@IndieHackers 1️⃣ He focused on getting 50-100 users out of the gate who were friends, family or colleagues that could offer feedback and I knew would be honest with him about the product.
@IndieHackers 2️⃣ He used his following on Twitter to get his next 200-300 followers, and then he just trusted my readers to help him share.
@IndieHackers 3️⃣ 2-3 times a week, he'd explain to readers that he needed their help to spread the word and ask them to share on social media or send Tangle to 5-6 friends. So many readers participated!
@IndieHackers 4️⃣ He ran competitions for $100 gift cards. He'd ask people to share Tangle on social media, send a screenshot of their share, and then he'd enter their name into a hat.
@IndieHackers 5️⃣ Partnerships were big. Most of the time, you'll hear from founders to seek out partners in your "space." Isaac ignored this advice, and actually tried to seek out partners who were not competitors.
@IndieHackers 6️⃣ Since he wrote about politics, he didn't see any logic in going after customers who are already getting politics news from someone else.
@IndieHackers 7️⃣ The best example is Marques Brownlee, a tech YouTuber who Isaac knows. He shared the newsletter with his team and one of his producers mentioned it on the podcast, which brought in 500 subscribers overnight.
@IndieHackers 8️⃣ He also sent Tangle to people with big followings. This was a no brainer. He sought out politicians, reporters and celebrities who were independent thinkers and had previously expressed a desire for a more united country.
@IndieHackers Learn more about Isaac's newsletter journey:
Tip: That navbar on your landing page is a distraction, and distractions can tank your conversions. Keep your landing pages laser-focused and improve your conversion rates by removing unnecessary links.
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When Hubspot tested landing pages for top-of-the-funnel (TOFU) and middle-of-the-funnel (MOFU) offers, they found that removing links improved conversion rates.
Specifically, removing the navbar, footer, and social media share links increased conversions by 0-4% for TOFU offers and 16-28% for MOFU offers. That being the case, it's pretty crazy that 84% of landing pages still have navbars.
Tip: Following up with a lead can mean the difference between a sale and a lost opportunity. But instead of a blase follow-up, why not give them another reason to buy? Convert more leads by including information that strengthens your case.
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Russell Vaughan closes a whopping 75% of his demos, and he says the way he follows up with leads is a big factor in that. Follow-ups are crucial in and of themselves, but here's why Russell's are particularly effective.
He avoids the usual "I just wanted to follow up..." email which, as he points out, is pestering and offers no value to the lead. And instead, he takes the opportunity to provide further information that strengthens the case for becoming a customer.
Tip: There's a lot happening in the political and social arenas right now, and despite what you may have been taught, speaking your mind can actually benefit your business. Get loyal customers by standing up for what you believe in.
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There's a commonly-held belief in business that being vocal about divisive issues will result in lost customers and little gain.
That's true for the 800-pound gorillas (or at least it was until 2020), but one study on B2Cs showed that there can actually be a big gain for brands with small market shares.
Tip: Getting to #1 on Google can be tough, but getting to the first page is a little easier. And from there, you can jump to #1 by winning the snippet. Optimize for featured snippets to get to the top and increase traffic.
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Featured snippets are answers that appear as tables, lists, videos, etc. above Google's organic search results. They put you right at the top and give you more real estate. It goes without saying that this is great for your brand and (if you do it right) your traffic.
Case and point, Cyrus Shepard of @ZyppySEO had a featured snippet and when he experimented with opting out, his traffic went down by 12%.