Reportedly, Americans are thronging to learn Mandarin! With the apprehension of the TikTok ban looming over and the Chinese social app, Rednote, trending, a fascinating prospect of cultural exchange has opened up. Well, this is all good.
However, what’s more interesting is the platform they are using to learn this foreign language. It is none other than….
Duolingo !.
The number of US users learning Mandarin in Duolingo spiked by 216% as compared to last year. Honestly, it’s no surprise. Duolingo has become the go-to platform for anyone looking to learn or practice a language, and it’s easy to see why. It offers over 100 courses in more than 40 different languages, adhering to the diversity of their global audience.
Founded in November 2011 by CMU Professor and his student, Duolingo now boasts 113 million monthly active users (MAU) and 37.2 million daily active users (DAU). Operating on a freemium model, approximately 7.6% of their MAU are subscribed to the paid version.
In the day and age of cut throat market competition – where people are spoilt for choices in every realm, achieving this stature and becoming a household name is truly remarkable.
Now, what’s super interesting is their approach to customer acquisition, which is a perfect blend of accessibility, gamification of lessons, and word-of-mouth marketing, is hands down one of the biggest reasons for this exponential growth.
Let’s take a look at their marketing channels and their contribution to user acquisition below. Super organic !! Isn’t it?
Duolingo’s customer acquisition strategies emphasise on customer personas, ensuring that their marketing channels resonate with the target audience. They focus on defining their Ideal Customer Profile (ICP), selecting and customising suitable marketing channels, and above all, experimenting, measuring the impact and optimising.
The company also performs hypothesised testing for their channels, which essentially chalks out their effectiveness and offers a clear indication of what’s working and what’s not. You would be astonished to know that more than 80% of their users are acquired through organic channels.
“Our business grows because learners love our product and spread the word to their family and friends, some of whom eventually download the app and subscribe. Rather than investing marketing dollars to drive immediate revenue, we play the long game.” – Lead Data Scientist at Duolingo