👋 Hey everyone,
It’s been a minute since the last edition—glad to be back in your inbox.
Growth marketing isn’t what it used to be. The playbooks that once delivered predictable wins are overcrowded, budgets are tighter than ever, and the landscape keeps rewriting itself.
The upside? Teams who move fast and adapt are discovering sharper, more efficient ways to grow.
In this issue, I’m breaking down five major shifts shaping growth marketing right now—plus a handful of quick wins you can test this week.
AI as a Co-Pilot (Not the Pilot)
AI has officially moved past the shiny toy stage. The marketers who are winning with it aren’t trying to automate their entire job — they’re using AI to take friction out of the process. Think of it as your creative assistant, not your replacement.
Instead of spending hours brainstorming or sifting through messy data, AI helps speed things up so you can focus on strategy and storytelling. The trick is to treat it like an extension of your brain, not a shortcut.
Draft ad copy variations in minutes
Pull quick insights from campaign data
Personalize copy at scale without drowning in manual edits
When humans set the direction and AI handles the grunt work, campaigns move faster — and usually perform better.
Community = Retention
The old funnel was simple: ads → clicks → purchase. But now, retention is where the real growth happens. Customers don’t just want to buy from you — they want to belong.
That’s why more brands are building communities around their products. These aren’t just customer groups. They’re spaces where people connect with each other, not just the company. The result? Loyalty that lasts far longer than a discount code ever could.
Private Discord servers where fans swap tips
LinkedIn groups that position a brand as a hub of expertise
Member forums that turn customers into advocates
If acquisition is getting more expensive, retention through community is the smart marketer’s counter-move.
🎥 Creators Over Ads
Ad costs keep climbing, and audiences are tuning out. Meanwhile, creators — especially micro-creators with highly engaged niche audiences — are delivering results traditional campaigns can’t touch.
The shift isn’t about influencers as billboards. It’s about true partnerships. Brands are learning that ongoing relationships with creators (where they integrate naturally into content) drive way more trust than another polished ad spot.
Micro-creators often deliver better engagement than celebrity influencers
Authentic content feels less like marketing and more like discovery
Long-term partnerships beat one-off sponsored posts
This isn’t just a trend. It’s a budget shift. More dollars are moving away from ads and into creators, and the brands that embrace this will own the attention game.
Own Your Data
Cookies are fading, targeting is getting harder, and algorithms feel shakier every quarter. If your growth depends entirely on rented platforms, you’re playing a dangerous game.
The strongest growth marketers are doubling down on owned channels. These are the platforms you control — where no algorithm can throttle your reach overnight.
Email lists you nurture with consistent value
SMS campaigns that cut through the noise
Loyalty programs that reward repeat customers
Owning your data isn’t just about protection — it’s leverage. When you know your audience deeply and can reach them directly, your marketing becomes less reactive and more strategic.
⚡ Lean Experimentation
With budgets under pressure, the edge doesn’t go to the biggest spender anymore — it goes to the fastest learner. The brands thriving now are the ones that treat every campaign like an experiment.
Instead of sinking months into a big bet, they run smaller, quicker tests. They measure results fast, kill what doesn’t work, and double down on winners. This cycle isn’t just efficient — it’s the only way to keep pace with shifting platforms and customer behavior.
Run smaller, faster experiments
Shorten your feedback loops
Scale only once you have proof
The real skill isn’t guessing the perfect strategy. It’s learning faster than the competition.
✅ Quick Wins This Week
Not everything needs a three-month strategy. Here are a few small moves you can make right now:
Test one AI-powered ad variation and compare CTR to your control.
Survey your community (or audience) for feedback before launching your next campaign.
Start building one new owned channel — a simple SMS drip, a referral program, or a loyalty perk.
That’s it for Issue #43.
The future of growth isn’t about chasing every new tactic — it’s about spotting the shifts early, experimenting quickly, and building what lasts.
Are you ready for what’s next?
— ✍️ The Marketing Newsletter team