Most startups trying to grow their user base quickly turn to ads, influencers, or paid promotions. But one company took a radically different — and smarter — approach.
Instead of pouring money into marketing, Social Tools grew from 150,000 users to 2 million users in just 5 months — without spending a dime on advertising.
Here’s how they did it.
📊 The Starting Point: 150K Users & Solid ARPU
Before the growth explosion, Social Tools already had some traction:
- 150,000 users
- $67 ARPU (average revenue per user)
That’s a respectable base — especially in the SaaS space. But they wanted more. They wanted scale.
💡 Step 1: Acquire a Smaller, Simpler Competitor Instead of Spending on Ads
Rather than blowing their budget on paid acquisition, they bought a lean, freemium competitor called Postcron:
- Postcron had 20,000 users
- Their ARPU was much lower — just $7
- But they had something incredibly valuable:
→ Strong word-of-mouth and a built-in viral loop
While Postcron wasn’t as powerful as Social Tools, it had simplicity, ease of use, and a user base that talked about it and shared it organically.
That was the key.
🔁 Step 2: Supercharge What Already Worked — Word of Mouth
Rather than trying to change Postcron’s DNA, they doubled down on what it already did well: getting users through referrals and user-generated buzz.
They added a simple but genius incentive:
Get 6 months of the paid version for free… in exchange for a video review or blog post about Postcron.
This turned customers into marketers. And it worked.
- Influencers wrote about it
- Micro-creators filmed tutorials
- Bloggers published reviews
- And their users started spreading it across forums, newsletters, and social platforms
The result? Postcron’s user base exploded.
🔁 Step 3: Use Postcron as a Funnel into Social Tools
Here’s where it gets even more strategic:
Postcron was a simpler version of Social Tools. So once users outgrew it, wanted more features, or needed advanced tools, they were:
- Already onboarded
- Already active
- And already trusting the brand ecosystem
Naturally, they upgraded — to Social Tools.
This created a seamless product-led upgrade path from a free, viral product to a premium, revenue-generating platform.
📈 The Outcome: 2 Million Users in 5 Months
With no paid ads, no influencer partnerships, and no viral TikTok luck — just:
- A smart acquisition
- A word-of-mouth multiplier
- And a clever freemium-to-premium product strategy
🎯 In just 5 months, the combined user base of Social Tools and Postcron hit 2 million users.
🧠 Key Takeaways
- Acquiring a smaller product can be smarter than acquiring users one by one.
Postcron brought users, momentum, and virality in one move. - Find and amplify what’s already working.
Word-of-mouth was Postcron’s edge. They doubled down — instead of reinventing the wheel. - Use freemium as a gateway, not just a tactic.
Postcron was the “starter tool.” Social Tools was the natural next step.
Turn your users into a marketing team.
Simple, clear incentives (like 6 months free) can generate massive content and reach.