The Art of Customer Acquisition: Strategies for New Businesses - Ep. 57

Giraffes Don't Eat Steak

The Art of Customer Acquisition: Strategies for New Businesses - Ep. 57
Join Alex and Erica as they welcome special guest, Hedley Smith, a serial entrepreneur and web development expert, to the Giraffes Don't Eat Steak Podcast. In this insightful episode, Hedley shares his journey from leaving school to successful startup founder, offering valuable advice for aspiring entrepreneurs and marketers alike.

Discover the challenges of marketing for small businesses and startups, including strategies for acquiring those crucial first customers. Hedley discusses the differences and similarities between B2B, B2C and B2B2C marketing approaches, providing practical tips for identifying and testing various growth channels.

The conversation delves into the importance of understanding your target audience, whether you're selling to businesses or consumers. Learn about the pros and cons of offering free trials and how to determine the right pricing strategy for your product or service.

Throughout the episode, Hedley emphasises the importance of testing and iterating your marketing efforts, sharing his experiences across multiple startups and businesses. Whether you're a budding entrepreneur, a marketing professional, or simply curious about the startup world, this episode offers valuable insights and actionable advice.

Don't miss out on this enlightening discussion about growth hacking, customer acquisition, and the realities of building a successful business from the ground up. Tune in now to gain a wealth of knowledge from Hedley's years of experience in the tech and startup ecosystem.

Key points discussed:

- Hedley's background and entrepreneurial journey

- Challenges of marketing for small businesses and startups

- Strategies for acquiring the first 10 customers

- Differences and similarities between B2B, B2C, and B2B2C marketing

- The importance of testing and iterating marketing efforts

- Pros and cons of offering free trials

- Pricing strategies and understanding customer value perception

Guest information:

Hedley Smith is a serial entrepreneur with experience in web development, founding multiple startups, and helping businesses secure funding. He has a background in both B2B and B2C ventures and is passionate about coding and creating value through technology. Connect with Hedley at www.withbalance.co.uk and https://www.linkedin.com/in/hedleysmith/

Episode highlights:

[00:00:00] - Introduction to the podcast and guest Hedley

[00:02:32] - Hedley shares his background and entrepreneurial journey

[00:03:54] - Discussion on what drives Hedley's passion for entrepreneurship

[00:05:55] - Challenges of marketing for small businesses and startups

[00:07:31] - Differences between B2B, B2C, and B2B2C approaches

[00:10:36] - The importance of understanding the end-user in different business models

[00:13:07] - Debate on offering free trials and pricing strategies

[00:15:24] - Insights on pricing based on customer value perception

Quotable moments:

"Growth is a bigger challenge than product right now." - Hedley

"The biggest challenge is getting those first 10 customers." - Hedley

"There are more similarities than differences between B2B and B2C marketing at the early stages." - Hedley
Actionable tips:

1. Focus on acquiring your first 10 customers to validate your product and understand your market.

2. Test different marketing channels to identify what works best for your business.

3. Consider the pros and cons of offering a free trial or freemium model for your

Erica: https://www.linkedin.com/in/erica-mackay/
Alex: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alex-bilney/
Get in touch with us at The Marketing Detective Agency - www.themarketingdetectiveagency.com