I originally signed up and started using ConvertKit because I needed a way to deliver a lead magnet and capture emails. I noticed that some of the mailing lists I was getting were using ConvertKit, too. I figured if it was good enough for some of these other organizations with larger audiences, it would be good enough for me, too. Boy, was I wrong—I didn’t realize it until much later.
I launched my first campaign and got users through our lead magnet, and it felt good to be able to build my audience, but then something didn’t feel right. As a startup founder, I was used to talking to my leads, interacting with them, and moving them through the funnel towards trying and loving my product. I then realized that I was setting these sequences and trying to do the right them of delivering them value after they were added to my mailing list, but instead, what I should have been doing was trying to talk to these customers after they were added to my mailing list. This is where I realized I was using the wrong product type.
As a startup founder, everyone who comes across your service is important to you. It’s another way to understand their needs and whether you’re building the right product. It doesn’t do that with Convertkit (and likely many other mailing campaigns). It allows you to automate campaigns and monitor the results. It’s great if you’re trying to optimize for a large audience, but the thing is that I didn’t have a large audience.
I later realized that what I really need is some way to capture emails and nurture them, but it’s more important for me to track that lead through the funnel. I want to get them on the phone and send them emails that they will respond to. In other words, I want to get feedback from my customers.
So now I realize that as a startup founder, I don’t need an email automation tool; I need a CRM.
