How Mint.com Grew Its Customer Base Using Handy Infographics and Blog Content

Mint
Flash back to your childhood classroom. Your mind is wandering. The teacher’s monotone can’t engage you, nor can the blocks of text on the page. You’re not disinterested; there’s simply nothing there grabbing you, begging for your attention. Enter visual aids like the popular Venn diagram. The learning process is instantly heightened when you can make a visible comparison of the differences and overlapping characteristics of multiple items.

The same dynamic applies to online brands and apps. The more information you want to present, the more it can seem that you’re lecturing your audience. But too little information can leave them in the dark. Drawing people in is all about striking the perfect balance. Mint.com found this balance and then some when they grew to over 1 million users and sold for $170 million in just 2 years.
A Strategy of Simplicity

Standing out was a hurdle for a service like Mint, a financial management software in an already crowded market. Luckily, they had a few tricks up their sleeve. First they identified key issues plaguing the competition’s users—accessibility and ease of use. Mint responded with a great product that was easy to sign up for and intuitive to use.

In targeting a younger demographic, Mint also knew their content had to be easy to read and easy to share. They dedicated a significant portion of their resources to blog content.

Next they focused on making that blog popular. They engaged readers with recurring features and real anecotes, and encouraged them to tell their own stories. For instance, “Trainwreck Tuesday” chronicled relatable—and shareable—stories of personal finance failings and foibles. The content went viral and drew new visitors who could sign up to be on Mint’s beta list. As demand grew, Mint offered special access to users who were willing to put an “I want Mint” badge on their personal blogs or websites. Instant advertising achieved!

Another way Mint went about harvesting views was to make heavy use of infographics. These charts, which offered things like a crash course on the Federal Reserve or the expenses of single men, were a hit, gaining substantial popularity on Reddit. This style of visual information also perfectly complimented the Mint mindset. After all, their software simplifies financial information in a visual-forward way, making it easy to keep track of personal expenses and earning through the use of basic graphs.
Why Infographics?

Content marketers love infographics because they draw the eye. That said, we wouldn’t even be having this conversation a little over a decade ago. Infographics have seen a surge in popularity only within the last ten years or so. In fact, online searches for infographics jumped 800% between 2010 and 2012. This isn’t surprising; it correlates with the introduction and rise of social media, and especially with the role of social media in brand outreach and content marketing. Infographics are the perfect way for your brand to reduce heady concepts into relevant, easy-to-digest chunks of visual information. Of course, when designing infographics, it’s best to make them as visually appealing as possible.

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