Key takeaways growing MRR from $6.5k to $20k for my design studio
A few months ago I posted that I was doing 6.5k/mo through Contrast, my design studio for start-ups. After some experimentation, some money wasted, and finding something that works, here are some learnings.
Let's start with the fails, so you know what to avoid.
What did NOT work for me (yet)
Clutch.co Sponsorship: Currently sponsoring a listing at $350/mo. That drove some clicks but no sales yet. Not even some initial interest of someone reaching out to learn more or book a discovery call. Disappointing.
LinkedIn Ads: This is new. I spent $300 so far to see how it goes. That got me 91 clicks but no leads. However, I think there's potential here. I'll continue experimenting with ad visuals and landing page optimization to see if i can increase CTR and booked calls.
Newsletter Post Sponsorship: Drove 100 clicks but no conversions. It was a small bet to test the audience. The newsletter author had previous experience with design service providers and said they expect at least 2-3 people to reach out. They were surprised when that didn't happen.
What worked best
Diving into niche communities has been a game-changer. By joining and adding value in Product Management, Development, and Entrepreneurship circles, I've only expanded my network and showcased our expertise where it truly matters.
Here are my key takeaways:
Be a big fish in a small pond
Instead of casting a wide net, focus on niches where you can truly stand out. Being prominent within smaller, targeted communities has led to stronger connections and more meaningful engagements.
Patience pays off in sales
There's no way to rush sales. Driving more traffic might help increase demand but prospects might not reach out to you for weeks or months until they have the budget and need for your services. It's about being present and staying top of mind. When you consistently provide value and maintain visibility, clients naturally gravitate toward you when they're ready.
Next target: 30k.
Stay tuned.
Follow my journey on LinkedIn
Value first. I learnt this late but it's worth learning. This is the way to stand out. Give value.
Hey Calin! I'm trying to get into a similar space of offering a frontend development subscription to startups. I've done a lot of cold outreach to startups, which has largely been unsuccessful, but I will definitely try creating valuable content and tools for smaller communities. By the way, in your experience, do you think startups are looking for development subscriptions?
Typically I see they already have a technical cofounder and a small dev team. It might work if you target preseed founders that don’t have a technical partner yet.
At the end of the day I think getting a lot of exposure and having conversations with potential customers will help the most in finding your ICP
Thank you!
Hey Calin, thanks for the insightful post! It's great to see what's worked for you and what hasn't. I'm definitely going to take a page from your book and explore more niche communities.
Funny enough, Clutch sponsorship has actually been pretty solid for my agency, along with SEO and outreach.
Thanks, Dana. Glad you found it useful. How much traffic are you getting from Clutch? Actually, I had someone reach out yesterday. They said they saw me on Google but I didn't do SEO. I have a hunch they found me via Cluch but i can't confirm.