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Growth hacking

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What is growth hacking?

Growth hacking is a set of creative, analytical, and low-cost strategies, primarily used by startups and fast-growing businesses, to achieve rapid and sustainable growth. Unlike traditional marketing, growth hacking relies on data, experimentation, and unconventional tactics to acquire and retain users as efficiently as possible.

Key takeaways

1
Rapid experimentation
Growth hacking involves testing innovative ideas quickly to identify the most effective ways to grow a business.
2
Cross-disciplinary
It merges marketing, product development, data analytics, and engineering to drive user acquisition and engagement.

3
Resourceful strategies
Growth hackers prioritise cost-effective methods over big budgets.

4
Data-driven

Success depends on measuring, analysing, and iterating based on results.

Why growth hacking matters?

Growth hacking is essential for startups or any business needing to achieve scalable growth quickly with limited resources. It helps companies build user bases, generate revenue, and become market leaders without the large advertising budgets of established brands.

The growth hacking process

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1
Goal setting

Define clear, measurable growth objectives (e.g., acquire 10,000 users in 6 months).

2
Ideation

Generate creative ideas for attracting, retaining, and monetizing users.

3
Experimentation

Rapidly test these ideas using A/B testing, landing page tweaks, referral programs, etc.

4
Analysis

Measure results, focusing on metrics like user growth, engagement, and retention.

5
Iteration

Scale winning tactics, refine or abandon underperforming ones.

Impact on business growth

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 Growth hacking affects several areas:

Uncovers low-cost, high-impact methods for getting new users or customers.

Focuses on keeping users engaged and reducing churn.

Encourages users to share the product or service, fueling exponential growth.

Impact on financial statements

Real-world examples

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Case study: Airbnb’s referral growth strategy

Airbnb famously used a referral program to hack its growth. By providing incentives for users to invite friends—both inviter and invitee received travel credits—Airbnb rapidly scaled user acquisition while keeping marketing costs low. This viral loop was backed by constant experimentation, tweaking email copy, landing pages, and incentive amounts to maximize results.


Frequently asked questions about growth hacking?

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Growth hacking focuses on rapid, data-driven experiments and unconventional tactics, while traditional marketing often relies on set campaigns and larger budgets.
Yes, but it’s most effective for startups and digital products that can iterate quickly and leverage technology.
Frequent testing uncovers what actually drives growth, enabling businesses to scale successful strategies and avoid wasting resources on ineffective ideas.