5 Proven Growth Marketing Tactics That Deliver ROI (+ Real Examples)

As a growth marketer, you're constantly striving to find the strategies that will drive results. Picture this: It’s Friday, and you’re in a meeting with your marketing team. The founder says, “We’re falling behind on revenue, and our growth is stagnant. Does anyone have ideas?” Your mind goes blank and that light bulb of an idea just couldn't turn on.

If you’ve been there, we’ve got your back especially as someone who has been in the marketing field for 10+ years.

Here are 5 growth marketing tactics that are proven to boost ROI, along with real-world examples to back them up. So, next time you're asked for ideas, you’ll be leaving with ready-to-do, actionable tips.

So, why growth marketing? For B2B, SaaS companies, growth marketing is their bread and butter. While there are hundreds of tactics out there, why not focus on those proven to deliver ROI?

Having great growth marketing starts in the mindset—being adaptable, experimental, data-driven, and observing the game plan of the big names. It's about testing and optimizing strategies that not only is efficient in your current business condition but also in the long term.

Now, let’s dive into the TOP 5 growth tactics.

Tactic #1: Focus on Retention and Referrals

Traditional marketing often emphasizes driving traffic and leads, but growth marketing goes beyond that, focusing on customer retention and referrals. Happy customers are your best marketers, and they’re more likely to buy from you again. According to data, increasing customer retention by just 5% can boost profits by 25% to 95%. How great is that?!

When you prioritize retention, you naturally enhance customer service and the quality of your product, keeping customers engaged longer. Don’t forget referrals—happy customers are more inclined to spread the word, but most won’t do so unless prompted.

Example: Vero 

Vero, a customer messaging platform, regularly collects feedback and incorporates customer input into their development roadmap. By actively listening to their customers’ interests through surveys and other mediums, they increase retention and customer loyalty, leading to higher referrals.

Some companies also receive great data from surveys or customer feedback, especially if the client gets something in return. For instance, in certain app platforms, users usually get a reward in exchange for submitting a survey or review. In real life, there are also scenarios wherein workers would ask customers to scan a QR code (which will direct them to a customer feedback form) and in return, these individuals would often get bonuses in exchange for their cooperation.

Tactic #2: Conversational Marketing

Conversational marketing leverages real-time communication, like chatbots and live chat, to engage website visitors and customers. The immediate, personalized nature of these interactions helps to build trust and increase conversions. However, there is more to it than that.

The main reason why conversational marketing remains a prized possession to business owners is not only with the ease of the overall sales process but how the customer representative is able to provide the care and empathy in achieving his or her customer’s needs. You know it's a great sign that the conversational marketing is successful, if the chatbots or customer reps were able to guide the clients from the starting point of their sales process up to the very end of it.

Example: Drift 

Drift pioneered conversational marketing with their chatbot platform, enabling businesses to capture leads, schedule meetings, and provide personalized customer support in real time. This real-time engagement speeds up the sales process and builds stronger customer relationships.

If you already have a chatbot platform but you still want to add a little bit of spice, you can adjust the writing or speaking tone of your bot into something approachable, friendly, and casual. This way, it could easily accommodate the visitors upto the end process which is also a massive help in turning them into your loyal customers.

Tactic #3: User-Generated Content (UGC)

UGC is powerful because it provides authentic content from real customers. When customers share their experiences with your product, it creates social proof, increases credibility, and boosts lead generation. UGC is 9.8x more effective than influencer content in driving purchasing decisions.

What's great about UGC is that these are not made by influences but by ordinary people. This allows more customers to retain that trust with your brand rather than listening to celebrities who misinterpret the benefits of the sponsored product while continually gatekeeping its side effects.

If you're eager to hire someone who can create User-Generated Content that will greatly boost the usage of your products, you can try searching up various UGC content creators on Instagram. There are so many great UGC content creators on that platform and all you have to do is choose the best candidate that can perfectly showcase your product, the way you want it!

Example: Adobe 

Adobe encourages customers to share how they use Creative Cloud software through campaigns like “Create What’s True to You.” By featuring real customer projects on their social media platforms, Adobe generates organic content that strengthens brand trust and reach.

Famous skincare brands like The Outset which is co-owned by Scarlett Johansson, also posts some UGC reels on their Instagram page to create that positive, authentic impression to their targeted audience which easily establishes trust and therefore, huge revenue!

Tactic #4: Try Freemium Access

Offering a freemium version of your product allows potential customers to experience its value before committing. It’s a proven strategy for driving conversions by allowing users to get hooked on your product's benefits before needing to upgrade.

If you've built a business platform online, you can also allow your customers to have a free trial access to all premium plans. If they're beyond satisfied with all the advantages gained from the pro features, then upgrading to a premium plan would be a no-brainer. If they feel otherwise, give them the liberty to cancel their payment and provide them a follow-up form later on. Feedbacks help in gaining data-driven insights and would also help elevate areas that are needed for improvement!

Example: Zapier 

Zapier, an automation platform, offers a freemium model that allows users to create up to five workflows for free. As users hit the limits of the free version, they’re encouraged to upgrade to unlock more functionality. This low-friction model drives paid conversions by showcasing the product’s value upfront, giving a chance for users to decide whether it would be a fair investment to delve on or not.

Tactic #5: Leverage AI for Personalization and Optimization

The truth of the matter is, a lot of people tend to have their own negative thoughts and connotations when it comes to leveraging Artificial Intelligence for their business. AI is neither good nor bad. It highly depends on how the individual uses AI.

In today's time, marketing would be extremely difficult if all people would still take advantage of traditional, obsolete systems that no longer work. It doesn't only require loads of effort which will eventually lead to burnout or perpetual stress but it also wastes a lot of time and money. 

AI revolutionizes marketing in a way that companies analyze customer data, personalize experiences, and optimize content with ease and in methods that were previously impossible. Business owners and employees get to have more time in enjoying their own personal life while also balancing work. By incorporating AI into your marketing efforts, you can enhance customer experiences, increase engagement, and streamline processes without you having to do the heavy workload.

Example: Iterable 

Iterable is a growth marketing platform that uses AI to optimize marketing campaigns across multiple channels. Through AI-driven personalization, Iterable helps companies deliver targeted messages, optimize content, and maximize ROI with A/B testing and behavioral insights.

If you're interested in applying AI technology into your business, consider consulting Accenture or Deloitte! They offer a wide range of AI Services and solutions to any niche and brands out there.

Growth Marketing Tactics Only Work With Strategy… IF DONE RIGHT

These five tactics are proven to deliver results which is not quite surprising that most companies that we know of have scaled so fast and revolutionized our way of living over the past few years. Although, truth to be told, tactics only deliver results if the company is willing to take the risk and continuously do the work despite the number of mistakes they have to fumble on.

Growth Marketing strategies truly aid in making your business shift in ways that are even beyond your dreams. They’re part of a larger, data-driven strategy tailored to the company’s goals to effortlessly attract ideal customers.

But how can we truly know if we've done the strategy the right way? How can we sustain its positive effects in the long term?

Which is why EPIC is here to change the game and to guide you towards unlocking your true growth. Implementing effective growth marketing strategies is one way. However, partnering with a team of certified marketing specialists with award-winning services is another level.

Ready to take the leap?

Book a meeting now and grab your FREE GROWTH ASSESSMENT!