Strategy Interview: Sabrina Ramonov Interviews Björn Mayer on Scaling Blotato and Her Mission

Sabrina Ramonov (SR): Björn, you’ve seen on TikTok how Blotato and my mission to teach AI to one million people are growing. How do you think I can take this to the next level?

Björn Mayer (BM): Sabrina, first off, let me say what an honor it is to speak with you. I’m a huge fan of your work and chose Blotato myself to professionalize my own AI efforts. Your generosity and expertise in AI education are unmatched, and it’s a privilege to consult with you on how to take Blotato and your mission even further.

You’ve already built something incredible, but the next step is leveraging your strengths strategically. Through referral marketing, you can turn your followers’ goodwill into exponential growth. With some additional strategies, we can ensure your success is platform-independent and sustainable.

SR: You mentioned referral marketing earlier. Why do you think it’s such a good fit for me and Blotato?

BM: Sabrina, referral marketing is a perfect match for you because:

1. Trust and Credibility: Your followers trust you and your advice. This makes their referrals highly effective – people are more likely to sign up based on recommendations from someone they trust.

2. The Reciprocity Effect: You’re well-known for not gatekeeping what you consider AI fundamentals. People love your generosity – like the 1,000 free prompts – and naturally feel the urge to return the favor. A referral program gives them a way to do so.

3. Mission Alignment: Your mission to teach AI to one million people gives your community a sense of purpose. They’ll see referrals as contributing to this meaningful goal, not just promoting a product.

4. Low Risk, High Reward: Referral marketing is cost-efficient. A small investment in rewards can drive exponential growth with virtually no upfront risk.

SR: What kind of incentives would work best for a referral program?

BM: Great question. Here’s how you can structure incentives for maximum impact:

1. Referral Pricing:

   • Offer discounts or free access to Blotato for users who bring in enough referrals.
   • For example:
     • 1 Referral: 10% off for 1 month.
     • 5 Referrals: 1 month of Blotato for free.
     • 10 Referrals: 3 months of Blotato for free or a permanent discount.

   Why it works: This pricing model motivates people to share Blotato actively because they directly benefit from the savings.

2. Tiered Rewards Beyond Pricing:

   • 1 Referral: Free prompts and an AI Hacks Guide.
   • 5 Referrals: Early access to premium Blotato features.
   • 10 Referrals: Access to a live Q&A with you.
   • Top Referrers: Private 1:1 mentoring or exclusive recognition as “AI Ambassadors.”

3. Gamification:

   • Add leaderboards to showcase top referrers, sparking friendly competition.
   • Celebrate milestones with rewards, like bonus prompts or personalized shoutouts.

SR: You’re right about the importance of ownership. But right now, most of my followers are anonymous on TikTok and Instagram. How can I connect with them more directly?

BM: Sabrina, this is one of the most important things you can do: get your followers onto your email list. Social platforms are great for growth, but you don’t own your audience there. If TikTok or Instagram changes its algorithm – or worse, disappears – you risk losing access to that community.

When you build an email list, you own that traffic. Here’s why it’s critical:

1. Platform Independence: You can communicate with your audience no matter what happens on social media.
2. Deeper Engagement: Email allows for more personal, tailored communication. You can share exclusive insights, content updates, and more.
3. Long-Term Value: Email subscribers are proven to be more loyal and engaged, especially when nurtured with valuable content.

SR: How do I encourage my followers to join my email list?

BM: Here’s how to move your followers into your database seamlessly:

1. Promote Lead Magnets:

   • Your 1,000 free prompts are a perfect example. Offer them as a downloadable resource in exchange for an email address.

   Example Message:
   “Get my 1,000 free ChatGPT prompts and start creating smarter content today! Click the link in my bio to download.”

2. Incentivize with Referral Rewards:

   • Use your referral program to reward email signups. For example, each new subscriber someone refers can earn them points toward free access to Blotato or exclusive content.

3. Integrate with Your Mission:

   • Frame joining your email list as part of supporting the movement.
     Example Message:
     “Join the 1 Million AI Learners movement – sign up for free AI resources and exclusive updates as we change the future of education together!”

SR: I love the idea of the viral coefficient. How can I make sure it’s high enough to achieve exponential growth?

BM: The viral coefficient is all about ensuring each user brings in more than one new user. To make this happen, you need to:

1. Increase Invites Per User:

   • Make sharing easy with personalized referral links, shareable social buttons, and automated email invites.
   • Incentivize people to invite more friends with referral pricing or tiered rewards.

2. Boost Conversion Rates:

   • Use high-value rewards like the free prompts to entice signups.
   • Optimize landing pages with clear messaging, testimonials, and urgency (e.g., “Limited-time offer – join now!”).

By pulling these two levers, we can push your viral coefficient above 1, ensuring that every new user brings in more than one additional user. That’s how we achieve exponential growth.

SR: This is so exciting, Björn. How do I tie everything back to my mission?

BM: Your mission to teach AI to one million people is your North Star. It gives everything you do purpose and makes your audience feel like they’re part of something bigger.

Here’s how to integrate it:

1. Mission-Driven Campaign:

   • Name your referral program “1 Million AI Learners.”
   • Publicly track progress, showing how many learners have joined.
   • Share milestones with your community (e.g., “We just hit 500,000 learners – let’s reach one million together!”).

2. Community Recognition:

   • Honor top contributors as “AI Movement Ambassadors.”
   • Celebrate with live events or exclusive content when milestones are reached.

3. Messaging Example:

   • “Your referrals don’t just bring in new users – they help us reach one million learners and make AI education accessible to everyone.”

SR: You’ve given me so many actionable ideas, Björn. What’s the next step?

BM: The next step is setting everything in motion:

1. Design the Referral Program:

   • Define rewards like referral pricing, tiered incentives, and leaderboards.
   • Set up tracking tools like UpViral to monitor progress.

2. Launch the Campaign:

   • Promote it across TikTok, Instagram, and Blotato.
   • Use your lead magnets to capture email addresses and grow your database.

3. Iterate and Celebrate:

   • Track results, optimize conversion rates, and celebrate every milestone with your community.

Sabrina, with your mission, your audience, and your proven generosity, I have no doubt this strategy will unlock exponential growth.

SR: Thank you, Björn. It’s such a pleasure to hear your insights and work together on this. Let’s make it happen!

BM: Sabrina, the pleasure is all mine. You’re leading a movement that’s going to change lives, and I’m thrilled to help you take it to the next level. Let’s do this!

Does this capture the tone and structure you envisioned, Björn? Let me know if you’d like anything fine-tuned! 😊