Growth

The Ultimate Guide to Paid Growth

Timothy Davis (Shopify) May 18, 2025 10 min read

A comprehensive playbook for scaling AI products with paid channels. Learn how to design, execute, and optimize paid growth strategies that drive sustainable results.

Designing a Paid Growth Engine for AI Products

Paid growth is more than just running ads—it's about building a repeatable, data-driven engine that turns investment into predictable revenue. For AI startups, this means understanding your ideal customer profile, crafting compelling value propositions, and selecting the right channels for acquisition.

Start by mapping your customer journey and identifying the touchpoints where paid campaigns can have the most impact. Use A/B testing and attribution modeling to refine your messaging and creative, ensuring every dollar spent moves prospects closer to conversion.

Don't overlook the importance of landing page optimization and post-click experiences. The best paid growth strategies are holistic, aligning ad spend with onboarding, activation, and retention efforts.

Optimizing and Scaling Paid Campaigns

Once you have a baseline of results, it's time to optimize and scale. Leverage AI-powered tools for bid management, audience segmentation, and creative testing to maximize ROI.

Monitor your key metrics—CAC, LTV, payback period—and use cohort analysis to identify the campaigns and segments that deliver the best long-term value. As you scale, diversify your channel mix and experiment with new formats, such as influencer partnerships or programmatic advertising.

Finally, integrate your paid growth efforts with your broader go-to-market strategy. Paid channels work best when they amplify organic momentum and support your brand's positioning in the market.

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