Driving 250% sales growth for Atlassian app vendor

Client

Digital Toucan

Services

Brand Development, Content Marketing, Demand Generation, Go-to-market Campaign, Web Development

We were aware of our shortcomings in the marketing department; we were not happy with our traffic results and with how our website represented our company and product. We basically didn’t have any strategy for advertising or content.

At a glance

With years of experience working for Atlassian on Jira development, the Digital Toucan team was no stranger to the Marketplace, and they had what it took to create a successful app. However, even the best apps can stagnate in the crowded Marketplace. To increase app sales and evaluations, Digital Toucan decided to engage a marketing-as-a-service agency. Brighttail implemented a full go-to-market solution for the JQL Search Extensions for Jira app, increasing evaluations and sales by over 250% and launching the app into the top 25 on Marketplace.

The challenge

With over 4,000 apps in the Atlassian Marketplace, it can be a challenge to stand out. Driving potential customers to the Marketplace listing is the only way to get sales, and if visitors aren’t immediately drawn in by the listing, the opportunity is gone. A technical app like JQL Search Extensions can be intimidating, so those browsing might pass over it if they don’t immediately understand its use.

JQL Search Extensions for Jira enables users to easily search for whatever they need in Jira and use the data to generate custom reports. It fulfills a key need as basic Jira search functions are limited. After the app was launched in the Atlassian Marketplace, it was generating about 40 evaluations per month, a respectable number, but it wasn’t growing.

We were aware of our shortcomings in the marketing department; we were not happy with our traffic results and with how our website represented our company and product. We basically didn’t have any strategy for advertising or content.

Daniel Turczanski
Digital Toucan co-founder

To increase awareness and grow demand for the app, Digital Toucan began seeking marketing solutions.

Our strategy
and work

The Digital Toucan team needed an agency with Atlassian expertise that could carry out everything from web design to content marketing to advertising. After a discovery call with Brighttail, they knew they’d found the right solution.

We began with a full-funnel evaluation to discover the best way to meet Digital Toucan’s needs. The first step was a rebranding and website redesign to provide a solid foundation for growth. To stand out from other apps, recognizable brand messaging is key. And while sales are made through the Marketplace, a solid website helps potential customers get there.

Before and after images of Digital Toucan’s website — Digital Toucan’s former website needed a design overhaul, and Brighttail delivered.

Then, we recognized the opportunity to further optimize the Marketplace listing to increase conversions from visitors who were coming in through the new traffic we were driving from the website. The new listing and explainer video were designed to give a straightforward introduction to the app’s features, instantly capturing the attention of those browsing.

After building this solid foundation, we saw the need for more education about the highly technical app in order to draw in top-of-the-funnel audiences. To accomplish this, we launched a lead generation campaign, with an advertising, content marketing, and email strategy. To nurture leads and further engage with evaluators, we began email campaigns and distribution of a newsletter focused on JQL users.

Images of pillar pages, e-books, emails and ads from the campaign for Digital Toucan — Brighttail launched lead generation campaigns to draw customers to the JQL Search Extensions Marketplace listing.

The results

All these marketing efforts paid off with a steady stream of growth. New evaluations and sales continued to increase, month after month. At the beginning of the 2021, when Digital Toucan decided to engage Brighttail, evaluations were around 40 per month. By December 2021, monthly evaluations were well over a hundred. Sales for both cloud and data center had increased over 200%.

The JQL Search Extensions for Jira app has been attracting major enterprises. Current customers include NBC Universal, Samsung, and Instacart. Because of the app’s success, it was named a “Staff Pick” by Atlassian. It’s also now in the top 25 apps in the Marketplace.

Daniel Turczanski, Digital Toucan’s co-founder and developer of JQL Search Extensions for Jira, says, “It’s been a pleasure to work with Brighttail; everything has gone very smoothly. At the beginning we paid close attention to the quality of the deliverables and we’ve been consistently impressed.” He would highly recommend Brighttail to other Atlassian app developers, especially those who don’t have a marketing department. With a complete marketing-as-a-service package, the Digital Toucan team is free to focus on what they do best: developing high-quality apps and providing exceptional support to help customers achieve their goals in Jira.