👋 G’day there, awesome to see you here on my site (woo!). My name is Dan Siepen, and I’m just your regular Aussie-battler, giving it a good crack when it comes to marketing (it's good fun).🤓
⚡ I do more than just marketing of course. 😍 I love my lattes ☕, love sports 🏃, love the beach (some of the best here in Aus) 🏖️, love to travel ✈️, love being with friends/family 🫶, love adventures 🏕️ and many more things! 😎
⚡ My purpose in life is to leave a positive impact on those around me and the community. Love life, family, and my friends (thankful for them each day).🙌 😊
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👉 Huge resource of over 10+ in-depth growth marketing checklists that covers various marketing channels. Continually updating resources to keep the content fresh :)
👉 I created this massive resource on the best marketing tools I've used over my career - over 500 of them to explore. It's been a big hit so far, so I hope you like it too. :)
👉 This piece of content I've created for myself to track my favourite SaaS resources that includes podcasts, videos, books + more.
👉 I love No Code tools and have shared 33+ tools I love. There's never been a better time to build awesome products & applications thanks to No Code :)
👉 Finding good quality case studies is hard to find so I've gone ahead and curated the best high-quality growth & case studies that I've got a lot of value from :)
👉 As someone who knows how stressful it is running a startup, it can take a toll mentally. I've saved and shared 21+ resources that have helped me.
👉 I've curated over 50+ various case studies, from short form to longer form which are worth reading. More to be added as I come across them :)
👉 Similar to the SaaS Case studies, I've curated over 21+ awesome eCommerce case studies that are good reads for eCommerce founders.
💬 I love and have been developing growth marketing strategies for years now across a broad range of industries, business types (SaaS, B2B, eComm and DTC), and stages of a business’s growth (seed/Series A, and even pre-seed/pre-launch). On top of holistic growth strategies, I also do deeper channel-specific strategies (e.g. Facebook Ads strategy, content strategies, etc.). I tend to do both holistic and channel-specific with engagements. It all comes down to what areas of the funnel/CX journey and goals you need to hit. Whatever growth strategy you need help with based on your needs, I may be able to help add value through growth advisory calls (sometimes, that may be all you need).
💬 GTM strategies, particularly with earlier-stage startups and eComm brands (from pre-launch or those doing a few $$MRR to then also fast-growing brands doing $5mil+ ARR per year), I love working together with closely. No two GTM strategies are the same, and each strategy has a few variables and considerations at play, especially based on the growth stage, resources available, goals wanting to be achieved, etc. I can certainly review/audit existing GTM strategies or develop them from scratch, whether via producing a GTM strategy from scratch or through advisory chats.
💬 Paid performance marketing is one of the main growth arenas I’ve got experience in and thoroughly enjoy. My primary background is doing Facebook (Meta) and LinkedIn Ads (Paid Social), but I have also done Google Ads for a long period of time. I’ve managed $$$ millions in ad spend over the years for companies across B2B, SaaS and eComm/DTC. Each of the channels has its nuances and ways to help scale accounts, and having worked with a few industries now, I can share opinions/thoughts, strategies, and tactics for each, depending on goals.
💬 Helping brands and startups build content marketing engines is something I love doing for two reasons - first, developing content strategies is fun, and second, it can seriously pay off dividends. Content marketing is so much more than just “the blog”, it encompasses and plays a big role across the whole CX/funnel, through channels like ads and email marketing to then supporting other business areas for sales enablement and lead nurturing. On top of that, developing great content is one piece of the puzzle, but it’s the distribution and repurposing of content that can help brands see awesome ROI.
💬 You’ve probably picked up already that I find a lot of things fun in marketing (haha), and it’s no different when it comes to doing CRO (a.k.a. conversion rate optimisation). I love presenting visual strategies, breakdowns, and wireframes as well as doing screen sharing on calls, where I can do walkthroughs, suggest areas for improvement and develop a list of tests/experiments to consider running for landing pages, product onboarding flows, and other channels that contribute to conversion pathways. From there, it’s all about the process of continuous improvement, testing hypotheses, and then tracking results over periods of time (always in a test, measure, learn, and iterate mindset).
💬 I’ve built many marketing funnels, both larger and smaller (e.g. campaign-specific), across a range of industries and company types. I love getting my hands dirty, including the planning/strategy stage with drawing out wireframes, mapping out user flows and journeys, and more. Then translating all the planning/wireframes/flows into executing and building out the landing pages, copy, emails, analytics (tracking, etc.), and all the other pieces that go into developing funnels and customer experiences that drive conversions. Plus, there is many software solutions that can help with the rapid development of funnels that you can test across an array of acquisition initiatives.
💬 Marketing automation is a beautiful thing, especially when it’s humming nicely in helping users/customers go from ‘X’ to ‘Y’ across the customer journey, to then helping internal teams, such as sales/marketing, to be more efficient in helping nurture, enable, and close more deals (as well as report back on efficiencies and areas of opportunity). Good automation set ups happen with good planning in the first place, through user flows, understanding data mapping (i.e. how data flows in/out) with CRMs, CDPs, email marketing, and other martech platforms. Starting off with basic automation triggers, and then building/refining more complexity over time is the trick to building solid automation flows.
💬 Over the years, I’ve built drip campaigns, sent large-sub campaign send-outs, and have also worked with teams in producing full-scale/large email automation builds. I wouldn’t call myself a specialised email marketing expert (I know some impressive email marketers who are amazing at what they do), but I have developed numerous email automation maps, automation flows and set up advanced segmented/event-based pathways that drive desired actions across SaaS/B2B and eCommerce. It's one thing to build out flows, but running A/B split tests, developing copy/designs based on analytics data, and ensuring performance is optimised across the different stages of the CX journey, is key for a high-performing email function.
💬 As most of us know for effective marketing campaigns, you need to ensure you have analytics and measurement in place across each touch point of a CX journey/pathway. I’ve used GA extensively over the years, in conjunction with GTM (Google Tag Manager), and also other analytics/reporting tools such as Hotjar, Mixpanel, Amplitude, Plausible, Hubspot, Google Looker Studio and many others. Even good ol’ Google sheets does the trick for pulling in key data you need, whether manual or through automation (APIs/connectors). Displaying data is also just one part of the equation - great data-informed decisions comes from having an experimentation/testing framework based off data you report on (I like to use ICE as a baseline, and build out a custom experiments tracker based on the company's needs).
💬 In terms of social media experience and work, I have a greater skew in terms of experience for B2B social media, having been in the B2B world for longer and helping many SaaS/B2B brands with demand generation. In relation to eCommerce/DTC, I do thoroughly enjoy working on organic social strategies for DTC brands to help cultivate new followers/community bases, which can then help with TOF/MOF acquisition efforts. Certainly big differences between the two when it comes to strategy development and executing (particularly around channel-adoption and performance metrics), but love the challenges and nuances of both.
A little about me personally and things I remind myself each day...
I strive to be positive and optimistic in my life and support friends and family whenever I possibly can.
I have experienced some awesome things in my life through travel, work, friends and family experiences.
However, I've had my fair share of personal mental health challenges (particularly with anxiety), which I have sometimes found myself in a dark hole.
Despite what life throws up, it's important to live life to the fullest and I strive to do so everyday with a smile on my face. :)
Some things I remind myself each day:
I like to remind myself of these 10 things which helps me to become a better version of myself each day:
1. Have a positive perspective on life as much as you can.
2. Respect people's opinions and have an open perspective, even if sometimes you disagree.
3. Make sure to live in the present as much as you can, without stressing too much about the future.
4. Live and let live - don't force agendas on others.
5. Be flexible with your goals - don't have too many 'large' goals, and appreciate the small wins.
6. Smile to a stranger - it never hurts anyone.
7. Try to have fun with whatever you're doing - otherwise, why the **** even do it? :)
8. Trust your gut instinct - most of the time, there's a good chance it's right.
9. Look after your mental health.
10. Just do your best. :)
A little bit about my professional side/story...
What I actually do? I help SaaS startups, eComm/DTC brands and larger businesses with growth marketing consultancy/advisory – this can range from anything across overall strategy & planning to then channel specific strategy and execution across Facebook Ads, SEO, PPC, Copy, CRO, landing pages, content marketing, email marketing, eCommerce and much more.
Over the years I have built up my marketing repertoire across many key areas. Not only am I passionate about marketing, but I am super passionate about building startups + consulting to companies that are innovative and strive to create real positive value in the world.
Previous ventures - I was previously part of the founding team that built Australia's #1 coding school, plus also previously founded/built Australia's largest growth hackers community + run successful growth hacking events in Sydney. During these events I managed to arrange & attract Australia’s & the world’s top growth marketers such as Neil Patel, Aaron Agius, Sean Ellis & many others. Also, a couple of years back, I co-founded an accounting software startup that myself and my business partner did a small exit with (good fun and lots of learnings).
What growth roles have you been apart of? After 4.5 years after my first venture (which was actually my first 'proper' FT role), I worked with one of Australia's well-known floral brands (to help with growth for their international sites), and then worked for one of Australia's top growth marketing agencies. Awesome crew and environment, and got to work with some amazing brands that were scaling really fast. Post that, I've worked in a Head of growth role with an exciting healthcare brand, as well as helping other health-specific DTC/B2B brands during that period.
What I'm doing/focusing on now? I work with a few hand-select companies across SaaS, B2B and eCommerce. I also enjoy coaching/mentoring/advising startup founders to work through growth bottlenecks/challenges they may be facing. And the final thing I enjoy doing is writing about marketing content, whether on this site, through socials, and another growth marketing writing project I'm working on. :)
What are some potential goals in the future for me? I'll never stop doing growth marketing consulting/advising, but it will be only to an extent in terms of focus/time. A few key goals I personally have include building/co-founding a DTC brand, consult/advise social enterprises with growth, and focusing on creating valuable marketing content (as I find it's good fun as I enjoy knowledge-sharing).
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I have been fortunate enough in the past few years to have met many successful entrepreneurs, technologists, designers and incredibly talented growth marketers.
I'm lucky enough to call some of them good friends, where we've helped each other create mutually beneficial opportunities to help with our respective careers and businesses.
I always love meeting new people in the startup/tech ecosystem, as there's always amazing new things you learn and pick up (skills, perspectives and opinions).
Additionally, I've also been fortunate to have numerous mentors over the years, and thankful for all my mentors past and present.
I continually strive (and pride myself) to become a better version of myself each day, both in my personal life and professional life. I'm loving and embracing the personal growth journey.
I approach my life and the way/how I work as a "work in progress".
Personal values in life and work:
There are many values that matter/resonate with me, but these 7 personal values I place particular importance on:
1. Being honest, having integrity, and being transparent with those around you, and more importantly, yourself.
2. Authenticity and being true to you in all aspects of life.
3. Having gratitude for the opportunities we have.
4. Empathy and having the ability to listen to those who need support.
5. Respect everyone, regardless of whether or not you agree/disagree with points of view and personalities.
6. Have curiosity - being open-minded and willing to learn/try new things (even outside comfort zones).
7. Loyalty across all aspects of personal and working relationships.
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I've learnt some pretty important lessons over the years in the world of startups/businesses, and with having done some mentoring lately to upcoming early-stage founders, I wanted to share some of those lessons too for anyone who's come onto my site and are aspiring to build their own business, or perhaps want to do well in their career. I still remind myself of these lessons and experiences each day.
Professional lessons/reminders
→ In relation to the above values I shared, make sure to set your own personal values, and work/hire people who understand, respect, and align with them. Don't compromise your own values for an 'opportunity' (coming from experience, it's not worth it).
→ Back your 'gut'/intuition when it comes to decisions (and try not to dwell/ponder if it doesn't work out).
→ Everything starts with your customer (make sure to know/do your personas).
→ Keep it simple: don't overcomplicate or 'over-engineer'. Better to ship and get things out the door than trying to strive for perfection (something I'm certainly guilty of sometimes, haha).
→ Test small and fast - velocity is key when you're building.
→ Know how to tap into your network - seek advisors/mentors in certain areas where you want to improve.
→ Don't wait for permission or someone to validate it, just make it happen.
→ Have fun with whatever you're doing! If it's not fun, why even do it? :)
"Dan is a unique individual!
Incredibly generous with his time and truly community focused. His kind, collaborative nature make him very easy to work with. After just a few weeks you’ll feel like you’ve known Dan for years.
Always insightful and not afraid to challenge preconceived ideas or beliefs, Dan is passionate about marketing and business growth. I love brainstorming and learning new ideas from Dan.
And for the things Dan doesn’t know, he will humbly tell you so and he usually knows the right person to connect you with to get you what you need. It seems most people in the world of marketing and start-ups know Dan.
His work ethic pushes me to work harder and that’s rare. I’m looking forward to seeing how both of our entrepreneurial journeys play out and strongly recommend that if you want to get better at marketing or business growth that you speak to Dan."
"We've been working with Dan for over 12+ months now at Sourcr and since he’s come on board he’s been played a big role in our success across our digital strategy and key marketing channels.
As a business, we’ve seen really great results across acquisition (avg. 20% MoM increase) and increase in activation rates (avg. 15% MoM), which is a key metric of success for Sourcr. It’s been a great combination of strategy and execution between marketing efforts on digital and across outreach with our customer success team.
In particular, Dan has been really helpful with our marketing analytics setup and insights, copywriting across all ads with a big focus on copy that drives action, A/B split-testing, digital ads on LinkedIn, Facebook and Google Ads, as well as refining and scaling our LinkedIn organic strategy.
He’s also been a great culture fit with the team and just good fun to work with. We recommend Dan if you get the chance to work with him."
"Dan was immediately on the ball as soon as he joined us, and was an important resource for the team.
He provided strategy and execution work across our GTM strategy, paid media, organic SEO strategy, email marketing, referral marketing and affiliate strategy.
It's been a pleasure working with him."
"Dan played an integral role in our Circular Sydney launch strategy, providing invaluable digital marketing expertise, strategic thinking and clarity.
Dan's ability to actively listen, understand the unique opportunities and challenges, and develop an agile and strategic approach was instrumental for the initiative, as well as the growth of our core brand.
We highly recommend Dan if you're looking to scale your D2C/eCommerce brand."
"Dan was a great growth advisor and consultant for Little Company. He helped us shape our eCommerce growth strategy (in conjunction with our physical stores), which really helped with acquisition and LTV.
In particular, he provided a lot of help to our marketing team around experiments and prioritisation, analytics, email marketing, CRO, as well as really honing into our customer journey across all channels.
I recommend Dan if you get the chance to work with him.
"Dan has worked closely with us at Gather as a Growth Advisor helping us ramp up acquisition efforts and steer our overall growth strategy.
With fast-moving technology and a changing market, Dan has his finger on the pulse. With his advice, we had a strategy for improving our demand generation and content processes.
Dan taylor-made his recommendations to Gather's business context, something that required thinking outside the box.
More importantly, he’s a great person and someone who continually strives to push further. You’ll certainly learn a lot if you get the opportunity to work with Dan.”
“We’ve always struggled as a company to promote ourselves on socials and understand what a great social media B2B strategy looks like to help drum up business.
Dan came in and made sense of it all, allowing us to tell our story at CraigWalker better than ever before, and helping us across planning, communications, copy and analytics.
He is super efficient, easy to work with and feels like part of our team.”
"I first met Dan back in 2020, when I was trying to figure out how to grow one of my companies without spending thousands of dollars on ads.
And from the first moment, I was overwhelmed by his kindness but also his knowledge.
He is a sharp thinker that wants to help others become successful. He helped me to craft & try different growth tactics that had a tremendous impact on the scale of my business. Since then we have been talking a lot on our journeys.
I appreciate him for being a maker who constantly sets the status quo with the projects & content he is releasing. But even more, I am happy to always have an open ear & second brain with him.
If you are thinking about how to grow your website, Dan is the go-to place."
"I have known Dan for over two years now and am in regular contact with him.
He is the perfect sparring partner when it comes to marketing and growth tactics. I am grateful for all his advice."
"Dan's passion and dedication as a marketer can be seen through his thoughtful compilation and commentary of growth marketing case studies from all over the globe.
My team and I have found his website very helpful to gather growth marketing ideas for launching new products - thank you, Dan!"
"Dan was great to work with for our Product Hunt launch strategy.
He helped with advisory and strategy from start to finish with our team. The result of the launch was amazing, with becoming #1 Product of the Day and #1 Product of the Week. Off the back of the launch, we raised over $4 million and acquired many new top-tier customers.
If you're looking to get advice about your Product Hunt launch, or just discuss GTM launch strategy and advisory with a great human being, I recommend getting in touch with Dan."
