An inside look at Deel’s unprecedented growth | Meltem Kuran Berkowitz (Head of Growth)

Aug 27, 2023 1h 11m 25 insights Episode Page ↗
Meltem Koron-Berkowitz, Head of Growth at Deal, discusses how the company achieved rapid growth, reaching $295M ARR in three years while staying EBITDA positive. She shares strategies for leveraging low-cost channels like communities and SEO, optimizing paid ads, structuring growth teams, and fostering a culture of speed and optimism.
Actionable Insights

1. Build a Solid Product Core

Recognize that acquisition channels are ineffective without a top-notch product that meets or exceeds expectations, as a poor product will lead to churn and negative word-of-mouth. Prioritize product and engineering hires in early-stage B2B companies to ensure a strong foundation.

2. Prioritize Core Website Experience

Before investing in paid ads, ensure your website is fast, discoverable by search engines, and has content that helps people find it. A slow website (e.g., loading in four-plus seconds) will hinder the success of any paid advertising program.

3. Delay Early Awareness Campaigns

For B2B businesses, prioritize bottom-of-funnel conversion efforts (people actively looking for solutions) before investing in broad awareness campaigns. Early awareness efforts can be a waste of time and resources if the core messaging isn’t refined or the product isn’t well-understood.

4. Engage Existing Communities

Tap into existing online communities like Reddit, Quora, Twitter, or closed Slack groups by actively setting up keyword alerts and answering user questions. Add genuine value by explaining solutions before presenting your product, as this serves as a low-cost channel to introduce your solution.

When creating content for SEO, focus on comprehensively answering the user’s query so they don’t need to return to Google. Search engines prioritize content that fully resolves user intent, making it crucial to provide complete answers.

6. Invest Time in Quality SEO

Avoid cutting corners or over-automating SEO efforts, as doing it well requires consistent, time-consuming dedication to research and content creation. Quality resources are paramount for long-term SEO success.

7. Assess SEO Business Fit

Prioritize SEO if your business solves an active problem that users actively search for (common in B2B). De-prioritize it for consumer goods where discovery often happens through social media or influencers, as your website may not be the primary source for such queries.

8. Deeply Understand Search Intent

Before writing, research what users are truly seeking when they type a keyword, including subsequent questions they might ask (often found in Google’s ‘People also ask’ section). This helps create comprehensive and relevant content that fully addresses user needs.

9. SEO Keyword Prioritization

Use a ’traffic light system’ to prioritize SEO keywords by volume and search intent (green for high intent, yellow for medium, red for low). Focus content creation on high-intent, high-volume green keywords first, as these users are most likely to become customers.

10. Write for Readability

Use tools like ClearScope to ensure your SEO content is written in simple, accessible language (e.g., a fourth or fifth-grade reading level) and correctly incorporates keywords. Avoid overly sophisticated vocabulary that might bore or confuse readers.

11. Craft Specific Messaging

Ensure your website copy, especially one-liners, is highly specific to your product and cannot be easily applied to other businesses. Generic statements like ‘we do the complex things so you can focus on what you do best’ are ineffective because they lack differentiation.

12. Partner with Trusted Resources

When seeking partnerships, prioritize entities that your target audience views as trusted advisors for the specific problem your product solves. For example, VCs are trusted by portfolio companies for recommendations on tools to expand their teams.

13. Diversify Paid Ad Channels

After mastering major ad platforms (e.g., Google, Facebook), invest in ’long-tail’ channels like review sites, smaller outlets, newsletter ads, and podcast ads. These individually small contributors add up to diversify lead flow and reduce reliance on a few platforms.

14. Update Paid Ad Creatives Monthly

Regularly update paid ad creatives (e.g., monthly) to combat creative fatigue and ensure messaging remains fresh and aligned with product evolution. This continuous refresh keeps ads engaging and relevant to the audience.

15. Track Paid Ad Full-Funnel ROI

Beyond lead volume, track the full customer journey from ad click to qualified opportunity, closed-won customer, and one-year revenue. This allows for accurate assessment of the return on investment for each paid channel and informs spending decisions.

16. Hire for Revenue Commitment

During hiring, assess candidates’ willingness to commit to full-funnel, closed-won revenue KPIs, not just lead generation or traffic. This ensures they are focused on the business’s bottom line and overall growth.

17. Seek ‘Little Hands’ Mentality

Hire individuals at all levels who are willing to do the ’nitty-gritty’ work and aren’t afraid to get involved in the smallest tasks. This ’little hands’ mentality is crucial for early-stage companies with limited resources and fosters a hands-on culture.

18. Test Resourcefulness in Hiring

Use case studies in interviews to assess how candidates would strategize with varying budget levels (e.g., $0, $10k, $100k). This gauges their resourcefulness and ability to scale with different levels of spend and commitment.

19. Structure Growth by Function & Region

Organize growth teams with both functional experts (e.g., product marketing, content, paid ads) and regional managers. This allows functional teams to maintain deep expertise while regional teams provide local market insights and execute strategy.

20. Cultivate ‘Deal Speed’ Urgency

Foster a culture of ‘deal speed’ where team members act with urgency to solve problems quickly and properly for customers. This involves constantly pushing to find the quickest way to deliver solutions and build products faster than competitors.

21. Embrace Default Optimism

Encourage a ‘default optimism’ mindset where team members first explore reasons why a solution will work and then proactively address associated risks. This prevents pessimism from slowing down progress and fosters a problem-solving attitude.

22. Prioritize Customer Livelihood

Instill a deep sense of empathy for customers, recognizing that your product impacts their livelihood, paychecks, and business operations. This care ensures a commitment to delivering reliable solutions and building trust.

23. Offer Work Flexibility

Provide employees with flexibility in choosing their work location and hours, empowering them to manage their lives while meeting their professional commitments. This freedom can be a significant benefit that attracts and retains talent.

24. Ground Values in Reality

Define company values based on who the organization truly is and how it operates, rather than aspirational ideals. Values should reflect existing behaviors to ensure they resonate authentically with employees and drive consistent actions.

25. Embrace Remote Authenticity

Leverage the remote work environment to foster authenticity and sincerity among team members. Allowing colleagues to see glimpses into each other’s home lives can naturally build camaraderie and a more genuine team culture.