“So on your website it says that you’re a…”
The business coach pauses to check her notes.
“Growth Marketing Strategist.”
Except her voice kind of goes up at the end, so it’s actually more like a question.
“Yup, that’s right,” I reply, smiling wide, proud of my new job title and the work that I do.
“I support solo, creative small business owners with growth marketing strategies.”
“Okay, but you grow what exactly? I don’t get it.”
Reader, here’s a screen grab of my face from the call:
Honestly, I was kind of offended (and I have no poker to ever hide what I really think).
Because isn’t it obvious that what I’m trying to do is help you grow your business?
I.e. get more clients.
I.e. make more money…
In hindsight, I can see why she was perhaps confused.
Traditional marketing advice isn’t actually all that focused on the big picture or even business objectives really.
Growing an audience, sure.
But a cohesive strategy that is designed to increase sales and conversions?
Definitely not.
And out here in these online business streets service providers are niched down so hard that their marketing has been designed to convince you their specialty is the secret magic formula.*
When you look at marketing like a checklist or put such a singular, silo’d lens on any one specific tactic or channel, you risk building funnels to nowhere…
Then, when you don’t see a return on your investment of time/money/energy/emotional labour into that one specific channel or platform, well maybe you start to blame yourself.
That’s where growth marketing strategy comes in, babe.
Here’s an official definition from Growclass, a Canadian organization that provides digital marketing training and education (and where I received my training and certification):
“Growth Marketing is a hypothesis driven, experimental approach to marketing rooted in making decisions with data.”
There’s one critical thing missing from that definition: specific tactics.
Like a great chicken soup recipe, it’s not just about one ingredient. The whole is greater than the sum of its parts.
What I love about being a strategist is that it allows me to be platform agnostic.
Because the big picture and the objectives matter more than one specific platform.
Then when - and it truly is when, not if - the media landscape or digital tools come and go or the economy changes or consumer behaviour changes...
You can be nimble and responsive in a way that I just don’t think you can when you’re over-invested in one place.
That’s what I mean when I say go slow and stay steady.
It's an invitation to slow down, to zoom out to see the forest and the trees.
That’s how you stay steady.
And that's how you grow.
Amanda Laird
Growth Marketing Strategist
Founder, Slow & Steady Studio
*PS: Wait, am I now convincing you that growth marketing is the secret magic formula? I’m just here to share what I know and give you what you need to make the best decision for you. 😘
PPS: Have you taken my 60-second metrics survey yet?