One of the most common questions we get at Cratejoy is “How do I get more subscribers?”
Customer acquisition consistently proves to be a perplexing task that first time business owners – and even more seasoned entrepreneurs – struggle with immensely. A simple Google search on the topic throws up 26 million results, a veritable online labyrinth of “best” practices. Even worse, not all of these results are what you’re actually looking for: actionable resources for effective subscription box marketing.
But have no fear. We’ve rounded up nine of our favorite (and proven) resources for online marketing. This list will provide you with the most up-to-date and effective strategies that exist today, from content marketing to social media marketing to PPC, and everything in-between.
GrowthHackers.com: A Growth Strategy Aggregator
GrowthHackers is a constantly updating source of aggregated content on marketing and how to grow your business aggressively and sustainably. Members post, vote, and comment on the best pieces of the day, giving you up-to-the-minute access on new strategies that experts know to work. Even better: the name of the game is creativity and cost-efficiency. GrowthHackers also offers growth studies on real businesses, plus they share their own methods for success.
As Cratejoy CEO Amir Elaguizy puts it, “If you read just one thing, and it is this, you’ll probably hit the most important emerging strategies on growth.”
Inbound.org: Another Aggregator
Inbound is another aggregator, though it provides a few additional features when put side by side with GrowthHackers (like groups). Checking Inbound daily exposes you to fresh digital marketing strategies and interacting with their experts (like with GrowthHacker) can help bring you closer to some of the best and brightest sources on effective online marketing.
Garyvaynerchuk.com: GaryVee’s Personal Blog
GaryVee is big on relationship marketing, transparency, and making sure you’re advertising for the year your business exists in. He’s a legendary content marketer and regularly shares common sense (and thought provoking) pieces on what it is you need to know and how you should think about it. He also has a podcast.
AppSumo: Online Courses and Deals on Growth-Oriented Products
App Sumo is run by former Facebook, Mint, and Curse employees, and their mission is to bring you the most up-to-date tools and resources to run your business effectively – and affordably.
Bonus resource: Check out App Sumo founder Noah Kagan’s personal blog at OkDork.com, where he offers a private marketing toolkit for free.
SEMrush.com Blog: SEO/SEM Marketing
SEMrush is a keyword research tool, and the SEMrush blog is a great place to find current articles on implementing effective SEO strategies, social media marketing tools, and generally everything you need to know regarding content and your website. They often feature guest posts from experts on SEO, PPC, social media, keyword research and online marketing, giving you access to a breadth of knowledge from a variety of sources.
Moz Blog: Whiteboard Friday Videos
Remember Inbound.org (number 2 on our list)? Rand Fishkin is one of the founders, and before that, he founded Moz.com, a tool to make inbound marketing easier. Inbound marketing is simply marketing that pulls people toward your business (usually in the form of compelling content). The Moz.com blog is a great source of content for this type of marketing, and we’re huge fans of Rand’s Whiteboard Friday series – clear, concise videos that cover content marketing strategies, news, and updates.
The Growth Show from Hubspot: From the CMO of Hubspot
The Growth Show is put on by Hubspot CMO Mike Volpe. Each week, Mike interviews someone who has achieved incredible growth, then they unpack and figure out how it happened. It’s a great source for inspiration, as well as real life examples of explosive and effective growth. Also, check out the Hubspot marketing blog.
Online Marketing Made Easy: Amy Porterfield
Amy Porterfield is an online marketing expert, entrepreneur, and author. Her podcasts are digestible, and her content is easy to apply to your business. Plus, you can listen to her podcasts for free straight from iTunes – Amy Porterfield Podcasts.
Subscription School: Powered by Cratejoy
Subscription School is the all-in-one resource for subscription commerce businesses, with a special focus on subscription boxes. We cover topics ranging from marketing to fulfillment and from retention to implementing content strategies for your website. Chances are, if you’re looking to start your own subscription box, this is the best place to start.
Become an Expert at Subscription Box Marketing
Each source on this list provides unique and practical tools and suggestions for marketing your subscription box. We suggest you make the point to sign up for newsletters, spend time reading and engaging with each source, and most importantly, ask questions when you’re feeling confused. Customer acquisition starts with you.
Have a favorite source for information on customer acquisition? Share it in the comments below.
