From overlooked platforms to unconventional formats, the path to growth isn’t always obvious. We asked founders and digital entrepreneurs to share one unexpected strategy, trend, or channel that gave their brand meaningful traction over the past 6–12 months—and what others often miss when trying to copy it. Here’s what they said:
Repurposed Content That Builds Credibility
Karl Threadgold, Managing Director of Threadgold Consulting, turned technical webinars into human, relatable content for social media—and it paid off.
“For Threadgold Consulting, repurposing webinar content into bite-sized LinkedIn posts gave us surprising traction. If you’d told me five years ago that three-minute clips about ERP scheduling agents would spark real conversations with SaaS founders, I would’ve doubted it—but now it’s gospel. The key was sharing practical mini-lessons instead of broad sales messaging, which positioned us as problem-solvers rather than service providers pushing a product.”
Cache Merrill, Founder of Zibtek, built traction with a weekly email newsletter dissecting software bugs—and surprising readers with transparency over polish.
“As one of our ‘bug autopsies,’ we began producing a small weekly newsletter that consisted of true stories about a complex software issue, the confusing debugging process, and the simple solution that brought great value to a customer. Such openness gave us a boost since the founders were able to see our thinking process, not only what we made. The audience doesn’t require thorough feature guides; they want the detailed game-like commentary of problem-solving.”
Using Niche Newsletters to Reach Ready Buyers
Alejandro “Alex” Meyerhans, CEO of Get Me Links, bypassed mainstream channels by leaning into highly targeted SEO and marketing newsletters.
“One unexpected strategy that gave Get Me Links real traction was leaning heavily into niche newsletters instead of broad social platforms. When we showcased the results of a client case study growing a brand-new site to $20K in monthly revenue, we bypassed generic LinkedIn blasts and shared it in curated SEO and marketing newsletters. The response rate and inbound leads were 3x higher than anything we saw from mainstream channels.”
Alvin Poh, Chairman of CLDY.com Pte Ltd, launched a LinkedIn newsletter focused on technical depth—which helped filter in the right kind of leads.
“Launching a LinkedIn newsletter ended up being far more powerful than I expected. The moment we standardized on sharing in-depth technical insights for CTOs, it almost felt like the right readers self-selected in, and that authenticity drove leads without me pushing too hard. I think where most people go wrong is treating it like repurposed sales content instead of first giving away genuine expertise.”
Conversation-Led Strategies Over Cold Campaigns
Edward Piazza of Titan Funding gained traction by sponsoring real estate meetups—without pitching.
“For us at Titan Funding, sponsoring small commercial real estate meetups made an unexpected impact. Instead of pitching loans, we shared short educational talks about financing trends, which built genuine trust with investors. I’ve noticed others who attempt these sponsorships make it too sales-heavy, and that turns potential clients away immediately.”
Peter Kim, Owner of Odigo Real Estate Club, used WhatsApp Business as a personal, high-engagement client channel.
“One unexpected boost came from using WhatsApp Business as a VIP channel for past clients. I started sharing market alerts and off-market listings, and people loved the sense of insider access—it felt personal, not like mass marketing. What many miss is the importance of consistency; it only works if you show up regularly with genuine value, not just sales pitches.”
Interactive Content That Converts
Bennett Maxwell of Franchise KI built custom ROI calculators for his prospects—and saw an influx of qualified leads.
“One surprising strategy that gave me real traction recently was building interactive ROI calculators for prospective franchisees. During a growth push with Franchise KI, we embedded these tools into finance-focused blogs, and suddenly, 300+ qualified leads were coming in every month. What worked was giving people immediate, personalized value instead of just pitching benefits.”
Brandon Brown, CEO of Search Party, saw performance spike when his team shifted to LinkedIn carousels showing real campaign metrics.
“One unexpected source of traction for us was LinkedIn carousel posts that broke down AEO campaigns with before-and-after visibility metrics. People scroll past text-heavy content, but carousels made results feel tangible and easy to digest at a glance. What worked was leading with proof rather than promises—most miss that when trying to replicate.”
Podcasting and Community Content Done Right
Reed Hansen, Owner and Chief Growth Officer at MarketSurge, found that podcasting built trust in a way no social post could.
“Hosting my podcast Inside Marketing with MarketSurge has been the most unexpectedly powerful growth driver for our brand. Instead of chasing short-term attention on crowded platforms, the podcast built long-term trust by delivering real value to our ideal audience week after week. What others often get wrong is treating a podcast like a marketing channel instead of a relationship-building platform.”
Juan Cava, Co-Founder of Sell My House For Cash Florida, leaned into Facebook community groups with low-production but high-trust videos.
“For us, an unexpected source of traction came from posting short, casual video breakdowns on Facebook community groups. When local homeowners saw me explain real-world examples of tricky sales—like probate properties—they reached out directly with trust already built. The mistake I see others make is treating those groups like free ad space; people can smell a sales pitch a mile away.”
These founders didn’t chase algorithms—they earned attention through specificity, utility, and consistency. Whether it’s carousels, calculators, community groups, or niche newsletters, the right strategy often succeeds not by being trendy, but by being surprisingly human.
