Microconf 2019: Takeaways

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travels

Overall

It was an incredible experience going to MicroConf. Every person I met was genuinely interested in hearing my story and helping, and every person had their own interesting journey to share. I got so much great advice and information, and here are only some of the top highlights and takeaways for me:

  • Your audience is your #1 asset
  • Be more vulnerable
  • Be open and transparent
  • Believe in yourself
  • “Helping people will never go out of style” — Christian Genco
  • “Starting with failure does not predict your future” — Rob Walling

Christopher Gimmer (@cgimmer) / Snappa

Takeaways:

  • Have a plan for acquiring users before launch. He’d learned over time how important this was.

  • Leverage your existing audience. I currently have some traction with little memory: I should be able to learn from them!

  • Double down on what’s working. Ditto.

  • Play the long game. He started in 2012!

    Christopher Gimmer: 2012 Journey Begins

Tactical advice/tips:

  • Read: Traction
  • Read: Lean Customer Development
  • Validate the market by checking search volume, use Google Trends, size up competition
  • Take an existing blog post and add value to it
  • Use cold emails to talk with audience

Abi Noda (@abi) / Pull Panda (formerly Pull Reminders)

Takeaways:

  • Remember to BELIEVE IN YOURSELF

  • Being a solo entrepreneur is emotionally hard: be sure to setup support systems for yourself

    Abi Noda: 3 weeks. 45 emails. 67 commits. $20.

Omar Zenhom (@TheOmarZenhom) / WebinarNinja

Omar Zenhom: Phases of the Journey

Takeaways:

  • Sometimes, you need to create a bad product to create a good one. Different strategies and tactics are useful depending on where you are in your path. A “bad product” is just a stepping stone to the next thing.

  • Relationships are your biggest asset. I can build and grow my audience one person at a time.

  • This is supposed to be hard. It’s OK to ask for help. To succeed and move forward, I have to become someone else: I can become something better.

  • Your difference is your power. I’m different. I’m not like any other entrepreneur I know.

    Omar Zenhom: This is supposed to be hard.

Tactical advice/tips:

  • Stay in touch with 5 people/week

  • Make at least 1 intro/week

  • Try this for 12 weeks

    Omar Zenhom: Mr. Rogers

Laura Lopuch (@waitingtoberead)

Takeaways:

  • The email subject line’s job: OPEN THIS EMAIL
  • Clarity > Clever. “A confused mind doesn’t buy.”
  • Each line of your email has your reader saying YES.

Patrick Campbell (@Patticus) / Profitwell

Takeaways:

  • Pricing = exchange rate on the value you’re creating
  • FOCUS ON: What customers VALUE (not necessarily what customers WANT)
  • State of consumer world:
    • Customer acquisition is expensive
    • Value (perceived) is lower than before (and getting worse)
    • Customers are ungrateful

Asia Matos (@AsiaMatos) / DemandMaven

Takeaways:

  • Focus on the Bottom of the Funnel first. Lay the foundation, make it solid. You don’t know who they are until they convert. Start with their INTENT.

  • Can break down marketing strategies into one of these:

    • Owned
    • Earned
    • Paid: be careful of Paid Media Addiction!

    Asia Matos: Research

  1. Do research:
    • Market research
    • Competitive research
    • Prospect research
    • User research
  2. Do analysis:
    • Current state of acquisition funnel
    • Best prospect and customer behaviors
  3. Build BOFU tests

Tactical advice/tips:

  • Ask customers questions about:
    • What they were doing before they searched for your product
    • Where they looked; how they found you
    • How much time they spent in other channels
    • Favorite sources of information / content
    • Who they compared you to
    • What would have prevented them from signing up
    • How do they feel when using your product

The 2019 Winner for Best Business Card: LunarLincoln

2019 Winner for Best Business Card: Lunar Lincoln

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