growth-marketing-vs-traditional-marketing-whats-the-real-difference
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May 6, 2024

Growth Marketing vs. Traditional Marketing: What’s the Real Difference?

In today’s fast-paced business world, growth is everything. Whether you’re a startup or an established company, deciding between growth marketing and traditional marketing can be tough. Both approaches bring something unique to the table, but growth marketing is increasingly taking the spotlight for those looking to scale faster. Let’s dive into what sets these two apart and how you can leverage growth marketing (with a little help from Braze) to make the most of your strategy.

Growth Marketing: The Data-Driven Powerhouse

Growth marketing is like the cool cousin of traditional marketing—it’s all about data, experimentation, and constant optimization. Unlike traditional marketing, which may rely on instinct or long-standing tactics, growth marketing is a laser-focused approach to achieving sustainable, scalable growth.

What sets it apart? Growth marketing doesn’t just stop at getting new customers. It follows the entire customer journey—from that first "I’m interested" moment to the final "I’ll buy this again!" decision.

Key Ingredients of Growth Marketing

  1. Data-Driven Decisions
    Growth marketers live and breathe data. They use A/B testing, user behavior analysis, and customer feedback to tweak and refine their strategies.
  2. Experimentation & Agility
    Constantly testing new ideas is part of the game. Growth marketers aren’t afraid to fail; they learn from every experiment, adjust, and try again.
  3. Customer Lifetime Value (CLTV)
    While acquiring new customers is essential, growth marketing prioritizes retaining customers and increasing their lifetime value—ensuring they stay, spend, and recommend.
  4. Metrics-Driven Success
    Growth marketing’s effectiveness is measured through metrics like Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC), Customer Lifetime Value (CLTV), and Return on Investment (ROI).

Why Traditional Marketing Still Holds Ground

You might be wondering, does this mean traditional marketing is old news? Not at all! Traditional marketing is still a key player, focusing on building brand awareness, educating audiences, and generating leads.

Think of it like this: Traditional marketing is the steady gardener that nurtures brand recognition and trust, while growth marketing is the innovator, pushing boundaries to find new ways to grow.

Key Tactics of Traditional Marketing

  • Content Marketing: Crafting engaging content that captures attention and informs.
  • SEO: Optimizing your website to rank better on search engines and attract organic traffic.
  • Social Media Marketing: Leveraging platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn to reach your audience.
  • Email Marketing: Nurturing leads and turning them into customers with targeted emails.
  • Public Relations (PR): Building strong relationships with the media to improve brand perception.

Traditional Marketing vs. Growth Marketing: A Side-by-Side Comparison

FeatureTraditional MarketingGrowth MarketingFocusBrand awareness, sales, lead generationSustainable, scalable growthApproachBroad range of tacticsData-driven, experimentalMeasurementWebsite traffic, leads, salesCAC, CLTV, ROICustomer JourneySpecific stagesEntire journey

The Perfect Marketing Blend

So, should you choose one over the other? In reality, the best strategies often involve both. By integrating growth marketing techniques with traditional methods, businesses can achieve a balanced, robust approach that drives innovation and keeps the brand grounded.

Elevate Your Strategy with Braze

With growth marketing, you’re not just guessing—you’re making informed decisions that lead to sustainable success. Braze helps you stay on top of your growth marketing game, offering a platform designed to enhance customer engagement through personalized, data-driven insights.

Ready to see how Braze can supercharge your marketing?
Schedule a personalised demo today or chat with our experts to explore how Braze can drive growth for your business.