Boosted Blog Post
Write a blog post outlining a problem / solution and boosting it using a small amount of money to gauge response.
What is Boosted Blog Post?
A Boosted Blog Post is a lean validation technique where entrepreneurs create content that articulates a specific problem and proposed solution, then use paid promotion to amplify its reach and measure audience engagement. This method combines content marketing with targeted advertising to validate both problem-solution fit and market interest before investing in product development. The experiment leverages the power of storytelling and social proof to gauge genuine interest from potential customers.
This technique is particularly valuable because it allows startups to test their core hypotheses with real market feedback at a relatively low cost. By monitoring engagement metrics, comments, shares, and conversion actions (like email signups or contact form submissions), entrepreneurs can gather quantitative and qualitative data about their target market's pain points and willingness to engage with their proposed solution. The boosting component ensures the content reaches beyond organic audiences, providing statistically meaningful results within a short timeframe.
When to Use This Experiment
- Early-stage validation: When you have identified a problem but haven't built a solution yet
- Market research phase: Before committing significant resources to product development
- Audience building: When you need to understand your target demographic better
- Pivot considerations: Testing new problem-solution combinations after initial feedback
- Geographic expansion: Validating problem relevance in new markets or regions
- Competitor analysis: Understanding how your approach resonates compared to existing solutions
- Content marketing testing: Before launching larger content marketing campaigns
How to Run This Experiment
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Define your hypothesis: Clearly articulate the problem you believe exists and your proposed solution. Write down specific assumptions you want to test about your target audience's pain points.
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Create compelling content: Write a 800-1500 word blog post that tells a story about the problem, presents your solution concept, and includes a clear call-to-action (email signup, survey, or contact form).
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Set up tracking mechanisms: Install analytics tools, create landing pages for conversions, and set up UTM parameters to track traffic sources and user behavior throughout the funnel.
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Choose your platform and audience: Select 1-2 social media platforms where your target audience is most active (LinkedIn for B2B, Facebook for B2C, etc.) and define specific targeting parameters.
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Launch with paid promotion: Boost your post with €50-250, starting with a small budget to test audience segments, then scaling up the best-performing combinations.
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Monitor and engage: Actively respond to comments and questions for 5-7 days, gathering qualitative feedback while tracking quantitative metrics like engagement rate, click-through rate, and conversions.
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Analyze results comprehensively: Evaluate both hard metrics (conversions, traffic) and soft metrics (comment sentiment, questions asked, sharing behavior) to determine problem-solution fit.
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Document insights and iterate: Record key learnings about your audience, problem validation, and solution interest to inform your next validation experiments or product development decisions.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Cost-effective validation: Relatively low investment compared to building prototypes or conducting extensive market research
- Real audience feedback: Generates authentic responses from potential customers in their natural social environment
- Rapid results: Can gather meaningful data within 5-7 days of launching the campaign
- Dual validation: Tests both problem awareness and solution interest simultaneously
- Scalable approach: Can easily test multiple problem-solution combinations or target different audience segments
Cons
- Platform dependency: Results heavily influenced by algorithm changes and platform-specific audience behavior
- Limited depth: Surface-level engagement may not reveal deep customer insights or purchase intent
- Audience quality variability: Paid promotion can attract less qualified leads compared to organic engagement
- Content creation skills required: Success depends on ability to create compelling, shareable content
- Short attention spans: Social media users may not engage deeply enough to provide meaningful validation
Real-World Examples
Buffer's Social Media Management Solution: Before building their full platform, Buffer's founders wrote blog posts about the challenges of social media scheduling and promoted them across various channels. The engagement and email signups from these posts validated strong demand for automated posting tools, leading to their successful product launch.
Groove's Customer Support Software: Groove's founder Alex Turnbull regularly published blog posts about customer support challenges faced by small businesses, boosting them through targeted ads. The high engagement rates and numerous comments from business owners struggling with similar issues validated the problem and helped shape their solution before development.
ConvertKit's Email Marketing Platform: Nathan Barry used boosted blog posts to discuss the limitations of existing email marketing tools for creators and bloggers. The posts generated significant discussion and email subscriptions, validating both the problem (creators needed different features than traditional businesses) and interest in a creator-focused solution, which informed ConvertKit's product positioning.