Growth Marketing vs Digital Marketing: Which is Best for You in 2025?

When planning how to scale your business in 2025, you’ll inevitably encounter two terms: growth marketing and digital marketing. They sound similar — and there’s plenty of overlap — but they are distinct marketing strategies with different focuses, methods, and timelines.

Choosing the right approach can be the difference between steady, sustainable growth and short-lived marketing wins.

In this comprehensive guide, we’ll break down:

• Clear definitions of each

• The key differences

• When to choose one over the other

• How to combine both marketing methods for maximum ROI

Defining Growth Marketing

Growth marketing is a data-driven, experimental, and full-funnel marketing approach designed to deliver sustainable business growth.

Instead of focusing only on customer acquisition (as many digital campaigns do), growth marketing optimises every stage of the customer journey:

• Acquisition – How potential customers discover you.

• Activation – What makes them engage meaningfully for the first time.

• Retention – Keeping customers loyal and engaged.

• Revenue – Increasing the customer lifetime value (LTV).

• Referral – Turning customers into advocates who bring in others.

This is often referred to as the AARRR “Pirate Metrics” model.

Core principles of growth marketing:

• Full-funnel optimisation (awareness → loyalty)

• Continuous experimentation with channels, messaging, and offers

• Collaboration across teams (marketing, product, sales, customer success)

• Metrics-first decision-making — using CAC, LTV, retention rates, and activation rates

Example in action:A SaaS startup notices free trial users aren’t converting to paid plans. Instead of spending more on ads, they test onboarding emails, add in-app tooltips, and introduce a “quick start” guide. The result? A 60% improvement in activation and higher revenue per user.

Defining Digital Marketing

Digital marketing is the umbrella term for all online marketing activities aimed at promoting products or services via digital channels. It includes SEO, PPC advertising, email marketing, content marketing, and social media marketing.

The goal is typically to drive traffic, generate leads, and convert those leads into paying customers.

Core elements of digital marketing:

• Channel-specific campaigns (Google Ads, Facebook Ads, TikTok marketing, blog content)

• Brand visibility and awareness building

• Campaign-led execution (with specific timeframes and budgets)

• Performance tracking using KPIs like impressions, click-through rate (CTR), and conversion rate

Example in action:An e-commerce store launches Google Shopping ads targeting specific keywords. Within two weeks, they see a surge in product sales — perfect for hitting quarterly revenue targets.

[Explore our Digital Marketing Services for more channel-specific strategies.]

Key Differences Between the Two

While both aim to drive growth, growth marketing is about long-term, scalable success through full-funnel optimisation, whereas digital marketing is more about executing campaigns to achieve specific, often short-term goals.

Aspect	Growth Marketing	Digital Marketing
Scope	Full customer lifecycle (acquisition → retention → referral)	Primarily acquisition & conversion
Approach	Data-driven experiments, iteration, cross-channel integration	Channel-specific campaigns and tactics
Goal	Sustainable, scalable growth	Awareness, traffic, and short-term conversions
Team Structure	Cross-functional teams involving product, marketing, and sales	Marketing team or agency focused on digital channels
Timeframe for Results	Medium to long term (compounding effects)	Short to medium term (campaign-driven results)
Measurement	LTV, CAC, retention rates, activation rates	Traffic, CTR, conversion rates

When to Choose Growth Marketing

Growth marketing is the better choice if:

• You want long-term ROI rather than quick bursts of sales.

• Retention and customer loyalty are critical to your model.

• You already have a steady customer base and want to improve LTV.

• You have the resources to run tests and experiments.

• You’re in a competitive market where paid acquisition is expensive.

Industries that benefit most:

• SaaS and tech startups

• Subscription-based businesses

• Apps and marketplaces

• B2B services with long sales cycles

Case study: A B2B software company reduces churn by introducing user onboarding webinars, personalised follow-ups, and loyalty discounts — increasing retention rates by 20% in six months.

When Digital Marketing Makes More Sense

Digital marketing is a better fit if:

• You need fast lead generation or sales spikes.

• You’re launching a new product or seasonal campaign.

• You want to quickly boost brand awareness in a crowded market.

• You don’t have the bandwidth for continuous testing.

Industries that benefit most:

• E-commerce brands

• Local service businesses

• Events and hospitality

• Consumer goods and retail

Case study:A boutique hotel uses Instagram ads and influencer partnerships to promote a winter package deal, resulting in a 45% increase in off-season bookings.

How to Combine Both for Maximum ROI

The best-performing companies in 2025 aren’t choosing growth marketing vs digital marketing — they’re combining them.

Hybrid strategy in action:

1. Digital marketing drives targeted traffic using SEO, PPC, and social media campaigns.

2. Growth marketing increases activation, retention, and customer lifetime value through onboarding flows, personalised offers, and referral programs.

3. Data from both sides is used to optimise acquisition campaigns and improve customer experience.

Example:A subscription-based fitness brand runs TikTok ads (digital) to acquire users, then applies onboarding personalisation and push notifications (growth) to double retention rates.

Quick Decision Flowchart

Step 1: Need results within 90 days?

• Yes → Digital marketing.

• No → Go to Step 2.

• 
  

Step 2: Is customer retention a key revenue driver?

• Yes → Growth marketing.

• No → Digital marketing.

• 
  

Step 3: Can you run both in parallel?

• Yes → Hybrid for maximum ROI.

Common Misconceptions

"Growth marketing is only for startups."

Not true — SMEs and even established enterprises can use growth marketing to optimise retention and profitability.

"Digital marketing is outdated."

Far from it — AI-powered ad targeting, content personalisation, and automation are making it more effective than ever.

"You must pick one."

In reality, blending them often gives the best results.

Final Thoughts

The growth marketing vs digital marketing debate isn’t about which is “better” — it’s about which fits your current business stage, budget, and goals.

• If you’re starting out and need visibility fast → Digital marketing

• If you’re established and want compounding results → Growth marketing

• If you can do both → Hybrid strategy for faster scaling

In 2025, the brands that win are those that blend customer acquisition and retention into one continuous growth engine.

People Also Ask

What is the main difference between growth marketing and digital marketing?

Growth marketing is a long-term, full-funnel approach focused on acquiring, retaining, and maximising the value of customers through experimentation and data analysis. Digital marketing is a broader term that covers online tactics like SEO, PPC, email marketing, and social media — primarily to drive awareness and conversions.

Is growth marketing better than digital marketing for startups?

Not always. Startups needing quick visibility and leads may benefit more from digital marketing at first. Growth marketing is better suited for when the focus shifts to retention, customer lifetime value (LTV), and scalable growth.

Can you do growth marketing without digital marketing?

It’s possible but rare. Most growth marketing strategies still rely on digital channels for acquisition, but layer in retention tactics, product improvements, and referral systems to compound results over time.

Why do companies use both growth marketing and digital marketing?

Using both allows businesses to combine the reach and speed of digital marketing with the retention and lifetime value focus of growth marketing. This hybrid approach often produces a higher return on investment (ROI) than using either method alone.

How long does it take to see results from growth marketing?

Growth marketing results usually take 3–6 months or more, as they depend on testing, optimising, and scaling what works. Digital marketing can produce results faster, sometimes within days or weeks.

Is growth marketing replacing digital marketing?

No. Growth marketing builds on digital marketing principles but extends them beyond acquisition to retention and advocacy.

Which is more cost-effective?

Digital marketing may deliver quick wins on a smaller budget, but growth marketing tends to have a higher long-term ROI.

Can a small business do growth marketing?

Yes, if they collect and analyse customer data and are willing to test and iterate.