We ran Actionboo.st on itself
Our Growth Plan
What happens when an AI growth strategist analyzes its own product? Here's the real action plan we're following to grow Actionboo.st.
Executive Summary
You have something rare in the startup world: a validated product with genuine product-market fit. Your 9.4/10 beta score and 13 five-star reviews from a cold audience aren't vanity metrics—they're proof that when horse riders try your product, they love it. The week-long sales slump isn't a product problem; it's a distribution problem. You've exhausted your warm network and haven't yet built sustainable acquisition channels.
Your biggest opportunity is that you're playing in an underserved niche. The lip care market is dominated by generic products from L'Oreal, Estée Lauder, and Elizabeth Arden—none of which speak directly to equestrians or the specific windburn problem. You're not competing with them; you're creating a new category. The 550k addressable market in Australia/NZ might seem small, but a focused niche strategy can capture meaningful market share before larger players even notice you exist.
Your strategic direction should be ruthless niche focus. Stop thinking about "lip balm customers" and start thinking about "horse riders who suffer from windburn." Every piece of content, every ad, every partnership should scream "this was made by a horse rider, for horse riders." Your competition is generic; your advantage is specificity.
Your Situation
Through the AARRR lens, your funnel breaks down as follows:
| Stage | Current State | Assessment |
|---|---|---|
| Acquisition | Stalled after initial network exhausted | BOTTLENECK |
| Activation | 9.4/10 beta score, strong first experience | Strong |
| Retention | 13 five-star reviews, repeat purchase unclear | Needs data |
| Referral | One ambassador active, no systematic program | Underdeveloped |
| Revenue | 60 sales in 5 weeks, second product in beta | Early stage |
What you're doing right:
- You solved a real problem you personally experienced—authenticity that can't be manufactured
- Beta testing before launch showed discipline and gave you social proof
- You're building multiple products, suggesting vision beyond a single SKU
- Your Traction framework reading shows strategic thinking about channels
Where the gaps are:
- Your $500 Christmas ad spend was premature—you tested messaging and timing simultaneously, learning nothing useful from either
- Organic social "engagement" without conversion suggests you're creating content for algorithms, not buyers
- You have no email list capturing interested visitors who aren't ready to buy yet
- Your trade stands are 4 weeks away, leaving a dangerous gap in acquisition
Competitive Landscape
| Competitor | Their Approach | Your Advantage |
|---|---|---|
| Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour | Premium mass-market, SPF focus, $20-30 price point | No sport-specific positioning; sold in department stores, not tack shops |
| Burt's Bees | Natural ingredients, mainstream distribution | Generic "outdoor" positioning; doesn't speak to equestrians |
| ChapStick | Commodity pricing, ubiquitous availability | Zero differentiation; competes on convenience, not performance |
| Lanolin-based products (Lanolips, etc.) | Ingredient-led marketing for dry/damaged lips | No windburn-specific claims; no community connection |
The market research reveals a clear trend: major players are competing on ingredients (peptides, hyaluronic acid, SPF) and luxury positioning (Louis Vuitton's $160 lip balm). Nobody is competing on use-case specificity for athletic communities. You have white space to own "windburn protection for equestrians" in a way that generic brands simply cannot.
One opportunity competitors are missing entirely: the equestrian community is tight-knit, event-based, and intensely loyal to brands that understand their lifestyle. A product that becomes "what endurance riders use" has built-in distribution through word-of-mouth at events, online forums, and club networks.
Channel Strategy
| Channel | Effort/Week | Time to Results | Priority |
|---|---|---|---|
| Equestrian-specific Meta ads | 3-4 hrs | 2-4 weeks | HIGH |
| Email list building + nurture | 2-3 hrs | 4-8 weeks | HIGH |
| Trade stands + sampling | 4-8 hrs (event days) | Immediate at events | HIGH |
| Ambassador/referral program | 2 hrs | 4-6 weeks | MEDIUM |
| Niche Facebook group engagement | 2-3 hrs | 2-4 weeks | MEDIUM |
| Magazine/PR (editorial) | 1 hr (already in motion) | 1-2 weeks | LOW (already done) |
Top Channel: Equestrian-Specific Meta Ads
Your $10/day budget is sufficient for testing, but your previous spend failed because it wasn't targeted tightly enough. The opportunity is to create ads that immediately signal "this is for horse riders"—imagery of riders, language about 8-hour rides, before/after windburn comparisons. You're not competing for "lip balm" searches; you're interrupting equestrians scrolling and making them think "finally, someone gets it." A $300/month budget with proper targeting to equestrian interest groups in Australia/NZ should generate predictable, scalable acquisition.
Second Priority: Email List Building
You currently have zero ability to re-engage visitors who weren't ready to purchase. A simple "Get 10% off your first order" popup captures emails, and a 3-email welcome sequence (your story, the problem you solved, customer testimonials) converts browsers into buyers. This compounds: every visitor becomes a future sales opportunity, and email has the highest ROI of any marketing channel.
Stop Doing
Activities draining resources without return. Cut these immediately.
Posting generic product photos on Instagram
Your engagement-without-conversion pattern suggests your content looks like every other lip balm. Either make content that screams "equestrian" or stop wasting time here.
Boosting posts or running untargeted ads
Spending money to reach "women 25-45 interested in beauty" is burning cash. Only spend on hyper-targeted equestrian audiences.
Waiting passively for the magazine feature to work
Editorial coverage drives awareness, not sales. Have a capture mechanism ready (discount code, landing page) when it drops.
Treating ambassadors as content creators
One ambassador "sharing content" is a rounding error. Ambassadors should be recruiting other ambassadors and driving trackable sales with personal discount codes.
Start Doing
Ranked by ICE score — Impact, Confidence, and Ease combined.
Build and Launch Your Email Capture System
Install a popup on your website offering 10% off the first order in exchange for an email. Use a free tool like Mailchimp or MailerLite (both have free tiers sufficient for your volume). Create a 3-email automated sequence: Email 1 (immediate) delivers the discount code and tells your story. Email 2 (day 3) shares the windburn problem and your 8-hour solution. Email 3 (day 7) includes a testimonial from a beta tester and a reminder the discount expires soon. This system runs 24/7 without your involvement and converts visitors who weren't ready to buy immediately.
Create "Equestrian-First" Ad Creative for Meta
Stop running ads that could be for any lip balm. Create 3-4 ad variations with unmistakably equestrian imagery: a rider with windburned face, a close-up applying balm before mounting, a testimonial from an endurance competitor. Your copy should lead with the problem ("8-hour rides destroy your lips") and your unique solution ("The only lip balm made for endurance riders"). Target Facebook/Instagram users in Australia/NZ who are members of equestrian groups, follow horse-related pages, or have interests in "endurance riding," "dressage," "eventing," etc. Start with $10/day across 3 ad sets to find what works, then scale winners.
Launch a Structured Ambassador Recruitment Program
Your single ambassador should become your first recruiter. Create a simple ambassador program: ambassadors get free product, a personal discount code (tracks their referrals), and 15% of sales they generate. Target active competitors in your discipline who have social followings (even small ones—500 engaged followers beats 10k passive ones). Your outreach: "I saw your [specific result/post]. I'm an endurance rider who created a windburn lip balm after suffering through [specific experience]. Would you be interested in trying it and potentially becoming an ambassador?" Aim to have 5 ambassadors active by the end of month 1.
Dominate Facebook Group Engagement
Stop posting product announcements in Facebook groups—this screams "salesy" and gets ignored or removed. Instead, become the helpful windburn expert. When someone asks about gear recommendations, answer thoroughly (include your product as one suggestion among many). When someone posts about a tough ride in harsh conditions, share your own experience and mention what you've learned about lip protection. Create a valuable post like "5 things I wish I knew about windburn before my first 80km ride" that provides genuine value, with your product mentioned naturally. The goal is that when someone in these groups thinks "windburn," they think of you first.
Prepare a Trade Stand Conversion System
Your trade stands shouldn't just sell product—they should build your email list and create content. Bring a signup sheet (or tablet for digital signup) offering entry into a draw for free product. Take photos with customers (with permission) for social proof. Have a QR code linking to your Instagram for immediate follows. Offer a "show special" discount code valid for 30 days that tracks event-driven sales. Collect brief video testimonials from happy customers ("Would you mind telling me in 15 seconds what you think?"). One event should generate 50+ emails, 20+ social follows, and content for weeks of posting.
Create a Referral Mechanism for Existing Customers
Your 60 customers are an untapped referral source. Send them a simple email: "You're one of [X] people who've tried [product name]. If you've loved it (thank you for those reviews!), I'd love your help spreading the word. Share this link with a friend—they'll get 15% off, and you'll get 20% off your next order when they purchase." Use a simple referral tool (ReferralCandy has a free trial, or just track manually with unique codes for now). Even a 10% referral rate would add 6 new customers this month at zero acquisition cost.
This Week
Your action items for the next 7 days.
Set up email capture popup with 10% discount offer using Mailchimp or MailerLite
2 hrs · Popup live on website, triggers on all pages
Write 3-email welcome sequence (your story, the problem/solution, testimonial + urgency)
2 hrs · Sequence scheduled and connected to signup
Create 3 new ad creatives with unmistakable equestrian imagery/copy
3 hrs · 3 different ads ready to launch
Launch Meta ad campaign with 3 ad sets targeting different equestrian interests
1 hr · Campaign live with $10/day budget split across 3 ad sets
Draft ambassador outreach template; identify 10 potential ambassadors from your discipline
2 hrs · List of 10 names with social handles and contact method
Send referral email to all 60 existing customers with unique tracking codes
1.5 hrs · Email sent, tracking codes assigned
Send ambassador outreach to first 5 candidates; engage in 3 Facebook groups with value-first comments
2 hrs · 5 outreach messages sent; 3 genuine helpful comments posted
30-Day Roadmap
Your week-by-week execution plan. Focus on one week at a time.
Metrics Dashboard
| Stage | Metric | Target (30 days) | How to Measure |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acquisition | New website visitors | 1,000+ | Google Analytics or Shopify analytics |
| Acquisition | Email list size | 150+ subscribers | Mailchimp/MailerLite dashboard |
| Acquisition | Meta ad ROAS | >2.0 (2x return on ad spend) | Meta Ads Manager |
| Activation | Email signup rate | 3-5% of visitors | Popup tool analytics |
| Activation | Welcome sequence open rate | >40% | Email tool analytics |
| Retention | Repeat purchase rate | Track for baseline | Shopify customer reports |
| Referral | Referral link shares | 20+ shares | Tracking code redemptions |
| Referral | Active ambassadors | 5 | Manual count |
| Revenue | Total orders | 30+ | Shopify dashboard |
Additional acquisition-specific metrics:
- Cost per email subscriber (ad spend / new subscribers from ads)
- Facebook group engagement rate (comments/replies generated from your posts)
- Ambassador-driven sales as % of total
Content Templates
META AD PRIMARY COPY - PROBLEM/SOLUTION
8 hours in the saddle. 0 windburn.
I created [PRODUCT NAME] after years of coming home from endurance rides with cracked, painful lips. Regular lip balms wore off after the first hour.
This one lasts the entire ride.
Made by an endurance rider in Australia. 13 five-star reviews. Tested by 40+ riders who gave it a 9.4/10.
[LINK] to try it with 10% off your first order.FACEBOOK GROUP VALUE POST - WINDBURN TIPS
"5 things I wish I knew about windburn before my first long ride"
Been competing in endurance for [X years] and learned a lot of this the hard way:
1. Windburn isn't just a winter problem - any sustained wind exposure damages skin, even in mild temps
2. SPF doesn't protect against wind - you need a barrier, not just UV protection
3. Re-apply before you think you need to - by the time your lips feel dry, damage is already done
4. Your lips take longer to heal than regular skin - prevention is 10x easier than treatment
5. Not all lip balms are created equal - most drugstore options wear off within 1-2 hours of riding
Happy to share more if helpful - what have you all found works best for protecting your lips on long rides?AMBASSADOR OUTREACH MESSAGE
Hi [NAME],
I saw your [specific post/result - be genuine and specific] - congrats on [specific achievement].
I'm reaching out because I'm an endurance rider who created a windburn lip balm after suffering through years of cracked lips on long rides. It's specifically designed to last 8 hours - basically one ride without re-applying.
I'm building a small ambassador community of riders who love the product and would love to have you try it (free, of course). If you like it, there's a program where you can earn commission sharing it with other riders.
Completely understand if it's not for you - but if you're interested, I'd love to send you a sample. What do you think?
[YOUR NAME]
Endurance rider, [LOCATION]Final note: Your one-week sales slump feels scary, but it's actually normal. You've built something riders genuinely love—now you're learning how to tell the world about it. The magazine feature, trade stands, and ambassador program will all contribute, but your sustainable growth engine is the combination of targeted ads, email capture, and community engagement. Execute this plan consistently for 90 days and you'll look back at this slump as a minor blip.