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Traction

Gabriel Weinberg, Justin Mares

Traction

19min

19min

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Traction offers an overview of the nineteen main traction channels for a company. Assuming  that the fundamental dynamic for any startup is the need to grow a lot, and to grow fast, it is important to choose a preferred traction channel from the very start. Considering startups often make the mistake of focusing solely on creating an exceptional product, Traction is an invitation not to underestimate the power of a good marketing strategy in giving an exponential boost to any business.

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Analysis and key concepts

01.

Traction is a sign that our company is taking off

02.

Develop a great product while testing the various traction channels

03.

Set a clear objective: what should our company growth rate be?

04.

The simple way to identify the right channel for generating company traction

05.

We can grow by getting the media to talk about us, placing ads online and offline, or using unconventional advertising strategies

06.

Increase sales with email marketing, content creation or by focusing on targeted blogs

07.

Gain traction using SEM, SEO and marketing technology

08.

Acquire customers with viral marketing or by building a community

09.

Direct sales and cross-company partnerships are additional means by which to generate traction

10.

Use affiliate programs or existing platforms to grow the business

11.

Participate in fairs, events and public presentations to increase interest in the business

12.

Quotes

13.

Take-home message

01. Traction is a sign that our company is taking off

Traction is the concrete proof, in numbers, of customer demand for a product or service. If we are developers and have created a new app, the traction index is given by the number of downloads of our product: if there is a sharp and rapid increase, it means that there is traction. It is essential for a startup to grow rapidly, and having traction means that the growth curve rises very quickly.

There are nineteen different channels through which it is possible to gain traction and thus acquire customers; basically, they are marketing and distribution channels. In choosing the right channel for us, we need to keep two factors in mind. First of all, we must avoid limiting the choice to the channels we are familiar with and know best, because often the least used and most underestimated ones can make a difference in terms of effectiveness. Secondly, we must know that it is very difficult to predict which is the best choice, so the only way to test the effectiveness of the strategies we would like to implement is to experiment. 

02. Develop a great product while testing the various traction channels

03. Set a clear objective: what should our company growth rate be?

04. The simple way to identify the right channel for generating company traction

05. We can grow by getting the media to talk about us, placing ads online and offline, or using unconventional advertising strategies

06. Increase sales with email marketing, content creation or by focusing on targeted blogs

07. Gain traction using SEM, SEO and marketing technology

08. Acquire customers with viral marketing or by building a community

09. Direct sales and cross-company partnerships are additional means by which to generate traction

10. Use affiliate programs or existing platforms to grow the business

11. Participate in fairs, events and public presentations to increase interest in the business

12. Quotes

13. Take-home message

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Many useful tips to:

  • Help those who want to launch a startup or build their own business.
  • Learn strategies to generate traction, for fast, far-reaching company growth.
  • Get to know the nineteen different channels through which to acquire more customers.

Gabriel Weinberg is the founder and CEO of DuckDuckGo, a company dedicated to internet privacy and a private search engine. Gabriel graduated from MIT with a degree in Physics and has been honoured with an award for his studies in Technology and Politics.

Justin Mares is an investor and founder of two companies (Kettle & Fire, Perfect Keto). He is a BA Hons graduate in Business Administration from the University of Pittsburgh.

Publishing house:

Benbella Books

Year:

2012

Pages:

246

ISBN:

978-1936661831