A Strategic Framework for SaaS & Subscription Growth
The Challenge
When I stepped in as Head of Growth Marketing at Curiosity Stream, I faced an ambitious dual objective:
- Increase acquisition volume by 50%
- Boost net subscribers to a specific target
This situation might sound familiar if you’re a SaaS or subscription company facing growth plateaus. The platform had solid content and product-market fit, but like many subscription businesses, was struggling with:
- A generic, one-size-fits-all acquisition approach
- Undifferentiated marketing messaging
- A home page that tried to serve too many audiences simultaneously
- Conversion challenges from free to paid subscriptions
- A need for more systematic growth methodology
The Strategic Approach
Rather than jumping straight to tactical execution, I applied a methodical framework that I’ve refined throughout my career:
1. Building a Growth Model
I started by creating a comprehensive growth model – a spreadsheet representation of the entire customer journey across:
- Acquisition
- Activation
- Retention
- Monetization
This model revealed precisely where the greatest growth opportunities existed, providing a data-backed foundation for decision-making.
2. Idea Generation and Prioritization
With the model highlighting our biggest growth levers, I generated potential solutions and evaluated them using the ICE framework:
- Impact: Potential effect on our core metrics
- Confidence: Probability of success
- Ease: Resource requirements and implementation complexity
This systematic evaluation process ensured we focused on initiatives with the highest potential ROI rather than guessing or following trends.
3. Identifying the Core Hypothesis
After thorough analysis, a clear opportunity emerged: personalization of the buyer’s journey.
I discovered that Curiosity Stream was showing identical ads to all potential customers and directing them to the same generic landing page, regardless of their specific interests or where they were in the decision process.
My hypothesis: Creating segmented, interest-based customer journeys would significantly improve conversion rates.
The Execution
Rather than overhauling the entire acquisition funnel at once, I took a measured, test-driven approach:
- Selected a high-impact test segment: History content, which data showed was the most-watched category
- Created targeted creative assets: Developed Facebook ads specifically focused on history content rather than generic streaming promotions
- Designed a dedicated landing page: Built a history-focused page that spoke directly to history enthusiasts’ interests and demonstrated Curiosity Stream’s value proposition specifically for them
- A/B tested against the control: Measured performance against the generic homepage to validate the hypothesis before broader implementation
The Results
The personalized approach delivered exceptional results:
- 64% increase in acquisition from the history-focused customer journey
- Similar lifts when the approach was expanded to other content categories
- Sustained performance that continues years later
Most importantly, this success contributed to achieving our broader objectives of increasing acquisition volume by 50% and hitting our net subscriber targets.
Key Lessons for SaaS & Subscription Companies
This case study highlights critical principles that apply directly to your SaaS or subscription business:
1. Start With a Data-Driven Growth Model
Before implementing tactics, build a comprehensive model that maps your entire customer journey and identifies your biggest growth opportunities. This prevents wasting resources on low-impact initiatives.
2. Personalize the Customer Journey
One-size-fits-all approaches typically serve no one well. For SaaS specifically:
- Segment by use case: Create landing pages for different industries or applications
- Tailor by role: Develop journeys specific to decision-makers vs. users
- Customize by pain point: Address the specific challenges each segment faces
3. Test Before Scaling
The methodical approach of testing one segment before expanding saved significant resources while validating the concept. This balance of innovation and pragmatism is essential for sustainable growth.
4. Use a Structured Framework for Decision-Making
My marketing framework of 15 strategic questions forces consideration of audience needs, pain points, and goals before tactical execution. This structured approach consistently drives better results than ad-hoc marketing activities.
How This Applies to Your Business
Whether you’re a SaaS platform experiencing growth challenges, an EdTech company with multiple audience segments, or an e-learning platform with diverse content categories, the principles from this case study are directly applicable:
- For B2C Subscription Companies: Segment your audience based on interests and create personalized acquisition funnels
- For K-12 EdTech: Develop separate journeys for teachers, administrators, and parents
- For E-Learning Platforms: Create category-specific acquisition paths for different learning interests
Are You Ready to Transform Your Growth Strategy?
As your Fractional CMO/CGO, I bring these proven methodologies to your business:
- Build comprehensive growth models to identify your biggest opportunities
- Create systematic frameworks for evaluating and prioritizing initiatives
- Develop personalized customer journeys that dramatically improve conversion
- Implement testing methodologies that balance innovation with resource efficiency
- Drive measurable results across acquisition, activation, retention, and monetization
Let’s Create Real Growth Together
I specialize in helping SaaS and subscription companies achieve consistent, predictable growth through data-driven strategies and proven frameworks.
Schedule a call today to discuss how we can increase your acquisition by 50% or more.
Hi! I’m Rob Levin, a Fractional Chief Marketing & Growth Officer specializing in SaaS and subscription businesses. I focus on systematic, repeatable growth methodologies that deliver real results across the entire customer journey.