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Hey there marketers, this is Jason Stogsdill coming at you with another edition of The Edge to get your wheels turning. Today we're diving into one company that absolutely dominates the online space through shear force of will - Grammarly.
Now I don't know about you, but a few years back Grammarly came out of nowhere as far as I was concerned. One day I hadn't heard of them and the next their ads were inescapable. I couldn't browse YouTube or visit a news site without seeing their pitch for grammar-powered content.
At first I wondered where they were getting the funds to blanket the internet like that. Were they backed by huge VC cash? Had they found the secret to high-converting ads or what? The more I looked into it the more amazed I was.
Grammarly wasn't just spending big on traffic - they were acquiring tens of millions of monthly users and generating real revenue.
I'm going to peel back the layers and show you exactly how Grammarly built an entire business to the tune of billions in valuation through strategic product, content and advertising moves.
There are big lessons here in demand generation, organic reach and turning visitors into customers. By the end you'll see why Grammarly is crushing it and hopefully pick up a thing or two for your own marketing efforts.
Let's dive in!
The Secret Weapon on Their Homepage
The first stop on our Grammarly deep dive is their website - and boy did they nail it.
Right off the bat you're greeted with the simple yet powerful value proposition: "Personalized AI everywhere you write." Immediately it sets the right expectations around accessibility while still sounding high-tech.
Scrolling further down, something that stands out is their use of animated GIFs. While other sites keep you reading walls of text, Grammarly shows their features in action right there on the homepage. I'm a big believer that a picture is worth a thousand words when it comes to conveying how a product works. These little clips have you subconsciously understanding Grammarly within seconds.
They back up the visuals with clear, compelling messaging around delivering "clear, compelling writing while maintaining your unique voice."
Who doesn't want that?It's the perfect balance of benefits.
Then they hammer it home further with integrations across major software applications we all use daily like Gmail, Google Docs, Microsoft Word and more. Grammarly ensures they'll be there wherever and whenever you need writing assistance.
Between the standout visual design, well-crafted copy and focus on integrating everywhere, Grammarly hacked the customer journey on their website from day one. No wonder people lined up to join their millions-strong user base!
Spreading Knowledge to Cement Expert Status
Grammarly’s next task was proving they had the chops to back up their claims of “personalized AI.”
Right from the early days you could find features touting major press coverage from prestigious outlets like The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, TechCrunch and Forbes. This stamp of approval from big name publications gave Grammarly instant credibility that’s tough to buy.
But they didn’t stop there.
Diving into similarweb data shows Grammarly has now served up their writing assistant to over 57 million monthly visitors! That massive audience is a coaching tree of social proof if I ever saw one.
Grammarly also cemented their authority through search engine optimization.
A peek at Semrush insights reveals they dominate organic rankings for a huge variety of keywords related to writing, grammar, styles and beyond. Their optimized content stitches up these topics to continually bring new prospects through the door.
Between world-class editorial features, gigantic user numbers and search marketing mastery, Grammarly left no doubt they were the Einstein of the writing world. This three-pronged approach to establishing authority served as the anchor for their rapidly growing business.
Ruling Search Results with SEO Finesse
After peeking under the hood with Semrush, it's clear Grammarly has SEO down to a science. They rake in over 32 million monthly searches and a wild 19 million backlinks.
However, analytics only tell part of the story - let's dive into their strategies.
Exhibit A is "plagiarism checker", a money keyword they nab through relevant content featuring their actual plagiarism tool. Free traffic pours in since the tool provides value, earning them the #1 spot and nearly 170k searches.
A similar approach explains terms like "ethos" while subtly promoting writing help. Always the teachers, Grammarly bonds with users through instruction.
Here's the kicker - they double click by bidding on those same keywords in paid search! Talk about maximizing LTV.
Competitors stand no chance against this organic-paid hybrid attack.
Through ingenious tactics, Grammarly owns the SEO game. Create top shelf content and solutions or miss massive opportunity. Take notes on their model!
Monetizing Valuable Tools into New Revenue Streams
While their initial grammar tools caught eyes, Grammarly was just getting warmed up. Unearthing more revealed a slick plagiarism checker seamlessly built-in. Now that's innovative thinking!
Turns out targeting students and academics with this strategic new product was no accident. Beyond sparking interest, the value had schools itching to recommend it outright. Small wonder it owns that traffic to this day.
But the surprises kept coming - enter a cover letter generator to pair with resumes. Trust me, nobody was begging for that...until seeing Grammarly's automated customized versions. Check and mate.
Through constant expansion with useful solutions, Grammarly widens their impact across more situations. Whether you're writing at work or home, their mission has you covered. Take note - scaling succeeds when fueled by solutions, not half-baked ideas. Stick to offerings people truly want.
Six-Figure Testing Ensured ROI on Every Channel
By now Grammarly's flooded with organic users, but don't think they rested on laurels - these go-getters geared up paid efforts too. Enter their media blitzkrieg shooting reach sky-high.
Logging into AdBeat reveals their staggering spend trouncing mega brands. A cool $170 million monthly on YouTube alone! And that's merely a snippet of multi-million ad feats across Google and Facebook.
As it turns out, all that ad money was money - YouTube ads count almost a billion views. Talk about maxing performance! And get this - their ads double as writing education.
So in summary, Grammarly dominates through relentless testing and scale. But they leverage prominence to simultaneously teach and gain clients. It's the total package we all salivate for.
Amplifying Organic Reach with Social Media
As if crushing other channels wasn't enough, Grammarly found social media gold in YouTube’s friendly algorithms. Boasting over 200k subscribers, their energetic video content shines the spotlight on myriad grammar topics.
Browse their videos and you’ll uncover well-edited mini-courses dissecting all things writing - from fluent emails to compelling cover letters. Not only does this educate searchers, it offers sizzle YouTubers can’t resist. And resist they have not, to the tune of millions upon millions of views!
Times like these prove the power of moving beyond plain sales pitches. When you fascinate instead of pitch with creative, conversational content, algorithms reward you tenfold. Other tuned-in networks like Facebook and Instagram leverage their foothold accordingly.
The bottom line?
Grammarly owns social proof by being media geniuses first, sellers second. Believe me when I say lousy promos get buried - so create luscious tutorials, lists and more your tribe will wait to see. If YouTube is good for grammarly, just imagine what it can unlock for you…
Wrap Up
Throughout this deep dive, Grammarly has shown us that success is built on layers of strategy and execution, not singular tactics. By honing their messaging, developing helpful products, optimizing their website user experience, dominating search and never letting up on advertising trials, they cemented Grammarly as a household name.
Here are the top takeaways I've gleaned:
- Build authoritative contributor status through industry coverage and massive engaged audiences
- Leverage SEO to fully capture search intent through content and integrated solutions
- Rapidly test and expand product offerings to solve new user pains
- Leave no traffic acquisition stone unturned by optimizing paid, social and organic channels
- Educate, inspire and activate audiences through creative and shareable video content
This proves what committed testing, innovation and relentless optimization can achieve. I hope you can apply pieces of their playbook to supercharge your own efforts.
This has been Jason Stogsdill covering Grammarly's rise to the top. Stay tuned for the next edition of the EDGE.
Until next time!
Your #1 Fan,
Jason Stogsdill
