Growth Hacking vs. Growth Marketing: Difference?

Marketing Automation Bureau
In the world of digital marketing, there are numerous terms used to describe different marketing strategies and techniques. Two terms that have gained a lot of attention in recent years are growth hacking and growth marketing. Although they are both aimed at stimulating growth, there are important differences between these two approaches. In this blog, we will discuss these differences further so that you too can gain insight into the strategy that you can implement for your organization.

What is Growth Hacking?

Growth hacking is a marketing strategy that aims to grow a business quickly and efficiently. It mainly involves testing and implementing different experiments to achieve business growth. Growth hacking uses creative and innovative strategies to stimulate rapid and exponential growth, usually through the use of digital channels.

A growth hacker uses data and analytical skills to understand which marketing or product adjustments are most effective in achieving desired growth. Growth hacking can include various marketing techniques, such as search engine optimization (SEO), content marketing, viral marketing, A/B testing, social media marketing, and email marketing.

Growth hacking has become very popular in recent years, especially among startups and companies that want to grow quickly with minimal investment. It focuses on performing rapid experiments and achieving short-term results. The goal is to learn quickly what works and what doesn't, so that the best strategies can be further developed and optimized.

What is Growth Marketing?

Growth marketing is a more comprehensive approach to marketing that focuses on driving sustainable and scalable growth for a business over the long term. Unlike growth hacking, growth marketing is about creating a holistic marketing strategy that encompasses all aspects of the business.

This form of marketing requires a thorough understanding of the market, target audience and product, and the development of an integrated marketing strategy that addresses all stages of the customer lifecycle. This includes attracting new customers, retaining existing customers, increasing customer engagement and increasing customer lifetime value.

Growth marketing often involves a continuous process of testing and optimizing marketing efforts to achieve the best results and continue to improve the marketing strategy. It focuses on creating sustainable long-term growth, rather than quick short-term gains.

Growth marketing is not only about attracting new customers, but also about creating a strong brand identity and building long-term relationships with customers. It often involves using data and analytics to gain insight into customer behavior and make more effective marketing decisions.

Key Differences Between Growth Hacking and Growth Marketing

  • Marketing Strategy Approach: Focused on fast, short-term growth (growth hacking) vs. Focused on sustainable, scalable, long-term growth (growth marketing).
  • Use of marketing channels: Digital marketing channels (growth hacking) vs. digital, traditional and offline marketing channels (growth marketing).
  • Target audience: Focused on generating new leads and conversions (growth hacking) vs. Focused on generating new leads and conversions, but also on retaining and growing existing customers (growth marketing).

In short, growth hacking is focused on finding fast and creative ways to grow quickly, while growth marketing is focused on creating a holistic marketing strategy that focuses on driving sustainable and scalable growth in the long term. Both strategies aim to find the right mix of marketing channels to reach the target audience and build relationships with customers, while using data analytics to make more effective marketing decisions.

Do you also want to learn how to grow your organization in a fast and sustainable way? Then download our DIY manual for Growth Hacking.