Growth Newsletter #106
Hello. Hi. Hey. Howdy. Greetings. Salutations. Wassup. Happy February to everyone.
Yesterday I went to a lunch and learn about Category Designโthe process of creating a new category for your startup/product so that you can dominate it. Will share my learnings soon!
This week we cover viral weirdness, instant gratification, and pattern interrupts.
This week's tactics
Learn what's working for top companies
Sponsored by Aircall.
HubSpot and Aircall surveyed 1,000+ global sales professionals to learn:
- What sales channels and strategies are working
- How sales teams can hit their targets in 2023
- Where to find qualified leads, and moreย
They turned their findings into an in-depth report that includes:
- The top six sales goals that sales leaders are setting for 2023
- The top challenges that sales teams face, plus tips from the HubSpot and Aircall sales teams on how to solve them
- Insights from the Aircall team on how to make the most of phone calls (the second most effective sales channel)
- Sales metrics to track in 2023, and much more
Create a pattern interruption
Insight from Clout Monster and Why We Buy.
Which one stands out the most?

Weโll bet it was the Pringles. Unlike the other two brands (and dozens of other chip brands that come in crinkly rectangular bags), Pringles come in a tube.
This is a pattern interruptโsomething that breaks the norm.
Pattern interrupts grab attention.
They draw your eye even if they're inherently LESS noticeable than the competition:
๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ฆพ๐๐๐๐๐๐
And in a crowded market, they make your business stand out.
To get in front of more leads, try incorporating pattern interrupts. Some ideas:
1) Like the Pringles example, give your product distinctive packaging.
2) If most companies in your industry have a certain aesthetic, make yours the complete opposite. ย
Think of how Liquid Death embraced hardcore branding in the minimalist world of bottled water.
3) Use unusual imagery in your ads.
Ever seen Squatty Pottyโs pooping unicorn commercial? Or Poo-Pourriโs โGirls Donโt Poopโ ad? These videos got a lot of attention because of their weird visuals. (The bathroom humor just happens to be a coincidenceโbut weโre not not saying itโs worth a shot.)
4) Along the same lines, use contrasting colors in your ads.
The agency Biddyco used neon colors in its Facebook ads for the cereal brand Magic Spoon. Compared to everyday photos from friends and family in your feed, these bright shades were a total scroll-stopper.
5) Plan a different kind of event.
Instead of organizing a generic marketing conference, the SaaS brand SparkToro hosted an event where each speaker told a story they'd never shared before. Sessions were shortโ30 minutes maxโand nothing was recorded. This made speakers more comfortable with being vulnerable and incentivized people to tune in live.
Use weirdness to get people talking
Insight from Duolingo.
Duolingo has one of the best viral growth loops.
And it has nothing to do with the gamification they're known for.
What is it?
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๐๐ฟ๐๐พ๐๐พ๐๐พ๐๐พ๐๐พ๐๐พ๐๐พ๐๐พ๐๐พ๐๐ฟ
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๐๐ฟ๐๐พ๐๐ฝ๐๐ผ๐๐ผ๐๐ผ๐๐ผ๐๐ผ๐๐ฝ๐๐พ๐๐ฟ
๐๐ฟ๐๐พ ๐๐ฝ weirdness๐๐ฝ๐๐พ๐๐ฟ
๐๐ฟ๐๐พ๐๐ฝ๐๐ผ๐๐ผ๐๐ผ๐๐ผ๐๐ผ๐๐ฝ๐๐พ๐๐ฟ
๐๐ฟ๐๐พ๐๐ฝ๐๐ฝ๐๐ฝ๐๐ฝ๐๐ฝ๐๐ฝ๐๐ฝ๐๐พ๐๐ฟ
๐๐ฟ๐๐พ๐๐พ๐๐พ๐๐พ๐๐พ๐๐พ๐๐พ๐๐พ๐๐พ๐๐ฟ
๐๐ฟ๐๐ฟ๐๐ฟ๐๐ฟ๐๐ฟ๐๐ฟ๐๐ฟ๐๐ฟ๐๐ฟ๐๐ฟ๐๐ฟย
They purposely make people translate really bizarre sentences.

I have an entire album of them on my phone. I send them to people all the time.
And I'm not the only one. People share them on Twitter constantly.
There's even a Twitter account with 100,000 followers called "Shit Duolingo Says."
Weird sentences delight users. They keep you asking, "What's gonna come next?" Which is critical for an app that does one of the hardest things: teach people a new language.
And they cause people to talk organically about the app with others.
Be weird to stand out, delight people, and get them talking.
Give instant gratification with your copy
Insight from Nothing Held Back.
Good copywriters know the power of future pacing. That'sย a technique that encourages readers to visualize the positive results your product will help them achieve.
Example: A coding bootcamp can say, "Learn to become a programmer so you can earn a 6-figure tech salary and work from home."
That paints a picture of a big win after completing the bootcamp. It's easy to visualize.
Just one problem with future pacing: It doesnโt work well on skeptical buyers. Their objections cancel out the rosy picture.
To win over skeptics, give instant gratification in your copy. Highlight the good things that are just around the corner.ย
Disney does this by making its vacation-booking process just as appealing as the trip thatโs months away.
A few examples:
- "Disney Cruise Line gives families dreams to wake up excited about." โ Become your family's hero.
- Page headings like "Discover Value in Vacation Packages," "Trip Planning Made Easy," and "Book with Confidence" โ Enjoy the trip-planning experience.
- "With over 50 different hotels to choose from, you're sure to find one that fits your familyโs travel style, size, and budget!" โ Easily find a place that fits your needs.
As a result, skeptical prospects perceive an immediate reward from booking.
To deliver instant gratification in your copy, frame the purchase itselfโand not just the productโas a win. For instance:
- โOrder X now, and youโll feel relief knowing you made the right decision.โ
- โBy saying yes to X, youโll be one step closer to achieving your big goal.โ
- โBuy X now, and youโll wake up tomorrow knowing you finally did something about it!โ
Your prospects may still have reservations about your product. But theyโll be more likely to act when you sell them immediate confidence and relief.
Community Spotlight
News and Links
News you can use:
AI truly is the cool new kid on the block:
- Microsoft has confirmed a new GPT-powered Bing homepage. You can even get it to give you a multi-day travel itinerary for Mexico, and even hit it with followup questions, just like ChatGPT. We'll see how this changes the Search ecosystem.
- In the other corner: Google. Yesterday, they introduced Bard, an AI service that uses their LaMDA conversation technology. Hereโs a preview of what a new search experience might be like: โSoon, youโll see AI-powered features in Search that distill complex information and multiple perspectives into easy-to-digest formats, so you can quickly understand the big picture and learn more from the web.โ ETA on all this? Bard is currently being tested externally, but expect a wider rollout in the โcoming weeks,โ with new AI features coming โsoonโ to Google Search.ย
- Quora is ready to step into the ring too. Theyโve announced their own AI chat product, called Poe.
- The competition is also heating up for Twitter. The founders of Instagram have launched Artifact, a newsfeed thatโs text-based, personalized, AI-powered, and currently in beta.ย
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Tool we recommend: Amplitude*
We use Amplitude to track every action people make across our various websites, emails, and products.
It lets us analyze the impact of our marketing campaigns. For example, whether people who attended the Growth Summit stayed subscribed longer, or became a student.
We like it way more than Google Analytics. Try it out.
Sponsored by Amplitude
Something fun
From @roshanpateI




