70 Ways to Grow Your Business. (Hire a Marketing Consultant to Execute These).
Meet Cody Gutierrez, CMO turned Fractional CMO for Hire:
I help $1M-$100M businesses to scale-up profitably. In the corporate world, I earned 9 promotions in 10 years, quickly climbed to the C-Suite & scaled revenue 2X, 5X & 10X for 3 separate companies. In 2022, I walked away from my executive job (CMO) at a VC-backed startup to build my own portfolio of companies to grow & invest in. Learn about me here.
The marketing strategies below come from my “Growth in a Box” Toolkit - a compact, powerful system to grow revenue (140+ pg. PDF):
This is the exact same 8-figure revenue playbook I’ve used personally to help scale: an eCommerce brand 10X in 3 years; a SaaS brand 5X in 1 year; & a Marketing agency 2X in 2 years. The toolkit unlocks how to use fundamental, universal principles to grow companies. What took me 10+ years of experience to create, you can receive that same value, in seconds.
Contact Information:
Email: CodyGutierrez2255@gmail.com
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/cody-gutierrez/
Book a call: codygutierrez.com
How to Grow Your Business - a 70-point checklist to scale your revenue:
Create foundational operating assets (OKRs/goals, budgets, priorities, blueprints, vision, resourcing, forecasts, org. chart). It's your growth survival kit.
Uncover growth opportunities & prioritize action items (by mktg. mix, products/markets, transactions/customers, metrics, funnel, etc.). It's your action plan.
Setup MarTech stack (Google Analytics, Google Search Console, CMS, Tag Manager, CRM, Google Analytics, UTM links etc.). Enable your team w/ tech.
Setup event tracking (Tag Manager). E.g. track button clicks, pg. scrolls, form fills, product usage, transactions, calls, etc. Get performance visibility.
Setup conv. tracking. E.g. track subset of events that are more business-oriented: calls, form fills, transactions, thank-you-pages. Ue this data to train ad bidding.
Setup attribution funnel (tie revenue/end-goals to channel sources ("click to cash" tracking)). Know where results come from. Then funnel budget to breadwinners.
Setup Zapier/integration flows as needed (e.g. validate domain, calendly to FB conversion, setup aggregated events, offline conversions etc.). Cross-pollinate data.
Setup executive reporting. This should be automated & digital. E.g. in Looker, Google Analytics, Hubspot, Shopify, etc. Dashboards to drive decisions.
Setup ad ecosystem (pixels, conv. tracking, remarketing audiences, integrations, platform linking, attribution, list-uploads). Data-focused prep. Build audience.
Create Ideal Customer Profile (i.e. build your target characteristics within ad platforms & list providers first... then build the "doc" version). Don't get fancy w/ it.
Setup demand capture & qualification system. Forms, call-tracking, calendar/booking software, qualifying process, reminders, newsletter sign-ups. Get data in.
Launch first ad channels (Google/Meta/LinkedIn/etc.). Messaging, creative/video, remarketing/prospecting, targeting, campaigns etc. Gauge PMF quick.
Launch VA/SDR or automated outreach (LinkedIn/Calls/Emails/SMS/DMs). Playbook, lists, scripts, flows/triggers, tech/sequence etc. Automate your outbound.
Launch mini ABM function (auto-refresh CRM audiences into ads, run ads to uploaded target account lists, content/creative etc.). Get a list. Try to close/win them.
Onboard CRM (attribution, lists, domains, integrations, objects/properties, ads, lifecycle stages, workflows, deals, import/migration, field mapping etc.). It matters.
Setup CRM email flows/sequences (1:1 & brand. welcome, win-back, proposals, long-term nurture, hot-behavior, cart/browse abandonment, newsletter etc.).
Enhance RevOps/nurturing/remarketing ads/ecosystem (if a user engages with you, make sure you have the ability for 12-months of follow-ups). Nurturing system.
Enhance sales efficiency & online purchase-ability (process/tech for checkouts, contracts, orders, booking, invoices, etc.). Mktg. operations. Make it easy to buy.
Level-up positioning on website (design, CRO, chat, PDPs, messaging, credibility, process, simplification, adding value, etc.). Make a good first impression.
Improve perceived value of your offer. E.g. scarcity, urgency, guarantees, bonuses, naming, re-package, re-price, higher-margin, better visuals. Get folks to buy.
Setup marketing compliance (GDPR, CCPA, CAN-SPAM, Policies (Cookie, Accessibility, Privacy, TOS, contact info, etc.). Do it. You're beholden to ad tech world.
Setup cross-sell & upsell ecosystem (funnel & split demand between multiple products/services... funnel to higher-margin). Give people options to buy.
Setup initial distribution channels (DTC: web/Amazon(+marketplaces)/retail/enterprise/etc.. B2B: web/partners/suppliers/app marketplaces/etc.). "Places" to buy.
Stack credibility-boosters (awards, customer logos, press mentions, rankings/reviews, client testimonials/references, case studies, work portfolio). Get trustworthy.
Setup product intimacy (product marketing, product guide, infosheets, spec-sheets, quick start guides, how-tos, training, etc.). Help folks understand your product.
Create your "blueprints" - 1 page docs w/ key alignment info. E.g. Business Model Canvas, Marketing Blueprint, Brand Blueprint. It's your "cheat-sheets".
Create your positioning statement & positioning elements/messaging (weave them into all the above items if not already). Add it to email signature too.
Create all sales assets/collateral (product guides/comparison charts, sales decks, proposals, guarantees, presos, launch videos, etc.). Docs that help sell stuff.
Create video assets (positioning overview, product overview, brand overview, etc.... start with 1 "umbrella"/marquee video). Visual storytelling.
Enhance product/service visuals (product images, service catalogs, docs, landing pages, etc.). Make your offering look polished & persuasive.
Create value-add content (even if 1-page.). E.g. lead magnet, how-to, product instructions, testimonials, guides, etc. Give value first before you receive.
Launch referral program (even if it's a 1 section web-callout). Nothing fancy. Just give people the ability to refer customers to you (& get paid out for it).
Launch customer LTV ecosystem. Discounts, rewards program, memberships, subscriptions, loyalty, contract renewal/expansion etc. Get folks to spend more.
Automate your audience-building (start building community via social, giveaways, influencers, outreach, groups, affiliates etc.). Get more followers.
Optimize ongoing performance marketing growth-levers (data, media, creative, destination experience, nurturing process, etc.). Be consistent.
Test mktg. channels (launch a minimal viable product test for 1-2 additional mktg. channels). It's good to have back-ups & diversified options to grow rev.
Champion the customer exercise (do NPS, get testimonials, do interviews, beta programs, etc.). Get growth insights/soundbites from your customers; & utilize it.
Channel partnerships / general partnerships (piggyback deals off suppliers, influencers, affiliates, retailers to get new revenue opps). Build growth relationships.
Setup insights monitoring (Google Alerts for your brand & competitors, run website checks, social notifications, sign-up industry newsletters etc.). Be 'in the know'.
Setup "findability". (Google my Business, social media accts., directories, review sites, Q&A sites, groups, online communities, marketplaces/affiliates, etc.).
Launch addl. communication channel systems (make sure you can contact your audience via SMS, email, push/notifications, calls, ads, social, etc.). More access.
Hire priority resources (staff, agency or contractor, investor, tech, media, VA etc.). Outsource $1, $10, $100/hour tasks; do the $1,000/hour tasks.
Launch the "quick win" campaigns i.e. put effort to re-engage your warm current database/ecosystem (ads, email, SMS, calls, etc.).
Start brand-building content & authority production (CEO-led Linkedin posts, ecomm guides, webinars, founder-videos, etc.). Position yourself as a leader.
Launch any incremental "always on" campaigns or nurturing sequences. This is net new / additive AND it's evergreen. If you missed anything before, add it.
Test "MVP" versions of new distribution channels (marketplaces, directories, affiliates, channel-partners, retail, DTC, etc.). Sell in more places.
Launch alternative growth opps (partnerships, influencers, events, reviews, awards, channel, marketplaces, etc.). Fill-in any growth gaps w/ experiments.
Launch CRO initiatives across platforms (system to improve the rate at which users become customers). Process, system-oriented. "Stopping leaks".
Create content / ad asset list & library. Prioritize it & execute 1 by 1. (E.g. videos, written word, images, audio). Include appeals: UGC, influencer, talking-head etc.
Setup ongoing written content production (blogs, SEO, ebooks, lead magnets, etc.). You'll want to ensure a healthy paid vs. organic traffic mix to sustain growth.
Setup Go-To-Market checklist/process/initiatives (for product launches, new markets, sales/holidays). Replicable for future launches. Revenue "spikes".
Setup initial brand/PR system (articles, awards, press releases, brand campaigns, surveys, etc.). Fluffy, but it'll end up being meaningful for Enterprise market.
"Polish" brand assets. Ensure all company materials are on-brand, look good, and are consistent messaging/positioning. All assets should look like 1 company.
Run a larger-scale content shoot/production (product launch videos, brand overview w/ B-roll, etc.). Big shoot, get a ton of content. Create your own variants.
Implement 1st-party data strategy (put effort into owning as much of your data as possible without relying on 3rd parties). Revamp tracking protocols/ attribution.
Overhaul data ops (setup data warehouses, enhance tracking/dashboards, 10X number of automations, CDPs, air-tight attribution etc.). Find diamonds in data.
"Know thy numbers" audit (run through ALL data). Goal is to get insights on sticking points, growth limiters, growth opps, etc. - then improve accordingly.
Revisit growth opportunities & prioritize action items (by mktg. mix, products/markets, transactions/customers, metrics, funnel, etc.). Do what matters most.
Run more sophisticated split tests (on pricing, landing pages, targeting, products, markets, sales process, messaging, etc.). Tests are better at higher volumes.
Improve purchase speed & sales cycles. Audit your days to close/sale. Do whatever is necessary to improve it. Speed matters more as you scale (cash cycles).
Setup offline & synthetic conversion events. I.e. ensure all ad platforms are optimizing for revenue (not leading indicators). Train all data models as best you can.
Revamp custom audiences across ad accounts, CRM, etc. Get much more granular on targeting and triggers for messaging.
Plug the holes (i.e. dive deep into churn, repeat purchase rates, conversion rates, close rates, lead quality, etc.). Stop any revenue "leaks". Retain your revenue.
Launch recurring revenue model/offering/option (whatever you need to do to make this work, do it). If you're SaaS, this is mandatory. Memberships, subscribe etc.
Launch a high-margin, low-fulfillment option/offering (whatever you need to do to make this work, do it). E.g. info product, software, services, goods, etc.
Improve the value/perception of your product/service offering (new products, bonuses, bundles, cross-sell, new features, etc.). More stuff for more people.
Expansion "stacking" (new marketing channels, new markets, new products/services, new distribution channels, new geos, etc.). Incremental revenue opps.
Launch business units/depts. (DTC, agency, B2B/B2C, up-market to enterprise, channel/retailer, residential/commercial, etc.). Segment your growth better.
Launch businesses (i.e. start becoming a business of businesses, M&A, start inorganic growth opps, vertical integration, etc.). Preserve & diversify revenue.
Launch Quality of Earnings (QOE) initiatives. Find ways to improve the quality of revenue (higher-margin, scalable, recurring, lower-concentration risk etc.).
Segment your TAM. Split your ICPs and then create specific content & campaigns for each of them. Almost like different business units. Helps w/ diff. products.
