What is Growth Hacking (And Why You Should Be Doing It)

We live in a world that is full of opportunity, and that remains especially true if you happen to have access to technology. While we can see that digital marketing and everything that comes with it is evolving over time, it feels like there is one thing that gets left out all too often. If you’ve never heard of the term “Growth Hacking”, this article is just for you. 

Most people don’t understand what growth hacking is all about, and many of you will claim that it’s merely a buzzword. I used to think the same thing, as I thought it was just another phrase that tech-geeks murmured to each other to seem special. Now that I know growth hacking is real and how effective it can be, I’m just sad that I didn’t get into things sooner.

There’s a difference between digital marketing and using everything at your disposal to grow company. Some people are content with setting up a few YouTube ads and seeing what happens, but others are genuinely addicted to growing companies. 

Is Growth Hacking Just Another Hoax?

We’ve all been through a phase in life where we feel like everything sucks and it’s all fake, which is true for most things in the world. Growth hacking, thankfully, doesn’t fall under that category, and you would know that first-hand if you’ve ever read into it yourself. It’s a concept that seems complicated, but it’s generally quite simple. Your sole purpose in the business world is to grow your company, regardless of what you’re doing.

Every step you make, and every technique being used is done so with growth in mind. The best part about all of this? It makes you a much more flexible person. You aren’t going to be stuck with one industry for your entire entrepreneurial career, and instead, will be able to dabble in a bunch of other things. Doesn’t that sound like fun? 

Why Are There So Many “Gurus”?

Like anything else in life, where there is money to be made, there are bound to be fakes. There are genuine gurus like Roy Abou Trabi, and then there are plenty of fraudulent ones to avoid entirely. It’s tough to figure out which ones are just trying to sell you a poorly written eBook, and which ones are genuinely trying to help you grow your business, but there are some tricks you can use.

Read up on reviews that other people have written about their course or eBook, and see how valuable the information they’re giving out truly is. The fact that there are so many gurus alone is a red flag, but it’s quite easy to sniff out the ones that are just going to waste both your money and time. 

How Do I Know Who To Trust?

I’m glad you asked! As somebody who has consumed a large number of useless eBooks in his time, I would say that you can tell whether it’s worth it almost right away. There are times where my “scam alert” was ringing like crazy, and I still decided to go ahead with the purchase anyway. It’s a gut feeling at times, and there are other times when a poorly designed website or bad reviews will be the giveaway.

Whatever the case may be, know your worth and understand that you’re giving these “gurus” your time. Not only that, but you’ll be giving them a reasonable amount of money as well, so it’s crucial to be sure that it was well spent. 

Growth Hacking vs. Digital Marketing

Digital Marketing

Digital marketing is when you’re facing off against other companies head-on, fighting to see who can retain more customers. It’s a war at times, and there are budget limits, unreasonable targets, and plenty of other resource issues that can make it tough to master. 

Growth Hacking

Being a complete addict when it comes to growth and worrying about much more than just the traditional means of digital marketing. You aren’t competing with anyone because you’re too busy competing with yourself. 

Which One is Better?

Every successful company will have a CEO that considers themselves a growth hacker, but also have a department that handles the traditional digital marketing path as well. You cannot ignore digital marketing entirely, but you cannot use it to replace the growth hacking mentality either.

The best way to approach growing your business is with a mixture of the two, giving you the flexibility needed to grow your business regardless of what the future holds for us. Many of you reading this will have an opinion one way or the other, but can’t we all just get along for one article?

Grow Your Business with Peace of Mind

You won’t ever have to worry about whether you’re doing “enough” to build a successful brand when you’ve adapted to the growth hacking approach. If you’re not willing to adapt and change your marketing with the times, you’re only going to be limiting your potential.

It’s easy to confuse digital marketing with growth hacking and vice versa, which is probably why the industry is so saturated these days, but that doesn’t mean you can’t decipher things for yourself and benefit from it. 

If you are always willing to change and do whatever it takes to grow, be happy! You’re already well on your way to become a certified growth hacker.