The 19 Traction Channels

The book catalogs 19 channels, and the list is the point: it's the full menu, most of which you've never seriously considered. They are: viral marketing, public relations, unconventional PR, search engine marketing (paid search), social and display ads, offline ads, search engine optimization, content marketing, email marketing, engineering as marketing, targeting blogs, business development, sales, affiliate programs, existing platforms, trade shows, offline events, speaking engagements, and community building.

A few need decoding. Engineering as marketing means building free tools that attract your market, like HubSpot's Website Grader. Existing platforms means riding someone else's user base: app stores, browser extensions, marketplaces. Unconventional PR is stunts and remarkable customer gestures that earn attention money can't buy.

Every channel on the list has been the primary growth driver for some large company. That's why you can't dismiss any of them upfront: 'that wouldn't work for us' is usually bias, not analysis.