how brandyourself got 60k users in 60 hours

How we (unexpectedly) got 60K Users in 60 Hours

Patrick AmbronCo-Founder & CEO

and other ways to get users without spending $$

•Background: what/who is BrandYourself

•Tipping Point: 60K users in 60 hrs (what happened)

•What we learned: lessons you can apply

AGENDA

We started BrandYourself when co-founder Pete couldn‘t get an internship because employers were Googling him and finding...

A criminal with the same name The REAL Pete Kistler, NOT a criminal

INSTEAD OF

1 BILLION

75%

names are Googled every day

of HR departments are required to research candidates online

We realized this is a BIG problem for A LOT of people

…And most people are not well-represented online

NEGATIVEIRRELEVANT

HEY! THAT’S NOT ME

To help everyone control their search results with a simple & FREE do-it-yourself platform

So we made it our mission:

How BrandYourself Works

Users can also create a BrandYourself that’s optimized to rank high in search results for your name

•30 full-time employees •Over 300,000 customers •$2 Million in funding

(more on way) •Named #1 Emerging

Business in NYS ($200K prize), top app at SXSW

WHERE WE STARTED WHERE WE ARE NOW

•Launched in 2010 from a dorm room at SU

•No marketing budget, no resources, no clue

HOW DID WE GET FROM A TO B?

It started with a lot of building…

and rebuilding

and more rebuilding

UNTIL FINALLY …

We were ready for launch!

Growth was pretty good right out of the gate

BUT THEN…

…we hit a tipping point

60K users in 60 hrs

SO WHAT HAPPENED?

We announced a feature that (accidentally) went a little viral

first, Mashable picked it up

Not all Mashable articles are created equal

an article trending on the front

Once the story was “hot” other places picked it up

All these new users began sharing BrandYourself, which compounded growth even more…

Signups from direct sources and direct Google searches sky-rocketed

We signed up over 10,000 people from sources that signed up less than 200

people each.

Finally, all the new users created a huge Long Tail Effect

Some sent us users through

Others wrote personal blog posts

SO WHAT DID WE LEARN ?(THAT COULD HELP YOU)

Pitch the right publication

(choose wisely)

1

Promote one feature at a time

(make sure it’s the one people care about)

2

Bad Pitch:

We have a new feature that helps you do something

amazing that no one else can help you do

Good Pitch:

Here’s a list of ten technical features

you won’t really understand. Will you

write about it?

Focus the story on specific people, not you or your company

3

Bad Pitch:

Millions of people—like my friend Jim—could never speak Spanish.

With this new product he was fluent in 2 weeks!

Good Pitch:

I just stayed up all night releasing this. You

should write about it.

Focus on your sign up flow4

(optimize conversions)

Ideal Homepage

Pretty good homepage (thank you)

Really good homepage

Obvious really bad homepage

Not as obvious bad homepage

Know where your product can be viral

*People will always share an interesting experience

5

(even if it isn’t a social network)

People like to brag about accomplishments

People want to do what their friends do

Other Companies that use the Buddy

DROPBOX: Invite a friend & you both get free storage space

SKYPE: Invite a friend & you both get to talk to each other for free

Have a great product that solves a real problem

6

VS

Solve a specific problem

7

Originally, we tried to be everything:

“Put your best foot forward on the web”: • Manage your entire online reputation

• Own your Google results

• Track your digital breadcrumbs

• Create effective social media profiles

• Get more fans and followers

• Figure out how to blog

• Automate your social media outreach

• Manage your online privacy

• Build a personal brand

• Improve your online presence

Now, we have a concise message:

Own Your Google Results.

Listen to your users and give them what they need

8

With feedback from our users, we realized some situations still require more hands-on help….

So, we launched Concierge Services where a reputation specialist will handle the work for them.

…this accelerated revenue and led to massive company growth

Patrick, one of our reputation specialists

Look great when employers, clients and even dates Google you.