Empowering Content Management: The Story of Storyblok and Its Founders
Company profile
Company business details
Motivation to build the product
The founders were motivated by the need to overcome the limitations of traditional content management systems, which often hindered collaboration between marketing and IT teams. They recognized that a more flexible and user-friendly solution was necessary to empower users to manage content effectively across various digital channels.Problem that their product solves
Storyblok solves the problem of inefficient content management by providing a headless CMS that allows users to publish and repurpose structured content through an API. The end users include developers and marketers who need to manage content across multiple platforms, such as websites and mobile apps. Solving this problem is important for them as it enhances their digital presence and improves collaboration between teams.Their unfair advantage
Storyblok's unfair advantage lies in its headless architecture, which decouples the content management interface from the presentation layer, allowing for seamless content delivery across multiple channels and integration with any frontend technology.Strategies
Pre-Launch (Product Development & MVP)
Customer-Centric Product Development
From 2017 to 2020, Storyblok was fully bootstrapped by co-founders Alexander and Dominic. During this period, they focused on building a product that directly addressed customer problems. They implemented a live chat feature on their website and within the application to gather real-time feedback from users. This approach allowed them to refine their product based on actual user needs, ensuring that they only scaled once they achieved product-market fit. This strategy proved effective as it led to a strong customer base that was willing to pay for a solution that genuinely solved their issues.
Inbound Marketing through SEO
Dominik and Alexander focused on creating high-quality content that targeted long-tail keywords related to their headless CMS. They wrote articles on how to use Storyblok with various technologies like PHP, React, and Angular. This strategy helped them rank well on Google, driving organic traffic to their site. They utilized their technical SEO background to optimize their site structure and performance, which led to increased visibility and user acquisition. As a result, they gained thousands of users, many of whom converted to paying customers after trying the freemium version.
Freemium Model
Storyblok adopted a freemium model to allow developers to try their headless CMS platform without any initial cost. This approach was particularly effective because it enabled developers to test the product and provide feedback, which was crucial for refining the platform. The freemium version includes a complete free tier with limited traffic, allowing users to scale on their own terms. This strategy not only helps in acquiring users but also in building a loyal customer base as developers can experience the product's value before committing to a paid plan.
Launch Stage
Content Marketing Strategy
Dominic advised new founders to leverage content marketing as a cost-effective customer acquisition strategy. He emphasized the importance of creating long-tail content that addresses specific issues faced by potential customers. By focusing on niche topics related to their product, they could attract targeted traffic to their website without significant advertising spend. This approach allowed them to build authority in their space and gradually expand their reach as they established a customer base.
Live Chat for Customer Engagement
In the early days of Storyblok, Dominik and Alexander implemented a live chat feature on their website to engage with potential customers directly. They personally answered questions from users, which not only provided immediate support but also allowed them to gather valuable feedback. This interaction helped them understand customer needs better and led to the development of relevant content and features. The live chat became a crucial growth channel, turning inquiries into customers and even leading to the hiring of a user who became the head of product.
Learn more about Storyblok
Dominik Angerer: Get Value From Content Faster | E77
Storyblok: Turning a CMS Prototype Into an 8-Figure SaaS – with Dominik Angerer [366]
“It is safe to say that the martech industry as a whole is thriving”: Interview with Storyblok’s founder, Dominik Angerer
