5 examples of great digital customer acquisition

In today's competitive landscape, digital customer acquisition isn't just about getting more eyeballs on your product—it's about getting the right people in the right way. The best companies understand that acquisition is a mix of smart strategy, data-driven decisions, and deep customer insight. Below are five standout examples of brands that have nailed digital acquisition, offering lessons that can be applied across industries.

1. HubSpot: Mastering Content and SEO for Scalable Growth

HubSpot is the gold standard when it comes to organic digital acquisition. They built an empire on content marketing and SEO, driving millions of visits per month. But it’s not just volume—it's high-intent traffic. By targeting search queries that map directly to customer pain points, they seamlessly guide users through a journey that turns casual readers into free trial users and, eventually, paying customers.

Key Takeaway: Own the keywords that matter to your audience and create high-value, evergreen content that attracts leads consistently.

2. Calendly: Product-Led Growth Done Right

Calendly’s viral acquisition loop is textbook PLG (Product-Led Growth). Their free-tier model allows users to experience the core value of the product before ever paying. The magic? Every time someone shares a Calendly link, they introduce the product to a new potential user—for free. This built-in virality has allowed them to scale without relying heavily on traditional paid acquisition.

Key Takeaway: Leverage your product as a growth engine. A well-designed viral loop can scale acquisition at near-zero cost.

3. Duolingo: Gamification That Fuels Retention and Referrals

Duolingo doesn’t just acquire users—it hooks them. With a gamified experience, streaks, rewards, and social competition, Duolingo keeps users engaged for the long haul. But what really drives acquisition? Social sharing and word-of-mouth. Their "invite a friend" feature is built into the core experience, making it natural for users to spread the word.

Key Takeaway: Engagement fuels acquisition. When users love your product, they naturally become advocates.

4. Notion: Community-Led Growth with a Cult-Like Following

Notion's success isn’t just about having a great product—it’s about building a passionate community. They turned early adopters into evangelists through a mix of influencer partnerships, user-generated templates, and an engaged online community. By making customers feel like part of something bigger, Notion turned its users into its most powerful acquisition channel.

Key Takeaway: Invest in community-driven growth. Make your users feel like co-creators rather than just customers.

5. Revolut: Growth Hacking with Referral Incentives

Revolut's rapid growth came from aggressive referral marketing, similar to PayPal’s early days. By offering cash incentives for referrals, they rapidly expanded their user base. But they didn’t stop there—they used waitlists, exclusivity tactics, and social proof to create urgency and FOMO, making people want to join faster.

Key Takeaway: A well-designed referral program can supercharge acquisition, but it works best when paired with urgency and exclusivity.

Final Thoughts

Customer acquisition isn’t just about getting more leads—it’s about sustainable growth. Whether through SEO, PLG, community, or referrals, the best brands understand that acquisition and retention go hand in hand.

The question is: which of these strategies can you apply to your own growth engine today?