to Acquiring New Users for Free – last but certainly not least is an amazing course on Skillshare that covers some great Growth Hacking techniques, not free, but it’s only $20 and absolutely worth every penny. Vinicius Vacanti, Co-Founder and CEO of YipIt shares the techniques he used to get hundreds of thousands of people to use his service.
Inspired?
I sure hope so! Feel free to bookmark this page and come back to it once you’re a Growth Hacking guru so you can remember the good ol’ days. Also please pass it onto friends that might not know what this term means. Last but not least, feel free to comment below to share your own tips, tricks, and techniques or ask any questions you might have.
Stay-tuned, Growth Hacking 201 is coming up next week!
