The Power of Social Proof: How InVision Grew to $10M ARR in 3 Years

InVision was a nobody 15 years ago. Just an app that made clicking wireframes easy to create.

(And Uber was just a way to get a private cab to pick you up anywhere in LA.)

They grew to a bonafide unicorn (and then eventually flamed out)

But how they grew—especially to that first $10MM in revenue—is really relevant if you wanna grow, too.

InVision's journey from startup to design software powerhouse is a masterclass in leveraging social proof and word-of-mouth marketing.

Their story offers valuable insights for founders looking to scale their businesses rapidly without paying for every single click in Adspend.

But first, let’s try to remember what designing UX was like before InVision:

Revolutionizing Design Collaboration

In the early 2010s, designers faced a common frustration: the clunky process of creating and presenting website or application mockups. The standard workflow involved creating designs in Photoshop, printing them out, and manually walking clients through paper wireframes.

"Click on this button? Great, now flip to page 25. Want to go back? That's page 93." This tedious process was the norm until InVision came along.

InVision's solution was revolutionary: an app that allowed designers to create interactive wireframes directly within the platform. This seemingly simple innovation transformed the way design teams collaborated and communicated their ideas.

The impact was immediate and significant. Designers could now create clickable prototypes that mimicked the final product's functionality, allowing for more effective presentations and faster iterations. This not only saved time but also improved the quality of feedback from stakeholders, as they could interact with the design in a way that closely resembled the end product.

The Power of Solving a Real Problem

InVision's rapid growth stemmed from addressing a genuine pain point in the design industry. When users discovered a tool that dramatically improved their workflow, they couldn't help but share their excitement.

Scott Markovits, InVision's first hire, emphasized this point: "Everybody who saw it went, 'Wow, what I can do now!' It was a big change that solved a real problem for designers."

This enthusiasm translated into organic growth as designers eagerly shared their newfound tools with colleagues and clients. The product's impact was so significant that it often sold itself – users became natural advocates, driving adoption within their organizations and professional networks.

Harnessing Word-of-Mouth Marketing

InVision's growth strategy centered on encouraging and amplifying user recommendations. They understood that satisfied customers are the best marketers and developed a multi-faceted approach to leverage this:

1. Incentivizing Reviews: InVision sent out sticker packs to users who left reviews, generating buzz and attracting new users to the platform. This simple yet effective tactic turned satisfied users into brand ambassadors.
2. Engaging on Social Media: The company actively engaged with its audience across various social platforms, fostering a sense of community around its product. They didn't just broadcast messages but created genuine conversations, responding to user queries, sharing design tips, and highlighting user success stories.
3. Leveraging Asymmetric Opportunities: InVision sought out influencers and channels with large audiences, recognizing that a single mention could reach hundreds of thousands of potential users. They identified key design influencers on platforms like Twitter, YouTube, and design-focused podcasts and worked to get their product featured.
4. Creating Valuable Content: InVision invested in creating high-quality, educational content that provided value to their target audience. This included blog posts, webinars, and eventually, their own podcast. By positioning themselves as thought leaders in the design space, they attracted users organically and built trust with their audience.
5. Hosting Events and Workshops: InVision organized both virtual and in-person events, bringing together designers and fostering a sense of community. These events not only provided networking opportunities but also served as platforms for demonstrating the product's capabilities.

The Language of Your Best Customers

One of InVision's key insights was the importance of using their most enthusiastic users' language in marketing materials. By listening to how these users described the product, the specific pain points they highlighted, and the benefits they emphasized, InVision crafted messaging that resonated with potential customers facing similar challenges.

Scott Markovits noted, "The language that really passionate users use is probably relevant to other people who could become really passionate users."

This approach involved:

1. Conducting User Interviews: Regular conversations with power users to understand their experiences and gather authentic testimonials.
2. Analyzing Support Tickets: Identifying common phrases and pain points mentioned by users when seeking help or giving feedback.
3. Monitoring Social Media Mentions: Paying attention to how users organically described the product when recommending it to others.
4. A/B Testing Marketing Copy: Experiment with different phrases and terminologies to see which resonated most with their target audience.

By adopting the language of their users, InVision's marketing messages felt authentic and relatable, increasing their effectiveness in attracting new customers.

Pivoting to Serve the Right Audience

Initially, InVision believed their primary target audience was design agencies creating mockups for clients. However, they soon discovered their most passionate users were in-house design teams at companies.

This realization led to a strategic pivot, allowing InVision to better serve the needs of these highly engaged and loyal customers. It's a reminder of the importance of remaining flexible and responsive to user feedback, even if it means adjusting your initial assumptions about your target market.

The pivot involved:

1. Refining Product Features: Adapting the tool to better suit the workflows of in-house teams, including features for design systems and team collaboration.
2. Adjusting Marketing Messages: Shifting focus from agency-centric language to addressing the needs and pain points of in-house design teams.
3. Developing Enterprise Solutions: Creating features and pricing plans that cater to larger organizations with multiple design teams.
4. Building Integrations: Focusing on integrating with tools commonly used by in-house teams, enhancing InVision's value in corporate environments.

This pivot was crucial to InVision's growth, allowing it to tap into a larger and more stable market of enterprise customers.

Building Social Proof Beyond Review Sites

While platforms like G2 and Capterra can be useful for established companies, InVision focused on gathering and showcasing social proof on platforms where their users already spent time: Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, and later, Threads.

This approach lent authenticity to their testimonials. As one marketing expert noted, "If I see a quote from Thomas Scott about how awesome a product is, and I can click on it and see his LinkedIn profile with the message he posted about it, that shows a better quality of social proof than things on Capterra or Google My Business."

InVision's strategy for building social proof included:

1. Encouraging User-Generated Content: Prompting users to share their designs and experiences with InVision on social media.
2. Highlighting Customer Success Stories: Regularly featuring case studies and success stories from notable clients on their blogs and social channels.
3. Leveraging Employee Advocacy: Encouraging team members to share their experiences and interact with the design community, putting faces to the brand.
4. Partnering with Influencers: Collaborating with respected designers and design leaders for product reviews and demonstrations.
5. Showcasing Real-Time Usage: Implementing features that allowed users to easily share their InVision prototypes, increasing visibility of the product in action.

By focusing on these authentic forms of social proof, InVision built a strong reputation within the design community, driving both individual and enterprise adoptions.

Lessons for Scaling Your Business

1. Solve a Real Problem: Focus on addressing genuine pain points in your industry. When you solve a significant problem, word-of-mouth marketing becomes much easier. InVision's success came from dramatically improving the design workflow process.
2. Empower Your Advocates: Make it easy and rewarding for satisfied customers to share their experiences. Consider incentives like InVision's sticker packs, but ensure they're appropriate for your audience and brand. Create shareable content and easy-to-use referral programs.
3. Listen to Your Users: Pay close attention to the language your most enthusiastic customers use. Their words can become powerful marketing copy that resonates with potential users facing similar challenges. Regularly conduct user interviews and surveys to stay in tune with your audience's needs and preferences.
4. Be Flexible: Don't be afraid to pivot your focus if you discover your initial assumptions about your target market were incorrect. InVision's shift from targeting agencies to in-house teams was crucial to their growth. Stay agile and be willing to adapt your product and marketing strategies based on user feedback and market realities.
5. Leverage Authentic Social Proof: Focus on gathering testimonials and reviews on platforms where your users naturally spend time. This can be more effective than relying solely on dedicated review sites. Encourage users to share their experiences on social media and professional networks.
6. Seek Asymmetric Opportunities: Look for channels or influencers that can expose your product to a large audience quickly. A single mention from the right source can be worth months of organic growth efforts. Identify key influencers in your industry and develop strategies to get your product in front of their audiences.
7. Create Valuable Content: Invest in creating high-quality, educational content that provides value to your target audience. This establishes your brand as a thought leader and attracts potential customers organically. Consider a mix of blog posts, whitepapers, webinars, and even podcasts or video series.
8. Foster a Community: Build a strong community around your product. This could involve creating user forums, hosting events, or establishing a social media presence where users can interact with each other and your team. A strong community can become a powerful engine for growth and product improvement.
9. Continuously Innovate: Keep improving your product based on user feedback and market trends. InVision's success wasn't just about their initial innovation – they continued to add features and improve their platform to stay ahead of the competition.
10. Focus on Customer Success: Ensure your customers are achieving their goals with your product. Implement a strong onboarding process and provide excellent customer support. Happy, successful customers are more likely to become vocal advocates for your brand.

Applying InVision's Lessons to Your Business

While InVision's growth story is impressive, it's important to remember that their strategies can be adapted to businesses of all sizes and across various industries. Here are some practical steps you can take:

1. Identify Your Core Problem: Clearly articulate the problem your product or service solves. Make sure it's a significant pain point for your target market.
2. Build a Feedback Loop: Create mechanisms to regularly gather and analyze customer feedback. This could be through surveys, user interviews, or analysis of support tickets.
3. Optimize Your Onboarding: Ensure new users can quickly experience the value of your product. The faster they see results, the more likely they are to become advocates.
4. Leverage Your Best Customers: Identify your most enthusiastic users and find ways to amplify their voices. This could involve case studies, testimonials, or referral programs.
5. Invest in Content Marketing: Develop a content strategy that provides value to your target audience, positioning your brand as a helpful resource rather than just a product pusher.
6. Stay Agile: Be prepared to pivot your strategy based on market feedback and data. Regularly review your assumptions about your target market and product-market fit.

The heart of this success was a genuine solution to a significant problem, amplified by the voices of satisfied users.

That’s it.

Now, that might not sound easy. But if it were easy, everyone would do it. 🙂