Navigating the Challenges of Marketing a Privacy-Focused CMS - My Journey with Hyvor Blogs: Any ideas and thoughts?

Hey IndieHackers community,

I'm Ishini Senanayake, the gal wearing multiple hats at HYVOR – UI/UX designer and the one trying to crack the code on our digital marketing strategy. Today, I want to take you behind the scenes of my journey, particularly the hurdles I've been facing in getting the word out about Hyvor Blogs, a blogging platform.

Background

So, here's the deal. At HYVOR, we're all about user privacy. That's non-negotiable. Even when it comes to our marketing strategy, we steer clear of using Google Analytics to track user behavior. Sounds noble, right? Well, it's been both a blessing and a curse.

The Analytics Dilemma

The first product that we released was Hyvor Talk (a commenting platform). And all we did was content marketing for Hyvor Talk: no analytics, no ads, nothing else. We were able to make it and I am proud to say that we are doing good with Hyvor Talk.

Marketing Hyvor Blogs has been like trying to hit a moving target blindfolded.
I decided to go with content marketing as we did for Hyvor Talk makreting. But it seemed a shot in the dark for me. However as a digital marketer I clearly know that Hyvor Blogs' market is way to broad than Hyvor Talk's. But there must be something that works right?

So I decided to try Google Ads and analytics but we did not break our policy of users privacy: not tracking users and collecting their data. Therefore we decided to go with Splitbee, a less intrusive analytics tool: it is way too behind Google Analytics. But here's the catch – some users disable analytics, and we don't use tracking codes. So, while Splitbee gives us some insights, it's not the full picture.

And, we put up Hyvor Blogs in Appsumo for a one-time deal. From that, we got so many customers from Appsumo but all of them are one-time (They are only paying us one time per lifetime). They really loved the product. And still they are using Hyvor Blogs. We stopped the Appsumo deal within a very short time.

Google Ads Conundrum

Now, let's talk about Google Ads. As I told you earlier we gave it a shot to market HYVOR Blogs, but our commitment to privacy meant we didn't use tracking codes or parameters. Yeah, probably not the smartest move. It's a constant balancing act between marketing effectively and not compromising user privacy. But you know what, it did not go as I expected.

Content Marketing Strategies

(Now this is while I was using Google Ads) -> To tackle the keyword competition, I shifted gears to content marketing. Went for easy-to-rank keywords (Low KD), but guess what? Lower search volumes became the new challenge. I also reached out to other business blogs for genuine collaborations, steering clear of any paid partnerships. I'm not a fan of paying someone to say they love us. I really am not a fan of paying somebody's site to say "Product X is good" no matter it is good or not good for users out there.

So I decided to put a full-stop to Google Ads.

The Turning Point

After ditching Google Ads for a while and going all-in on content marketing, we hit a Monthly Recurring Revenue (MRR) of 200 euros. High-fives all around, right? Well, not so fast. We're still struggling to get the right people to notice HYVOR Blogs. But deep down I know Hyvor Blogs is a good blogging platform out there. The thing is it is not being seen by the right people. Only a very few has noticed our product and enjoy our services happily.

Seeking Insights from the Community

Recently, I spilled my guts on IndieHackers, celebrating our 200-euro MRR milestone but also sharing our struggles. Surprisingly, the celebration was short-lived as we haven't snagged any paid users since then. I'm scratching my head, wondering why what worked for Hyvor Talk isn't cutting it for Hyvor Blogs.

The Return to Google Ads

So, after a deep dive into contemplation, I decided to give Google Ads another shot while I am doing content marketing. Two ads – one pointing folks to the HYVOR Blogs homepage, and the other singing the praises of our "WordPress Alternatives" article. Spoiler alert: nada. Zilch. Now, I'm debating whether it's worth burning more money.

Moving Forward

Today, I'm hitting the pause button on Google Ads again. As I navigate these murky waters, I'm reaching out to you, the IndieHackers community, for your insights, thoughts, and any experiences you might have had in a similar boat.

Thanks for being part of this rollercoaster journey with HYVOR Blogs.

Cheers,