Your product is invisible to potential users
Every time someone interacts with your product, they see your brand. It's free, permanent advertising that scales with usage.
When to use
Your product creates output that reaches non-users (forms, widgets, exports, embeds).
Hypothesis template
If we add a "Powered by [product]" badge to all [output type], we'll get [target] impressions/month because every user becomes a billboard.
Method
The problem: Your product creates things that other people see (forms, widgets, emails, pages), but there's no connection back to you.
What Typeform and Hotjar do: Every free-tier form or heatmap shows "Powered by Typeform" or "Powered by Hotjar." Millions of people see these badges daily and some click through.
Why it works:
- Scales automatically with usage (more users = more badges = more exposure)
- Zero marginal cost
- Implicit social proof ("This company uses Typeform, must be good")
- The badge is on something useful, so the association is positive
How to implement:
- Add a small, tasteful "Made with [Product]" or "Powered by [Product]" badge
- Place it where end-users (non-customers) see it
- Link it to a landing page (not your homepage—a "What is this?" page)
- Make it removable on paid plans (incentive to upgrade!)
- Track: badge views → clicks → signups
Where badges work:
- Forms and surveys (Typeform, Tally)
- Embedded widgets (Intercom, Hotjar)
- Exports and reports (Canva, Google Docs)
- Email footers (Mailchimp)
- Landing pages (Carrd, Webflow)
Upgrade incentive: "Remove the badge" is one of the most effective reasons to upgrade. It's free revenue from your growth engine.
Key insight: Your free users are paying you—with distribution. The badge IS the payment.
Success metrics
- •Badge impressions
- •Badge clicks
- •Click → signup rate
- •Signups from badge (total)
- •Paid upgrades to remove badge
Prerequisites
- Product output visible to non-users
- Badge/branding component
- Landing page for badge clicks
- Tracking for impressions and clicks
Common pitfalls
- •Badge too big or intrusive (annoys users)
- •Badge too small to notice
- •Linking to homepage instead of dedicated landing page
- •Not offering badge removal as paid upgrade
Source: Typeform & Hotjar. Powered-by badges drive millions of free impressions.
Suggested ICE scores
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