Once you have early traction, you need channels that bring customers repeatedly. Most startups grow mainly through one or two channels. Your job is to find yours.
The main channels
| Channel | Good for | Speed | Cost profile |
|---|---|---|---|
| Performance ads (search, social, marketplaces) | Consumer products, apps, D2C | Fast | Pay per click/install, and costs rise as you scale |
| SEO & content (blogs, YouTube, tools) | Products people search for, education, finance | Slow (months) | Cheap and compounding |
| Influencers & creators | Consumer brands, apps | Medium | Varies widely, from product barter to large fees |
| Referrals | Products people love and talk about | Medium | Pay per successful referral |
| WhatsApp & community | Local, Bharat and repeat-purchase businesses | Medium | Low cost, high trust |
| Partnerships | B2B, fintech, SaaS | Slow to set up | Revenue share or fees |
| Outbound sales | B2B with higher prices | Medium | Salaries and tools |
| Offline (events, retail, outdoor) | Local services, FMCG, brand building | Medium | Higher fixed costs |
Indian examples
- Mamaearth scaled awareness with large numbers of influencers and online reviews.
- Groww invested heavily in educational content and YouTube.
- CRED used memorable TV and cricket-season campaigns to build a premium brand.
- PhysicsWallah grew almost entirely on organic YouTube content.
How to test a channel
- Set a hypothesis: “Instagram ads can bring paying customers at under ₹400 each.”
- Fix a budget and timeframe: for example ₹15,000 over 3 weeks.
- Track to the payment, not the click. Use UTM links and ask “How did you hear about us?”
- Compare cost per paying customer across channels, and how long those customers stay.
- Kill, keep or scale.
Think in loops
The best channels are loops: each customer brings the next. Content attracts readers who share it. Referrals bring friends who refer more friends. Marketplaces attract sellers who attract buyers. Loops compound; funnels don’t.
Your takeaway
Test three channels cheaply, measure cost per paying customer, and pour fuel on the winner. Next: if you sell to businesses, learn the B2B sales playbook.