❌ Stop These 3 'Best’ Practices (What To Do Instead)

Hey there,

Welcome back to another edition of Bootstrapped Growth. 👋

Today, we're challenging marketing ‘best practices’ that everyone follows. We suggest alternative tactics that help boost versus undermine your results.

Table of Contents

• 🚀 Strategy

• ⭐️ Extra Tips

• 🛠️ Resources

Thanks for reading. Let’s jump in!

🚀 Break 3 Tired Marketing Rules

1) Stop Sending Automated Welcome Email Sequences

Superhuman (email client) abandoned the standard "5-part automated welcome sequence" ‘best’ practice. Instead, they implemented a single, quick personalized email from a real team member. A team member is assigned to a specific user as a dedicated onboarding contact. This high-touch approach cultivates personal connection and accountability. Their activation rate increased by 91% relative to their previous automated approach.

Takeaway ➡️ Consider replacing mass automated sequences with fewer but more personal touchpoints from real team members. This human touch builds trust and often encourages social sharing or repeat purchases.

2) Reduce Form Fields

ChartMogul (subscription analytics platform) challenged the ‘more fields = better leads’ practice. They reduced their demo request form from 9 fields to just 3 (name, email, company). By reducing user friction, they experienced a 23% increase in sales-qualified leads which was way more impactful than any data quality concerns.

Takeaway ➡️ Minimize form fields to capture more high-value prospects who have low patience for friction.

3) Don’t Hide Pricing

Canny (customer feedback tool) increased qualified leads by 54% when they transparently detailed their pricing versus being gated behind a demo request. Hiding pricing creates friction for your best potential customers.

Takeaway ➡️ Display pricing transparently to attract better-qualified prospects and reduce sales cycle length.

⭐️ Get More Conversion Wins

1. Use Post-Purchase Pop-Ups to Upsell with Urgency. After checkout, offer a limited-time upsell (e.g. 10-minute countdown timer for a complementary product at a discount). Urgency and exclusivity increases impulse purchases.

2. Gamify Email Opt-Ins with Spin-to-Win Wheels or Mystery Boxes. Replace boring opt-ins with interactive games to increase purchase intent. For example, users can ‘win’ a coupon or freebie.

3. Add ‘Micro-Commitment’ CTAs Before the Final Ask. Use soft questions like ‘Are you looking to improve X?’ before the hard sell. Getting a small ‘yes’ warms up leads and increases the likelihood they’ll agree to a larger conversion step.

🛠 Useful Resources

Understand concepts visually and quickly (and for free!) with these handy sketches. Try Sketchplanations. Example below of the Peter Principle: