The 19 traction channels

As I have already mentioned in my last post, while writing the book Gabriel Weinberg and Justin Mares found out 19 Traction Channels through which business can acquire customers.

While researching on the traction channels, they discovered two broad themes through our research:

1. Most founders only consider using traction channels they’re already familiar with or think they should be using because of their type of product or company. This means that far too many startups focus on the same channels (search engine marketing, public relations) and ignore other promising ways to get traction.

2. It’s hard to predict the channel that will work best. You can make educated guesses, but until you start running tests, it’s difficult to tell which channel is the best one for you right now.

So, let me introduce you to the nineteen traction channels Gabriel Weinberg and Justin Mares has listed in the book. Each traction channel has worked for startups of all kinds and in all different stages.

Get one channel working that your competitors dismiss, and you can grow rapidly while they languish.

So in a blog post at Grasshopper, he has summarised all the traction channels and they are:

Viral Marketing consists of growing your user base by encouraging your users to refer other users. Companies like Zynga, Twitter and Facebook have all grown rapidly through this channel.

Public Relations (PR) is the art of getting your name out there via traditional media outlets like newspapers, magazines, and TV. Companies like American Apparel and Virgin Airlines have used this channel to acquire customers.

Unconventional PR involves doing something exceptional (like publicity stunts) to draw media attention. This channel can also work by repeatedly going above and beyond for your customers. Companies likeZappos, Reddit and Hipmunk have used this channel to grow.

Search Engine Marketing (SEM) allows companies to advertise to consumers searching on Google and other search engines. Companies like Archives.com (before its $100 million acquisition by Ancestry.com) and Geico rely heavily on this channel to grow.

Social and Display Ads on popular sites like Reddit, YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and hundreds of other niche sites can be a powerful and scalable way to reach new customers. Large companies like New Relic, Dollar Shave Club and the University of Phoenix have used these kinds of ads to get in front of potential customers.

Offline Ads include TV spots, radio commercials, billboards, infomercials, newspaper and magazine ads, as well as flyers and other local advertisements. These ads reach demographics that are harder to target online, like seniors, less tech-savvy, consumers and commuters. Few startups use this channel which means there’s less competition for many of these audiences. Companies like Volkswagen, Salesforce andConstant Contact have used this channel for growth.

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is the process of making sure your website shows up for key search results. Companies like Wikipedia, Yelp and Moz have seen massive growth by focusing on this channel.

Content Marketing involves creating content on a company blog, then sharing it to educate and acquire potential customers. Companies like Unbounce and OkCupid have used this to acquire tens of thousands of new users, and to gain recognition as a thought leader in their respective industries.

Email Marketing is one of the best ways to convert prospects while retaining and monetizing existing ones. Companies like WPEngine and Groupon have used this channel to make millions of dollars in revenue.

Engineering as Marketing — using engineering resources to acquire customers — is an underutilized way to get traction. Successful companies have built micro-sites, developed widgets, and created free tools that drive thousands of leads each month. These tools have driven companies like Hubspot to tens of thousands of customers.

Targeting Blogs and Communities has worked for companies like Codecademy, Mint, and Reddit to launch their startup to thousands of users. In Mint’s case, they targeted niche blogs early on, acquiring 40,000 users before launching.

Business Development (BD) is the process of creating strategic relationships that benefit both your startup and your partner. Companies like Kayak, Half.com and Delicious have all used this as their primary growth channel.

Sales are primarily focused on creating processes to directly exchange the product for dollars. It involves finding early customers and having conversations that lead to a purchase. Companies like Box, Rackspace and Eloqua have all successfully used sales teams to grow the adoption of their products.

Affiliate Programs are largely responsible for the growth of companies like Hostgator and GoDaddy. This channel is easily accessible and simply means that you pay a percentage of your per-customer revenue to an affiliate who brings you a new customer.

Existing Platforms include the likes of Facebook, Twitter, and the App Store. By leveraging these platforms, you can get some of their hundreds of millions of users to use your product. This strategy has driven the growth of companies like Zynga, Evernote and Instagram.

Trade Shows are a chance for companies in specific industries to show off their latest products. Companies like JBoss, Slidepad and RJ Metrics have all used Trade Show marketing to acquire new customers in a cost-effective way.

Sponsoring or Running Offline Events — from small meetups to large conferences — can be a primary way you get traction. These events can help you build up relationships, a loyal user base, and get you face time with your prospects and potential customers. Companies like Meetup, Twilio and Eventbrite have all used this channel successfully to grow and establish themselves as a strong brand.

Eric Ries, the author of the bestselling book The Lean Startup, has talked about how he used speaking engagements to hit the bestseller list within a week of the book’s launch, how he landed these talks, and why he chose to use this channel to generate awareness and book sales. Companies of all sizes can leverage speaking events to grow their company profile. Companies like Enservio, Moz and Clarity.fmhave all used this channel to thrive.

Building a Community — like Zappos, Wikipedia, and Stack Exchange have all done — can be a great way to grow your company and creating relationships among your fans and customers. Companies likeWikipedia, StackOverflow and Yelp have all leveraged this channel for rapid growth.

Again, I am telling you if you are into startup, you should read the Traction book. It will surely help you.