Imagine building a software product in just six days that eventually scales to over $400,000 in annual recurring revenue (ARR). For Julian, the founder of Notion Forms, this wasn't just a dream—it was the result of a perfectly executed product-led growth strategy. By identifying a gap in the Notion ecosystem and building a distribution mechanism directly into the product’s utility, Julian created a self-sustaining growth machine that required zero initial advertising spend. This article explores the playbook for building viral loops within B2B integrations to drastically lower your customer acquisition cost (CAC).
The 100k User Case Study: How Notion Forms Scaled
The journey of Notion Forms began with a simple observation: Notion's API release opened the floodgates for third-party developers to solve niche problems. Julian identified that while Notion was excellent for databases, it lacked a native, user-friendly form builder similar to what Airtable offered. He spent six days building an MVP and launched it into a community hungry for solutions. Today, the platform boasts close to 100,000 registered users and generates approximately $37,000 in monthly recurring revenue (MRR).
"The timing was important. It's fine to start small; as soon as you get some users and some feedback, you are able to iterate much faster and focus on the core value."
What makes this success story significant for developers and marketers isn't just the speed of development, but the viral loop strategy. Unlike traditional B2B tools that rely on outbound sales or heavy SEO, Notion Forms turned its very function—collecting data—into a marketing channel. When a user creates a form and shares the link or embeds it on their website, they are effectively advertising the tool to every person who fills out that form. This is the essence of B2B viral marketing.
The Psychology of the Viral Loop: Utility as Promotion
A viral loop is a mechanism where a user’s interaction with your product naturally leads to the acquisition of new users. In the Notion ecosystem, this is often achieved through high-visibility touchpoints. The goal is to make the product's utility inseparable from its promotion. When a user achieves their goal (e.g., collecting leads via a form), the product should subtly signal its presence to the next potential customer.
This works because of social proof. If a respected creator or a professional business uses a specific tool, their audience assumes the tool is high-quality. By embedding your brand into the user's workflow, you gain an implicit endorsement. To lower your customer acquisition cost, you must identify which part of your product is "public-facing." For a form builder, it’s the form itself. For a signature tool, it’s the document. For a scheduling app like Calendly, it’s the booking page.
| Growth Model | Primary Driver | Cost Structure | Scalability |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sales-Led | Sales Reps / Outbound | High (Salaries + Commission) | Linear |
| Marketing-Led | Ads / Content SEO | Moderate (Ad Spend) | Variable |
| Product-Led (Viral) | Product Utility | Low (Infrastructure) | Exponential |
Designing 'Built with' Badges and Embeddable Widgets
The most effective way to trigger a viral loop strategy is through the "Built with" badge. This is a small, non-intrusive watermark that links back to your homepage. While some founders worry that these badges detract from the user experience, they are actually standard practice in the SaaS world. Tools like Product Hunt use badges to verify "Product of the Day" status, which simultaneously acts as a high-quality backlink for them.
Step 1: Make it Contextual
The badge shouldn't just be a logo; it should be a call to action. Instead of "Powered by X," try "Create your own Notion form for free." This addresses the viewer's potential pain point the moment they interact with your tool.
Step 2: Offer Removal as a Premium Feature
One of the most common monetization paths in product-led growth is charging users to remove branding. This creates a win-win scenario: free users provide you with free advertising (distribution), while paying users provide you with revenue to remove that distribution. Julian used this exact model, tagging advanced features with a "Pro" label and eventually flipping the switch to a paid subscription model using Stripe.
"If you can find a smart way of doing this or make it valuable for your users to share what they did on your platform, then you can create a viral loop."
Incentivizing Users to Generate Organic Referral Traffic
Beyond passive badges, you can actively incentivize users to share their creations. In the Notion ecosystem, templates are a massive currency. When a user builds a complex workflow or a beautiful dashboard using your integration, they often want to share it with the community on platforms like Reddit or Twitter. Encourage this by providing "Shareable Templates" that have your integration pre-configured.
For mobile-first integrations or apps that rely on visual content, sourcing User-Generated Content (UGC) is vital. If your integration helps users create something beautiful, they become your best marketers. To scale this, modern platforms like Stormy AI allow brands to discover creators who are already active in specific niches (like the productivity or Notion spaces) and automate outreach to turn them into brand ambassadors.
Using AI-Driven Support to Prioritize Viral Features
As your viral loop strategy takes off, user feedback will grow exponentially. Managing this influx is where many solopreneurs fail. Julian’s approach involved using tools like Crisp for support and Feature Base for a public roadmap. However, the real efficiency comes from integrating AI into the feedback loop.
By training an AI chatbot on your product documentation and past conversations, you can resolve 80% of common queries instantly. More importantly, AI can help categorize feature requests. Pay close attention to features that facilitate sharing. If users are asking for "better embed options" or "custom domains," they are asking for ways to make their viral loop (and yours) more effective. Always prioritize features that put your product in front of more eyes.
"I really don't regret doing support myself for the first year. It helped me identify issues and understand user needs, but now AI helps us scale that interaction."
The Playbook: Lowering CAC with B2B Viral Marketing
To implement these strategies effectively, follow this sequential product-led growth playbook:
- Identify the 'Public Surface': Determine where your product's output is seen by non-users (emails, forms, public pages).
- Implement the Watermark: Add a subtle but clickable badge back to your site. Use a clear CTA like "Build this yourself."
- Engage the Community: Don't just rely on the loop. Manually seed your product in Reddit subreddits and Facebook groups. Julian suggests being genuine and providing value rather than just spamming links.
- Leverage Platform APIs: Building on Notion's API or similar platforms gives you an immediate target audience with a shared language.
- Automate Outreach: Once you see organic growth, use tools like Stormy AI to find and contact influencers in your niche who can introduce your "viral loop" to their much larger audiences.
Conclusion: From MVP to Viral Growth
Building a successful Notion integration—or any B2B tool—requires more than just good code; it requires a distribution mindset from day one. By optimizing for viral loops and product-led growth, you can achieve a massive user base with a remarkably low customer acquisition cost. Julian’s story with Notion Forms proves that you don't need a massive team or a million-dollar ad budget. You need a simple MVP, a deep understanding of your platform's community, and a product that markets itself every time it’s used. Start small, launch fast, and let your users do the heavy lifting of growth for you.