How Competitive Analysis and A/B Testing Shaped a Recruiting Startup's Acquisition Strategy

Context & Challenge

FirstJob, a San Francisco startup, connected recent graduates with entry-level jobs. Like every two-sided marketplace, it had to win two audiences at once: job seekers and the employers hiring them. The team wanted to lower its acquisition costs, and needed to know what competitors were doing, which campaigns actually worked and how to grow both sides of the marketplace on a startup budget.

Phase 1, Competitive Analysis

• ◆Mapping of the competitive landscape and of the offers available to job seekers and employers
• ◆Side-by-side comparison of competitors' positioning, channels and offers
• ◆SWOT analysis to identify where FirstJob could stand out
• ◆Review of unmet needs on both sides of the marketplace

Phase 2, Testing Before Scaling

• ◆A/B tests on Google Ads and Facebook Ads campaigns
• ◆Comparison of messages, audiences and formats against cost per acquisition
• ◆Clear criteria for deciding which campaigns to keep, change or stop

Phase 3, A New Acquisition Strategy

• ◆A new marketing mix with a stronger focus on employers
• ◆Creative, low-cost acquisition ideas for job seekers and employers
• ◆A short-, medium- and long-term action plan
• ◆Support with executing the first actions

What changed

Instead of spreading budget across channels, the team could focus on the campaigns and ideas that had proven they worked.

• ◆A clear view of the competitive landscape
• ◆Campaign decisions based on test results
• ◆A plan to lower acquisition costs on both sides of the marketplace
• ◆An acquisition strategy that later contributed to a 200% increase in lead generation