Marketplace & Platform Growth Strategy
Growth strategy for two-sided platforms where demand, supply and trust must scale together
Marketplaces and platforms don’t fail because of a lack of traffic.
They fail because growth is unbalanced.
Supply grows faster than demand.
Demand arrives before supply is ready.
Pricing, incentives and activation aren’t aligned.
Marketing optimises volume while the platform struggles with liquidity.
I work with founders and leadership teams to design and execute marketplace and platform growth strategies that balance acquisition, activation and monetisation — turning growth into a system, not a gamble.
This is growth grounded in mechanics, not tactics.
Executive Summary
This approach is designed for organisations that need to:
Balance supply and demand at scale
Move beyond “more users” toward marketplace liquidity
Align marketing, product and pricing decisions
Improve activation, retention and unit economics
Build sustainable growth, not short-term spikes
It is built for platforms, marketplaces and two-sided businesses where growth is interconnected.
What Marketplace & Platform Growth Really Means
Marketplace growth is fundamentally different from traditional marketing.
You are not optimising a funnel.
You are managing a dynamic system.
At scale, growth problems usually stem from:
Supply and demand being treated as one audience
Acquisition optimised without activation
Pricing and incentives misaligned with behaviour
Marketing working independently of product
Metrics focused on volume rather than liquidity
Marketplace growth is about orchestration, not channels.
How I Approach Marketplace Growth
1. Separate Supply and Demand Strategy
The first step is clarity.
Supply and demand:
Have different motivations
Behave differently
Respond to different incentives
Require different messaging, journeys and metrics
Treating them as one audience is one of the most common marketplace mistakes.
2. Design for Liquidity, Not Volume
Traffic alone does not create value.
I focus on:
Match quality
Speed to value
Successful transactions
Repeat behaviour
Liquidity is the true north star — not registrations.
3. Align Marketing, Product & Pricing
Marketplace growth sits at the intersection of:
Marketing (acquisition and positioning)
Product (activation and experience)
Pricing (incentives and monetisation)
Growth accelerates when these three are designed together, not sequentially.
4. Build Measurement That Reflects Reality
Traditional marketing metrics rarely tell the full story.
I help teams measure:
Qualified demand vs raw volume
Supply utilisation
Time to first successful transaction
Retention by cohort
Unit economics, not just CAC
What gets measured correctly gets scaled correctly.
What I Take Ownership Of
I typically work across:
Marketplace GTM strategy
Supply and demand acquisition frameworks
SEO, GEO and demand capture
Activation and onboarding journeys
Pricing, incentives and monetisation
CRM, automation and lifecycle design
Growth measurement and reporting
Cross-functional alignment
The goal is to make growth repeatable, observable and commercially sound.
Mini Case Example: Two-Sided Marketplace Reset
For a two-sided platform experiencing stalled growth, traffic levels were healthy but outcomes were inconsistent. Supply acquisition outpaced demand in some regions, while other markets struggled with availability. By separating supply and demand strategy, aligning acquisition with onboarding and pricing incentives, and shifting measurement toward successful matches rather than sign-ups, growth became more predictable. This improved marketplace liquidity, increased activation rates, and reduced wasted acquisition spend.
Mini Case Example: Platform Growth Without Over-Scaling
In an early-stage platform preparing to scale, growth pressure risked outpacing product readiness. Rather than maximising acquisition, we focused on controlled demand, strong activation and clear feedback loops. This allowed the platform to stabilise unit economics, improve retention, and scale with confidence rather than volatility.
What Success Looks Like in the First 90 Days
Early success is about stability and signal, not brute-force growth.
Within the first 90 days, success typically looks like:
Clear separation of supply and demand strategy
A prioritised growth roadmap by market
Improved activation and match quality
Measurement aligned to liquidity and outcomes
Reduced waste in acquisition spend
Most importantly, leadership gains a clear line of sight between growth activity and platform health.
When This Approach Works Best
This model is most effective when:
Growth feels unpredictable
Supply and demand are out of sync
Activation rates are weak
Marketing volume doesn’t translate into value
The platform is preparing to scale or raise
If growth feels fragile, the system usually needs redesigning.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is marketplace liquidity?
Liquidity refers to how efficiently supply and demand can successfully transact on a platform — not just how many users are present.
How is marketplace growth different from SaaS growth?
Marketplace growth requires balancing two or more audiences simultaneously, whereas SaaS typically optimises a single customer journey.
Do you focus more on marketing or product?
Both. Sustainable marketplace growth sits between marketing, product and pricing — isolating one limits results.
Is this relevant beyond property or rentals?
Yes. The principles apply to any two-sided or multi-sided platform, including SaaS marketplaces, services platforms and subscription ecosystems.
Do you work with early-stage platforms?
Yes — particularly where controlled, sustainable growth is more important than rapid but fragile scale.
Next Steps
I don’t believe in growth playbooks copied from elsewhere.
The next step is a short exploratory conversation to understand:
The platform model
Where growth is breaking down
Whether this approach fits your stage